However, these improvements come with a price adjustment. The standard MacBook Air M5 model is now US$100 more expensive, marking a notable change for Apple’s best-selling laptop lineup.

Stronger performance with the M5 chip

The most significant highlight of the new MacBook Air is the Apple M5 processor.

The device features a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, along with a powerful Neural Accelerator integrated into each processing core.

This represents Apple’s continued push to enhance performance and artificial intelligence processing capabilities across its mainstream devices.

John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, said the MacBook Air with M5 delivers impressive performance improvements for what he described as the world’s most popular laptop.

According to him, the device handles everything smoothly, from everyday office tasks to advanced creative workloads, while significantly accelerating artificial intelligence applications.

Apple said the MacBook Air M5 processes AI workloads up to four times faster than the M4 version and up to 9.5 times faster than the M1 generation.

Performance improvements are also noticeable in professional software. The video processing application Topaz Video reportedly runs 1.9 times faster than on the M4 version thanks to improved shader cores and a third-generation ray tracing engine.

Meanwhile, the 3D rendering software Blender is said to operate about 1.5 times faster on the M5 compared with the M4.

Double storage and faster SSD

Beyond the processor upgrade, Apple has significantly increased the base storage capacity.

The standard MacBook Air M5 now comes with a 512GB SSD, double the 256GB offered on the previous generation.

Users can upgrade storage up to 4TB, approaching the requirements of many professional content creators.

Notably, the new SSD is also twice as fast as its predecessor, reducing the time required to launch applications, transfer data and process large files.

This improvement is particularly meaningful as data volumes continue to grow and software increasingly demands higher read and write speeds.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 debut

Another notable upgrade lies in connectivity.

The MacBook Air M5 integrates Apple’s custom-designed N1 networking chip, supporting both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

This marks the first time Wi-Fi 7 has appeared on the Air lineup, offering faster transfer speeds, lower latency and more stable performance in environments with many connected devices.

Even so, the laptop still features two Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than Thunderbolt 5, which is reserved for the MacBook Pro series. Users can nevertheless connect two external displays simultaneously, supporting multi-screen productivity setups.

Liquid Retina display and familiar design

The new MacBook Air continues to be offered in two sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches.

Both versions feature the Liquid Retina display with brightness up to 500 nits and support for one billion colors, delivering vivid visuals suitable for both work and entertainment.

Battery life remains unchanged, providing up to 18 hours of use, enough to last through a full day of work without charging.

Like previous generations, the MacBook Air does not include an active cooling fan. The fanless design keeps the laptop quiet and lightweight, although users with consistently heavy workloads may still prefer the MacBook Pro.

Price increase

The MacBook Air M5 starts at US$1,099 for the base 13-inch model, US$100 higher than the previous generation.

The device is available in four color options: Sky Blue, Starlight, Silver and Midnight.

Upgrading to the 15-inch model with maximum configuration can push the price close to US$3,000.

According to AppleInsider, Apple began accepting preorders on March 3, with official deliveries starting March 11.

With notable upgrades in performance, storage and connectivity, the MacBook Air M5 moves closer to the professional laptop segment while maintaining the thin and portable design philosophy that has defined the product line.

In Vietnam, the MacBook Air M5 starts at VND29.99 million (approximately US$1,220) for the 13-inch version and VND34.99 million (approximately US$1,420) for the 15-inch version.

Special pricing for students and education sector users begins at VND27.27 million (approximately US$1,110) for the 13-inch model and VND32.29 million (approximately US$1,315) for the 15-inch model.

Hai Phong