In the fast-paced world of laptops, Apple remains on top, with a line of products that constantly redefine performance, efficiency, and design. This is no different with the new Apple M5 MacBook Air. Perhaps improving upon the success of its M4 predecessor, Apple’s 2025 release takes the concept of “Air” to a whole new level—lighter, faster, and significantly smarter.
Powered by the Apple M5 chip, built on a 3-nanometer process, the latest Air promises a massive leap in AI performance, energy efficiency, and graphics power. It’s not just another upgrade; it’s Apple’s statement of intent for the next generation of personal computing.
In the detailed review that follows, we will go over everything you need to know, from design and display to real-world performance, battery life, and pricing, to help you decide if this is your next laptop.
Effortless Design in Apple M5 MacBook Air
The MacBook Air has always been synonymous with portability and elegance, and the M5 version continues that tradition. At first glance, the design might look familiar because Apple’s philosophy of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” remains intact. The unibody aluminum chassis feels sturdy yet incredibly light at just about 1.2 kg.
The edges have been refined to make them just a bit thinner, and this results in a more visually seamless flow between the lid and the base. It carries forward the iconic wedge-free uniform profile as introduced in the M2 generation, and it still feels really slim at about 11 mm thick.
You can select from Apple’s classic color palette, which includes Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver, but there is a rumor of a “Titan Blue” variant arriving later in 2025.
But despite being so thin, the M5 MacBook Air is built like a tank: there’s minimal flex on the keyboard deck or lid, making it ideal for both travel and daily productivity. It’s still one of the most premium-feeling laptops you can buy.
The Display of Apple M5 MacBook Air: Bright, Sharp, and Possibly Smarter
Apple keeps pushing the boundaries with their Retina displays, and the M5 MacBook Air is no exception. An even-better 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display (and a 15-inch option for those who prefer to spread out) is touting great visuals thanks to True Tone technology, P3 wide color gamut, and up to 500 nits of brightness.
However, what’s new here is the rumored AI-enhanced color tuning, an adaptive system that adjusts not only brightness but also color temperature based on ambient light and the content on screen. That could make photo editing, video playback, and even long-hour reading more comfortable.
While Apple hasn’t moved to OLED for the Air lineup yet, the sharpness and color accuracy of the M5 display remain best-in-class among LCD panels. Whether you’re streaming 4K content or editing high-resolution photos, the experience is immersive.
Almost invisible side bezels and a notch at the top now mean room for an enhanced 1080p FaceTime HD camera with Apple’s on-device AI processing for improved noise reduction and auto-framing during calls.
Performance of Apple M5 MacBook Air: The Power of the Apple M5 Chip
The real magic, however, lies under the hood: the M5 MacBook Air boasts the Apple M5 chip—a brand new chapter in the evolution of Apple Silicon. Built on an enhanced 3 nm process, the chip houses a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, delivering performance up to 30% faster than M4 with even lower power consumption.
Real-world impact: This means that, for everyday activities, the Air is faster, smoother, and quieter. Apps launch instantly, multitasking feels effortless, and even demanding workloads—like video editing in Final Cut Pro or coding large projects in Xcode—run beautifully without fans.
But the real game-changer is on-device AI processing: the new Apple Neural Engine is designed to handle advanced machine learning tasks, including real-time image enhancement, transcription, and even local AI model inference—all processing without touching any cloud. This is Apple’s response to the AI-PC trend that is sweeping across the industry.
In benchmark comparisons, the M5 Air comfortably outperforms most Windows ultrabooks, driven either by Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI chips. It’s not only faster; it’s more efficient, too. The thermal design means zero fan noise, so even when put under stress, it remains silent.
Battery Life in Apple M5 MacBook Air: A Marathon Performer
Apple’s M-series chips have always championed efficiency, with the M5 Air upping the ante. The laptop will easily deliver up to 20 hours of battery life from a single charge—enough to see you through a full day of heavy usage and still leave juice for the next morning.
You can stream videos, edit documents, and browse the web with less of a worry about the charger thanks to better efficiency cores and smarter power distribution. The MagSafe 3 connector returns for quick magnetic attachment, and you still get fast charging via USB-C.
With long battery life combined with lightweight, professionals who are always on the move will hardly find a better option than this.
Keyboard and Trackpad: Comfort Meets Precision
Typing on the M5 MacBook Air remains a delight: Apple’s Magic Keyboard provides excellent travel and tactile feedback, along with quiet operation. The Touch ID sensor built into the power button works flawlessly for unlocking, authorizing app installs, or making payments.
First, the Force Touch trackpad is among the largest and most responsive in its class. Gestures glide effortlessly, clicks feel responsive, and haptic feedback has a near-mechanical feel despite being entirely solid-state.
Whether you’re typing long documents, coding, or navigating creative software, this keyboard-trackpad combo elevates productivity and comfort.
Connectivity in Apple M5 MacBook Air: Just Enough for Most Users
The M5 Air features a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a MagSafe 3 charging port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That’s minimal, to be sure, but Apple’s use of MagSafe frees a single USB-C port for accessories or displays, a thoughtful design decision.
Of course, wireless connectivity gets upgraded, too. The M5 Air supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for super-fast file transfers and stable peripheral connectivity.
For external displays, you can connect one 6K monitor at 60 Hz. If you have multiple external displays, you’ll still have to look at the MacBook Pro lineup.
macOS Sequoia and AI Integration
The M5 MacBook Air comes with macOS Sequoia, which is Apple’s freshest operating system, centered on privacy-centric AI features. With natural-feeling integration, from on-device summarization to contextual Siri improvements and enhanced window management.
With Apple’s focus on local AI computation, your data stays on your machine, so you get both privacy and speed advantages. Basic tasks like the organization of photos, smart suggestions, or natural language searches are now even quicker and more intuitive.
And if you’re a developer, you’ll also appreciate new tools in Xcode that let you optimize AI-powered apps directly for Apple Silicon, including the M5’s upgraded Neural Engine.
Price and Availability in India
Apple devices have never been affordable, but they have always justified their premium through experience. The M5 MacBook Air is expected to start around ₹94,990 for the base model—which will likely include 16 GB of unified memory and 256 GB SSD.
Variants with higher options, like 512 GB or 1 TB storage and 10-core GPU versions, may even cross the ₹130,000 mark. Apple will very well announce the official pricing closer to its launch event, which is rumored to happen in early 2026 in India.
Students, educators, and creative professionals should also expect typical Apple Education Store discounts and trade-in offers that could make the M5 Air more accessible.
How It Compares: Apple M5 MacBook Air vs Apple M4 MacBook Air
The first question that might strike your mind is, is the M5 MacBook Air a huge leap from the M4? Well, the answer depends on your workflow.
| Feature | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air |
| CPU | 8-core | 10-core |
| GPU | Up to 10-core | Up to 10-core (faster) |
| Process | 3 nm (1st-gen) | 3 nm (2nd-gen) |
| AI Neural Engine | 16-core | 20-core |
| Battery | 18 hours | 20 hours |
| RAM | 8 GB base | 16 GB base |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Price | ₹89,990 | ₹94,990 |
So while the M5 isn’t a radical redesign, it brings incremental but meaningful improvements across the board. The jump from 8 GB to 16 GB base memory alone is a major usability win, and the new Neural Engine makes it far more future-ready for AI-powered workflows.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Blazing-fast M5 chip with AI acceleration
- Ultra-light and premium build
- Fantastic display and speakers
- Exceptional battery life: 20 hours
- Silent, fan-less design
- Strong integration with macOS and the iPhone ecosystem
Cons
- Limited port selection
- Still LCD, not OLED display
- Base model storage can be higher
- Premium pricing for top variants
Verdict: The Perfect Everyday Laptop, Evolved
The Apple M5 MacBook Air may look familiar on the outside, but inside, it is a powerhouse. It brings together Apple’s hallmark design excellence and the most advanced AI performance, all with a fanless ultra-portable form factor. The M5 Air is, in essence, enough for those whose daily routines include creative tasks, productivity apps, or general multitasking. It’s perfect for students, professionals, developers, and digital nomads who need speed, battery endurance, and dependability in one elegant package.
For power users who need multiple displays, higher refresh rates, or heavy GPU performance, the MacBook Pro M5 might be a better fit whenever it launches, but for 95% of users, this is the sweet spot for power and portability. Apple’s M5 MacBook Air is the culmination of years of refinement. This isn’t just a laptop—it’s a new standard for what an ultra-portable, intelligent computer is.
