What's Coming in the M5 MacBook Air

Source: MacRumors

Along with the low‑cost MacBook, Apple could introduce a refreshed version of the MacBook Air next week. Most of the focus will be on the new machine, but the MacBook Air is expected to get some useful internal updates.

M5 Chip

The next‑generation MacBook Air will adopt the M5 chip, which Apple already introduced in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models that came out last year.

• Built on third‑generation 3‑nanometer technology.
• Up to a 10‑core CPU and up to a 10‑core GPU, delivering roughly 3.5× faster performance than the M4 chip.
• Multithreaded CPU performance is up to 15 % faster than the M4, with GPU performance up to 30 % faster.
• Each GPU core includes a Neural Accelerator to accelerate AI workloads.
• Unified memory bandwidth of 153 GB/s (~30 % improvement over the M4).
• RAM starts at 16 GB, with 24 GB and 32 GB upgrade options.
• Third‑generation ray‑tracing, second‑generation dynamic caching, and enhanced shader cores improve gaming and other intensive tasks.
• Updated 16‑core Neural Engine is more energy‑efficient, potentially extending battery life.

Storage tiers are expected to remain unchanged: starting at 256 GB, with 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB options.

Design

The MacBook Air received a design overhaul in 2022, and there are no clear signs of a chassis redesign for 2026. Apple typically retains a design for several years, with major updates tied to new features.

• Rumors suggest an OLED display could arrive after Apple launches OLED MacBook Pro models in late 2026, possibly delaying a major design refresh.
• Expected size options: 13‑inch and 15‑inch, both with the same aluminum unibody and fanless thermal system, featuring a Retina LCD display.
• Likely to continue offering two Thunderbolt 4/USB‑C ports, along with the existing speaker, microphone, and camera setup.

Pricing

MacBook Air pricing is expected to stay at a starting price of $1,099. Memory upgrades may become more expensive due to ongoing DRAM shortages.

Release Date

Apple CEO Tim Cook teased product announcements slated to begin on Monday, so the MacBook Air could appear as soon as next week.

This article, “What’s Coming in the M5 MacBook Air,” first appeared on MacRumors.com.