Apple (AAPL) Stock: New MacBook Air M5 Debuts With 512GB Base Storage at $1,099

Key Highlights

• The new MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip debuts at $1,099 for the 13-inch variant
• M5 offers AI performance improvements up to 4x over M4 and 9.5x compared to M1
• Base storage capacity increased to 512GB with SSD speeds doubled from last generation
• MacBook Pro equipped with M5 Pro chip begins at $2,199
• Available for pre-order starting March 4, in stores March 11

Apple has unveiled its latest MacBook Air featuring the M5 chip, with pricing set at $1,099 for the 13-inch version and $1,299 for the 15-inch model.

The M5 Pro-equipped MacBook Pro carries a starting price of $2,199.

The updated Air now ships with 512GB of base storage — twice the capacity of the M4 version — and supports configurations up to 4TB, marking a first for the product line.

Storage performance has also received a boost, with the SSD offering twice the read and write speeds of its predecessor.

Inside, the M5 chip packs a 10-core CPU paired with up to a 10-core GPU, each GPU core incorporating a Neural Accelerator.

According to Apple, AI workloads run up to 4x faster than on M4 and achieve speeds up to 9.5x greater than M1.

The tech giant also highlights that web browsing performance exceeds PC laptops with Intel Core Ultra X7 processors by up to 50%.

For professionals, Apple points to AI video enhancement in Topaz Video running up to 6.9x faster versus M1, while Blender 3D rendering sees improvements of up to 6.5x.

Technical Specifications

Memory bandwidth reaches 153GB/s — representing a 28% increase from M4 — which Apple says translates to improved multitasking responsiveness and quicker application loading.

The refreshed Air incorporates Apple’s N1 wireless chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity to the MacBook Air lineup for the first time.

Two Thunderbolt 4 ports come standard, offering compatibility with up to two external monitors.

Battery performance remains consistent with previous generations at up to 18 hours of use.

The fanless aluminum chassis continues in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver finishes for both size options.

Operating System Features

Each unit comes preloaded with macOS Tahoe, incorporating Apple Intelligence capabilities including Live Translation within Messages and enhanced Reminders functionality.

Shortcuts can now directly access Apple Intelligence models, enabling workflow automation such as extracting PDF content into spreadsheets.

A new Edge Light feature for video conferencing has been introduced to enhance facial lighting during calls in darker environments.

Apple notes the M5 MacBook Air contains 55% recycled materials, with the enclosure made from 100% recycled aluminum, supporting the company’s carbon neutrality objective across all operations by 2030.

Pre-orders begin March 4, with retail availability commencing March 11.