# Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026): specs and price

**Price (US):** $1099 at apple.com (US MSRP, base config 16GB/512GB; launch March 11 2026), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 18 laptops we track it is #6 cheapest of 18; category median $1464.
**Brand:** Apple
**Released:** 2026-03
**Deskmark:** Silver Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 49/100, #13 of 25 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $1099 |
| Brand | Apple |
| Released | 2026-03 |
| Display (in) | 13.6 |
| Resolution | 2560x1664 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency) |
| GPU | Apple M5 integrated (8-core or 10-core) |
| RAM (GB) | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.23 |
| Battery (Wh) | 53.8 |
| OS | macOS 26 |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack |

## Where it stands

At $1099, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) is #6 cheapest of the 18 laptops we track, where the median is $1464. On the spec sheet, its display of 13.6 in is below the median of the 27, its weight of 1.23 kg is below the median of the 21, and its battery of 53.8 Wh is below the median of the 24. By release date, it is the newest of the 21 we date.

## What reviewers say

Three whitelisted testers lab-reviewed the 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, Tom's Guide); all rate it the best mainstream ultraportable, praising fast M5 performance, roughly 15.5-hour battery life, and the doubled 512GB base storage with a much faster SSD. Shared gripes: a $100 price hike (no longer $999), an incremental update over the M4, and — noted by Tom's Hardware — the fanless chassis throttling under sustained load. (Based on 3 reviews, 3 lab-tested, 2026-03-09–2026-03-23.)

Praised: Fast M5 performance that handles everyday and heavier creative workloads; All-day battery life (~15.5 hours in web testing); Doubled 512GB base storage plus much faster SSD; Premium lightweight design with excellent keyboard and haptic trackpad; Bright, vivid Liquid Retina display.
Flagged: $100 price increase over the M4 (no longer starts at $999); Only an incremental upgrade over the M4, especially for M4 owners; Display notch remains and there is still no touchscreen; Fanless chassis thermally throttles under sustained load; Apple Intelligence still of limited real-world use.
Disagreement: Emphasis on thermals differs: Tom's Hardware measured clear throttling in the fanless chassis (Cinebench 2026 falling from 3,415 into the low 2,300s over successive runs), while TechRadar's real-world use found it 'difficult to stress the M5,' framing everyday performance as effectively unbottlenecked.
Sources: Tom's Hardware (2026-03-23, tomshardware.com), TechRadar (2026-03-09, techradar.com), Tom's Guide (2026-03-09, tomsguide.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)?**

Three whitelisted testers lab-reviewed the 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, Tom's Guide); all rate it the best mainstream ultraportable, praising fast M5 performance, roughly 15.5-hour battery life, and the doubled 512GB base storage with a much faster SSD. Shared gripes: a $100 price hike (no longer $999), an incremental update over the M4, and — noted by Tom's Hardware — the fanless chassis throttling under sustained load. Praised: Fast M5 performance that handles everyday and heavier creative workloads; All-day battery life (~15.5 hours in web testing); Doubled 512GB base storage plus much faster SSD; Premium lightweight design with excellent keyboard and haptic trackpad; Bright, vivid Liquid Retina display. Flagged: $100 price increase over the M4 (no longer starts at $999); Only an incremental upgrade over the M4, especially for M4 owners; Display notch remains and there is still no touchscreen; Fanless chassis thermally throttles under sustained load; Apple Intelligence still of limited real-world use. (From 3 tester reviews, 3 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) cost?**

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) has a US price of $1099 (US MSRP, base config 16GB/512GB; launch March 11 2026), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) compare on price?**

At $1099, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) is #6 cheapest of the 18 laptops we track, where the median is $1464.

**When was the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) released?**

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) was released 2026-03.

**What are the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)'s key specs?**

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) (Apple): display in 13.6, resolution 2560x1664, cpu Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency), gpu Apple M5 integrated (8-core or 10-core), ram gb 16. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs/ (apple.com, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Air_(Apple_silicon) (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/laptops/apple-macbook-air-13-m5/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) price of record was $1099 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/laptops/apple-macbook-air-13-m5/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl