# Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026): specs and price

**Price (US):** $1299 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 #7 cheapest of 18; category median $1464.
**Brand:** Apple
**Released:** 2026-03
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 44/100, #15 of 25 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $1299 |
| Brand | Apple |
| Released | 2026-03 |
| Display (in) | 15.3 |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency) |
| GPU | Apple M5 integrated (10-core) |
| RAM (GB) | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.51 |
| Battery (Wh) | 66.5 |
| OS | macOS 26 |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack |

## Where it stands

At $1299, the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) is #7 cheapest of the 18 laptops we track, where the median is $1464. On the spec sheet, its display of 15.3 in is above the median of the 27, its weight of 1.51 kg is above the median of the 21, and its battery of 66.5 Wh is below the median of the 24. By release date, it is among the newer of the 21 we date.

## What reviewers say

Two whitelisted labs hands-on tested the exact 15-inch M5 MacBook Air - Notebookcheck and Tom's Guide - and both land on an easy recommendation: fast, efficient fanless M5 performance (Geekbench multi ~17,000), roughly 15-17 hours of Wi-Fi web-browsing battery, and a bright, vivid display in the same slim, high-quality aluminum chassis, now with Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6, 512GB base storage and a much faster PCIe 4.0 SSD. The two reviewers share the positive verdict but emphasize different drawbacks: Tom's Guide flags a $100 price rise and only nominal gains over the M4, while Notebookcheck flags soldered RAM/SSD, limited ports and the outdated 60Hz panel. (Based on 2 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2026-03-08–2026-03-09.)

Praised: Fast, efficient M5 performance with no gaming throttling; Long battery life (roughly 15-17 hours web browsing); Bright, vivid display; High-quality, sturdy aluminum design; Faster Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6, 512GB base storage and much faster PCIe 4.0 SSD; Excellent speakers.
Flagged: Outdated 60 Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion); Only a nominal/incremental upgrade over the M4; $100 price increase versus the M4 generation; Soldered, non-upgradeable RAM and SSD; minimal maintenance options; Limited ports (only 2 Thunderbolt, no USB-A/HDMI/SD), worse on the larger 15-inch chassis.
Disagreement: Both testers reach the same positive verdict but weight the negatives differently. The clearest measured gap is battery life: Notebookcheck logged 17h12min of Wi-Fi web browsing at 150 nits versus Tom's Guide's 15h37min under a comparable 150-nit web test - a ~1.5h spread from differing methodology. On the 60Hz panel, Notebookcheck calls it 'pretty outdated in 2026' and lists it as a con, whereas Tom's Guide notes the lack of 120Hz ProMotion but is largely untroubled by it. Notebookcheck frames the M5 generation positively ('gets even better'), while Tom's Guide is the one that flags it as only a nominal upgrade that costs $100 more.
Sources: Notebookcheck (2026-03-08, notebookcheck.net), Tom's Guide (2026-03-09, tomsguide.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026)?**

Two whitelisted labs hands-on tested the exact 15-inch M5 MacBook Air - Notebookcheck and Tom's Guide - and both land on an easy recommendation: fast, efficient fanless M5 performance (Geekbench multi ~17,000), roughly 15-17 hours of Wi-Fi web-browsing battery, and a bright, vivid display in the same slim, high-quality aluminum chassis, now with Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6, 512GB base storage and a much faster PCIe 4.0 SSD. The two reviewers share the positive verdict but emphasize different drawbacks: Tom's Guide flags a $100 price rise and only nominal gains over the M4, while Notebookcheck flags soldered RAM/SSD, limited ports and the outdated 60Hz panel. Praised: Fast, efficient M5 performance with no gaming throttling; Long battery life (roughly 15-17 hours web browsing); Bright, vivid display; High-quality, sturdy aluminum design; Faster Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6, 512GB base storage and much faster PCIe 4.0 SSD; Excellent speakers. Flagged: Outdated 60 Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion); Only a nominal/incremental upgrade over the M4; $100 price increase versus the M4 generation; Soldered, non-upgradeable RAM and SSD; minimal maintenance options; Limited ports (only 2 Thunderbolt, no USB-A/HDMI/SD), worse on the larger 15-inch chassis. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) cost?**

The Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) has a US price of $1299 (US MSRP, base config 16GB/512GB; launch March 11 2026), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) compare on price?**

At $1299, the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) is #7 cheapest of the 18 laptops we track, where the median is $1464.

**When was the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) released?**

The Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) was released 2026-03.

**What are the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026)'s key specs?**

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) (Apple): display in 15.3, resolution 2880x1864, cpu Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency), gpu Apple M5 integrated (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-15-m5/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) price of record was $1299 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/laptops/apple-macbook-air-15-m5/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl