Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 review

This is Apple's 13-inch ultraportable, built around the base M5 chip. It runs macOS only. Apple's spec page lists no other operating system, and the research found no Linux support.

The case for it rests on battery, weight, display and keyboard. The case against it rests on ports, a modest step up from the M4 Air, and the price rise owners criticise.

The M5 has a 10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores. The configuration Apple lists has an 8-core GPU. For compiling, scripting, containers and light virtualisation, it gives you a current-generation chip with a reasonable core count.

The body is fanless, and owners describe it as silent. Heavy sustained loads are not covered in the research, so there is nothing here on throttling.

The listed configuration has 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. Apple lists options of 24GB or 32GB of memory and 1TB, 2TB or 4TB of storage. With 16GB as the starting point, it suits a code editor, a browser and a handful of containers. If you plan to run several VMs, the 24GB and 32GB options are the ones to look at.

The research does not mention user-upgradeable memory or a second storage slot. Pick the configuration you need when you buy.

The screen is a 13.6-inch IPS panel at 2560 by 1664, which works out at 224 ppi. Apple lists 500 nits of brightness, wide colour (P3) and True Tone. With that pixel density, text should look sharp for long sessions in a terminal or editor.

Apple lists no matte or OLED option. Brightness matters for battery too. Notebookcheck measured 6 hours 39 minutes at full brightness, against 16 hours 11 minutes at 150 nits.

Apple claims up to 18 hours of video streaming and up to 15 hours of wireless web use from the 53.8 Wh battery. Reviewers' figures sit in the same range:

• Macworld measured 18 hours 24 minutes of a movie on repeat at 150 nits.
• Tom's Hardware measured 15 hours 28 minutes in its web, video and OpenGL test.
• Notebookcheck measured 16 hours 11 minutes in its WLAN test at 150 nits.

Owners praise the battery but report no improvement over the M4. If you are upgrading from an M4 Air, battery life is not a reason to switch.

Apple lists a backlit Magic Keyboard with 78 keys (ANSI) or 79 keys (ISO), including 12 full-height function keys and Touch ID. The Force Touch trackpad gets praise from owners as comfortable and roomy. Owners also describe the machine as light and well built. It weighs 1.23 kg and is 0.44 inches thick.

Apple also lists a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, which helps for video calls.

This is the weakest area. The machine has two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a MagSafe 3 charging port and a headphone jack. It has no USB-A, HDMI or SD slot. Owners say the two Thunderbolt ports mean you need a USB-C hub or dongles.

MagSafe handles charging, so both Thunderbolt ports stay free for peripherals. Apple lists support for up to two external displays, either two at up to 6K and 60Hz or two at 4K and 144Hz. Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth 6 are listed.

The research found no Linux support. If you need Linux running directly on the hardware, this is the wrong laptop. If you only need macOS, that does not matter.

Price is the other sticking point. Owners criticise the increase as not a significant upgrade over the M4 Air. The M5 makes most sense for buyers coming from older hardware, not from the M4.

It suits developers and admins who want a silent, light laptop with a sharp screen and a battery that reviewers measured at 15 to 18 hours. Plan for a hub, and choose the memory configuration carefully, because 16GB is the starting point.