Apple announces new M5 MacBook Air with 512GB of starting storage

Apple continued its "big week" of product launches on Tuesday by announcing new M5 MacBook Air laptops alongside upgraded MacBook Pros. They're set for release on Wednesday, March 11, and preorders open March 4.

The new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Airs have the same speedy M5 processor as last fall's 14-inch MacBook Pro. They now start with 512GB of storage, and they're configurable with up to 4TB for the first time.

The 512GB base models will retail for $1,099 and $1,299, respectively, which is the biggest news here. Those prices represent $100 discounts compared to the M4 MacBook Airs with the same amount of storage. They started with 256GB at $999; that configuration option is no longer available.

The M5 MacBook Airs have also added Apple's N1 wireless chip, which brings support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Beyond that, this is a very iterative update. The M5 MacBook Airs have the same designs as their predecessors, retaining their aluminum builds, 60Hz Liquid Retina displays, 12MP Center Stage webcams, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 18-hour battery life ratings. They still come in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

The $1,099 starting price leaves plenty of room for Apple's rumored budget MacBook, which the company is expected to announce during its "special experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai tomorrow. For months, Apple forecasters have been predicting a low-cost MacBook that could compete with cheap Windows laptops.

Apple kicked off the week by announcing the iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air on Monday. The new MacBook Pros it unveiled Tuesday alongside the Airs have upgraded M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

Apple M5 MacBook Air: The specs

• Sizes: 13- and 15-inch models

• Starting prices: $1,099 and $1,299, respectively

• Processor: M5 with 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU

• Display: Liquid Retina display with 60Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness

• RAM: 16GB

• Storage: 512GB to 4TB

• Connectivity: WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6

• Battery life: Up to 18 hours

• Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera

• Ports: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, headphone jack

• Colors: Sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver