Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025)

Lance Ulanoff from TechRadar highlights the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as the best ultraportable laptop currently available, praising its blend of sleek design, near-pro-level performance, and impressive battery life. He emphasizes the M5 chip’s enhanced speed and efficiency over its predecessor, alongside doubled base storage and faster SSD speeds, which justify the modest price increase. The review applauds the laptop’s premium build, excellent keyboard and trackpad, and vibrant 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, while noting the lack of new colors and absence of a touchscreen as minor drawbacks. Ulanoff also explores macOS 26 and Apple Intelligence features, finding some AI tools useful but others less compelling. Real-world testing under heavy multitasking and gaming scenarios confirms the MacBook Air M5’s robust performance and all-day battery endurance. Overall, the review conveys enthusiastic approval, recommending the M5 Air as a worthy upgrade for M1 users and a top choice for ultraportable computing.

Matthew Buzzi from PCMag highlights the 2026 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) as a well-built, ultraportable laptop that delivers a significant performance boost thanks to the new M5 chip and doubled base storage. While the design and display remain unchanged from the previous generation, the Air continues to impress with its speed, battery life, and premium build quality, earning a repeat Editors’ Choice award. Buzzi notes the lack of an OLED screen as a missed opportunity but understands the pricing pressures behind this decision. The review emphasizes the M5’s strong performance in both CPU and graphics tasks, positioning the Air ahead of many similarly priced Windows alternatives. Although the price increased by $100, the added storage and faster internals justify the cost for most buyers. The review advises that current M4 or M3 owners may not need to upgrade immediately, but those with older Macs will find this model a compelling and efficient choice.

Andreas Osthoff from Notebookcheck highlights the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a remarkably efficient and high-performance laptop, especially praising its blazing-fast M5 SoC, silent fanless design, and excellent price-to-performance ratio at $1,099. The review emphasizes the impressive single-core and multi-core CPU performance, efficient gaming capabilities without throttling, and upgraded features like Wi-Fi 7 and doubled base storage with fast PCIe 4.0 SSDs. While the laptop retains the previous model’s chassis and 60 Hz IPS display—criticized for its limited refresh rate and blue tint out of the box—the reviewer appreciates the anti-reflective screen and good color accuracy after calibration. Connectivity remains limited, and soldered RAM/SSD restrict upgrades, but these trade-offs are balanced against the Air’s portability, battery life, and quiet operation. Overall, the review conveys strong enthusiasm tempered by measured critiques, positioning the MacBook Air M5 as an excellent choice for most users seeking a powerful, efficient, and silent everyday laptop.

Matt Elliott assesses the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a solid but somewhat conflicted offering in Apple’s laptop lineup. While the M5 chip delivers meaningful performance gains over previous models—especially in AI and graphics workloads—the 13-inch Air has lost its position as the entry-level MacBook due to the introduction of the more affordable MacBook Neo. Elliott highlights that the 13-inch Air’s $1,099 starting price, now $100 higher than before, places it awkwardly between the budget-friendly Neo and the larger, more versatile 15-inch Air, which he ultimately recommends for most users seeking a balance of screen size, portability, and price. The review praises the upgraded base storage and faster SSDs, as well as improved networking, but notes the design and battery life remain largely unchanged. Overall, the 13-inch M5 Air is a strong performer but feels less compelling unless size constraints or specific performance needs justify its premium over the Neo or the larger Air.

Tony Polanco from Tom’s Guide praises the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a nearly perfect laptop that delivers strong performance, excellent battery life, and a vivid display within a lightweight, durable design. The review highlights the significant upgrade of the M5 chip, which boosts everyday and creative workloads, alongside faster Wi-Fi 7 and doubled base storage, making it a compelling choice especially for users upgrading from older models. Polanco’s detailed lab tests confirm impressive CPU benchmarks, SSD speeds, and solid gaming capabilities for an ultraportable. However, he notes the $100 price increase and relatively modest improvements over the M4 model, suggesting that current M4 owners may find the upgrade less essential. Despite these caveats, the review conveys genuine enthusiasm for the MacBook Air M5’s balance of power, portability, and premium features, recommending it as a top-tier option for most users seeking a high-quality, sub-$1,500 laptop.

Nathan Ingraham from Engadget highlights the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a mature, well-engineered ultraportable that remains one of the best laptops for most users. While the design and display remain unchanged from the 2022 model, the M5 chip delivers notable performance gains, especially in GPU-intensive tasks like gaming and video editing. Battery life meets Apple’s claims, and the keyboard, trackpad, speakers, and webcam continue to impress. Minor criticisms include the lack of a higher refresh rate screen and limited port options, but these do not detract significantly from the overall experience. Ingraham emphasizes that although the Air isn’t groundbreaking this year, its combination of speed, build quality, and versatility make it a compelling choice, especially compared to the more budget-oriented MacBook Neo. The review conveys a balanced but clearly positive tone, appreciating the Air’s refinement and longevity rather than excitement over radical changes.

Jason Cross from Macworld highlights the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a reliable and steady performer that continues Apple’s tradition of incremental improvements rather than groundbreaking changes. The review emphasizes the impressive year-over-year CPU and Neural Engine performance gains brought by the M5 chip, alongside notable SSD speed enhancements and excellent battery life that comfortably supports all-day use. However, Cross points out that the MacBook Air’s design and features remain largely unchanged, with only minor updates like the new wireless chip and keyboard glyphs. He also notes the Air’s limitations for demanding tasks such as sustained heavy workloads or AAA gaming due to its fanless design. While the display and speakers could be better for the price, the MacBook Air remains a durable, quiet, and versatile mid-range laptop that suits most users well. Overall, the review conveys a tone of measured appreciation—acknowledging solid strengths without much excitement over innovation.

Kyle Barr from Gizmodo highlights the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a well-balanced, mid-tier laptop that excels in portability and solid performance for demanding creative tasks. Praising its excellent screen, sound quality, and all-day battery life, Barr notes the M5 chip delivers impressive speed for 3D modeling, video editing, and moderate gaming, while maintaining consistent thermal management despite its fanless design. However, he points out notable drawbacks such as limited ports, a distracting screen notch, and a somewhat uninspired color selection. The review emphasizes the MacBook Air’s position between the entry-level MacBook Neo and the more powerful M5 MacBook Pro, with the latter offering better sustained performance, more ports, and a superior display at a higher price. Barr’s nuanced assessment underscores the Air’s appeal for users prioritizing portability and solid performance, while acknowledging that those needing top-tier power or connectivity might prefer the Pro.

Henry T. Casey from CNN Underscored praises the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2025) as a reliably excellent laptop that builds on a proven formula with modest but meaningful improvements. He highlights the device’s sharp, color-accurate display, solid audio quality, and comfortable keyboard, emphasizing its appeal as a well-rounded mid-range laptop. Performance gains over previous models are noticeable, especially for more demanding tasks like video editing and gaming, while battery life impresses with a 14% increase over the M4 version. However, Casey notes the $100 price increase without significant design or feature changes, making the upgrade less compelling for current M4 owners. He also points out the MacBook Neo as a more affordable alternative, though less customizable and smaller in size. Overall, the MacBook Air M5 is described as the “Goldilocks pick” — striking a balanced blend of power, portability, and price, ideal for most users seeking a dependable, stylish laptop without radical innovation.