The MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,099, up $100 from the M4

Apple unexpectedly announced a new MacBook Air with an M5 chip, despite prior reports suggesting otherwise. The new model, however, sees a price increase from the previous generation, starting at $1,099. Apple claims the M5 chip delivers significantly faster AI performance compared to the M4 and M1 models. Storage has also been upgraded, with the base model now starting at 512GB, and the SSD promises faster read/write speeds. Additionally, RAM starts at 16GB, with improved bandwidth for enhanced performance. Connectivity is also enhanced with the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The M5 MacBook Air runs macOS Tahoe and supports Apple Intelligence features. It features a Liquid Retina display, a Center Stage camera, Spatial Audio, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. Battery life is estimated at up to 18 hours. The M5 MacBook Air comes in both 13-inch and 15-inch models, with the latter starting at $1,299. Pre-orders begin March 4th, with availability in stores starting March 11th in select regions.