Apple has just refreshed its most popular laptop – and if you’ve been putting off upgrading your MacBook Air, this might be the one that convinces you.

Announced overnight, the MacBook Air with Apple’s new M5 chip looks largely the same as the previous model. But under the hood it’s received a handful of meaningful upgrades: faster performance, better AI capability, double the starting storage, and improved wireless connectivity.

The new Air will be available in 13-inch and 15-inch models, with pre-orders opening 5 March and Australian availability beginning 11 March.

Pricing starts at $1,799 for the 13-inch model, while the 15-inch version starts at $2,199.

So what’s new – and who is it for?

How does it fit into the MacBook lineup?

The MacBook Air remains Apple’s most accessible laptop. It sits below the MacBook Pro range in price and power, but for most people – students, office workers, and everyday users – it’s more than enough computer.

This new version is aimed at people who’ve been holding onto older MacBook Air models, especially Intel-based ones.

According to Apple, the new M5 chip delivers a noticeable boost in performance. Compared with the original Apple-silicon MacBook Air from 2020, Apple says it can be up to 9.5 times faster in certain tasks.

That means everyday things – opening apps, switching between lots of browser tabs, editing photos, or working on big documents – should feel quicker and smoother.

The company is also positioning the new Air as a more capable laptop for AI-powered tools, which are becoming more common across apps and operating systems.

More storage as standard

One of the most practical upgrades is storage.

Previous MacBook Air models started with 256GB of storage. The new version starts with 512GB, doubling the base capacity.

That extra space adds up quickly. Photos, videos, apps and downloads can fill a laptop faster than you expect, especially if you’re using it for work or study.

The new Air can also be configured with up to 4TB of storage, which is the largest option ever available on a MacBook Air.

Apple says the storage itself is faster too, with up to twice the read and write speeds of the previous generation. In everyday terms, that means files open quicker and large projects load faster.

The M5 chip is faster than ever before

At the centre of the new MacBook Air is Apple’s M5 chip.

Without getting too technical, this chip is responsible for everything the laptop does – from opening apps to editing videos.

The M5 includes a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core graphics processor, designed to handle demanding tasks more efficiently. Apple also says it’s been built to handle AI workloads much better than previous versions.

For example, Apple says the new Air can deliver:

• Up to 6.9 times faster AI video enhancement compared with the M1 MacBook Air
• Up to 6.5 times faster 3D rendering in some graphics workloads
• Up to 2.7 times faster image processing in creative apps

You don’t need to know the technical details to benefit — the laptop should simply feel faster when multitasking or working with larger files.

Same design, still incredibly portable

If you were hoping for a brand-new look, you won’t find it here.

The MacBook Air keeps the same thin aluminium design introduced a few years ago – and that’s probably a good thing. It’s still one of the lightest and most portable laptops you can buy.

It also remains completely silent, because the Air doesn’t use a cooling fan.

Buyers can choose between four colours:

• Sky Blue
• Midnight
• Starlight
• Silver

The display options also remain the same: a 13.6-inch screen for maximum portability, or a larger 15.3-inch screen if you prefer more room for multitasking.

Both use Apple’s Liquid Retina display, which delivers bright colours and sharp text that’s easy on the eyes during long work sessions.

Battery life that lasts all day

Battery life has always been one of the MacBook Air’s biggest strengths, and that continues here.

Apple says the new model can deliver up to 18 hours of battery life. For people upgrading from older Intel-based MacBook Air models, that can mean up to six extra hours of use on a single charge.

Charging still uses MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic connector that easily snaps into place and safely detaches if the cable gets pulled.

Better connectivity and video calls

There are a few smaller upgrades that make the Air feel more modern day-to-day.

The laptop includes a 12-megapixel camera with Centre Stage, which keeps you centred in the frame during video calls – handy if you move around during meetings.

It also features a three-microphone array for clearer voice audio, along with speakers that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos for a more immersive sound experience.

Connectivity also gets an upgrade with Apple’s new N1 wireless chip, which supports:

• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 6

The Air still includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with MagSafe charging, and it now supports up to two external displays.

macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence

The new MacBook Air runs macOS Tahoe, the latest version of Apple’s Mac software. Along with visual updates and more customisation options, the system includes new Apple Intelligence features designed to help automate tasks and make everyday work easier.

These include things like live message translation, smarter reminders, and automation tools that can pull information from documents and organise it automatically.

Apple emphasises that many of these features run directly on the device, helping keep personal data private.