MacBook Air M5 — Release Date, Specs, Features, Colors & Latest News

Posted By Mariana Hlodan | 17 Dec 2025

This year, the latest model in the MacBook Air line has made a splash, and the reason is not its technical specifications, but mainly the rare color — sky blue. As for the new Apple MacBook Air M5, you might have noticed that users’ intense expectations are also heightened by the recent release of the MacBook Pro. Thus, the question is, when the next model MacBook Air will be released and what specifications it will have? Let's take a closer look.

MacBook Air M5 Release Date

When will MacBook Air m5 come out? The MacBook Air with the M5 chip is expected to be unveiled at Apple's first event of 2026, which usually takes place in the spring. The latest additions to the Air line will be presented. Though there is no exact date, we can assume that it could be late February or early March. At this time, to put it exactly, on March 5, the previous model MacBook Air was unveiled. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg made an assumption about the expected release date of MacBook Air with M5 chip. According to it, Apple plans to launch mass production of the MacBook Air with M5 Chip at the end of the year. This model will come out in the beginning of the first quarter of 2026.

Also: Apple Events 2025: What New Products to Expect

MacBook Air M5 Specs

From a technical point of view, the new model will be better and more durable than the previous one given a new powerful M5 chip, which will provide major changes in speed and energy efficiency.

M5 MacBook Air: Technical specifications

Component / Specification	Base model (Entry level)	Mid-range	Configuration options
Processor (CPU)	M5 with 10 cores	M5 with 10 cores	M5 (no change)
Graphics processor (GPU)	8 cores	10 cores	10 cores
Shared memory (RAM)	16 GB	16 GB	Up to 32 GB (optional)
Storage (SSD)	256 GB	256 GB (Same as base model)	Up to 512 GB
Ports	Thunderbolt 4
Webcam	12 megapixels with Center Stage
Included	Power adapter not included (for UK and Europe)		Power adapter not included
Code names	J813 (13-inch version)	J815 (15-inch version)	---

It is currently unclear whether the model will offer a 4TB storage configuration — this has not been confirmed yet.

If we speak about M5 MacBook Air specs, we can estimate the following specifications users can expect:

The new model will run faster and handle multitasking better. For example, users can watch videos on YouTube, edit videos in Final Cut Pro, process photos in Photoshop, work with Word and Excel documents, and run AI tasks in the background simultaneously on the MacBook Air M5 without any lag. Everything is supposed to work smoothly, without delays, and users will be able to switch between tasks and open windows easily as this model will have a powerful chip.
The M5 chip provides smoother graphics in games. Simple games will run without any problems, and demanding ones (such as Cyberpunk 2077) will run on minimum settings. In addition, the laptop will last longer without a battery and heat up less, that will definitely make it a great choice for gamers.

MacBook Air M5 Display

There’s a great probability that the new MacBook Air with the M5 chip, which is expected in the spring of 2026, will not feature an OLED display. We should also consider that Cupertino has been talking about introducing a MacBook with an OLED display for the past few months. Most likely, this update will be available on the MacBook Pro line with the M6 chip, which will come out no sooner than late 2026. Therefore, we can expect the implementation of this Air Line update around early 2027.

MacBook Air M5 Design

If the sky blue color created a stir about the Air line, then in 2026, neither color updates nor design changes are expected.

You should also remember that the sky blue color was created to replace Space Gray. The MacBook design itself was updated not so long ago — in 2022. The MacBook Air became more like the MacBook Pro: smooth and flat, no longer wedge-shaped, and now it looks more modern than previous Air models.

In addition, the screen is larger and brighter now, and there is a small notch for the camera at the top. The camera is now better, there are new beautiful colors, and it can be charged using MagSafe — a special magnetic cable.

MacBook Air M5 Price

The MacBook Air line is considered more affordable than the Pro. Don't expect any major changes. Most likely, the price of the base model of the new MacBook will be $1,099, and the price of the MacBook with the M4 chip will be $999.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mariana Hlodan
Tech journalist

Mariana Hlodan is an experienced writer specializing in Apple products. With a background in tech journalism, Mariana offers a deep dive into the latest Apple news, product reviews and trends.