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MacBook Air M5 review: a small update for the ‘just right’ Mac

The Verge / 3/15/2026

💬 OpinionIdeas & Deep AnalysisIndustry & Market Moves

Key Points

  • The MacBook Air M5 updates to the M5 chip, Wi‑Fi 7, and faster base storage (512GB) while remaining largely similar to last year’s model.
  • The price rises by $100, which the review notes as a drawback despite modest gains in performance and efficiency.
  • A new MacBook Neo now exists at about $500 less, introducing a cheaper option that changes the lineup without rendering the Air obsolete.
  • The reviewer still regards the Air as a fast, sleek, and capable machine, and suggests the Neo’s existence reframes the Air’s value rather than dethroning it.
A 15-inch MacBook Air M5 open and sitting between a MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro.
Neo to the left of me. Pros are to the right. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Not much has changed in the new MacBook Air for 2026: It now has the M5 chip, Wi-Fi 7, and faster storage starting at 512GB instead of 256GB. It's just as outstanding a computer as last year's model, even if it's a shame it's $100 more expensive.

The bigger change has happened to the Air. The MacBook Neo now exists, and it's an awesome little computer for $500 less than the base 13-inch Air. The Neo's existence doesn't invalidate the Air or make it pointless, and I doubt the Neo will cannibalize too much of the Air's sales. The Air is a more capable, faster, and sleeker machine. Having the Neo sit beneath it does paint it in a new light, t …

Read the full story at The Verge.