Apple has unveiled updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops built around its new M5-series chips, positioning the refresh around faster on-device AI performance and larger base storage configurations. The launch includes a MacBook Air with the M5 chip and higher-end MacBook Pro models paired with the new M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
The new laptops are available to preorder on March 4, with availability beginning March 11, according to the reports. Apple says the M5 upgrades are aimed at handling more intensive AI workloads, even if some of those gains may be less noticeable for casual users.
MacBook Air M5 gets more storage at base
The MacBook Air lineup includes 13-inch and 15-inch models starting at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively, and now begins with 512GB of storage—double the previous model’s base capacity, according to the coverage. Economic Times reported that in the older lineup, buyers had to pay $1,199 to get a 512GB configuration, making the new baseline storage setup a better value at the starting tier.
NewAtlas said the 2026 MacBook Air is available in 13- and 15-inch sizes and can be configured with up to a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The same report added that 16GB of RAM comes standard and that the SSD storage is roughly twice as fast as the M4-based Air, which could make large file transfers and opening files feel quicker. It also said the Air’s unified memory bandwidth is 28% faster than with the M4, and that the laptop includes a new N1 chip for Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
TechCrunch noted that the MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of battery life, a 12MP Center Stage camera, a three-mic array, and a sound system that supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. The Air includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and it comes in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. NewAtlas added that the Air keeps the same two Thunderbolt 4 ports and the same design, and that it supports powering two external displays like the prior model.
Pricing is also a key part of the update. NewAtlas described the $1,099 starting price as a $200 jump from the last model.
MacBook Pro targets heavier AI and creative work
Apple is positioning the MacBook Pro toward demanding users, including developers working with AI, and it is introducing the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside the new laptops. TechCrunch reported that Apple says the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro can handle AI tasks up to four times faster than their respective M4 predecessors. For the higher-end chips, TechCrunch also reported Apple’s claim that the M5 Pro and M5 Max are up to four times faster at LLM prompt processing than the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and up to eight times faster at AI image generation than the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
NewAtlas reported that the MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes and can be configured with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. It said the chips are made using a “dual-die 3‑nm Fusion Architecture” and can scale up to 18 CPU cores, with up to 20 GPU cores on the Pro and up to 40 GPU cores on the Max. NewAtlas also reported Apple’s claim of up to 50% quicker graphics performance compared with the M4 Pro and M4 Max in 3D and VFX applications, and said each GPU core includes a Neural Accelerator to speed up AI-driven features like training LLMs and generating video.
Storage and I/O see notable changes at the base configurations. TechCrunch reported that MacBook Pro models start at 1TB of storage for M5 Pro configurations and 2TB for M5 Max configurations, and that the laptops support Thunderbolt 5 and include a six-speaker sound system. NewAtlas added that storage can be configured up to 8TB and that the MacBook Pro can run up to four external displays.
On battery and charging, TechCrunch reported Apple’s claim of up to 24 hours of battery life for the MacBook Pro and said users can charge to 50% in 30 minutes with a 96W or higher USB‑C adapter. NewAtlas reported 96W charging on 14-inch models and 140W charging on 16-inch models.
Pricing starts at $2,199 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and $2,699 for the 16-inch model with M5 Pro, according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch also reported that M5 Max models start at $3,599 (14-inch) and $3,899 (16-inch), offered in black or silver. NewAtlas described the 16-inch M5 Max price as $3,900, which differs slightly from TechCrunch’s $3,899 figure.
Market context and what Apple is emphasizing
Economic Times framed the MacBook refresh as an effort to attract buyers in a softening PC market, where rising memory costs have put pressure on pricing and configurations. The report said memory components such as DRAM and NAND flash are critical for performance and storage capacity, and that prices have sharply increased amid limited supply as chipmakers focus on manufacturing for AI applications.
Apple has leaned on performance and battery-life gains since moving from Intel processors to its in-house M-series chips beginning in 2020, according to Economic Times. The same report also noted that Apple launched the iPhone 17e on Monday, with a starting price of $599 and base storage increased to 256GB. NewAtlas added that the M5 chip first appeared in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro from 2025, and also said an M5-equipped MacBook Pro remains available with a starting price of $1,699.
