Editor's pickeveryday · business · July 2026
Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5)
The default premium recommendation — silent, fast, the best battery life in its class, and the base model finally has enough storage.
Pros
- + Class-leading 18-hour battery
- + 512GB storage now standard (double the M4's base)
- + Completely silent — no fan
- + Superb trackpad, speakers, and build
Cons
- – 60Hz display at a premium price
- – RAM and storage upgrades are very expensive
- – Only two ports, both on the left
Who is this for?
Professionals and everyday users who value battery life, build quality, and macOS, and who mostly work in documents, browsers, and creative apps. Skip it if you need Windows-only software, more ports, or a high-refresh screen.
Full specifications
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-core) |
|---|---|
| GPU | Apple M5 (integrated, 8-core) |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD |
| Display | 13.6″ 2560×1664 Liquid Retina IPS · 60Hz · 500 nits |
| Battery | ~18 hrs mixed use |
| Weight | 1.24 kg |
| Ports | 2× Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe, 3.5mm |