MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) Review: Still the One Laptop Most People Should Buy

By Apple Editorial | April 2026

The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 is the easy pick if you want a laptop for work, travel, and everyday life without fan noise or buyer’s remorse. Its real win is simple: it gives you the most useful MacBook Air spec yet, with 512GB storage as standard and enough speed for serious multitasking.

Our picks at a glance

Based on hands-on research, expert review consensus (RTings, Wirecutter, relevant subreddits), and current pricing.

Best overall: MacBook Air (13-inch, M5)

MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) — £988.97

This is still the safest laptop buy for most people because it solves the boring stuff properly: it stays silent, lasts through a workday, and now starts with 512GB storage, which matters more than a flashy redesign. The score backs it up too: 8.7/10.

Why we picked it:

• The M5 chip gives you a real speed bump over the M4, so everyday multitasking feels snappy instead of merely adequate.
• The 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD are the right floor for a main laptop, not a stripped-down starter spec.
• The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is sharp enough at 2560 × 1664, and the 12MP Center Stage camera is a genuine upgrade if you live on calls.

The trade-off: you still get a 60Hz screen and the same old Air chassis, so this is not the laptop to buy if you want a modern-feeling panel or sustained pro graphics work. If you want the best everyday MacBook Air, buy the MacBook Air (13-inch, M5).

Best upgrade: Dell XPS 14 9440

Dell XPS 14 9440 — £859.56

The premium buys you a better-feeling Windows machine: a sharp 14.5-inch 16:10 display, class-leading keyboard and trackpad, and a CNC aluminium chassis that feels built for actual work. It only makes sense if you prefer Windows and care more about interaction quality than battery-life bragging rights.

Worth it if: you want a slicker Windows laptop for office work, travel, and light creative tasks, and you are willing to accept weaker battery life than the MacBook Air.

Best budget pick: MacBook Neo

MacBook Neo — £549.97

This is the cheaper way into macOS without buying a machine that feels bargain-bin. You get a decent 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 1080p webcam, and enough battery for a proper day, but 8GB RAM and 256GB storage are real limits.

Worth it if: you mainly browse, write, join calls, and keep your files light, and you want the cheapest Mac that still feels like a Mac.

How we chose

We judged these laptops on the things that actually decide whether you keep using one every day: speed, battery life, portability, storage, screen quality, and how annoying the compromises are. For alternatives, we checked current model availability and recent review consensus from outlets like PCMag, WIRED, CNET, and TechRadar, then matched them against real use cases rather than spec-sheet fantasy.

Frequently asked questions

Is the MacBook Air M5 good enough for most people?
Yes. For office work, study, travel, streaming, and heavy browser use, it is exactly the right level of laptop: fast, light, and quiet.

Is £988.97 good value for a MacBook Air?
It is fair, not cheap. The 512GB baseline makes the price easier to justify because you are not immediately forced into an upgrade.

How long will the MacBook Air M5 last?
Long enough for years of everyday use, especially with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, but it is still not the right machine for sustained pro editing or gaming.