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MacBook Air 15-inch M5Sky Blue
Apple

MacBook Air 15-inch M5

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,499 after June's price rise and lasted 15 h 37 min in Tom's Guide's battery test.

Laptops
—/10What the pros sayPendingExpert consensusSee score breakdown ↓
Storage
Finish · Sky Blue
Buying call

Buy the 15-inch MacBook Air M5 at Apple's $1,499 for 16GB and 512GB (Oct 7, 2026) if you want a big, silent laptop that lasts a full workday: Tom's Guide measured 15 h 37 min of web surfing against Apple's 18-hour claim. It's $200 more than the 13-inch M5 at $1,299, which PCMag ran for 18 h 4 min, so pay the extra only for the 15.3-inch screen and six-speaker sound. Skip it for gaming or long video exports, because it has no fan, its display is 60Hz, and it weighs 3.7 lb against 2.7 lb for the 13-inch. Apple's June 25 price rise added $200 across the Air line, so a sale price is worth waiting for.

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Real-world useBased on everyday testing, not a spec sheet
Unbiased reviewIndependent and objective, sources shown
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Key specs
Panel type
15.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology;
Battery
66.5Wh lithium-polymer battery · Up to 18 hours video streaming · Up to 15 hours wireless web
Highlights

Specs that matter

Display
Resolution
2880x1864
Brightness
500 nits
Performance
Processor
Apple M5 chip (10-core CPU: 4 super + 6 efficiency cores)
GPU
10-core GPU
RAM
16 GB
Storage
1TB SSD
OS
macOS
Battery
Wired charge
40 W
Body
Weight
3.33 lb (1.51 kg)
Dimensions
1.15cm x 34.04cm x 23.76cm
Colors
Sky Blue; Silver; Starlight; Midnight
At a glance

Product highlights

Verified attributes, grouped for quick scanning.

ChipsetApple M5 chip (10-core CPU: 4 super + 6 efficiency cores)16 GB RAM · 10-core GPU
RAM / storage16 GB · 1TB SSDmacOS
Weight3.33 lb (1.51 kg)1.15cm x 34.04cm x 23.76cm
35 attributes · See all specifications
Price & availability

Where to buy

Prices from trusted US retailers, updated daily.

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Available in 1TB SSD.
Buying decision

Should you buy it?

Buy the 15-inch MacBook Air M5 at Apple's $1,499 for 16GB and 512GB (Oct 7, 2026) if you want a big, silent laptop that lasts a full workday: Tom's Guide measured 15 h 37 min of web surfing against Apple's 18-hour claim. It's $200 more than the 13-inch M5 at $1,299, which PCMag ran for 18 h 4 min, so pay the extra only for the 15.3-inch screen and six-speaker sound. Skip it for gaming or long video exports, because it has no fan, its display is 60Hz, and it weighs 3.7 lb against 2.7 lb for the 13-inch. Apple's June 25 price rise added $200 across the Air line, so a sale price is worth waiting for.

Measured view—/10What the pros say.
Head to head

How it stacks up

Open a comparison for the full side-by-side view.

Choose a gadget
MacBook Air 15-inch M5
This deviceMacBook Air 15-inch M5
VS
AlternativeMacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)
Chipset
M5 chip (10-core CPU: 4 super + 6 efficiency cores)M4: 10-core CPU (4P+6E), 10-core GPU, hardware ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s
Full comparison
MacBook Air 15-inch M5
This deviceMacBook Air 15-inch M5
VS
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)
AlternativeMacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)
Chipset
M5 chip (10-core CPU: 4 super + 6 efficiency cores)M6: 12-core CPU (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency cores), 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware ray tracing, Dual 16-core Neural Engine, u
Full comparison
MacBook Air 15-inch M5
This deviceMacBook Air 15-inch M5
VS
AlternativeMacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro / M4 Max, 2024)
Chipset
M5 chip (10-core CPU: 4 super + 6 efficiency cores)M4 Pro: 14-core CPU (10P+4E) / 20-core GPU, 273GB/s; M4 Max: 14-core CPU / 32-core GPU (410GB/s) or 16-core CPU (12P+4E) / 40-core GPU (546GB/s); 16-core Neural
Full comparison
Same category

Alternatives worth a look

Other phones in the database, with their stored scores and prices.

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—
AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)14.2" (361 mm) · M4: 10-core CPU (4P+6E), 10-core GPU, hardware ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s · 16 GB
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)—
AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)14.2" (361 mm) · M6: 12-core CPU (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency cores), 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware ray tracing, Dual 16-core Neural Engine, u · 16 GB
—
AppleMacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro / M4 Max, 2024)16.2" (411 mm) · M4 Pro: 14-core CPU (10P+4E) / 20-core GPU, 273GB/s; M4 Max: 14-core CPU / 32-core GPU (410GB/s) or 16-core CPU (12P+4E) / 40-core GPU (546GB/s); 16-core Neural · 24 GB
—
AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro / M4 Max, 2024)14.2" (361 mm) · M4 Pro: 12-core CPU (8P+4E) / 16-core GPU or 14-core CPU (10P+4E) / 20-core GPU, 273GB/s; M4 Max: 14-core CPU / 32-core GPU (410GB/s) or 16-core CPU / 40-core G · 24 GB
Product data

Full specifications

35 attributes, grouped for quick scanning. Spot a wrong value? Hit the next to it.

Display

Panel type
15.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology;
Brightness
500 nits brightness

Performance

CPU cores
10-core CPU (4 super + 6 efficiency)
NPU
16-core Neural Engine

Battery

Battery
  • 66.5Wh lithium-polymer battery
  • Up to 18 hours video streaming
  • Up to 15 hours wireless web
  • 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (60W Max)
  • Fast-charge capable with 70W+ USB PD

Connectivity

Wireless
  • Apple N1 chip
  • Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
  • Bluetooth 6
  • Thread
Ports
  • Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports (Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 up to 40Gb/s, DisplayPort, charging)
  • MagSafe 3
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
Webcam
12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View; 1080p HD video recording
Audio
  • Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
  • Three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum mic modes

Keyboard & Input

Keyboard
  • Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
  • 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys
  • Force Touch trackpad
Chassis
55% recycled content; 100% recycled aluminum enclosure

Body

Dimensions
1.15cm x 34.04cm x 23.76cm
Colors
  • Sky Blue
  • Silver
  • Starlight
  • Midnight

Software & Launch

Operating system
macOS
Preloaded software
  • App Store
  • Books
  • Calendar
  • Contacts
  • FaceTime
  • Find My
  • Freeform
  • Games
  • GarageBand
  • Home
  • iMovie
  • iPhone Mirroring
  • Journal
  • Keynote
  • Mail
  • Maps
  • Messages
  • Music
  • News
  • Notes
  • Numbers
  • Pages
  • Passwords
  • Phone
  • Photo Booth
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
  • Preview
  • QuickTime Player
  • Reminders
  • Safari
  • Shortcuts
  • Stocks
  • Time Machine
  • Tips
  • TV
  • Voice Memos
  • Weather
Released
2026-03-11
Warranty
One Year Limited Warranty; 90 days complimentary technical support
Certifications
ENERGY STAR certified; EPEAT registered
In the box
  • 15-inch MacBook Air
  • 40W Dynamic Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Vote & discuss

Community says

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