M5 MacBook Air Review: Is It Still Worth Buying in 2024?

The release of the M5 MacBook Air alongside the new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros has sparked a familiar question: is the Air still the best choice for most users? While the Pro models boast impressive under-the-hood improvements, and the MacBook Neo offers a budget-friendly alternative, the M5 Air holds its own. GearTech recently tested all three models – the 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro, the MacBook Neo, and a 15-inch MacBook Air – and the Air, surprisingly, was the first to receive a standard review embargo lift. This suggests Apple understands the Air remains a key product for a broad audience. This in-depth review will explore the M5 MacBook Air’s performance, features, and value proposition in the current market, helping you decide if it’s the right laptop for you in 2024.

Still the MacBook for Most People

Last year’s M4 MacBook Air was already a near-perfect $999 laptop, a refinement of Apple’s long-standing commitment to a solid, mass-market machine. The Apple Silicon iteration consistently delivered a great experience, but the M4 version was exceptional – rarely requiring expensive upgrades to remain useful and future-proof. The M5 Air presents a mixed bag, depending on your perspective.

The 13-inch M5 Air now starts at $1,099, a $100 increase, and the $999 price point is gone. Both the M1 and M2 Airs lingered at that price after their replacements arrived, but not the M4. The 15-inch Air starts at $1,299, a $200 jump, but guarantees the 10-core GPU version, unlike the 8-core version in the $1,099 13-inch model. However, the M5 Air now includes 512GB of storage as standard, previously a $200 upgrade. While ideally, Apple would maintain the $999 option and lower storage upgrade costs, the current pricing is arguably a wash, especially considering the Air now sits above another product in the lineup.

The most striking aspect of the MacBook Air’s evolution is its accumulation of power-user features over the past five years. This has created space for the more affordable MacBook Neo, offering a capable Mac experience at a lower price point.

Evolution of the MacBook Air: Key Changes Since M1

It’s easy to focus on comparing the current generation to the previous one, but let’s look at the cumulative changes that have made the MacBook Air increasingly appealing:

• Processor Upgrades: Four generations of processors have added two more high-efficiency CPU cores, two more GPU cores, and other improvements, roughly doubling the M1’s performance (slightly less for single-core CPU, slightly more for graphics).
• Redesign (M2): The M2 Air introduced a slight increase in screen size, resolution, and brightness, along with the return of MagSafe charging.
• 15-inch Model (M2): A larger screen option for those who didn’t need the Pro’s extra performance or features.
• RAM Increase: Base RAM increased from 8GB to 16GB (M2/M3).
• Maximum RAM: Increased from 24GB (M2) to 32GB (M4 and later).
• Base Storage: Increased from 256GB to 512GB (M5).
• Maximum Storage: Increased from 2TB to 4TB (M5).
• External Display Support: Improved from one 6K 60Hz display to two (one 6K 60Hz, one 5K 60Hz) with the lid closed (M3), and two 6K 60Hz displays with the lid open (M4 and later).
• ProRes Engine: Addition of a ProRes video encoding and decoding engine (M2).

MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: Key Differences

Despite the Air’s advancements, the MacBook Pro retains crucial functional advantages. All Pro models offer more ports, including native HDMI and SD card readers. They feature larger, superior displays with ProMotion, HDR support, higher brightness, and a matte nano-texture option. Even excluding the M5 Pro and M5 Max, the base M5 Pro is significantly faster than the M5 Air for demanding workloads due to its cooling fan. Storage options reach up to 8TB, and RAM can be configured up to 128GB.

However, these features are often beyond the needs of most users, even many creative professionals. Today, the primary reason to choose a MacBook Pro is a specific desire for one or more of these extras. Fewer users are forced into a Pro model due to missing features in the Air.

It’s now easier than ever to define the ideal user for each MacBook, a significant improvement from the mid-2010s when the aging non-Retina Air, the 12-inch MacBook, and the overpriced 13-inch MacBook Pro all competed in the same price range with frustrating compromises.

Performance: Twice as Fast as M1, Mostly

The Apple Silicon transition dramatically boosted the performance of baseline Macs compared to previous Intel-based models, while also extending battery life. Upgrading from an Intel Mac has consistently been a positive experience, especially when utilizing Apple Silicon or universal binaries.

Subsequent upgrades have been incremental, offering low-double-digit performance improvements year-over-year. However, these gains have accumulated, and the M5 Air is now approximately twice as fast as the original M1 version.

This is most noticeable in multi-core CPU and GPU tests, where architectural improvements combine with increased core counts. In many GPU-based tests, the M5 is more than twice as fast as the M1. The exact improvement varies depending on the application, but it’s a substantial upgrade.

Single-core CPU performance sees a 65-80% increase, partly due to a 44% increase in peak CPU clock speed, from 3.2 GHz in the M1 to roughly 4.6 GHz for the M5’s performance cores.

Compared to the M4 Air, the M5 iteration represents a typical generational upgrade. Single-core CPU performance increases by 10-15%, while multi-core performance is closer to 15-20%. Graphics benchmarks show around a 30% improvement, with larger 55-58% increases in the Blender benchmark potentially benefiting from the neural accelerators in the M5 GPU cores.

The M5 Air’s fanless design and passive heatsink mean it doesn’t match the sustained performance of the fan-equipped M5 MacBook Pro. For single-core tasks, both machines can reach peak clock speeds, but differences emerge in multi-core CPU workloads and 3D benchmarks that stress the chip for extended periods.

Using macOS powermetrics, we observed that the Air’s clock speeds drop quickly under stress, but power consumption remains lower, making the M5 Air slightly more power-efficient overall. The throttling behavior is consistent across Air generations – the M1 and M5 Airs exhibit similar curves under load.

Clock speed measurements for the “super” clusters on M5 and M5 Max during a Handbrake video encoding test.

Power consumption measurements over the length of the same Handbrake video encoding test run.

The MacBook Neo’s performance is “okay for most things, but complicated.” Its 8GB RAM limit restricts certain applications, particularly games and high-end creative software. However, in raw benchmark tests, the M5 Air is 25-50% faster in single-core CPU tests and two to three times faster in multi-core CPU and GPU workloads, especially those hampered by the Neo’s A18 Pro chip’s aggressive throttling.

The Neo is $500 cheaper than the Air (or $400 when comparing the 512GB Touch ID version). For that price, you get a laptop that looks and feels good, but performs significantly better with the Air.

The Laptop You Don’t Have to Think About

The MacBook Neo might appeal to those who previously bought the Air solely for its affordability. However, the vast majority of MacBook buyers should opt for the Air if their budget allows. The M5 MacBook Air offers sufficient memory and storage for most users, performs well enough to handle most applications and games, and is lightweight and portable. It’s a reliable and consistent experience, a welcome contrast to the PC market’s occasional regressions.

The M5 Air has also lowered the price of the M4 Air in Apple’s refurbished store, and similar discounts are likely available elsewhere. The M5 Air is a modest upgrade, but a good deal on an M4 Air with your desired specs is a smart choice.

The Good

• A remarkably consistent premium laptop for users who want a hassle-free experience.
• M5 delivers strong performance, and 16GB of RAM is sufficient for most.
• Excellent keyboard and large, accurate trackpad.
• Bright and colorful high-resolution screen.
• All-day (or even two-day) battery life.
• Multiple generations of upgrades have made it viable for many who previously needed a MacBook Pro.
• Approaches double the performance of the M1 Air, making it a worthwhile upgrade for early adopters.

The Bad

• Small price increase from $999 to $1,099, though it includes 512GB of storage.
• The display notch remains a design quirk.
• Sustained multi-core CPU and GPU workloads are slower than the M5 Pro due to the lack of a cooling fan.

The Ugly

• Apple reserves its best display features (ProMotion, nano-texture) for the MacBook Pros.