Updated 22 Oct 2026
Is the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) worth it?
Yes — the best MacBook for most people.
The M5 chip handles everything from office work to photo editing without a fan, so it's silent. It lasted about 15 hours in battery tests, starts with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD that's much faster than the M4 model's, and the keyboard and trackpad are excellent. It looks the same as the M4 model, keeps a 60Hz screen with a notch, and since Apple's June 2026 price rise it starts at £1,299 and $1,299.
96%of 56 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Silent, fanless and fast
- About 15 hours of battery in tests
- 16GB memory and 512GB to start
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What owners say
Owners love how fast, light and well made it is, and the battery life. No owner has reported a problem so far.
Good to know
- 60Hz screen, so scrolling isn't as smooth as on a MacBook Pro.
- The notch cuts into the top of the screen.
- Memory and storage can't be upgraded later.
- It slows down under long heavy loads, as it has no fan.
From 56 buyer ratings at Currys, every complaint read by us, October 2026. How we do this
What they love
- FastMentioned a lot
- Sleek and well builtMentioned a lot
- Light and easy to carryMentioned often
- Long battery lifeAlso mentioned
- Great screenAlso mentioned
What they complain about
Hardly any: just 2 of 56 owners gave it 3 stars or fewer, and no complaint came up often enough to list.
Get it if…
- You want one laptop for work, study and travel for years.
- Long battery life and silence matter to you.
- You're upgrading from an M1 or an older Mac.
Skip it if…
- You have an M4 Air: it's only a little faster.
- You just browse and write: the MacBook Neo costs much less.
More on the MacBook Air 13 (M5)
How we reached this verdict
TechRadar calls it the best mix of design, near-pro performance and battery life in an ultraportable, with 15.5 hours of web browsing in its test. Tom's Hardware (Editor's Choice) calls it the best Mac for most people, with almost the same battery result, but dislikes the notch and notes it throttles under long heavy loads. Both reviewed it at launch, before Apple's June 2026 price rise.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, Tom's Hardware, Apple, Expert Reviews, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 22 Oct 2026How we decide