This killer feature will make M5 MacBook Air a must-buy

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The most powerful MacBook Air ever is just weeks away. Apple is widely expected to be putting the finishing touches on a new model with the speedy M5 processor. The faster chip will be enough for shoppers to question whether they really need the MacBook Pro they have their eye on.

Consider the advantages of a MacBook Air, and why now is a terrible time to buy any macOS notebook.

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MacBook Air: The right choice for most people

Picture in your mind a midlevel corporate executive. Ask them what computer they use, and they say, “A professional like me needs the capabilities of a MacBook Pro. There’s no way a MacBook Air could handle it.” They then spend the rest of the day reading emails, making Zoom calls, and editing spreadsheets.

Don’t be this guy. There’s nothing in their typical tasks that requires one of Apple’s high-end processors. For an average executive whose work is mostly email, web pages, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs and Zoom/Teams calls, a MacBook Air is the best option.

Some people hold out for a MacBook Pro so they can get Apple’s M4 Max or M4 Pro processor, even if they don’t need one. These chips are for editing huge amounts of video, doing 3D design and rendering, producing professional-grade music and similar tasks. If that’s not you … It doesn’t matter how full your inbox is — a faster processor won’t help clear it.

But hold out for the M5 MacBook Air

Even if your job doesn’t require high-end performance, you don’t want to buy a brand-new MacBook with an M4 chip. Not when a faster option is right around the corner.

The Apple M5 chip launched in the fall, and numerous reports point to it arriving in MacBook Airs in the near future. Even without those rumors, it’s a safe assumption, considering the M3 version came in March 2024 and the M4 Air in March 2025. The next one is expected in (you guessed…

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