MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (2026): Refurbished, Specs & Repairs
The newest MacBook Air, with 512GB as standard
The MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (2026) is Apple’s latest update to its most popular laptop. It keeps the thin, fanless design and MagSafe charging of recent models, and adds the M5 chip, Wi-Fi 7 and a 512GB SSD as the starting point. It is silent, light and powerful enough for almost any everyday or study workload.
Because it is so new, used examples are only just starting to appear, and many are still covered by Apple’s own warranty. If you want one, tell us the specification you need and we will tell you what we can source.
Every refurbished Apple silicon MacBook Air we sell is checked by our technicians and comes with a 24-month warranty. Browse our refurbished MacBook Air range, or book a repair if you already own one.
About This Model
The MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (2026) combines Apple’s M5 chip, a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and all-day battery life in a laptop weighing about 1.23kg. Apple also sells a 15-inch version with the same chip.
Complete Mac Solutions supplies refurbished Apple Macs in Bristol for home users, students and businesses across the UK. We also offer MacBook repairs, including damage that Apple’s warranty does not cover.
Which MacBook Air is this?
This guide covers the MacBook Air (13-inch, M5). Choose About This Mac from the Apple menu: the chip will be shown as Apple M5.
It looks almost identical to the M3 (2024) and M4 (2025) MacBook Airs, and very similar to the M2 model from 2022. Check the chip name rather than relying on the design, colour or year of purchase alone.
MacBook Air M5 (2026) specifications
| Display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560 × 1664 resolution, 500 nits |
|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M5 with 10-core CPU and 8-core or 10-core GPU |
| Memory | 16GB unified memory; configurable to 24GB or 32GB |
| Storage | 512GB SSD as standard; configurable up to 4TB |
| Connections | Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 and headphone socket |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours of video streaming, by Apple’s test |
| Weight | Approximately 1.23kg |
Ask us to confirm the exact configuration of any refurbished machine available, including the GPU core count, memory and storage.
A MacBook for students in Bristol
Light, quiet and with all-day battery life, the M5 Air is an excellent laptop for lectures, libraries and long days on campus. It will run current macOS and course software for many years, which makes it a sensible main laptop for a full degree.
Check whether your course needs specialist software, and choose enough memory and storage at the start. Students get 10% off with our student deals, and an older model such as the MacBook Air M1 (2020) may suit a tighter budget.
What is it like for everyday work?
Documents, email, browsing, video calls, photo editing, music production and light video editing all run smoothly. The 12MP Center Stage camera keeps you in frame on calls, and the M5 Air can drive two external displays while still using its own screen, which suits a desk set-up at home or in the office.
The fanless design: quiet, with a trade-off
With no fan, the MacBook Air makes no noise at all. The trade-off is that during long, heavy jobs such as big video exports, it slows itself down to stay cool. If that is your main work, a MacBook Pro such as the MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 Pro / M3 Max (2023) is a better fit.
16GB, 24GB or 32GB memory?
The memory is built into the chip and cannot be upgraded later. 16GB suits most people. Choose 24GB or 32GB if you keep many apps open, work with large photo libraries or music projects, or want the laptop to stay comfortable for many years.
MagSafe charging and connections
MagSafe 3 frees up both Thunderbolt ports, and either port can also charge the laptop. The 512GB starting SSD is double the storage of earlier base models, but storage cannot be upgraded later either, so plan for your files.
What to check when buying refurbished
Make sure the Mac has been removed from the previous owner’s Apple Account and Find My. Confirm the chip, memory and storage, check whether any of Apple’s warranty or AppleCare remains, and compare the price with an M4 or M3 model, which may suit you just as well for less.
MacBook Air M5 faults and repair options
Check Apple’s warranty or AppleCare first for faults that develop under normal use. For damage those do not cover, we can help.
Screen damage, lines and a black display
The thin display can crack if something is left on the keyboard when the lid is closed, or if the laptop is dropped. Lines, black areas or flickering usually mean the display needs replacing.
MagSafe and USB-C charging problems
If the Mac stops charging, test it with MagSafe and with USB-C. A fault on only one can point to the port rather than the charger.
Crashes, failure to start and liquid damage
Spills can damage the keyboard, trackpad and logic board. Turn the Mac off, unplug it and bring it in as soon as possible. Repeated crashes or a Mac that will not start need diagnosis, so keep a backup of important files.
Buying a refurbished MacBook Air M5
Complete Mac Solutions carries a large stock of refurbished Macs and has an extensive supplier network to help source suitable configurations. Many of our Macs come fully boxed, with all accessories and in fantastic condition. Packaging, accessories and condition vary between machines, so ask us to confirm what comes with the one you choose.
Explore our Apple Macs for sale or speak to us about a laptop for home, study or business. If you already own this model, we can help with MacBook Air repairs in Bristol or by post from anywhere in the UK.
References and further reading
Compare the MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (2026) with similar models
Earlier Apple silicon Airs share much of the same design for much less money. If you do not need the latest chip, an M2 model is a strong alternative.
- MacBook Air 13-inch M2 (2022)
- MacBook Air 15-inch M2 (2023)
- MacBook Air M1 (2020)
- MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)
Buy or repair a MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (2026)
Tell us the memory, storage and colour you want and we will see what we can source, or ask us about repairing accidental or liquid damage on the MacBook Air you already own.
Image credit
Photo: Kyu3a. Wikimedia Commons source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed to WebP.
