MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026): Refurbished, Specs & Repairs

Open 15-inch MacBook Air M2 illustrating the design of later 15-inch models

The big-screen MacBook Air, now with M5

The MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026) gives you a large 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display in a laptop that is still only 1.15cm thick and silent, with no fan. It has the M5 chip, a six-speaker sound system, MagSafe charging and a 512GB SSD as the starting point.

It suits study, office work, photo editing and anyone who wants more screen space without the weight and price of a MacBook Pro. Because it is so new, used examples are only just starting to appear, and many are still covered by Apple’s own warranty.

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.

Call me

About This Model

The MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026) was announced on 3 March 2026 and went on sale on 11 March 2026, alongside the 13-inch M5 model. UK prices started at £1,299, or £1,199 for education customers.

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 does this cover?

This guide covers the MacBook Air (15-inch, M5). Choose About This Mac from the Apple menu: the chip will be shown as Apple M5 and the model name will say 15-inch.

It looks almost identical to the 15-inch M2 (2023), M3 (2024) and M4 (2025) MacBook Airs. Check the chip name rather than relying on the design, colour or year of purchase alone.

Specifications at a glance

Display	15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 2880 × 1864 resolution, 500 nits
Chip	Apple M5 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU
Memory	16GB, 24GB or 32GB unified memory
Storage	512GB or 1TB as standard; configurable up to 4TB
Connections	Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 and headphone socket; up to two external displays
Camera and sound	12MP Center Stage camera; six-speaker sound system
Battery	66.5Wh; up to 18 hours of video streaming, by Apple’s test
Wireless	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
Size and weight	1.15cm thick, 34.04cm wide, 23.76cm deep; approximately 1.51kg

Ask us to confirm the exact configuration of any refurbished machine available, including the memory and storage.

What is it useful for?

Documents, spreadsheets, email, browsing, video calls, photo editing, music production and light video editing all run smoothly. The larger screen makes it much easier to work with two windows side by side than on a 13-inch laptop.

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 16-inch M5 Pro / M5 Max (2026) is a better fit.

Is the 15-inch size right for you?

The 15-inch Air is about 280g heavier than the 13-inch model and needs a slightly larger bag, but it still fits comfortably in most backpacks. It also has a bigger battery and better speakers.

If you carry your laptop all day or work in small spaces such as trains and lecture theatres, the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 may suit you better.

A MacBook for Bristol students

Quiet, long-lasting and with a big screen, the 15-inch M5 Air is a great main laptop for Bristol students who work on essays, research, spreadsheets and design projects. It will run current macOS and course software for many years.

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 15-inch M2 (2023) may suit a tighter budget.

MacBooks for businesses

Complete Mac Solutions supplies Macs for businesses as well as individuals. Tell us which applications, peripherals and working arrangements your team uses so we can help you choose a suitable machine.

The 15-inch Air suits staff who spend all day in spreadsheets, documents and video calls but still want a light, quiet laptop. It can drive two external displays while using its own screen, which suits a desk set-up in the office.

macOS compatibility

As a new Apple silicon Mac, this model runs the current version of macOS and should receive macOS updates for many years. That gives it a much longer working life than older Intel MacBook Air models.

Some older Intel-only applications and plug-ins may not run. Check that the software you depend on supports current macOS and Apple silicon before you buy.

16GB, 24GB or 32GB memory?

The memory is built into the chip and cannot be upgraded later, and the same is true of the storage. 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 3 frees up both Thunderbolt ports, and either port can also charge the laptop. External drives are a practical way to add space later, so plan for your files when choosing storage.

Faults and MacBook Air repairs in Bristol

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

Cracks, lines, black areas or patches of colour usually mean the display assembly needs replacing. Avoid closing the lid on earbuds, pens or other small items.

Liquid damage

Spills can reach the keyboard, trackpad and logic board. Turn the Mac off, unplug it and bring it in as soon as possible.

Charging and ports

If the Mac stops charging, try both MagSafe and USB-C, a different cable and a known-good adapter of at least 35W to narrow down the fault.

Complete Mac Solutions can discuss MacBook Air repairs in Bristol, or you can send your Mac to us by post from anywhere in the UK.

Buying a refurbished MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026)

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.

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 repairs and data recovery.

References and further reading

Compare the MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026) with similar models

The 13-inch M5 Air has the same chip in a smaller, lighter case. The 15-inch M2 Air costs less and still handles everyday work well, while the MacBook Neo is Apple’s lowest-priced option.

Buy or repair a MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026)

Looking for a big-screen MacBook that stays light and silent? Ask us to source a 15-inch M5 Air in the specification you need, or let us diagnose and quote for a repair on the one you already own.

Image credit

Photo: KKPCW. Wikimedia Commons source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed to WebP. Design reference: Same design (M2 15-inch).