Apple
MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) review
Apple's flagship 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip delivers pro-level performance at a student-friendly £1,099 price. It features a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 2560x1664 resolution for crisp note-taking and 20-hour battery life for all-day lectures. UK buyers will appreciate its superior speed in 4K video editing and coding, outperforming the M4 by 15% in benchmarks.
Key features
- M5 chip
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560x1664)
- 20-hour battery life
- MagSafe charging
- Two Thunderbolt ports
- Touch ID
Pros
- Blazing M5 performance crushes demanding tasks
- Exceptional 20-hour battery suits all-day use
- Stunning display for productivity
- Future-proof for AI tools
- Excellent value under £1,100
Cons
- Limited ports require a hub
- Base storage may fill quickly
- No discrete GPU for intensive graphics
- Premium price for students
Who is it for
Ambitious computer science students or marketing professionals needing Photoshop will find this ideal. It solves the problem of balancing high performance with portability on a £1,100 budget. Perfect for long uni days or hybrid work without compromising speed.