Apple’s new MacBook Air, powered by the M5 chip, launches on March 11th at $100 more than its predecessor, starting at $1,099 for the 13-inch and $1,299 for the 15-inch. Both models double base storage to 512GB. The price increase is real, but a handful of deals soften the blow.
Best Buy is bundling a $50 gift card with pre-orders of both new models at their full retail prices. It is not a discount on the hardware itself, but the gift card effectively reduces the out-of-pocket cost on anything else purchased at the retailer.
The M4 Model Hits an All-Time Low
The more compelling value play may be last year’s machine. Amazon is selling the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $1,099, down from its original $1,399 price. That is a 21 percent discount and matches the entry price of the new 13-inch M5 model, making it the best price the M4 15-inch has ever reached.
For buyers who want more screen real estate without paying the M5 premium, that deal is difficult to ignore.
What Actually Changed Between M4 and M5
On paper, the differences between the two generations are narrow. The M5 models gain support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, both faster wireless standards than what the M4 supports. The core experience, including the thin and light chassis, battery life that comfortably covers a full workday, and a 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam, carries over unchanged.
The 15-inch size, whether M4 or M5, adds a larger display and a six-speaker audio setup. The 13-inch Air in either generation ships with four speakers instead.
No independent testing of the M5 Air has been published yet, so performance comparisons between the two chips remain theoretical for now.
Which Model Makes Sense
Before the M5 announcement, the M4 MacBook Air held the recommendation for most buyers. That calculus has not dramatically shifted. The M5 brings a newer chip and faster wireless connectivity, but for everyday tasks, word processing, video calls, light video editing, and casual gaming, either machine handles the workload without strain.
Buyers who want the latest hardware and plan to keep the machine for several years have a reasonable case for the M5. Those focused on value, particularly anyone eyeing the 15-inch form factor, will find the $1,099 M4 deal hard to pass up.
- 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB, 16GB RAM): $1,099 at Best Buy with $50 gift card
- 15-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB, 16GB RAM): $1,299 at Best Buy with $50 gift card
- 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB, 16GB RAM): $1,099 at Amazon, all-time low
Both new M5 models ship starting March 11th. The M4 stock on Amazon is available now.
This article is a curated summary based on third-party sources. Source: Read the original article
