When Apple refreshed its MacBook line-up a few weeks ago, no one knew that this would be the last set of hardware announcements under Tim Cook's leadership. There were so many other interesting aspects about the announcement. This is the first time Apple changed the entry point to the Mac lineup by adding a new Neo model. It was hyped. So much so that the MacBook Air -- usually the most loved child in the Mac family -- was almost ignored. But, the fact remains that this is still the most balanced laptop in the Mac line-up. One that remains to the people's choice and still offers the best value for your money. For several reasons. It's not completely new. It looks exactly like the Air you’ve seen for the past couple of years. But the moment you start using it, you realise that this isn’t just a spec bump. This is Apple slowly turning the Air into something dangerously close to a Pro machine, without calling it one. And that’s exactly what makes this interesting. Because now the question isn’t “Is the MacBook Air good?”, that was answered years ago. The real question is: has the Air become too powerful for its own category? Well, it’s going to be an interesting read for you if you’re in the market to buy a new notebook. Let’s get this out of the way, this is classic Apple. The MacBook Air M5 continues with the same clean, symmetrical, all-aluminium design. It’s ridiculously thin at 0.44 inches and light enough to carry around like it’s just another notebook in your bag. It’s my first time using a 15-inch MacBook, and I think that while I sometimes miss the compactness of daily driver 14-inch MacBook Pro, the grandeur of this 15-inch baby is slowly growing on me. I like the fact that I now have much more screen real estate without the entire thing feeling bulky. It’s one of those laptops that doesn’t try to impress you anymore because it already knows it will. The finish options are subtle, but premium. Midnight still looks stunning (and yes, still attracts fingerprints), and the Sky Blue adds a bit of personality. I liked it on the Apple MacBook Air M4, and it remains one of the most distinctly colours Apple has ever put out on Macs. Now here’s something I genuinely love, similar to it’s family’s progenitor -- MacBook Air M1, it’s still fanless. No noise, no humming sounds, nothing. You could be exporting a video, working in a quiet room, and it’ll stay silent. That said, push it hard for long durations, especially in hot environments, and you might notice slight performance drops. But honestly, for most people, this will never be a problem. Speaking of the ports, you get MagSafe charging, 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s pretty much is. Very Apple, I know. But both USB-C ports are on the left side, which can get annoying. Especially if your setup is on the right or you’re dealing with chunky dongles. Now the display. It’s a 15.3-inch panel, IPS panel that looks just beautiful. It gets bright (around 490 nits), colours look punchy thanks to P3 support, and there’s also support for True Tone. Watching content, editing photos, even basic video work, it all looks great. I watched the Bloodhounds season 2 on this panel and not even a single time I faced any issues with the picture quality side of things. However, let’s be real for a second, no OLED panel and still 60Hz -- ouch. At this price, and in 2026, you will be forced to notice it, especially if you’ve used higher refresh rate panels or OLED displays before. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s one of the few areas where the Air reminds you it’s still not a “Pro.” The Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Air M5 is easily one of the best typing experiences you’ll get on any laptop right now. The keys are well spaced, have just the right amount of travel, and feel clicky without being noisy. If you type a lot scripts, emails or documents, this is one of those keyboards that lets you focus without deserving a lot of attention. The 15-inch model does feel slightly more comfortable, simply because you get more palm rest area. Touch ID is fast, reliable, and honestly something you start taking for granted very quickly. Unlocking your laptop or authorizing app purchases or installation in seconds. And then there’s the trackpad -- massive, smooth and precise. Apple’s haptic trackpads are still unmatched and the entire gestures game of the macOS feel natural. The scrolling is fluid, and even editing workflows on apps like Premiere Pro feels surprisingly comfortable. Once you get used to this trackpad, going back to most Windows laptops feels like a downgrade. Let’s be honest, performance just isnt something you’d worry about if you’re on a Mac. Ever since M1 chipset, the real-world usage is just not a problem. Similar to M4 chipset, you’re getting a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, but now the base model starts with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. So, no more “entry-level compromises.” Keeping all of this aside, this thing genuinely performs way