Apple has officially launched its highly anticipated MacBook Air M5 and iPhone 17e, with both products now available for purchase worldwide as of March 11, 2026. The refreshed MacBook Air lineup, available in both 13-inch and 15-inch configurations, represents a significant leap in performance and AI capabilities powered by the new M5 chip. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17e enters the market as an affordable yet powerful option in Apple's smartphone lineup, starting at 599 dollars with 256GB of storage and featuring the A19 chip alongside a 48-megapixel camera system.
The MacBook Air M5 arrives in four color options — sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver — with the 13-inch model starting at 1,099 dollars and the 15-inch model at 1,299 dollars. Education pricing drops these figures to 999 and 1,199 dollars respectively. A major upgrade this year is the doubling of base storage from 256GB to 512GB, with configurations available up to 4TB utilizing faster SSD technology. Apple stated that the new storage architecture delivers noticeably quicker read and write speeds across all configurations.
At the heart of the new MacBook Air lies the M5 chip, which Apple describes as a transformative step for portable computing. The chip features a faster CPU, a next-generation GPU, and a Neural Accelerator built into each core specifically designed to enhance AI capabilities. According to Apple, the M5 delivers AI performance that is four times faster than the previous M4 chip, positioning the MacBook Air as one of the most capable AI-ready laptops on the market. This improvement is expected to benefit applications ranging from on-device machine learning to creative workflows.
Connectivity has also received a substantial upgrade with the introduction of the new N1 wireless chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for faster and more reliable wireless connections. The MacBook Air M5 retains two Thunderbolt 4 ports but now supports up to two external displays simultaneously, addressing a longstanding limitation of the Air lineup. Additional features include a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera for video calls, a Liquid Retina display with Spatial Audio support, and up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge.
The iPhone 17e, also available starting today, rounds out the launch with its combination of the A19 chip and a 48-megapixel camera system at a competitive 599-dollar price point. Apple positions the device as the ideal entry point for customers seeking flagship-level performance without the premium price tag. The 256GB base storage ensures users have ample space for apps, photos, and media from the outset.
These product launches arrive during a period of intense activity across the technology industry. AMI Labs, the artificial intelligence venture founded by prominent researcher Yann LeCun, recently secured more than one billion dollars in what is now the largest seed funding round in European history, dedicated to developing so-called world models for AI. Separately, OpenAI has launched GPT-5.4, its latest language model featuring a one-million-token context window, further raising the stakes in the AI arms race.
Industry analysts have noted that Apple's emphasis on AI performance with the M5 chip reflects a broader strategic shift across the company's product line. By embedding neural acceleration directly into the chip architecture, Apple aims to ensure its hardware remains competitive as AI-driven applications become the standard across productivity, creativity, and communication tools. With both the MacBook Air M5 and iPhone 17e now shipping to customers, all eyes will be on early benchmarks and user reception in the weeks ahead.
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