MacBook Air M1 in 2026 (and vs M5)

[WalsallSaddler]

I have the base M1 (8/256), and man, it runs so well. Honestly, just like it did back in 2020!

Use it for basic tasks: browsing, Word, Excel, messengers, streaming, notes, music, basic photo editing, etc.

I thought about upgrading to the Air M5, but it's ridiculous — the screen is still 60Hz, so there won't be any big performance boost in this simple tasks.

For these kinds of workflows, I only see a real upgrade when moving to 120Hz (ProMotion). But some rumors say the Air M6 will keep the exact same screen — 60Hz in a 2027 laptop, that costs over $1,000, ridiculous! So I'll just replace the battery and keep using this M1 for another two years or so

Is anyone else still happy with the performance of this legendary laptop?

 

[snipr125]

I have an intel based 2015 MBP, and was seriously looking at just getting a M1 MBA like yours as an upgrade. Selling brand new in UK on laptops direct for about £550 at the time (now actually £499).

They released the M5 MBA and i eventually got that for 10% off on Amazon uk, but your M1 MBA is legendary like you say just keep using it. It’s 6 years old but better than the current Macbook Neo which says it all really.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I've been using my M1/16/256 Air as my main laptop in my classroom since early 2021 and am still loving it! I originally got it as an M1/8/256, and upgraded to a 16GB logic board about a year ago and this machine shows no signs of slowing down. I'm hoping to keep it in service for several more years to come as it still handles everything I need it to do without breaking a sweat!

 

[steve217]

I went from an M1 8GB/512 to an M5 16/512 and I'm pretty happy with the upgrade.

The screen is still 60hz but it's bigger with better color and brightness and though I can tell the difference between my work base M4 MBP and the M5's display, I think the M5 screen is closer to the MBP than it is to the M1's screen.

The speed of the M5 is definitely noticeable; I get a hallucinatory impression that web pages seem to make the machine shake when they load.

The upgrade definitely felt worth it.

 

[shakopeemn]

Still happy with the performance of my M1 Air. I also run Win11 using VM and am surprised how well it keeps running. I haven’t upgraded to to Tahoe OS.

 

[mike.coulter]

I'm still using my secondhand M1 16/512 as my main machine, I can't see myself upgrading until I can get a MacBook Pro with no screen notch.

I've done the thermal pad mod on my M1 and if encoding lots of video footage or playing Eve Online, I use a laptop cooling pad.

 

[Chevyguy2021]

If you're in the US, the M5 is $899 on Amazon. Makes the deal even sweeter. For $900 plus tax the upgrade might be worth it. You could easily sell the m1 for maybe $350-$450. Going from 8GB to 16GB RAM would be a decent upgrade.