Apple will take a Wi -Fi chip to the Macbook Air M5 in 2026 keeping the 13 and 15 -inch models
Apple has been moving chips for some time to depend less and less than third parties in key components, and its next step seems to be marked. After premiere the C1 wireless chip On the 16E iPhone, everything indicates that the iPhone 17 family will be the first to set up a Own design wifi on all its models. And according to a recent filtration, that same technology will make the leap to the Macbook Air M5 that we will see in 2026.
It is not a minor change: until now, Apple has trusted companies such as Broadcom or Qualcomm for its connectivity solutions, and the transition to internal chips opens the door to total control over performance, consumption and cost.
From iPhone al Macbook, a two -phase road
The movement makes sense. Apple has been betting on vertical integration for years: Design your own mobile chips, tablets and computers; controls your software; And now he wants connectivity to also carry his seal.
In 2023 he already advanced his plans: join wifi, bluetooth and even connectivity Mobile in a single package to save space in the plate and reduce consumption. However, everything indicates that this transition will be gradual.
The first step comes with the iPhone 17 and its new internal Wi -Fi chip. The second, if the leaks are not wrong, It will be to equip the MacBook Air M5 with that same chipalthough for now only for the Wi -Fi part, leaving the Bluetooth integrated into a separate module.
MacBook Air M5: same sizes, new wireless heart
The filter @aaronp613 points to the M5 range will maintain the two current versions, 13 and 15 incheswithout visible changes in design. Inside, yes, the novelty would be in connectivity: a WiFi chip designed by Apple, manufactured to squeeze efficiency and autonomy, following the same philosophy as the C1 of the iPhone 16E.
This change will not imply, at least in the first generation, the complete fusion with Bluetooth in a single encapsulated. Apple usually makes these jumps in phases, refining every step before joining everything. The ultimate goal remains clear: reduce internal spacewhich leaves more margin for battery or other components, and cut energy consumption, something that in laptops is translated directly into more hours of use.
A launch that points to 2026
The development of the new laptops would already be underway, and the company’s internal calendar places its presentation in the First quarter of 2026. If fulfilled, Apple would have time to polish integration and optimize performance, which could allow autonomy improvements, even if the MacBook Air M5 did not need it urgently.
For now, everything indicates that we will see Two chips on the plate: one for wifi and one for Bluetooth. Total integration could reach a subsequent generation, once Apple has proven that its design works stable in different scenarios.
More than a technical change
Adopting your own wireless chip is not just a matter of savings or space. It’s a Strategic movement: Apple gains control over each aspect of connectivity, can implement specific functions at the hardware level and reduce its dependence on external suppliers that sometimes limit their road map.
The play also opens the door to a greater optimization between hardware and softwarea land in which Apple usually takes advantage in front of the competition. If the C1 of the iPhone 16E serves as a reference, we can expect more stable behavior, better energy management and, possibly, new exclusive functions that take advantage of that integration.
We will have to wait for the official announcement to confirm all the details, but it is clear that Apple’s path goes through closing the circle of its ecosystem and that its laptops will be the following to benefit from that strategy.
