We’re less than two months removed from Apple’s big September iPhone XS reveal event, but the company just can’t stay away as it kicks off yet another press event on Tuesday morning. First up, a totally redesigned MacBook Air, with a Retina display, headphone jack, and two USB-C ports.
While the machine itself looks similar to the classic MacBook Air, Apple says that the screen has been remade, with 48% more color than the last MacBook Air, and the ability to display 4 million pixels. Apple has also eliminated all the aluminum bezels, which means that the display glass goes from edge to edge. And as you might expect, the display is still 13.3 inches, keeping the overall size of the laptop small enough to carry the “Air” moniker.
But that’s not all — the new MacBook Air also features a FaceTime HD camera at the top of the display, which Apple took the time to note is where a camera should be (shots fired, Dell). Apple has also brought Touch ID to the MacBook Air, using the same T2 security chip that appeared in the latest MacBook Pro and iMac Pro. The T2 chip handles data encryption and secures your biometric information so that it won’t be hacked.
Apple has also upgraded the Air to include a 3rd-generation keyboard, with a Butterfly mechanism and four times the stability of the last MacBook Air’s keyboard. The Force Touch trackpad is also 20% larger than before, and the stereo speakers are 20% louder. Plus, you’ll get two times the base out of this laptop.
As for connectors, Apple has including just two USB-C ports, which means you’ll probably need a dongle or two if you’re doing anything other than just word processing or browsing the internet. Apple says that the new MacBook Air can run a 5K display and supports eGPU as well. Dongles not included.
Moving on to specifications, Apple has loaded the 2018 MacBook Air up with an 8th-gen Intel dual-core i5 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1.5TB SSD. Apple says that the battery will last 13 hours while playing movies on iTunes, or 12 hours while browsing the web. The new model is 17% smaller than the previous Air, and 10% thinner at just 15.6mm. It also weighs less than the old Air: 2.75 pound vs. 3 pounds for the old model.
The new MacBook Air will start at $1,199 with 8GB of RAM, 1.6GHz Core i5 CPU, and 128GB SSD. Preorders open today, and Apple will begin shipping the new laptops on November 7th.
