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In 2008 Steve Jobs introduced the first ultra-thin, lightweight MacBook Air by dramatically sliding it out of an inter-office envelope. The idea of a dramatically thin, lightweight, and fully functional laptop continues on.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is “the default Mac” – the one you should buy if you’re not sure which model you need.

History

The MacBook Air was launched in 2008 as a premium 13-inch model, billed as the world’s thinnest laptop. It was dramatically revealed by Steve Jobs sliding it out of an office envelope.

In 2010, it was joined by an 11-inch model. By 2011, that had become the entry-level MacBook, replacing the plain MacBook in the lineup. Its combination of affordability, portability, cuteness, and suitability for most people’s computer usage saw it become a hugely popular machine with everyone from students to senior business execs.

The 11-inch MacBook Air was discontinued in 2016, leaving only the 13-inch models.

In 2018, we saw the first major update to the then-elderly design. This gave the machine a Retina display, Touch ID, USB-C ports along with a design refresh with smaller bezels, a slimmer form factor, and lighter weight.

In 2020, the MacBook Air was one of the first three machines to make the switch from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in the form of the M1 chip. In 2022, it was joined by an M2 model.

MacBook Air Specs

The 2020 M1 MacBook Air is powered by an 8-core Apple M1 chip, comprising four performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s available in two almost-identical versions, one with an 8-core GPU, the other with a (chip-binned) 7-core one. The machine is available with either 8GB or 16GB of unified memory. SSD storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

The 2022 M2 MacBook Air has a 10-core GPU option, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Pricing

M1 MacBook Air (2020) pricing starts at $999 for the 7-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

M2 MacBook Air (2022) pricing starts at $1199 for the 8-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

The machine can be specced up as far as 16GB unified memory and 2TB SSD for $2,049.

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

MacBook Air Review

In our video review of the machine, we described it as game-changing.

There is very little negative to say about these MacBooks. Apple has taken a design like the MacBook Air, which it more or less perfected with the early 2020 refresh, and made it 10 times better. This is no hyperbole. These M1-powered MacBooks are such a huge improvement in performance and battery life with virtually no negative baggage. I can’t see myself ever wanting to go back to an Intel-based laptop […]

If I was using an Intel-based MacBook Air, I wouldn’t even consider using a machine with such little memory to handle my day-to-day creative workflow, but Apple’s implementation of unified memory cannot be compared 1:1 with typical RAM configurations.

Basic day-to-day usage is relatively unaffected by the amount of RAM, or lack thereof. The MacBook Air is competent with only 8GB of RAM even when running lots of apps simultaneously, even with a dozen Safari windows, and even when swapping out to the SSD […]

I can attest to the fact that these MacBooks have incredibly long battery life, so much so that it was honestly hard to believe initially. I was able to use my MacBook Air for a full workday, writing, browsing the web, chatting on zoom, and editing video and photos, and the machine was only at 50% by the end of the day. I woke up the next day, and did several hours of zoom video calls and web browsing, and the machine finally gave me a warning to plug in when it reached 10%

Walmart begins selling the Mac for the first time: M1 MacBook Air for $699 [Updated]

Update: Best Buy has now one-upped Walmart and is now selling the M1 MacBook Air at $649.


Walmart is teaming up with Apple to sell the Mac for the first time. In a press release today, the company said that it is now selling the base model M1 MacBook Air online and in select stores for $699. The move comes a week after Apple introduced the new M3 MacBook Air and stopped selling the M1 MacBook Air itself.

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M3 MacBook Pro vs Air: How they compare and buyer’s guide

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Apple’s MacBook lineup was overhauled with the M3 MacBook Air models arriving in March 2024 and the latest MacBook Pro laptops coming with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips at the end of 2023. Join along for our in-depth look at MacBook Pro vs Air to see what’s similar and different and a buyer’s guide to help you make the best choice.

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iFixit teardown shows one key change Apple made with the M3 MacBook Air [Video]

Over the weekend, early testing revealed that the new base model M3 MacBook Air features significantly faster SSD speeds. This is thanks to Apple’s switch from using one 256GB storage chip to two 128GB storage chips.

Today, a new teardown from iFixit offers our first look inside the M3 MacBook Air, further confirming the switch to two 128GB storage modules.

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M3 MacBook Air reviews: midnight fingerprints, dual display limits, fanless M3 performance

Apple surprised us on Monday morning with the introduction of the M3 MacBook Air. It can now drive two external monitors while the lid is closed, the midnight color should be less prone to fingerprints, and both the 13- and 15-inch sizes are available from day one. Apple calls the M3 MacBook Air the best consumer laptop for AI, and it hits stores on Friday. In the meantime, let’s check out some of the first press reviews.

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Poll: The iconic MacBook Air wedge is no more – will you miss it?

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Yesterday’s introduction of the M3 MacBook Air meant the discontinuation of the M1 MacBook Air – and with it, the very last of the models to retain the iconic wedge shape …

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M3 15-inch MacBook Air is now my default Mac recommendation

M3 15-inch MacBook Air is now my default Mac recommendation

I guess most of us here find friends ask us which Mac they should buy, and for me the base model M3 15-inch MacBook Air just became the new default recommendation – even for those with somewhat demanding needs.

At $1,299, it’s a truly incredible amount of Mac for the money, even though Apple is still being somewhat stingy with the memory and storage …

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Apple launches new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip, support for two external displays, faster Wi-Fi

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Apple today announced its next-generation M3 MacBook Air range, in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. The new models are available to order today, and will start shipping March 8.

The new laptops feature the M3 chip with faster CPU and GPU performance, an upgraded Neural Engine, and up to 2x faster Wi-Fi. The chip now also supports connecting up to two external displays at once, finally making up for one of the few feature regressions in the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon … sort of.

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Jony Ive tried to discontinue the MacBook Air – Walt Mossberg

Ive reportedly wanted to discontinue the MacBook Air

A rather sketchy report claims that Jony Ive tried to persuade Apple to cease making the MacBook Air, leaving a redesigned MacBook Pro as the only portable Mac.

The story comes from Walt Mossberg, who admits that it’s based on a single source within Apple, but says that person was at “a very high level” with exceptional product knowledge …

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9to5Mac Product of the Year: The new 15-inch MacBook Air

It’s been an exciting year for Apple fans, ranging from the introduction of new MacBook Pros, an expansion of the MacBook Air lineup, and one of the best year-over-year iPhone upgrades in a long time.

This made it a tricky decision to determine the 9to5Mac Product of the Year for 2023, but we ultimately decided to crown the new 15-inch MacBook Air as this year’s winner. Here’s why.

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