Apple unveiled the new MacBook Air, the world’s most loved notebook, with faster performance, the new Magic Keyboard, twice the storage and a new lower price of $999, and $899 for education. The new MacBook Air delivers up to two times faster CPU performance and up to 80 percent faster graphics performance, letting customers breeze through daily activities and play more games. Now starting with 256GB of storage, MacBook Air allows customers to store even more movies, photos and files. With its brilliant 13-inch Retina display for vivid images and sharp text, Touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases, spacious trackpad, and all-day battery life combined with the power of macOS Catalina, it’s the best MacBook Air ever made.
“From students and consumers buying their first computer to customers looking to upgrade, everyone loves the Mac, and they especially love MacBook Air. Today we’re giving it a huge update, with two times faster performance, the new Magic Keyboard, double the storage, a new lower price of $999 and an even lower price of $899 for education,” said Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. “With its stunning, thin and light design, brilliant Retina display, all-day battery life and the power and ease-of-use of macOS, MacBook Air is the world’s best consumer notebook.”
Faster Everyday Performance
Offering quad-core processors for the first time, MacBook Air now delivers even more speed across everyday activities, from organizing photos and creating presentations to editing videos. Featuring the latest 10th-generation Intel Core processors up to 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8GHz, MacBook Air delivers up to two times faster performance when compared to the previous generation. And with Intel Iris Plus Graphics, MacBook Air now delivers up to 80 percent faster graphics performance, so graphics-intensive activities like playing games and editing video are faster than ever.
New Magic Keyboard
MacBook Air now features the new Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro. A redesigned scissor mechanism delivers 1mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find without looking down. MacBook Air features a stunning unibody wedge design made from 100 percent recycled aluminum and comes in three finishes — gold, silver and space gray. The 13-inch Retina display delivers over 4 million pixels and millions of colors, so whether customers are reading an email, enjoying a movie or editing their photos, text is razor sharp and images are more true to life.
Double the Storage
MacBook Air now starts with 256GB of storage, double that of the previous generation, so customers can store even more movies, photos and files. And for those who need even more storage capacity, MacBook Air offers up to a 2TB SSD, double the previous maximum storage.
Built-in Security and Privacy
MacBook Air comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip, Apple’s own custom-designed second-generation silicon, which checks that software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with and provides on-the-fly data encryption for everything stored on the SSD. This allows MacBook Air and any Mac with the T2 chip to deliver the most secure boot process and storage of any notebook. The T2 also protects Touch ID information, so whether customers are unlocking their Mac, entering an online password or making online purchases, their information stays safe.
Additional Features
• A three-mic array for more clear voice capture for FaceTime calls with friends and family.
• The industry-best Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and multi-touch navigation.
• Thunderbolt 3 ports for data transfer, charging and video output in a single connector.
• Support for up to a 6K external display, a first for MacBook Air.
• Advanced stereo speakers for immersive, wide stereo sound for activities like watching Apple TV+ content or playing games in Apple Arcade.
macOS Catalina
Every new MacBook Air comes with macOS Catalina, the latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. macOS has always been at the core of the Mac experience, and with apps like Safari, Mail, Photos, Pages, Numbers and Keynote, customers have powerful tools to do amazing things. macOS also makes MacBook Air the perfect companion device to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with built-in Continuity features that allow users to make and receive phone calls without picking up their iPhone; automatically unlock their Mac with Apple Watch; copy and paste images, video and text straight from iPhone or iPad to a nearby Mac; and in macOS Catalina, extend the workspace of their Mac using an iPad and Sidecar. Security features keep users better protected and Voice Control lets users control their Mac entirely with their voice.
Updates coming to Pages, Numbers and Keynote offer a variety of new features aimed at unleashing creativity, improving productivity and enhancing collaboration. A wide selection of gorgeous new templates in Pages and Keynote gives users a head start on creating beautiful documents and, for the first time in iWork, users can add a drop cap to make a paragraph stand out with a large, decorative first letter. Collaboration will also become easier than ever with support for iCloud folder sharing and the ability to edit shared documents while offline.
Apple Services
Customers can also enjoy Apple services right on their MacBook Air, including new Mac versions of the Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV apps, as well as Apple News. Apple Arcade is available through the Mac App Store, bringing 100+ new and exclusive games to Mac customers. And for a limited time, customers who purchase a new MacBook Air can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app for free.
Pricing and Availability
Starting at $999, and $899 for education, the new MacBook Air is available to order starting today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. MacBook Air will be available in stores starting next week. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/mac.
MacDailyNews Take: This is a tremendous value and with the new scissor-switch Magic Keyboard – the same style as the amazing keyboards on our 16-inch MacBook Pros – we can happily recommend the new 2020 MacBook Air, especially at these new low prices as they offer a tremendous value!
Why does a new computer still have the 3mm headphone jack? This seems outdated and unnecessary now. i only use my old headphones when I use my old work computer that is 5 years old.
Because some people want a physical jack, myself included.
This motherfscker is what we’ve been waiting for since 2012! Thank christ. Instant sell. This is beautiful. Fscking beautiful.
Shit…I thought you were trying to get all of the “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” into one posting. I agree it is one badass motherfscker that truly is tits. However, I have a late 2011 MBP 2.8 GHz Intel “Core i7 that I upgraded with 16Gb RAM and a 2TB SSD, so we haven’t really progressed very far in nine years. It originally cost me $1499. Upgrades cost me $500. What pisses me off is why in fscks sake does it cost $800 to upgrade the new MBA i7 to 16Gb / 2TB, and costs $2249. Even the current 13” MBP maxes out at 16Gb / 2TB. Why doesn’t Apple in 2020 “C*n’t innovate anymore, my ass” not offer a option for 32Gb / 4TB?
Sorry, the keyboard still sucks.
Been fighting with the “scissors” keyboard on my 16″ MBP since it arrived. Nowhere near as good as the keyboard on the original retina MBP it replaced. Half the time keys don’t show up, and several keys have been bouncy since day one.
I vote for another 0.5mm thickness and a full-travel keyboard.
My favorite thing about Apple’s marketing is the diversity, it’s so authentic.
Just one USB port? Totally useless.
MacBook Air now delivers up to 80 percent faster graphics performance, so graphics-intensive activities like playing games and editing video are faster than ever.