By Christine Persaud
The new Apple MacBook Air offers faster performance, the new Magic Keyboard, twice the storage and a new lower price of $1,299, or $1,169 for education.
The computer delivers up to two times faster CPU performance and up to 80% faster graphics performance. It also now starts with 256GB of storage, and comes with a 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases, spacious trackpad, and all-day battery life combined with the power of macOS Catalina.
Offering quad-core processors for the first time, MacBook Air now delivers more speed across everyday activities. It features 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% faster graphics performance.
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, says Apple.
The stunning unibody wedge design made from 100% recycled aluminum comes in three finishes — gold, silver and space grey. The 13-inch Retina display delivers over four million pixels and millions of colours.
MacBook Air now starts with 256GB of storage, double that of the previous generation, and goes up to a capacity of 2TB SSD, double the previous maximum storage.
MacBook Air comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip, Apple’s 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.
A three-mic array provides clearer voice capture for FaceTime calls with friends and family, while the Force Touch trackpad offers precise cursor control and multi-touch navigation.
Thunderbolt 3 ports for data transfer, charging, and video output are in a single connector. There’s also support for up to a 6K external display, a first for MacBook Air, and advanced stereo speakers for immersive, wide stereo sound.
Every new MacBook Air comes with macOS Catalina. 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. 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.
For now, you can purchase the new MacBook Air online; Apple Stores are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.