Apple is upgrading the MacBook Air with better internals, its new more reliable Magic Keyboard and is hacking the price down to $999. The upgraded model also gets double the amount of storage, making it a better machine for folks who want to work on the go.
The new Air also offers double the performance, according to Apple, featuring 10th-gen Intel Ice Lake processors (Y-series) up to a 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7. And it delivers 80 percent improved graphics performance, as the Air now features Intel Iris Plus Graphics. It comes with twice the storage as the prior machine now starting with 256GB. You can configure it all the way up to 2TB.
The 2020 MacBook Air has a base price of $999 (and $899 for education customers). For that price, you’re getting a far better machine than its predecessor, which started at $1,099. This should restore the MacBook Air as the go-to default Mac laptop for anyone who had pause over Apple’s keyboard stumbles.
It doesn’t include the same amazing speakers as the 16-inch MacBook Pro, though Apple says this year’s Air has “advanced stereo speakers for immersive, wide stereo sound for activities like watching Apple TV+ content or playing games in Apple Arcade.” There’s also a three-mic array inside for improved voice capture.
The new MacBook Air will be available to buy in stores at some point next week, but pre-orders are open today. It’s worth saying that, with Apple’s stores closed due to coronavirus concerns and issues around the current global crisis, ordering online might be the only way to snag one of these for now.
