For years, the MacBook Air, first released in 2008, was the best Apple laptop for most people. Even as it aged, becoming positively ancient by tech standards, it remained a popular option for those after a more affordable, portable MacBook.
But in 2018, the Air became woefully out of date, and Apple’s other laptops – the ultraportable 12-inch MacBook and more powerful (and expensive) MacBook Pro – have not quite hit the sweet spot of power, affordability, and portability that many wanted. However, Apple finally brought the MacBook Air back to life yesterday, after announcing the first proper refresh of its super thin laptop line in three years during its October hardware event. The MacBook Air, which last year saw a minor graphics and CPU upgrade, has languished since Apple introduced the 12-inch MacBook in 2015. And yet Apple, without a proper budget option, has kept the Air around. As Apple’s only laptop around the $1,000 price point, the Air suffers from a lower-resolution, non-Retina display, and sub-par performance.
Old vs New MacBook Air
The old Air’s display was a 13.3-inch relic with 1,440-by-900 screen resolution. The new Air has a new Retina display at 2560 by 1600 pixels. The old Air had a wide aluminum bezel around its screen; the new one dispenses with that and extends the display outward toward the edge of the body. The new Air’s display is still 13.3 inches, and the case retains its trademark wedge shape, but the body is smaller–17% smaller by volume–and it weighs 2.75 pounds, a quarter pound lighter than the previous Air.
The old Air had a slower fifth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, but the new Air’s upgrade to an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor should make browsing the web, playing video, opening apps, or managing photos quite a bit zippier. The new model also has a newly designed keyboard (with a Touch ID button but no Touch Bar), a much larger trackpad, improved stereo sound, and Apple’s dedicated T2 security chip. The old Air had a couple of old USB-A ports, a slot for removable storage, and a MagSafe 2 connector for power. The new model has two USB-C ports, which can be used for power or peripherals.
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