Shortly after the launch of the iPad Air, Apple on Tuesday introduced the latest MacBook Air, featuring the new M4 chip, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and an all-new sky blue color option. The updated MacBook Air, available in 13- and 15-inch models, starts at Rs 99,900 and Rs 89,900 for education, making it the most affordable entry into Apple's premium laptop lineup.
The new MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of battery life, support for two external displays, and a base configuration with 16GB of unified memory. It runs on macOS Sequoia and is designed to support Apple Intelligence, the company's latest AI-driven features.
"MacBook Air is by far the world's most popular laptop, and today we're giving everyone even more reasons to love it," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. "With the power of the M4 chip, a new camera, and a stunning sky blue finish, MacBook Air delivers unmatched performance and value."
New shade of blue
With the new MacBook Air, Apple has introduced a new sky blue shade, a metallic light blue finish that shifts in appearance under different lighting. It joins midnight, starlight, and silver and includes a color-matched MagSafe charging cable, too.
M4 under the hood
The new MacBook is powered by the M4 chip, with a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 2x faster performance than the M1 MacBook Air. Apple claims tt is up to 23x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air. The Neural Engine is three times faster than that of the M1 model, improving AI-driven tasks such as photo enhancement and background noise removal.
Other notable improvements include:
- Microsoft Excel: Up to 4.7x faster than Intel-based MacBook Air, 1.6x faster than M1 model.
- iMovie video editing: Up to 8x faster than Intel-based MacBook Air, 2x faster than M1 model.
- Adobe Photoshop: Up to 3.6x faster than Intel-based MacBook Air, 2x faster than M1 model.
- Web browsing: Up to 60% faster than an Intel Core Ultra 7-powered PC laptop.
Apple Intelligence is here too
MacBook Air is optimized for Apple Intelligence, offering AI-driven tools such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and Writing Tools. The system seamlessly integrates ChatGPT into Siri and Writing Tools, with built-in privacy protections, much like in the latest iPhone lineup.
Then there's the new 12MP Center Stage camera, which automatically adjusts framing, making video calls more dynamic. MacBook Air also supports up to two 6K external displays when the laptop is closed, an improvement over previous models.
Availability and pricing
Customers can pre-order the new MacBook Air with M4 starting Tuesday on Apple's website and in the Apple Store app. The device will be available in stores and through authorized resellers beginning March 12.
The 13-inch model starts at Rs 99,900, while the 15-inch version is priced at Rs 124,900. Education pricing starts at Rs 89,900 for the 13-inch model and Rs 114,900 for the 15-inch.
