Apple unveils cheaper MacBook Air with M4 chips and a better camera

Apple unveiled new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models Wednesday, as the company continued its week of Air-themed product announcements. The new MacBook Airs aren’t exactly groundbreaking—it’s no surprise Apple didn’t feel it necessary to save these for a blockbuster press event—but their upgrades are quietly worthwhile. They certainly outdo the previous day’s underwhelming iPad Air refresh.

Like that new iPad, the new MacBooks are based around a processor upgrade: both models now run an M4 (up from an M3). That’s the newest and most powerful generation of Apple chips, so you can expect searing fast performance. Just bear in mind that it’s only the baseline edition with an 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU, and the faster Pro and Max versions are still exclusive to the MacBook Pro.

Performance will also be helped by an expanded range of memory allocations. After an update in October that doubled the entry-level RAM, the M3 Air was available with 16GB or 24GB of RAM, but these new models come with 16GB, 24GB, or a new option of 32GB. If you start off with the baseline configuration of the 13-inch MBA, bumping up to the full 32GB will cost you an extra $400/£400.

There’s also a new camera, and this could make a big difference to remote workers who rely on videoconferencing to stay in touch. Whereas the M3 MacBook Air had a simple 1080p FaceTime camera, the new models have a 12MP Center Stage camera that supports Desk View. This might save you from having to buy a separate webcam (although Continuity Camera is another useful option).

The last serious improvement for professional users is that the new models support two external displays in addition to the built-in screen. MacBook Airs from just two generations back could only run a single external display, while the M3 generation bumped this up to two, but only when the lid was closed for a total of two. Thanks to Thunderbolt 4, this latest M4 generation lets you spread out across three screens.

The battery on the 13-inch model is slightly larger than that of its M3 equivalent (53.8Wh, up from 52.6Wh) but this doesn’t seem to make much difference as Apple’s battery life estimates remain the same. The 15-inch models have identical battery sizes. A more significant difference, while cosmetic, is the arrival of a new Sky Blue color, which replaces Space Gray. The other options are Silver, Starlight, and Midnight.

And last, and maybe most pleasing of all, the Air has had a price cut. The 13-inch model now starts at $999/£999 while the 15-inch model starts at $1,199, a drop of $100/£100 on the previous generation. Preorders start today and units will ship out and appear in shops on March 12.