The MacBook Air is a line of laptop computers from Apple Inc. They serve as an ultrathin, lightweight alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro line. They also cost less: The Air series is designed for typical consumers and students, not professionals.
Currently, the computers come in 13-inch and 15-inch versions. No matter the size, they offer two USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt.
Apple moved the MacBook Air line to Apple silicon in 2020, starting with the M1 processor. The current models run on an M4 chip. Like all MacBooks, they run macOS, Apple’s own operating system.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air on January 15, 2008, pulling it from a standard manila envelope and calling it the “world’s thinnest notebook.”
Table of Contents:
The MacBook Air comes in four mostly pastel and bright colors. Since the reintroduction of MagSafe, all colors come with a color-matched MagSafe charging cable. It has an aluminum connector that matches the color of the laptop, with a similarly colored braided cable.
The Starlight color is very similar to Silver, but with a slight warmth. It’s much less prominent than Gold, a color option that was available on the Intel and M1 models. Starlight is more subtle in color.
Sky Blue MacBook Air
Sky Blue is the latest color option, available on the M4 model. Much like Starlight, it’s a very subtle color, but with a cooler tint. It’s noticeable in the Apple Store and in broad daylight, but in most indoor situations, it’s hard to tell apart from regular Silver.
Midnight is a dark color option. It’s a very dark blue-gray. It’s somewhat similar to Space Black on the MacBook Pro, although that shade is more neutral gray. The slight blue of Midnight is most noticeable in bright lighting conditions, like in an Apple Store or in broad daylight. In most situations, it looks near black.
Silver is perhaps the most iconic Apple color. It was the only color option for many, many years, from its introduction in 2008 until the 2018 Retina model. While there are three more color options, silver is still available.
Space Gray is a darker medium gray color that was available from 2018 (with the first Retina model) through the 2024 M3 model. With the addition of Sky Blue as a color, Space Gray was discontinued. Those who want a dark laptop can opt for Midnight, which is dark gray with a hint of blue.
Space Gray is no longer available on the MacBook Pro either, replaced by Space Black.
Apple’s most popular laptop now comes in two sizes: a 13-inch model and a 15-inch model.
The 13-inch screen size has been the standard size of the Air ever since it was first introduced. Now, the screen runs edge-to-edge, with a notch in the top of the display to accommodate the built-in camera. The 13-inch model is the ideal balance of screen space for web browsing and light work tasks, while being incredibly portable and lightweight.
The 13-inch model is considered the entry level model, and costs $200 less.
The 15-inch model was introduced in 2023. It has most of the same specs as the 13-inch model, with a slightly higher-end base configuration. New models are released at the same time, so you always have a choice of screen size. The 15-inch model, however, is $200 more expensive.
The 15-inch screen is great for work in pro apps like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and others.
From late 2010 to early 2015, Apple made a smaller model with an 11-inch screen. This compact laptop was highly portable while still featuring a full-size keyboard. The big bezel around the display of the MacBook Air at the time added a lot of extra width to the device, so Apple did not have to make a smaller keyboard.
Apple replaced this model with the 12-inch MacBook in 2017. The MacBook received a few updates, but was discontinued without a replacement. Now, the 13-inch Air remains the smallest laptop Apple makes.
The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999. It comes with the latest M4 chip, 16 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. The 15-inch model starts at $1,199 and comes with a slightly higher-end M4 chip.
In the Apple Education Store, the prices are a bit cheaper. The 13-inch model starts at $899; the 15-inch model starts at $1,099. All you need to check out in the education store is a .edu email address.
Older models are available through Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart and other retailers. Any Apple silicon Mac with an M1 chip or later is still going to be a good purchase. Apple sells the M1 MacBook Air at Walmart for just $650 — and it’s often discounted even cheaper.
The M4 model is the current MacBook Air. It introduced a new color, Sky Blue, replacing Space Gray. The M4 offers the biggest leap in performance since the original switch from Intel to M1. This single update performs in benchmarks up to 50% faster than the M3 version immediately prior.
It also simplified the lineup, replacing the old model at its lower price of $999. And finally, it can drive two external displays with the built-in display active as well, bringing three-screen multitasking to the MacBook Air.
The M3 model was a simple spec bump with the same beloved design. The M3 chip brought a die shrink down to three nanometers, using a cutting-edge manufacturing process from TSMC. This led to a 60% performance boost compared to the original M1 model.
The M3 model added support for two external monitors (albeit with the main display closed), solving a long-standing issue since the introduction of Apple silicon.
The prior M2 model remained on sale at $999 after the M3 was introduced, starting at $1,099. This slightly confusing lineup remained until the M4 was introduced.
The M2 Air from June 2022 was a significant upgrade. It brought the new design that subsequent models have used, with an edge-to-edge display, MagSafe and two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, and a flat design similar to the MacBook Pro. A matching 15-inch model was also released a year later.
The M1 model from later that year was one of the first three Macs with Apple silicon inside. This offered a gigantic leap in terms of performance and battery life — a 3.5× faster CPU, 5× faster graphics and 9× faster machine learning (AI) performance. It got an incredible 18 hours of battery life. And all of that is possible in a design without a fan, for totally silent operation.
The model from early 2020 is the last model with an Intel processor inside. Later that year, Apple released the M1 model, which looks the same from the outside but has a much faster chip. Apple has said that macOS 26 Tahoe, the update coming this fall, will be the last version this Mac will run. macOS 27 will not be supported on Intel Macs.
While the Air has the same chip as the entry-level MacBook Pro, the Pro has a number of other advantages. The Pro features a bigger, brighter display. It has many more ports; it adds an extra Thunderbolt port, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot.
The MacBook Pro can be upgraded with much higher specs than the Air as well. The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips aren’t available on the Air. These chips have more CPU and GPU cores for faster performance in intense tasks like video editing, gaming, compiling code, 3D modeling and more.
The MacBook Pro can also be configured with more memory and storage space than the Air and supports more external displays.
However, the MacBook Pro is noticeably heavier. The smaller Air is 2.7 lbs. compared to 3.5 lbs. The larger Air is 3.3 lbs. compared to 4.7 lbs.
The MacBook Pro is also more expensive. It starts at $1,499, whereas the Air starts at $999.
This Genshin Impact Edition Nexode 3-port GaN fast USB-C charger is a compact power adapter with foldable prongs for MacBook Pro/Air, iPhone 16/15, iPad Pro and more.
The MacBook Air can be charged in two different ways. Models from 2018 onwards can be plugged in via any USB-C port to a charger. The M2 models from 2022 and later can also be charged with MagSafe 3 to a charger. Every MacBook comes with a color-matched MagSafe cable in the box, and replacements can be ordered online from Amazon.
Ugreen produces a line of USB-C wall chargers. These come in different power levels to keep it — and multiple other devices — fully charged up.
Powered by Apple's M4 chip, this 13-inch laptop delivers excellent performance and extreme efficiency in the same gorgeous design as last year's model. It packs two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a MagSafe connector for fast charging, with Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. It comes in four colors, including an interesting new sky blue.
MacBook Air with the M4 chip lets you blaze through work and play. With Apple Intelligence, up to 18 hours of battery life, and an incredibly portable design, you can take on anything, anywhere.
The MacBook Air is often on sale with good deals on Amazon. You can find bigger deals on the more expensive configurations. However, Amazon has a limited number of premade configurations, and does not allow you to fully build-to-order a Mac.
Replacing the battery on a MacBook Air can give it a new lease on life.
You can get your battery replaced at an Apple Store, but it may cost a pretty penny. Apple also only works on MacBooks that are under seven years old.
Replacing it on your own is certainly manageable, but is not an operation for the faint of heart. The bottom case easily unscrews, and the battery is mostly unobstructed. You will, however, need to remove the trackpad from the inside to get full access to the battery. The battery is also held in with a lot of glue that can be tricky to remove.
You need to properly reset your MacBook Air before you trade, sell or pass it down. That way, the new owner will be able to set it up as brand new, with none of your data left on it.
First, make sure that a recent Time Machine backup is in place. You can check this in System Settings > Time Machine. Make sure that “Backups” shows a recent date and time. Otherwise, right-click on your Time Machine and click Back Up Now.
After setting up your new device, go to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset, click Erase All Content and Settings and follow the instructions.
You can trade in an old MacBook Air you’re ready to ditch through the Cult of Mac Buyback program. You can get some cash back for an old laptop you have that you can put towards a new purchase.
Don’t worry about packaging — put your device in the box you’ll get in the mail and use the included return label to send it back for free. You don’t have to send back your charger, either; keep it for yourself.
You can get your money back by a printable e-check, ACH deposit or even a check through the mail.
Apple’s affordable MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, M5 Pro/Max-equipped MacBook Pros and the M4 iPad Air went on sale Wednesday. The M5-powered MacBook Air and new Studio Displays also hit retail stores today.
Apple began accepting preorders for these devices last week, shortly after unveiling them.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The MacBook Neo is the obvious star that emerged from this week’s tsunami of Apple product announcements. Its potent combo of good looks, surprisingly good performance and an extremely appealing price tag makes it a powerful lure for bringing new people into the Apple world.
We discuss the new laptop’s strong points — as well as some definite drawbacks.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
To make the new MacBook Neo — Apple’s most affordable laptop yet at just $599 — the company obviously needed to make some compromises. To keep costs down, Apple removed or scaled back several features that come standard on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Every wise shopper should consider the limitations of the MacBook Neo before jumping on Apple’s fun-looking new laptop.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s newest low-end MacBook. Does that mean there’s no reason to buy a MacBook Air anymore? Would power users go straight for the MacBook Pro? I don’t think so. There are still plenty of reasons to buy Apple’s midrange MacBook Air vs. the MacBook Neo.
Apple did a good job differentiating the two computers — there’s no configuration of the Neo that overlaps with the Air. Picking between the two should be straightforward. If you want more than 512GB storage, 8GB of memory or support for multiple external displays, you should opt for the MacBook Air. If you don’t need that much power or high specs, the Neo will do just great for you.
Here are all the differences between the two laptops.
Apple’s just-announced MacBook Neo as well as the new M5 Pro/Max-equipped MacBook Pros, M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air and iPhone 17e are now available for preorder. The new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR are also available to order starting Wednesday.
All devices will start shipping and hit retail stores starting March 11.
As of Tuesday, Apple has refreshed its entire MacBook lineup with M5 silicon. And while the new machines bring meaningful upgrades across the board, buyers should brace for higher prices than last year.
Whether you’re eyeing the new MacBook Air or the pro-grade MacBook Pro, here’s a breakdown of what to expect at every price point.
Apple’s best-selling laptop got even better with Tuesday’s launch of the M5-powered MacBook Air. It features no major design changes, but it sports a faster processor than before, adds storage capacity and shifts to Apple’s N1 chip for improved connectivity.
“The new MacBook Air with M5 brings incredible performance and even more capability to the world’s most popular laptop,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With M5, MacBook Air powers through a wide range of tasks, from everyday productivity to creative workloads, and is even faster for AI.
“Now featuring double the starting storage, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, in a sleek and durable design with long battery life, MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for anyone who values the unrivaled combination of performance and portability,” he added.
Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Thursday what had previously been rumored: The company will launch new products starting Monday, March 2.
The graphic he posted on X hints at the new MacBooks that are expected to be among the announcements. Beyond notebooks, the iPhone 17e, revamped iPads and possibly more could all be unveiled in just a few days.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The “special Apple Experience” planned for March 4 doesn’t sound like a typical Apple event. What could it be? And what new hardware will we see?
It definitely doesn’t look like Apple CEO Tim Cook will be hitting us with his standard “good mooooorning” … we go over the possibilities.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Apple on Monday announced a product-launch event scheduled for March 4, inviting select media to attend in person what it describes as a “special Apple Experience.” The invitation offers no details on what to expect, but the company is surely preparing to unveil new hardware as it pushes into the heart of its spring product cycle.
Numerous leaks and rumors point to a busy event. A new MacBook Pro, a new MacBook Air, an entirely new low-cost MacBook, the iPhone 17e, revamped iPads and possibly more could all be on the agenda.
Apple’s MacBook Air continues to prove itself as the ultimate portable powerhouse for creative professionals, students and everyday users alike. Whether you’re team M2 or M3 — or you upgraded to the latest M4 chip — these sleek laptops punch well above their weight class when it comes to driving impressive workstation setups. Our collection of the top 10 MacBook Air setups proves that point.
The most powerful MacBook Air ever is just weeks away. Apple is widely expected to be putting the finishing touches on a new model with the speedy M5 processor. The faster chip will be enough for shoppers to question whether they really need the MacBook Pro they have their eye on.
Consider the advantages of a MacBook Air, and why now is a terrible time to buy any Apple laptop.
For Apple enthusiasts, one Mac is great — but two or more? That’s when things get seriously interesting. Years of Cult of Mac Setups coverage has showcased hundreds of impressive workstations. But these top 10 multi-Mac setups stand out as particularly fascinating examples of how power users leverage Apple’s ecosystem to its fullest potential.
From new M4-powered machines paired with vintage “trash can” Mac Pros to dual MacBook configurations seamlessly integrated with desktop Macs, these workstations demonstrate that having multiple Macs isn’t just about redundancy. It’s about optimizing workflow, separating concerns and yes, indulging in a bit of Apple-fandom excess.
There’s tremendous anticipation for a MacBook Pro upgraded with faster M5 Pro or M5 Max processors, but the laptop did not launch this week, despite eager speculation that it would. And we need to be patient because we’re likely to continue waiting well into February and maybe beyond. A critical feature apparently isn’t ready yet: macOS Tahoe 26.3.
January 15, 2008: Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the first MacBook Air at the Macworld conference in San Francisco, calling the revolutionary computer the “world’s thinnest notebook.”
The 13.3-inch laptop measures only 0.76 inches at its thickest point and 0.16 inches at its tapered thinnest. It also boasts a unibody aluminum design, thanks to an Apple engineering breakthrough that allows the crafting of a complicated computer case from a single block of finely machined metal.
In a brilliant piece of showmanship during the MacBook Air launch, Jobs pulls the super-slim laptop out of a standard interoffice envelope. (You can watch his keynote introducing the MacBook Air below.)
Apple silently gave some Macs and iPads a Wi-Fi speed boost with macOS Tahoe 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The update enables 160MHz channel bandwidth support on 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, eliminating a restriction that tamped down the maximum possible speeds.
The additional bandwidth should let your recent Mac or iPad benefit from higher throughput.
It’s a great season to get a new Mac, since every model is a great buy. If you’re one of the lucky people to get one this year, here’s how to set up your Mac like a pro.
So rip open that box, tear off that plastic, and let’s get to the good stuff.
Here is Cult of Mac’s guide to setting up your new Mac the right way.
Grabbing a near-mint M1 MacBook Air for $399.99 is one of the best laptop buys you can make this year. These machines are fast, lightweight and powerful — and that mmakes them perfect for work, travel or home.
The M4 MacBook Air is the best mobile computer for most people, and a sweet new deal drops both the 13-inch and 15-inch models to low, low prices. You can snag the 13-incher for only $799 or the 15-incher for only $999.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but you can still find wickedly good deals for a beautiful and powerful Apple laptop.
This Cyber Monday, you can find stellar discounts on a new MacBook. With Intel Macs aging out, there’s no better time to upgrade to the latest models that run on far-superior Apple silicon processors.
Whether you’re looking at the base MacBook Air or a specced-out MacBook Pro, you can rack up hundreds of dollars in savings by upgrading this week.
Take a look at these Cyber Monday deals on MacBooks and get ready to make your next big move.
Our guide to the best Cyber Monday 2025 deals on Apple products and accessories showcases some prices that are even lower than Black Friday’s blowout sales. We’ll update this post throughout the day, but the clock is ticking. These Cyber Monday deals should end at midnight!
Our favorite earbuds — AirPods Pro 3 — remain at an all-time low price. The iPad mini just hit a new low of $349. And somehow, an amazing deal on the latest M4 MacBook Air got even more amazing as Cyber Monday approaches.
Find our absolute favorite Apple Cyber Monday picks, and our other favorite deals sorted by product category, below.
We put together the ultimate guide to the best Black Friday 2025 deals on Apple gear — and all the accessories you could want. We’ll be updating this post throughout the week as deals come and go.
Our favorite earbuds — AirPods Pro 3 — remain at an all-time low price. And somehow, an amazing deal on the latest M4 MacBook Air got even more amazing as Cyber Monday approaches.
Find our absolute top five picks, and our other favorite deals sorted by product category, below.
macOS 26.2 beta 2 adds a new Edge Light feature to improve the look of your video calls. As the name indicates, it will add a white light to the edges of your Mac’s display while you’re on a video call.
It’s like a built-in ring light that should improve your appearance when hopping on FaceTime to chat with friends or colleagues.
The new MacBook Pro M5 is here, and it might be Apple’s most powerful laptop ever.
But with prices starting at $1,599, getting the device you want can feel like a serious investment.
That’s where Upgraded comes in. It’s a new way to get the tech you need without paying thousands upfront. Instead, you pay monthly with the option to upgrade every two years.
With Upgraded, you can get the new M5 MacBook Pro starting at just $52.17 per month and as low as 0% APR. Get the M5 MacBook Pro from $52.17 per month.
The Apple M5 chip jumped from rumor to reality Wednesday with the launch of MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models running the new cutting-edge processor. But so far, there’s been no official mention of an M5 Mac mini, M5 MacBook Air, M5 Studio or M5 iMac.
Here’s when the next generations of these Macs are rumored to reach customers, along with the probable launch dates of the M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of the MacBook Pro.