Apple’s MacBook Air gets an M4 chip upgrade and a price cut; UAE pre-order dates unveiled

Cupertino: Tech juggernaut Apple unveiled a new MacBook Air on Wednesday. The popular laptop also got an M4 chip upgrade, has 18 hours of battery life, a new 12MP Center Stage camera, and it comes in a sky-blue colour, Apple said in a statement.

It also offers support for up to two external displays in addition to the built-in display, 16GB of starting unified memory, and capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence.

For the first time, the new MacBook Air now comes in an all-new colour — sky blue, a metallic light blue that joins midnight, starlight, and silver.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at Dh3,999 and Dh3,579 for education, and the 15‑inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at Dh4,999 and Dh4,579 for education. Both are available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. The new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air are available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said, “Combined with its thin and light, fanless design, all-day battery life, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence, MacBook Air is unlike any other laptop.”

Joswiak said, “And with a new lower starting price of Dh 3,999, MacBook Air delivers more value to consumers than ever before, making this the perfect moment to upgrade or experience the Mac for the first time.”

Adding a new choice to the lineup of MacBook Air colours is the all-new sky blue - a metallic light blue that creates a “dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface.” Sky blue joins midnight, starlight, and silver to complete the brilliant colour choices for MacBook Air.

 This was Apple’s second product announcement this week after unveiling the M3-powered iPad Air and a new baseline iPad. Today's launch also follows the Apple iPhone 16e - a more affordable member of the iPhone 16 family of smartphones - launch from a fortnight ago.

According to Apple, the M4 chip makes everything from daily activities like multitasking between apps to demanding tasks like photo and video editing much faster and more fluid. The device maker said the new MacBook Air is up to 2x faster than its M1 predecessor and delivers an 8x speed boost compared to Intel-based models. Battery life has also been extended, offering up to 18 hours of usage on a single charge.

Apple highlighted that the M4 chip is designed for AI-driven tasks, making MacBook Air a key device for Apple Intelligence. Users can now generate AI-powered images with Image Playground, create custom emojis with Genmoji, and enhance their writing using new Writing Tools. Siri has also been upgraded with ChatGPT integration, allowing users to ask questions and receive assistance seamlessly "while maintaining privacy protections," assures Apple.

The company has also introduced a 12MP Center Stage camera to the laptop, which keeps users in the frame during video calls. This and enhanced video quality are expected to improve virtual meetings.

MacBook Air also supports two 6K external displays, catering to users who require expanded screen space for work and creative projects.

Apple emphasized that the MacBook Air retains its signature lightweight and durable aluminium body, available in both 13-inch and 15-inch models. The Liquid Retina display offers 500 nits of brightness and 1 billion colours, delivering a vibrant viewing experience. Other notable features include Touch ID for secure logins, MagSafe charging, Wi-Fi 6E, and Thunderbolt ports for fast connectivity. Users will also benefit from an upgraded three-mic array for more precise audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound experience.

What about the operating system?

Apple’s macOS Sequoia brings new features to the MacBook Air, including iPhone Mirroring, which lets users wirelessly access their iPhone’s apps and notifications from their Mac. Safari now offers Highlights for quick site summaries, a redesigned Reader, and a Video Viewer to keep videos in focus.

Starting next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will streamline MacBook Air setup, allowing users to sign in to their Apple Account and sync data simply by bringing their iPhone close to their Mac.

Apple has also updated its Mac Studio with high-performance M4 Max, a more powerful version of the M4 chip designed for coders, video editors, and graphic designers.

Suitable for a more 'professional class of consumers', the Mac Studio is a display-less desktop computer housed in a cube-shaped aluminum box with USB-C ports and an SD card slot on the front.

“The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we’ve ever made,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “A complete game-changer for pros around the world — powering both home and pro studios — Mac Studio sits in a class of its own, offering a staggering amount of performance in a compact, quiet design that fits beautifully on your desk. With this new Mac Studio, we deliver even more extreme performance with M4 Max and M3 Ultra, support for half a terabyte of unified memory, up to 16TB of superfast storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Mac Studio truly is the ultimate pro desktop.”

Apple said customers can pre-order the new Mac Studio starting March 5 in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 12.

Mac Studio starts at Dh8,499 and Dh7,659 for education.