Apple's new MacBook Air M4 is a multiscreen lover's dream, and it's only $999
Apple just announced upgrades and a release date for the MacBook Air with the M4 processor, including a new Sky Blue colorway and a very attractive $999 starting price for the 13-inch model.
Lowering starting price
The lower starting price positions the new MacBook Air with Apple’s latest processor technology as a competitive option for the deluge of ultraportable laptops that have been released over the past year, like Asus’ Zenbook A14 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition.
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Like previous models, the MacBook Air M4 will come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes (the latter of which starts at $1,199) and is available to order online starting today, with the official product launch on March 12.
The MacBook Air joins the likes of the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini, all of which launched with the M4 processor last year. It comes with a 10-core CPU, an 8-core GPU with 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage.
From there, the MacBook Air M4 can be upgraded to a 10-core GPU and up to 32GB of unified memory, which Apple says is twice as fast as the M1 version and 23 times faster than the last Intel version from 2020.
Other upgrades
One of the biggest upgrades from a practical standpoint, however, is the Air M4’s ability to power two additional 6K external displays with the lid open, enabling a triple-screen workstation for extensive multitasking.
Also: The new iPad Air with M3 is here — with an updated Magic Keyboard to match
The webcam on the MacBook Air M4 also resembles the changes we saw on the iMac and MacBook, with a 12MP camera that supports Apple’s Center Stage feature to keep you in the frame and Desk View, which displays the user and a top-down view of the desk simultaneously.
Other than these upgrades, the MacBook Air M4 is largely the same ultraportable laptop we know and love, albeit with a more accessible starting price, improved processing power, and a new color.
We’ll have to go hands-on with the new multi-display features, but from the looks of it, the MacBook Air M4 will be a more dramatic upgrade for users coming from the M1 or older Intel versions than 2023’s MacBook Air M3.
