New Apple MacBook Air Brings a Price Cut Despite Multiple Upgrades

Apple has refreshed its MacBook Air line, unveiling a trio of enhancements: a more powerful processor, a fresh color option, an enhanced front-facing camera, and most important of all, a notable price cut.

The updated laptops now feature Apple’s M4 chip, the same silicon that debuted in the iMac and Mac mini last year. This new processor boasts a 10-core CPU and either an 8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on the option you choose.

In typical Apple fashion, the company has compared the performance of this chip with something that came out 5 years ago. Apple claims that the M4 delivers significant performance gains, specifically a 1.6x increase in Excel speed, a 2x increase in iMovie performance, and a similar boost of speed in Adobe Photoshop compared to models equipped with the older M1 chip. The underlying implication should be clear here: there isn’t a big performance upgrade over the M3 chip.

Beyond raw processing power, the M4 chip also unlocks additional capabilities, notably in external display support. The latest MacBook Air can now drive two 6K external displays at a 60Hz refresh rate, a step up from the single 6K display limitation of its predecessor.

Furthermore, Apple has expanded the aesthetic choices for its revamped MacBook Air, introducing a new “Sky Blue” finish alongside the performance upgrades. This metallic light blue hue, designed to show off a dynamic gradient under shifting light conditions, now complements the existing color palette of Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.

In addition to the visual refresh, the latest MacBook Air models integrate a 12MP Center Stage camera, a feature previously seen in the MacBook Pro line. This new selfie camera, while retaining 1080p video capture, delivers higher resolution images. The ultra-wide field of view enables Center Stage, which automatically keeps the user centered during video calls while they’re moving around. This camera also enables the Desk View feature, providing a perspective-corrected view of the user’s workspace below.

Apple’s 2025 MacBook Air, while featuring updated internal components, largely maintains the same design of its predecessors. The familiar dimensions, display, keyboard, trackpad, and audio systems remain consistent, as do the memory and storage configurations. Although the new model brings a slightly larger 53.8Wh battery, a minor increase from the previous 52.6Wh unit, the advertised battery life remains unchanged.

Users can choose between 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the M4-powered MacBook Air, with Apple announcing a $100 price cut. The 13-inch model now starts at $999, while the 15-inch model begins at $1199.