Apple has unveiled an updated MacBook Air lineup featuring its new M4 chip, a redesigned colour option, and a reduced starting price of $999 ($899 for education) - costing $100 less than before. 

According to an official press release by the company, the new 13-inch and 15-inch models aim to deliver improved performance and accessibility while retaining the laptop's signature thin, lightweight design.  

The M4 chip, central to this update, includes a 10-core CPU and an optional 10-core GPU, supporting up to 32 GB of unified memory. Apple claims the M4 offers double the performance of the 2020 M1 model and up to 23 times faster speeds compared to Intel-based predecessors. Tasks such as spreadsheet calculations in Microsoft Excel are reportedly 4.7 times quicker than on Intel models, while video editing in iMovie is up to eight times faster. The chip's Neural Engine, designed for AI tasks, is three times faster than the M1's, enabling features like background noise removal and photo enhancements.  

Battery life remains a highlight, with Apple stating that the new MacBook Air can be used for up to 18 hours on a single charge. The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and up to two external 6K displays, alongside its 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina screen. A new 12 MP Center Stage camera supports video calls with improved clarity and Desk View, which simultaneously shows the user a top-down desk perspective.  

The new MacBook Air introduces a 'sky blue' colour option, joining midnight, starlight, and silver.

As per Apple, the new MacBook Air introduces a 'sky blue' colour option, joining midnight, starlight, and silver. Both sizes maintain a sub-0.5-inch thickness and aluminium unibody construction. The starting configuration includes 16 GB of unified memory, double the previous base model, with storage options up to 2 TB.

The laptops ship with macOS Sequoia, featuring Apple Intelligence for AI-driven tasks such as image generation (Image Playground), emoji creation (Genmoji), and writing assistance. Siri gains enhanced capabilities, including typed queries and integration with ChatGPT, accessible without an account. Privacy measures include on-device processing for most AI tasks and encrypted cloud requests via Private Cloud Compute.

The 13-inch model starts at $999 ($899 for education), while the 15-inch version begins at $1,199 ($1,099 for education). Pre-orders are available now, with availability beginning from March 12.