Apple unveils all new 13-inch MacBook Air with Retina display, Thunderbolt 3 and more

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited October 2018
Apple just took the wraps off an updated version of the popular MacBook Air, adding a Retina display, Thunderbolt 3, a new Trackpad and "a whole lot more."

2018 MacBook Air

The portable has a familiar wedge-shaped design (now in three finishes), though it loses a few ports in the process. The left is equipped with a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports and the right a solo headphone jack.

2018 MacBook Air Retina display

Apple has updated the stunning display for four times the resolution of the existing MacBook Air. They've also ditched the aluminum bezels surrounding the old display, leading the display much closer to the edge.

2018 MacBook Air Touch ID


Touch ID has also been integrated, though a full Touch Bar isn't present. Touch ID is powered by the T2 processor which brings in a host of other functionality such as "Hey, Siri" support.

The 13.3-inch display has a native resolution of 2,560-by-1,600 pixels, with scaled resolutions of 1680 x 1050, 1440 x 900, and 1024 x 640. With the Intel UHD Graphics 617, the new MacBook Air can support one external display with 5120 x 2880 resolution at up to 60Hz or to two external displays with 4096 x 2304 resolution at up to 60Hz over Thunderbolt 3.

With more advanced speakers and audio processing technology, Apple says that the MacBook Air "delivers a higher quality audio experience and wide stereo playback that makes watching movies and listening to music more immersive than ever." The speakers are 25 percent louder with two times more bass than the previous generation for more dynamic range and fuller sound.

An updated third-generation Butterfly keyboard is square in the middle, just above a 20-percent larger Force Touch trackpad. Despite adding these new features, it still winds up with 17 percent less volume than the previous generation, weighing only 2.75 pounds.


"MacBook Air has become the most beloved notebook ever," Tim Cook said on stage today.

The new MacBook Air starts at $1199 for 8GB of 2133 MHz RAM, an eighth-generation Core i5 1.6GHz CPU, and 128GB of storage. Orders start on Tuesday, with availability on Nov. 7. Configurations are available with up to 1.5TB of storage for an additional $1000, and 16GB of RAM for $200 more.

The 13-inch MacBook Air without Retina display is still available for $999.

Where to buy

Apple's 2018 13-inch MacBook Air can be preordered at Apple authorized reseller B&H Photo with no sales tax collected on orders shipped outside AL, HI, IL, IN, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, ND, OK, VT, WA and WI. Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis, and AppleCare can be added during checkout for $249.

For availability across multiple Apple resellers, be sure to visit our 2018 13-inch MacBook Air Price Guide.

Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 181
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    The presenter seems to be uncomfortable on stage. She sounds canned like she is reading from a teleprompter. I don't see the unbridled enthusiasm that Jobs projected. But to be honest, there was only one Steve Jobs and he’s gone now. 
    randominternetpersonxixo
  • Reply 2 of 181
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member
    lkrupp said:
    The presenter seems to be uncomfortable on stage. She sounds canned like she is reading from a teleprompter. I don't see the unbridled enthusiasm that Jobs projected. But to be honest, there was only one Steve Jobs and he’s gone now. 
    Stop. She's nervous, not bored. Public speaking is a skill, and skills have to practiced (I'd wager you'd suck at it in her shoes). Apple speakers are always their real team members. Craig was nervous and forced when he began as well, but is now one of their better public speakers.
    edited October 2018 ericthehalfbeefastasleepmichelb76dewmeracerhomie3SpamSandwichmagman1979lamboaudi4elijahgmretondo
  • Reply 3 of 181
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    I used to like the way Steve would bring the product out himself, but these days they just use videos.
    elijahgapple2c
  • Reply 4 of 181
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member
    rMBA! Just what everybody wanted, right? Will be curious to see what happens w/ the MB. 
    williamlondonchiafastasleepxixorazorpitwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 181
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    How come the fingerprint key is blank?
  • Reply 6 of 181
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    lkrupp said:
    The presenter seems to be uncomfortable on stage. She sounds canned like she is reading from a teleprompter. I don't see the unbridled enthusiasm that Jobs projected. But to be honest, there was only one Steve Jobs and he’s gone now. 
    Probably her first time in front of a big crowd of folk she doesn’t know. 

    Few more goes and she’ll be much better. 

    williamlondonfastasleepmichelb76StrangeDaysrhinotuffmretondojony0stompywatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 181
    Wow, I'm liking the new MBA.
    williamlondonchiaSpamSandwichwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 181
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Still has a 100 year old headphone jack. Curious to see if the iPad rumors come true now ...

     But no FaceID. Maybe next year...

    Edit: yup. No headphone jack on the iPad Pro. Gonna be a lot of dongles hanging off that sucker ... 
    edited October 2018
  • Reply 9 of 181
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Hello. 

    New Mac Mini. 


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 181
    $1199 Ouch. So what’s the point of the retina MacBook now? No mention of it on stage yet so I assume it’s just getting a spec bump unless Apple is killing it?
    williamlondonelijahg
  • Reply 11 of 181
    rMBA! Just what everybody wanted, right? Will be curious to see what happens w/ the MB. 
    Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) 10/30/18, 9:25 AM PC OEMs breath a collective sigh of relief there is now lower cost Mac.
  • Reply 12 of 181
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,398member
    Anyone have a shoe recipe? I am pretty sure I promised to eat mine if they kept the Air moniker. And yeah what the hell happens to the MB?
    randominternetpersonmagman1979razorpitwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 181
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,398member
    lkrupp said:
    The presenter seems to be uncomfortable on stage. She sounds canned like she is reading from a teleprompter. I don't see the unbridled enthusiasm that Jobs projected. But to be honest, there was only one Steve Jobs and he’s gone now. 
    You’d be uncomfortable too if it was your first Apple announcement and you knew thousands of neckbeards were simultaneously critiquing your public speaking skills in tech forums. 
    williamlondonStrangeDaysxixorazorpitcreateriowaverboypscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 181
    chiachia Posts: 713member
    rMBA! Just what everybody wanted, right? Will be curious to see what happens w/ the MB. 
    Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) 10/30/18, 9:25 AM PC OEMs breath a collective sigh of relief there is now lower cost Mac.
    Presentation isn’t over yet! It’s possible the current MacBooks get pushed down in price to below $1000 now that the MacBook Air comes in at $1200 with two Thunderbolt 3 and a larger Retina Display.
    randominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 181
    $1199 laptop with a base storage of 128gb in 2018 brehs. 

    This company is price gouging its customers more than ever before. 
    anantksundaramxixoirelandelijahgdavgreg
  • Reply 16 of 181
    chia said:
    rMBA! Just what everybody wanted, right? Will be curious to see what happens w/ the MB. 
    Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) 10/30/18, 9:25 AM PC OEMs breath a collective sigh of relief there is now lower cost Mac.
    Presentation isn’t over yet! It’s possible the current MacBooks get pushed down in price to below $1000 now that the MacBook Air comes in at $1200 with two Thunderbolt 3 and a larger Retina Display.
    Maybe. Odd that the laptop with Air in its name isn’t the lightest laptop Apple sells. We’ll see how much longer Apple gets away with raising prices. Competition is selling really good devices now at cheaper price points.
    canukstorm
  • Reply 17 of 181
    So far, a meh presentation with nothing that wasn't already known.
  • Reply 18 of 181
    MtotheHMtotheH Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    This was the announcement I was hoping for, but the price point is not. I had hoped $899 or $999 for the 128Gb. I can't just drop a grand+ when my 2013 model is humming just fine for my needs. Bummer.
  • Reply 19 of 181
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,090member
    MtotheH said:
    This was the announcement I was hoping for, but the price point is not. I had hoped $899 or $999 for the 128Gb. I can't just drop a grand+ when my 2013 model is humming just fine for my needs. Bummer.
    You can always sell your 2013 model to offset the cost of the new one.  It's what I do.  At least Apple laptops have a decent resale value compared to Windows machines.
    StrangeDaysracerhomie3MtotheHbaconstangpscooter63apple2cwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 181
    Wow, so far, the Adobe people have stolen the show! By far.

    I am hugely impressed.
    watto_cobra
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