MacBook Air Updated With True Tone Display and Lower $1,099 Starting Price

[manu chao]

Intel stopped updating the CPU used in the 12” MacBook. Apple has nothing to update it to.

They could have used a lower-clocked version of the one in the 2018 MBA (1.6 GHz, i5, 7 W TDP, 8270Y, Amber Lake), eg, the 8200Y (1.3 GHz, 5 W TDP, UHD 615 graphics).

The 2017 MB came with the 7Y32, Kaby Lake, 1.2 (1.1?) GHz, 4.5 W TDP, HD 615 graphics.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

Intel stopped updating the CPU used in the 12” MacBook. Apple has nothing to update it to.

Finally a rational explanation for the MacBook’s disappearance among a sea of “I hate Touch Bar” and “I hate butterfly keyboard” comments. Cheers!

 

[leman]

Developers never really bothered to add support for it in their apps since the majority of users didn't have it on their machines

Dunno, all software I use has Touch Bar support. And at least one game

 

[Martius]

Well I think this means no-scissor-mechanism-keyboard MBA in 2019 as predicted by Ming-Chi Kuo?!

 

[Konigi]

Damn. I was hoping for the better keyboard Ming Chi Kuo was predicting and a spec bump: the 1.6 GHz i5 was a bit slow by last year’s standards.

Exactly! I had high expectations: different keyboard and a new processor :-(
It seems they're rushing it instead of releasing it in the Fall.

 

[badawat]

Where were the rumors leading up to this? I literally just bought an Air last week for the MIL, arrived last Friday. Checking the prices on the Canadian Apple site, I could have saved $50 by buying it this week (Last week, $1499, this week, $1449). I would have held off if a refresh was being hinted at.

Oh ye Apple, thou hast screwed me over again.

Apple usually has a 14 day no questions asked return policy, unless the computer is damaged. If you contact them they'll swap it out for a new one or refund the difference I imagine. They've done that for me.

 

[calstanford]

Most uninteresting update ever. Still same old crap screen from the 2013 Retina Macbook Pros now with a little sensor for True Tone and that's it. I wonder if Apple has more than one person working on Macbook Air and what those people do.

 

[leman]

Where were the rumors leading up to this?

There were a lot of rumours right here. Leaked new products from registration databases etc.

 

[jbachandouris]

Well, my rMBP early 2015 is worth $460 in trade, but my processor is technically faster than this one.

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

I really like the idea of the Air, but the lack of a heatpipe on the CPU is killing it. They also can't claim they saved on weight, because the air isn't actually a light device... in fact it's almost the same weight as the 13" Pro.
Considering the dimension it's less an Air but rather a brick...
Last but not least, the pricing is bad compared to the MacBook Pro 13". 999$ would really be a good starting point. Or like 1200 with actually usable storage.

 

[lambertjohn]

So the only difference with the 2018 model is the inclusion of True Tone?

The new 2019 Air is supposed to have a gen 4 keyboard as well. Some kind of different material for the membrane under the keys. Supposed to be a firmer typing experience.

 

[iMerik]

The new 2019 Air is supposed to have a gen 4 keyboard as well. Some kind of different material for the membrane under the keys. Supposed to be a firmer typing experience.

It got the third-gen: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...oard-as-higher-end-2019-macbook-pros.2189191/

 

[UltimaKilo]

I don't understand why they didn't boost the clock speeds, even by just 100-200 mhz? Seems like they may be going with an IceLake/TigerLake upgrade down the line, which would be big.

Glad to see Apple make regular updates to their products either way. It's about damn time.

Hopefully we'll have a new Apple TV with an A13x coming by next year.

 

[alexandr]

Can I pay extra for not having that Touch Bar?

it's free for you - there is no touchbar.

 

[kalafalas]

Still no display-P3, only sRBG? Lame. Adding True Tone is nice tho.

 

[x-evil-x]

Such a risk to buy, I really don’t want to buy and have my keys die. Thinking I should wait longer!

Shame they wouldn’t take this opportunity to fix this serious flaw. Thank you TIM!

buying the last year is not a risk...
Good luck buying the brand new redesign if we get them next year. First gen products are always a pain in the ass.
Buying the latest update computers is the best you'll have for a while. Its the last polished version of it all. do you really expect a redesign to have less problems than a 2016 MacBook Pro? The 2019's are great so far.

 

[Mainsail]

Damn. I was hoping for the better keyboard Ming Chi Kuo was predicting and a spec bump: the 1.6 GHz i5 was a bit slow by last year’s standards.

Do we know if the refreshed MBA has the more robust 2019 butterfly keyboard?

 

[leman]

Do we know if the refreshed MBA has the more robust 2019 butterfly keyboard?

Yes they do.

 

[Higgs1]

Reply

Yes they do.

What's the difference? They're still covered under the apple repair program, are they better than the 2018 ones?

 

[smulji]

What this tells me is the rumors of a new non-butterfly keyboard will most likely come to a new pro laptop, perhaps the rumored 16” model. My guess is this laptop will be similar to the iMac Pro or Mac Pro in that it won’t be for the majority of Mac buyers and will be expensive.

If anything, the new non-butterfly keyboard will make its debut on the rumored 16 / 16.5" MPB but by no means will it end there. I expect over the next year for all of Apple's laptops to have the new keyboard design.

 

[GadgetBen]

Thanks Apple, not even a year has passed since I bought the now old refreshed MacBook Air.

Are you making up for previous lost time?

 

[smulji]

I wonder if the 2019 Air is still using the gimped 7W CPU's or have they used 15W CPU's? I'm guessing still the 7W processors as it's still using Intel UHD 617 graphics. Disappointing.

The Air is using the same processor. The only major update it received is that the display now has True Tone capability and a $100 price drop.
[doublepost=1562691485][/doublepost]

yes, most likely the same CPU

I think they are pushing us into the low end MBP - lower clocked quad core. that probably is the 15W CPU.

Correct. The low-end 13" MBP is 15W CPU. The high-end 13" MBP is usng a 28W CPU

 

[bbednarz]

SMH! How can they possibly release an updated Air while at the same time place it on the keyboard service program, with a straight face.

Wouldn't you rather it be included instead of being out of luck if something went bad?
[doublepost=1562691744][/doublepost]

Thanks Apple, not even a year has passed since I bought the now old refreshed MacBook Air.

Are you making up for previous lost time?

And not even 6 month has passed since I bought mine. That's technology. If they didn't update it regularly you'd have people on here complaining that they aren't updated enough. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. Your machine will continue to work just as well as it always has.

 

[Moonlight]

Can I pay extra for not having that Touch Bar?

What am I missing? The Macbook Air does not have a Touch Bar

 

[interessiert]

BETTER KEYBOARD !