New MacBook Air Coming This Week: What to Expect

[DMG35]

Meh, modest improvement in speed and that's about it. If they put a 120hz display in it then ti would be a game changer. I know they aren't going to do that but that's really the only thing that could generate some excitement from this for me.

 

[cicalinarrot]

I know its a "pro" feature, but only thing I want to see on the air is a 120hz display. The competition all have it, why are you resisting, Timmy?

Think it'd shorten battery life which is more relevant at that price point.
Plus it's something many (maybe most) entry-level Mac user haven't even heard about. Those who have may want to spend more to get it. I don't think many Mac buyer have thought "I'll pick a PC instead, it's cheaper to get a 120hz display".

I'll be honest though, the selection of "luxury" features that Apple puts in their cheapest products has always been a mystery to me. Sometimes they're years beyond the competition, sometimes they're years behind.

 

[DMG35]

ds

I currently have a 2021 MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro base model…would this new m4 air be more powerful in comparison?

Yes it will be, but not in ways that are really noticeable unless you do heavy work on your laptop with things like Final Cut or Adobe Premier. Everything else will pretty much be the same. There could be other improvements like screen brightness and battery life, but that's really about it.

For reference, I have an M1 Mac Studio and and M4 Macbook Pro. For day to day tasks they accomplish things in nearly identical speeds. If video work is being done then the M4 does things a little faster.

 

[Otwer22]

It’s really not, especially when the M5 is already in production and we have a strong chance of seeing new products packing it as early as May/June.
Also: the M4 iPad Pro was announced on May 7th. Today was March 3rd. That’s 4 days more than 2 months, not three.
And if it meant getting the brand new M5 instead of a close to a year old M4 while the rest of the Mac lineup gets bumped to the M5, I’d rather wait a couple months.
But hey, Apple gonna Apple.

with your logic then the M 5 will be long in the tooth before the MBP models come out. You’re just being ridiculous.

 

[wbeasley]

20% tariff is what you arent going to love about it...

 

[chineseguy38]

Expensive because Tim Apple wants more money in his pocket. 😂😂

 

[wbeasley]

Expensive because Tim Apple wants more money in his pocket. 😂😂

expensive because of tariff wars about to kick in... reality suddenly about to become very real to consumers and companies. ;(

 

[brofkand]

It's a chip change, not really a new product tbh.

 

[Velora Bloom]

Think it'd shorten battery life which is more relevant at that price point.
Plus it's something many (maybe most) entry-level Mac user haven't even heard about. Those who have may want to spend more to get it. I don't think many Mac buyer have thought "I'll pick a PC instead, it's cheaper to get a 120hz display".

I'll be honest though, the selection of "luxury" features that Apple puts in their cheapest products has always been a mystery to me. Sometimes they're years beyond the competition, sometimes they're years behind.

While I totally agree with you, I do think they can convince people to go over to MacOS if they’d update the displays. So while a Mac buyer won’t go to Linux/Windows because of the lack of a decent refresh rate, there are loads of Linux/Windows users who’d buy a Mac if only they had a more current tech display.
But of course market share isn’t what Apple is interested in. They do really well by having huge profit margins and optimized supply chains instead of just selling as much as they can.
So I agree with you and I can see why Apple doesn’t update the displays, but on the other hand there are simply loads and loads of people who won’t consider a Mac because it feels outdated compared to the competition. It’s hard to get excited for a MacBook Air when you go to a store and see it and for half or closer to one third of the price the competitors around it have a much more pleasant display.

Or maybe I’m just projecting. I’ve been waiting for years to get a MacBook. The MacBook Pros look boring as hell and the MBA have a crappy display compared to what I’m used to so it’s literally the only thing holding me back.

I still have hope Apple will update the screens. I’ve already put up my current laptop for sale this morning haha. But I’ll pull the ad if they put in a 60 Hz display in the MBA again, no problem at all.

 

[Otwer22]

While I totally agree with you, I do think they can convince people to go over to MacOS if they’d update the displays. So while a Mac buyer won’t go to Linux/Windows because of the lack of a decent refresh rate, there are loads of Linux/Windows users who’d buy a Mac if only they had a more current tech display.
But of course market share isn’t what Apple is interested in. They do really well by having huge profit margins and optimized supply chains instead of just selling as much as they can.
So I agree with you and I can see why Apple doesn’t update the displays, but on the other hand there are simply loads and loads of people who won’t consider a Mac because it feels outdated compared to the competition. It’s hard to get excited for a MacBook Air when you go to a store and see it and for half or closer to one third of the price the competitors around it have a much more pleasant display.

Or maybe I’m just projecting. I’ve been waiting for years to get a MacBook. The MacBook Pros look boring as hell and the MBA have a crappy display compared to what I’m used to so it’s literally the only thing holding me back.

I still have hope Apple will update the screens. I’ve already put up my current laptop for sale this morning haha. But I’ll pull the ad if they put in a 60 Hz display in the MBA again, no problem at all.

Have you ever gone to a store and looked at the displays? I don’t get it. I look at the displays on apple products and compare to windows machines and find the display on apple to be very good. I think a lot of it is internet hype that Apple displays are crap. Just because they are not oled doesn’t mean they are garbage.
Apple uses displays to differentiate the pro products and air products.

 

[tweaknmod]

It's nice that these incremental improvements are released quietly. It eliminates the need to put on the silly show that comes with each year's iPhone incremental improvements.

Well said!
Spectacle can be fun, but only when revealing something spectacular.

 

[cicalinarrot]

While I totally agree with you, I do think they can convince people to go over to MacOS if they’d update the displays. So while a Mac buyer won’t go to Linux/Windows because of the lack of a decent refresh rate, there are loads of Linux/Windows users who’d buy a Mac if only they had a more current tech display.
But of course market share isn’t what Apple is interested in. They do really well by having huge profit margins and optimized supply chains instead of just selling as much as they can.
So I agree with you and I can see why Apple doesn’t update the displays, but on the other hand there are simply loads and loads of people who won’t consider a Mac because it feels outdated compared to the competition. It’s hard to get excited for a MacBook Air when you go to a store and see it and for half or closer to one third of the price the competitors around it have a much more pleasant display.

Or maybe I’m just projecting. I’ve been waiting for years to get a MacBook. The MacBook Pros look boring as hell and the MBA have a crappy display compared to what I’m used to so it’s literally the only thing holding me back.

I still have hope Apple will update the screens. I’ve already put up my current laptop for sale this morning haha. But I’ll pull the ad if they put in a 60 Hz display in the MBA again, no problem at all.

Both for me and you, people debating on a specialized Mac blog, it's not easy to put ourselves in regular buyers' shoes... but you have a closer case here.
I also think Apple is almost out of differentiating elements for their pricier models. And they want people like you to spend more, while giving something less to regular people (I'm trying to guess, again...).
Hadn't thought of MBP's boring factor, I think the dark ones are kinda cool but they could pull a iPhone-like matte "fancy" color lineup... but they probably don't sell enough to justify that.

 

[Cervisia]

I'm 99% sure there'll be a 32GB option. It doesn't make sense to have 24GB as the only upgrade option when 16GB is the base. RAM upgrades are enormously profitable for Apple. And the base M4 MacBook Pro does offer 32GB.

But forcing the upgrade to a Macbook Pro with 48gb is even more profitable. And it has precedent: while the mac mini m4 pro can have 64gb, the macbook pro m4 pro can't, one has to upgrade to the max chip for that, and not even the base max is enough for that.

Oh, and opting for the m4 max forces an upgrade to 1 tb ssd, which wasn't the case with m3.

 

[Otwer22]

The average computer user doesn’t care about 120 hz or 60 hz. They have no clue what oled display is or mini led. If the display looks good that’s all they care about. Macs market share has nothing to do with the displays, it’s more about the fact that windows has a much broader range of software than Mac. For a small example say you are a professional that uses specialized software at work you are more likely to buy a windows machine if you can use it at home as well. I switched from windows to Mac because the sound system in windows is garbage. I hated Apple Mac for the past 30 years more because of Apple reputation for being a closed system. After being on Mac for the past several years I have no interest in buying a windows laptop ever again.

 

[kiranmk2]

Going to 🤣 if it ends up being new AirTags

AirTags: Apple's Item Trackers - Everything You Need to Know

Apple first introduced the AirTag in April 2021, and then followed it up with a second-generation version in January 2026. The small circular AirTag is designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets to allow these accessories to be tracked using Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband (UWB) right...

www.macrumors.com

Imagine if we get MacBook Air, iPad Air, Airtags and a surprise reveal of a new Airport! (I can see the first two happening given they both have Air in the title and are due updates)

My assumption is that Apple will not do that until they can directly integrate the modem on the SOC, which is currently rumored for 2027.
For now, even adding apples dedicated C1 modem takes up space and will be significantly more power-hungry than a completely integrated one that’s coming later.

I would have thought Apple would be adding this into all their MacBooks and selling it as a $100 upgrade as per the iPads. Sounds like a good way to realise more value from the chip.

Why even release an M4 MBA at this point? Just release the M5 MBA. The M4 is long in the tooth and the M5 will bring some real improvements for AI and GPU.

I think Apple have realised that launching new M chips in the MBA leads to people buying the cheaper MBA rather than the more expensive MBP and other postponing buying a MBP because they expect the new version soon. By putting the new M chips in the MBP first, they are able to sell the most expensive laptops to the early adopters first.

Can Apple realistically maintain this pricing in the face of escalating tariffs? Will they just absorb the new tariffs and take a hit on their profits?

I wonder if the launch date was selected so they understood and could make the final pricing decisions based on the tariff situation and March 4th tariff decision date. It wouldn't be a good look if they launched at $1099 and then had to increase the price to $1250 a week or so later.

 

[Velora Bloom]

Have you ever gone to a store and looked at the displays? I don’t get it. I look at the displays on apple products and compare to windows machines and find the display on apple to be very good. I think a lot of it is internet hype that Apple displays are crap. Just because they are not oled doesn’t mean they are garbage.
Apple uses displays to differentiate the pro products and air products.

Yes I have and since there are no Apple Stores where I am I can only see the MBAs directly next to the competition.
I’ve been to a third party store that only sells Apple products and they had the lighting done extremely well and then the MBA displays looked really good but as soon as you put them next to the competition in less than optimal lighting conditions (like anywhere at home or where you’d work) they are just disappointing.
And I didn’t say they’re garbage or unusable, I said they feel outdated and they are nothing compared to the displays I’m used to.
And it’s totally okay if you don’t get it or even can’t see it. Probably saves you a lot of money. I do so I can’t get an MBA until they update the displays. And no hard feelings at all if Apple doesn’t want me to buy an MBA. I just really love my iPhone and would like to see how a laptop that works with the Apple ecosystem functions for my day to day needs but I can already run my business with my Windows laptop so I absolutely don’t need an MBA. I just think it could be fun but I definitely don’t need MacOS to be able to live my life.

 

[Cervisia]

While I totally agree with you, I do think they can convince people to go over to MacOS if they’d update the displays. So while a Mac buyer won’t go to Linux/Windows because of the lack of a decent refresh rate, there are loads of Linux/Windows users who’d buy a Mac if only they had a more current tech display.
But of course market share isn’t what Apple is interested in. They do really well by having huge profit margins and optimized supply chains instead of just selling as much as they can.
So I agree with you and I can see why Apple doesn’t update the displays, but on the other hand there are simply loads and loads of people who won’t consider a Mac because it feels outdated compared to the competition. It’s hard to get excited for a MacBook Air when you go to a store and see it and for half or closer to one third of the price the competitors around it have a much more pleasant display.

Or maybe I’m just projecting. I’ve been waiting for years to get a MacBook. The MacBook Pros look boring as hell and the MBA have a crappy display compared to what I’m used to so it’s literally the only thing holding me back.

I still have hope Apple will update the screens. I’ve already put up my current laptop for sale this morning haha. But I’ll pull the ad if they put in a 60 Hz display in the MBA again, no problem at all.

I don't want to pay more for a display on a device that's gonna sit 90% on my desk in clamshell mode. For the 10%, the current display is more than adequate. And you should go into a store, and look around what displays pc notebooks have. You might not buy those, but a lot of people do. When I bought my first macbook after decades of using thinkpads, the mac had the display, but that wasn't the reason at all. Better battery life and better OS was.

If you care this much about displays, Apple sees you as someone who can be milked for a Macbook Pro. They won't upgrade the Air's display until it's absolutely necessary.

 

[Velora Bloom]

I do wonder how old you are if you say you can’t see the difference between 120 Hz and 60 Hz though…

 

[azentropy]

I do wonder how old you are if you say you can’t see the difference between 120 Hz and 60 Hz though…

LOL, I can tell the different between the refresh rates depending on what I do (comparing my M3 MBA and my M1 Pro 14" MBP. I can also tell the different between a 4K 27" monitor and a 5K 27" monitor and am perplexed others don't whenever I see someone recommend a 4K 27" monitor. Although I will admit that at the distance I typically like to watch TV from I can't really tell the difference between 1080p and 4K. So go figure (I'm mid 50s BTW and have had historically bad eyesight - many surgeries and still now have to wear glasses again in some cases).

 

[TechWhisperer]

What to expect is a boring and predictable spec upgrade.

 

[PsykX]

This is going to be one hell of an entry model in the entire world of computing.
The M3 is still competitive.

 

[Jamie0003]

M4 chip, that’s about it.

I should be a journalist 😛

 

[aknabi]

Tim took the excitement out of product releases now too.

Just a short vid & website update & some random ad w bad music & we think you're going to love it.

well then clearly you haven't heard the latest rumors from Gruber and Ming-Chi Kuo about the biggest innovation from Apple this year (and maybe since Apple Silicon)... Tim is gonna make a leap... from "we think you're going to love it" to "We think you're not gonna have much of a choice"...

 

[Otwer22]

I do wonder how old you are if you say you can’t see the difference between 120 Hz and 60 Hz though…

Age has nothing to do with it. I have 20-20 vision. I’m not a display snob. Either is fine. I can see the lower nit count of MBA as a bigger problem than the speed of the display. I have a MBP that is too big to lug around. 16”, when I bought didn’t need portability, but now I do and will get the 13” MBA.

 

[crsh1976]

Tim took the excitement out of product releases now too.

Just a short vid & website update & some random ad w bad music & we think you're going to love it.

On the flip side, why would you throw a big launch event for a spec bump?

We're already making more noise than a spec bump deserves.