RIP MacBook Air – Hello to the new MacBook Pro!
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Ding-dong, the 11-inch MacBook Air is dead! (And the 13-inch might be following it soon!)
During the #AppleEvent today, Apple made it clear how proud it is of its new MacBook Pro – and it has every reason to be. With the new Touch Bar alone, the shiny new MacBooks are easily the best made and most innovative machines Apple has released to date.
But as the event went on, those who love their MacBook Air were left with a quick note: there would actually be no new MacBook Air. Instead, vice president Phil Schiller encouraged those who are interested in the MacBook Air to instead check out the new 13-inch MacBook Pro for a number of pretty legitimate reasons:
- The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is 12% thinner than MacBook Air
- The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is 13% smaller in volume than MacBook Air
- Both MacBooks weigh the exact same (around 3 pounds)
- The new MacBook Pro has a 13-inch retina display, faster storage, and faster graphics
- It's essentially the same – yet better? – than your current MacBook Air in almost every way, shape, and form, and only for the starting price tag of $1,499 (no Touch Bar at that price).
Battery life
The 13-inch MacBook Pro has up to 10 hours of battery life, while the 13-inch MacBook Air has up to 12. The new MacBook Pro isn't an improvement in this department, but all those extra features have to take up some battery, right?
Ports
Four thunderbolt 3 ports for the MacBook Pro, through any of which you can charge the MacBook. The MacBook air has two thunderbolt ports.
Touch Bar
The MacBook Air doesn't have a Touch Bar, but the low-end MacBook Pro which acts as a replacement doesn't have one either. If you want the Touch Bar, you can pick up the model that's a step up which is still only 13 inches, starting at $1799.
Processors
The MacBook Air is powered by a fifth-generation Core i5/i7 processor, while the new MacBook Pro is powered by the same with 8GB 2133MHZ of memory – it's nearly 2x faster than the previous 13-inch MacBook.
RIP, 11-inch MacBook Air
While the 13-inch MacBook Air remains on sale for $999 — for now — the 11-inch model has been officially discontinued. iMore's Serenity Caldwell wrote an ode to her poor laptop elsewhere. You can still pick up the 11-inch Air from Apple's online refurbished store, but who knows for how long.
What do you think?
Are you mourning the loss of the #MacBookAir? Or are you excited to get your hands on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!