MacBook Air

MacBook Air
DeveloperApple
Product familyMacBook
TypeLaptop
Release dateJanuary 29, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-01-29)
Operating systemmacOS
System on a chip
RelatedMacBook, MacBook Pro
Websiteapple.com/macbook-air

The MacBook Air is a line of laptop computers developed and manufactured by Apple since 2008. It features a thin, light structure in a machined aluminum case and currently either a 13-inch or 15-inch screen. The Macbook Air's lower prices relative to the larger, higher performance MacBook Pro have made it Apple's entry-level notebook since the discontinuation of the original MacBook line in 2011.

Intel-based

The MacBook Air was introduced in January 2008 as a premium ultraportable with a 13.3-inch screen and a full-size keyboard, and was promoted as the world's thinnest notebook, opening a laptop category known as the ultrabook family. With its slim design, it attracted attention for not including an optical disc drive, and having fewer ports than was typical for laptops at the time.

Unibody (2008–2009)

Steve Jobs showing the first MacBook Air at an Apple 2008 keynote address

Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air during Apple’s keynote address at the 2008 Macworld conference on January 15, 2008. The first MacBook Air was a 13.3-inch model, initially promoted as the world's thinnest notebook at 1.9 cm (0.75 in) (a previous record holder, 2005's Toshiba Portege R200, was 1.98 cm (0.78 in) high). It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU and Intel GMA GPU which were 40% smaller than the standard chip package. It also featured an anti-glare LED backlit TN 6-bit color panel display, a full-size keyboard, and a large trackpad that responded to multi-touch gestures such as pinching, swiping, and rotating.

The MacBook Air was the first subcompact notebook offered by Apple after the 12" PowerBook G4 discontinued in 2006. It was also Apple's first computer with an optional solid-state drive. It was the last Mac to use a PATA storage drive, and the only one with an Intel CPU. To conserve on space, it uses the 1.8 inch drive used in the iPod Classic instead of the typical 2.5-inch drive. It was Apple's first notebook since the PowerBook 2400c without a built-in removable media drive. To read optical disks, users could either purchase an external USB drive such as Apple's SuperDrive or use the bundled Remote Disc software to access the drive of another computer wirelessly that has the program installed. The MacBook Air also did not include a FireWire port, Ethernet port, line-in, nor a Kensington Security Slot.

On October 14, 2008, a new model was announced with a low-voltage Penryn processor and Nvidia GeForce graphics. Storage capacity was increased to a 128 GB SSD or a 120 GB HDD, and the micro-DVI video port was replaced by the Mini DisplayPort. The disk drive was also changed from a PATA drive to the faster SATA drive.

The mid-2009 revision featured slightly higher battery capacity and a faster Penryn CPU.

Tapered Unibody (2010–2017)

Left side of a mid-2012 MacBook Air. From left to right, MagSafe 2 power connector, USB port, headphone jack and built-in microphone.

On October 20, 2010, Apple released a redesigned 13.3-inch model with a tapered enclosure, higher screen resolution, improved battery, a second USB port, stereo speakers, and standard solid state storage. An 11.6-inch model was introduced, offering reduced cost, weight, battery life, and performance relative to the 13.3-inch model, but better performance than typical netbooks of the time. Both 11-inch and 13-inch models had an analog audio output/headphone minijack supporting Apple earbuds with a microphone. The 13-inch model received a SDXC-capable SD Card slot. Solid-state storage was made standard, and later revisions added Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and Thunderbolt.

On July 20, 2011, Apple released updated models, which also became Apple's entry-level notebooks due to lowered prices and the discontinuation of the white MacBook around the same time. The mid-2011 models were upgraded with Sandy Bridge dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, Intel HD Graphics 3000, backlit keyboards, Thunderbolt, and Bluetooth was upgraded to v4.0. Maximum storage options were increased up to 256 GB. This revision also replaced the Expose (F3) key with a Mission Control key, and the Dashboard (F4) key with a Launchpad key.

On June 11, 2012, Apple updated the line with Intel Ivy Bridge dual-core Core i5 and i7 processors, HD Graphics 4000, faster memory and flash storage speeds, USB 3.0, an upgraded 720p FaceTime camera, and a thinner MagSafe 2 charging port. The standard memory was upgraded to 4 GB, with a maximum configuration of 8 GB.

On June 10, 2013, Apple updated the line with Haswell processors, Intel HD Graphics 5000, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Storage started at 128 GB SSD, with options for 256 GB and 512 GB. The Haswell considerably improved battery life from the previous generation, and the models were capable of 9 hours on the 11-inch model and 12 hours on the 13-inch model; a team of reviewers exceeded expected battery life ratings during their test.

In March 2015, the models were refreshed with Broadwell processors, Intel HD Graphics 6000, Thunderbolt 2, and faster storage and memory.

The 11-inch model was discontinued in October 2016. In 2017 the 13-inch model received a processor speed increase from 1.6 GHz to 1.8 GHz. The 2017 model remained available for sale after Apple launched the next generation in 2018. It was discontinued in July 2019. Before its discontinuation it was Apple's last notebook with USB Type-A ports, a non-Retina display (TN 6-bit color panel), and a backlit rear Apple logo.

Retina (2018–2020)

Retina MacBook Air (2018)

On October 30, 2018, Apple released a new MacBook Air with Amber Lake processors, a 13.3-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, Touch ID, and two combination USB-C 3.1 gen 2/Thunderbolt 3 ports plus one audio jack. The screen displays 48% more color and the bezels are 50% narrower than the previous generation, and occupies 17% less volume. Thickness was reduced to 15.6 mm (0.61 in) and weight to 1.25 kilograms (2.76 pounds). It was available in three finishes, silver, space gray, and gold. Unlike the previous generation, this model couldn't be configured with an Intel Core i7 processor, possibly because Intel never released the i7-8510Y CPU that would have been used.

The base 2018 model came with 8 GB of 2133 MHz LPDDR3 RAM, 128 GB SSD, Intel Core i5 processor (1.6 GHz base clock, with Turbo up to 3.6 GHz) with Intel UHD Graphics 617.

Apple released updated models in July 2019 with True Tone display technology and an updated butterfly keyboard using the same components as the 2019 MacBook Pro. A test found that the 256 GB SSD in the 2019 model has a 35% lower read speed than the 256 GB SSD in the 2018 model, though the write speed is slightly faster.

Updated models were released in March 2020 with Ice Lake Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, updated graphics, support for 6K output to run the Pro Display XDR and other 6k monitors, and replaced the butterfly keyboard with a Magic Keyboard design similar to that initially found in the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple silicon

13-inch M1 (2020)

The M1 MacBook Air has a similar design to its Intel predecessor

On November 10, 2020, Apple announced the MacBook Air with an Apple-designed M1 processor, and with the same design as the one introduced in 2018, launched alongside an updated Mac Mini and 13-inch MacBook Pro as the first Macs with Apple's new line of custom ARM-based Apple silicon processors. The device incorporates a fanless design, the first ever on any MacBook Air. It also adds support for Wi-Fi 6, USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 and Wide color (P3). The M1 MacBook Air can only run one external display, unlike the previous Intel-based model that was capable of running two 4K displays. The FaceTime camera remains 720p but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor for higher quality video.

The M1 MacBook Air received widespread positive reviews, with reviewers praising the extremely fast performance and long battery life.

13-inch and 15-inch (2022–present)

An M2 MacBook Air running MacOS Ventura

On June 6, 2022, during the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced their second generation processor, called M2, with an improved performance versus the previous M1 processor. The first computer to receive this new chip was a radically redesigned MacBook Air.

The latest MacBook Air was redesigned away from the tapered body in 2022 to match the latest MacBook Pro models, and upgraded to the M2 processor. The new model was given a larger 13.6-inch screen and brought back MagSafe, now the third iteration of Apple's magnetic laptop charger ports. A 15-inch model followed in 2023.

This complete redesign features a dramatically thinner, flat design, doing away with the familiar wedge shape chassis that MacBook Air was most known for having. The new MacBook Air takes on hardware design cues from the 14" and 16" MacBook Pro notebooks released on October 26, 2021, such as a thinner, lighter, flat chassis with 20% less volume than the previous MacBook Air. Other features include MagSafe 3, which also supports fast charging up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 67W or greater power adapter, a taller 13.6" Liquid Retina display with 500 nits max brightness (25% brighter than the previous MacBook Air), a 1080p FaceTime Camera, a three-mic array with advanced beam-forming algorithms, a high-impedance headphone jack, four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, full height function keys, and a total of four finishes including Silver, Space Gray, Starlight (a silver-champagne gold color), and Midnight (a dark color). The Gold color has been discontinued and replaced by the Starlight color found with the introduction of the iPhone 13 in 2021.

On June 5, 2023, during the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced the new 15-inch display size option for the M2 MacBook Air lineup, with the advanced six-speaker sound system along with the major technical features such as 1080p FaceTime camera and MagSafe charging. Ordering the 15-inch MacBook Air starts on June 5, with the general availability starting on June 13.

On March 4, 2024, Apple announced a refreshed M3 MacBook Air in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. This model retains the same design as the M2 MacBook Air, but adds support for two external displays when the lid is closed.

Supported operating systems

macOS

macOS Sonoma, the current release of macOS, will work with Wi-Fi and graphics acceleration on unsupported MacBook Air computers with a compatible patch utility.

Supported macOS releases
OS release Intel-based Apple silicon
Early 2008 Late 2008 Mid 2009 Late 2010 Mid 2011 Mid 2012 Mid 2013 Early 2014 Early 2015 2017 2018 2019 2020 M1, 2020 M2, 2022 M2, 2023 M3, 2024
10.4 Tiger Yes Partial
10.5 Leopard Yes Partial
10.6 Snow Leopard Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.7 Lion Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.8 Mountain Lion Partial Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.9 Mavericks Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.10 Yosemite Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.11 El Capitan Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
10.12 Sierra No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
10.13 High Sierra No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
10.14 Mojave No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial
10.15 Catalina No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
11 Big Sur No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
12 Monterey No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
13 Ventura No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
14 Sonoma No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows through Boot Camp (Intel only)

Boot Camp Assistant allows Intel Macs to dual-boot Windows. Apple silicon Macs do not support Boot Camp.

Supported Windows versions
OS release Early/Late 2008–Mid 2009 Late 2010 Mid 2011 Mid 2012 Mid 2013–Early 2014 Early 2015–2020
Windows XP Yes No No No No No No
Windows Vista
32-bit
Yes No No No No No No
Windows Vista
64-bit
No No No No No No No
Windows 7
32-bit
Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Windows 7
64-bit
No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Windows 8
No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Windows 8.1
No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Windows 10
No No Patch Yes Yes Yes Yes

Timeline

Timeline of portable Macintoshes
Mac transition to Apple siliconiMac ProApple WatchiPadiPhoneMac ProPower Mac G5Power Mac G4Power Macintosh G3Power MacintoshCompact MacintoshMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)iBook G4PowerBook G4PowerBook G4iBook (white)PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook 2400cPowerBook 3400cPowerBook 1400PowerBook 5300PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 190PowerBook G4PowerBook 150PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 165PowerBook 145BPowerBook 180cPowerBook 180PowerBook 165cPowerBook 160PowerBook 145PowerBook 170PowerBook 140MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)iBook G4MacBook Air (Apple silicon)iBook (white)MacBook Air (Intel-based)12-inch MacBookMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)iBook ClamshellPowerBook DuoMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook G4PowerBook 100Macintosh PortablePowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook Duo 2300cPowerBook Duo 280cPowerBook Duo 280Macintosh PortablePowerBook Duo 270cPowerBook Duo 250PowerBook Duo 230Macintosh Portable

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-15 01:38 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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