While the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models unveiled this week were all widely expected, Apple surprised us with a MacBook Air upgrade this week.
In its press release for the new MacBook Pro models, Apple announced that all MacBook Air models that it currently sells now start with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. This change applies to the previous-generation 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip.
Better yet, Apple did not increase the prices of any of the MacBook Air models despite the bump to 16GB of RAM. In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so the upgrade is on the house. In addition, the highest-end MacBook Air configurations now include 24GB of RAM at no extra cost, as part of a corresponding lineup adjustment.
With this upgrade, every new Mac model that Apple sells now starts with at least 16GB of RAM for the first time ever, marking the end of the 8GB Mac era. There is one exception outside of Apple: Walmart continues to sell the two-generations-old 13-inch MacBook Air with the M1 chip for $649 in the U.S., and that model still has 8GB of RAM.
Apple this week reiterated that the MacBook Air is "the world's most popular laptop," and the increase from 8GB to 16GB of RAM makes it an even better value.
No other changes beyond RAM were announced for the MacBook Air this week.
The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip were released in March, and new models with the M4 chip are expected in March again next year.
