Apple announces Macbook Air M4 with new sky blue color—here are the specs
Apple announced the new MacBook Air with M4 chip, which also comes in sky blue.
On its website, the tech giant said the new MacBook Air has up to 18 hours of battery life, 16GB of starting unified memory, and a 12MP center stage camera.
It uses the latest operating system, the macOS Sequoia, which works with the company's own AI system, Apple Intelligence.
It also offers support for up to two external displays to complement the built-in display.
According to Apple, the laptop has a "strikingly thin and light" design, offering a "phenomenal combination of world-class performance, portability, design, and durability." It's available in 13-inch and 15-inch models.
MacBook Air M4 is already up for preorder, starting at P64,990 (13-inch) and P79,990 (15-inch). It will hit the market on March 12.
Here's a closer look at its specifications.
Sky Blue color
Apple describes sky blue as a "beautiful, metallic light blue that creates a dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface."
Preexisting colors include midnight, starlight, and silver.
All options come with a color-matched MagSafe charge cable, a magnetically attached power connector that Apple specifically designed for MacBook.
M4 chip
Apple said photo and video editing becomes faster with the M4 chip.
It's said to be twice as fast as M1 with its 10-core central processing unit, an up to 10-core graphics processing unit, and support for up to 32GB of unified memory.
It promises better performance with Microsoft Excel, iMovie, Adobe Photoshop, and web browsing.
The M4 chip's neural engine also accelerates AI-based tasks, including automatic enhancement of photos and background noise removal from a video.
Battery life
With a battery life of up to 18 hours, Apple said Intel-based upgraders will get up to six additional hours, allowing them to do more tasks.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence includes generative AI tools for writing assistance, image generation, and smarter interaction with digital assistant Siri.
With improvements to Siri, Apple said users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day.
Siri, the company said, can answer thousands of questions about Mac features and settings, with step-by-step instructions for how to do something on Mac.
There's also Image Playground, which allows users to create playful images in their moments.
Genmoji, meanwhile, creates emoji based on a text prompt or photo of a loved one.
Apple Intelligence also has the Writing Tools feature, which helps users refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
It's integrated with ChatGPT, and users can choose whether to enable it or not. According to Apple, they're in full control of when they use ChatGPT and what information is shared with it.
12MP center stage camera
As its name suggests, the center stage camera allows users to stay in the middle of the frame as they move around, which is helpful for meetings, classes, or even FaceTime sessions with loved ones.
Apple said it supports Desk View, which simultaneously displays the user and a top-down view of their desk, making video calls even more engaging.
Enhanced display support
The new MacBook Air offers a multi-display setup, helping professionals and students with their work or presentation.
It supports up to two 6K external displays on top of its built-in Liquid Retina display, Apple's high-resolution display technology that allows for sharper details and brighter colors.
Apple said MacBook Air M4 comes with a 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, with up to 500 nits of brightness, support for one billion colors, and up to twice the resolution of comparable PC laptops.
Others
Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor, offers advanced security yet it's easy to use in unlocking the device, making online purchases, and downloading apps.
Magic Keyboard, meanwhile, is said to be comfortable and quiet. It's also backlit and comes with a full-height function row.
MacBook Air also has a three-mic array and enhanced voice clarity on audio and video calls. It supports Spatial Audio along with Dolby Atmos, letting users enjoy a three-dimensional soundstage while watching movies or listening to music. It also features a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Aside from MagSafe charging, it also has two thunderbolt ports for accessories like external storage and security keys.
Ultimately, Apple said MacBook Air is designed for the environment, as it's made of 55% recycled content, the most in any Apple product.
