MacBook Air

Even though Apple's long-term aim is for the MacBook to replace the MacBook Air, sales of the MacBook Air have remained strong due in large part to its $999 starting price. In order to keep the MacBook Air viable for a bit longer, Apple bumped the base MacBook Air processor from 1.6 GHz to 1.8 at WWDC 2017 in June.

The MacBook Air, first introduced in 2010, was once Apple's thinnest and lightest notebook, a title that it lost to the 12-inch MacBook in 2015 and the MacBook Pro in 2016. As it's no longer Apple's most portable machine, the only title the MacBook Air can claim now is "most affordable" with prices starting at $999.

Apple's MacBook Air is at the end of its lifespan, kept in the Mac lineup as a low-cost option until the MacBook and the MacBook Pro are able to come down in price. The 11-inch MacBook Air has been discontinued entirely, and while Apple is still keeping two 13-inch models available for purchase, we do not expect to see further substantial updates to the machines.

At its October 27, 2016 event that saw the debut of the new MacBook Pro, Apple positioned the 13-inch MacBook Pro with no Touch Bar as a viable MacBook Air alternative. The new machine is 12 percent thinner than the MacBook Air and takes up 13 percent less volume, while offering more powerful internals and the same 3 pound weight.

As of June 2017, the new MacBook Pro starts at $1,299, however, a full $300 more than the entry-level MacBook Air. Until prices on new machines come down, Apple will likely keep the MacBook Air around for customers who want to get into the Mac ecosystem on a smaller budget.

Apple last substantially updated the MacBook Air in 2015, aside from upping the base RAM in 2016 and offering a slight speed bump to the processor on the low-end model in 2017. It continues to feature Broadwell processors and the same design that's been used for several years.

The MacBook Air, made from silver aluminum, features a tapered design that's wider at one side and thinner at the other side. It only comes in one size (13 inches) following the discontinuation of the 11-inch model. It measures in at 12.8 inches long, 8.94 inches wide, and 0.68 inches tall. It weighs 2.96 pounds.

Apple's MacBook Air is now the only notebook the company sells that does not have a Retina display. Instead it continues to feature a standard display with a resolution of 1440 by 990.

Battery life on the MacBook Air is the highest of any Apple notebook, lasting up to 12 hours when using the web and 12 hours when watching iTunes movies.

The MacBook Air features one Thunderbolt 2 port, two USB 3 ports, a MagSafe 2 power port, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Other MacBook Air specs include 802.11ac Wi-Fi, dual microphones, stereo speakers, and a full-size backlit keyboard.

Broadwell Processor

Because it hasn't been significantly updated beyond 2015, the MacBook Air uses Broadwell processors, 8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM, and Intel HD Graphics 6000. It features an SSD that's configurable up to 512GB in the higher-end model.

Both stock configurations of the current MacBook Air use a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz. A 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz is available on build-to-order models for an additional fee.

Flash Storage

The MacBook Air comes with up to 512GB of PCIe-based flash storage that is twice as fast as in the previous model, with an SSD test using Black Magic's Disk Speed Test revealing average read/write speeds of 629.9MB/s and 1285.4MB/s.

There are two 13-inch MacBook Air models that are available for purchase:

• $999 - 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 6000, 8GB RAM, 128GB flash storage

• $1,199 - 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 6000, 8GB RAM, 256GB flash storage

Custom configurations include a faster 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor for an additional $150 and several storage upgrade options. The low-end 128GB model can be upgraded to 256GB for $200 or 512GB for $400, while the more expensive stock model with 256GB of storage offers a $200 option to increase storage to 512GB.

The MacBook Air can be purchased from the online Apple Store, from an Apple retail location, or from select Apple Authorized Resellers.