The MacBook Air is dead. Long live the MacBook Pro. That’s because Apple just killed and replaced it with a (slightly) more affordable MacBook Pro model.
So, what differentiates the new 13-inch MacBook Pro from the recently deceased MacBook Air? Firstly, there are now two ThunderBolt 3 ports, replacing the previous old-school USB ports. It also comes with an upgraded Skylake processor, which promises vastly improved performance, especially when it comes to graphically intensive applications.
On the graphics front, it’s packing a 13.3-inch Retina display, backed up with Intel Iris 540 Graphics. It also includes the second generation butterfly keyboard mechanism (with the traditional function keys intact), as well as a Force Touch trackpad. Noticeably absent is Touch ID on the lower-end 13.3-inch variant.
This model will set you back $1,499.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has taken the decision to retire the 11-inch MacBook Air. This actually makes a lot of sense. It’s not too far away from the entry-level Retina MacBook, both in terms of price and form factor. Getting rid of it vastly streamlines Apple’s product line.
Earlier rumors about the discontinuation of the 11-inch MacBook Air originated from Japanese site Mac Otakara.
Apple will continue to sell MacBook Air laptops while stocks last, but there almost certainly won’t be a hardware refresh ever again.
