New MacBook Air Launched This Week and What to Expect Apple CEO Tim Cook has just teased a new product coming this week. Based on the word “Air” and the release date, it is likely that it is a new MacBook Air model using the M4 chip.

While the device's name was not specified, the post was accompanied by a short video with the caption “There's something in the Air.”

Many speculate that the word “Air” refers to the MacBook Air – the slogan Apple used when introducing this product line in 2008.

Previously, in mid-February, Tim Cook also shared plans to launch the iPhone 16e on the X, but in the latest post, he only mentioned the phrase "this week" without revealing a specific date.

Rumors of a new MacBook Air have been swirling for a while now, and in December 2024, the device appeared in a macOS 15.2 beta, suggesting that its release date is near.

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The biggest upgrade on the new Macbook Air is the M4 silicon chip. Photo: 9to5mac

In late February, Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman reported that MacBook Air M3 and M2 inventory at Apple stores was running low. The company is said to be preparing a marketing and sales campaign for the MacBook Air M4, expected to launch in March.

Similar to the MacBook Pro launched in October 2024, the M4 chip will be the most prominent upgrade on the new MacBook Air, with screen options remaining at 13 and 15 inches.

According to Geekbench scores, the standard M4 chip has 25% higher multi-core CPU performance than the M3, thanks to the increase in CPU cores from 8 to 10.

Gurman said the MacBook Air M4 is a “rare step” in the strategy of upgrading the entire Mac line to the M4 chip – a generation focused on performance and artificial intelligence (AI). In October 2024, Apple introduced the MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac using the M4 chip.

In addition, the MacBook Air M4 may have some upgrades such as support for up to 32GB of RAM (compared to 24GB of Air M3), Thunderbolt 4 standard USB-C port, 12MP webcam supporting Center Stage, and nano-coated screen option.

MacRumors predicts that Apple will announce the MacBook Air M4 via a press release, accompanied by a YouTube video, similar to the way it launched the iPhone 16e. Meanwhile, another product that also bears the name “Air,” the iPad Air, is expected to appear early this year.

However, according to the latest Power On newsletter, Gurman confirmed that the MacBook Air will be released first. For comparison, the MacBook Air M3 was released on March 4, 2024, while the latest iPad Air (M2 chip) was released on May 8, 2024.

“The iPad announcement may not happen for a few days, but the MacBook Air M4 is right around the corner. I’m told Apple will announce a new MacBook as early as this week,” Gurman wrote.

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