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(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. rolled out updated MacBook Air laptops and Mac Studio desktops, seeking to maintain a sales resurgence for the company’s computer line.
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The new MacBook Air gets the speedier, AI-focused M4 processor, an upgrade from the M3. The models come in the same 13-inch and 15-inch sizes and start at $999 and $1,199, a $100 price cut from the M3 versions. The updated laptops have an improved 12-megapixel videoconferencing camera and can connect to two external monitors. They’re also being offered in a new sky blue option.
In addition, Apple updated the Mac Studio, a desktop computer that’s positioned between the Mac mini and Mac Pro. The latest edition comes in M4 Max and M3 Ultra configurations — an unusual approach that offers consumers a choice between a new chip architecture and an older one with more horsepower. The Mac Studio is priced from $1,999 and $3,999, matching the prior M2 Max and M2 Ultra versions.
Both machines became available for preorder Wednesday and arrive in stores on March 12, the company said.
Apple’s Mac line performed better than expected during the holiday season, helping offset sluggish demand for the iPhone. The segment grew 16% to $8.99 billion, topping the $7.94 billion estimated by Wall Street. On the company’s quarterly earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook cited the MacBook Air as one of the reasons.
The M4 chip comes to the MacBook Air after first launching in the iPad Pro last May. The processor was also at the heart of the MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini models unveiled last year. The chip’s central processing unit, or CPU, has 10 cores — a measure of computing power — up from eight in the M3 MacBook Air. Both versions include a graphics processing unit, or GPU, with 10 cores.
The Cupertino, California-based company said the M4 Air is twice as fast as the M1 MacBook Air, though that machine was released in 2020 and included Apple’s first crack at a Mac processor. AI processing on the latest machine is three times faster, according to the company.
The new camera on the MacBook Air is an upgrade from the prior system, which was advertised as a 1080p sensor. The component allows for Center Stage, a feature that lets the camera automatically focus on and follow someone in the frame. It also enables Desk View, which can show someone on a video call what’s on the MacBook Air user’s desk.