It’s WWDC, and this year, that means new Mac hardware. The first updates announced by Apple today were for the MacBook Air ($999-$1499). The story is what you’d expect from Cupertino: faster Ivy Bridge processors, more memory, and increased SSD storage. USB 3.0 is now finally built-in, and the FaceTime camera has been updated to 720p, earning it the “FaceTime HD” designation.
The MacBook Air is still available in 11” and 13” variations, with a few models at each size. Starting at the base, you have the smaller-screened model with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM—double the previous standard amount—and still a 64GB SSD. $100 more gets you the same specs but twice the storage space. The 13” Air now starts with a 1.8GHz processor, upgradable to 2.0GHz like the 11”. Those with big file libraries should be happy to see the option of a 512GB SSD, a first for the line, and up to 8GB of RAM is now supported, though at steep price premiums. Across the line, graphics are up to 60% faster. A solid upgrade, for sure.