Apple on Wednesday, March 5, announced new MacBook Air models that upgrade the company’s bestselling laptop with a faster M4 chip and an updated video conferencing camera.
Moreover, in this case, a notable circumstance is that the mentioned computers have received a reduced price in the United States. The devices have fallen in price by $100. It is worth noting that tariffs on imported goods, which came into force last Tuesday, March 4, and which were decided by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, did not become a barrier to this indicator. According to many experts, the mentioned measures of Washington’s trade policy may provoke an increase in prices for electronics.
The price of the 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999. The corresponding figure for the larger 15-inch model starts at $1,099. Users can pay more for an upgrade of memory and storage.
The MacBook Air has the same design as its predecessor. At the same time, the new computer will be available in sky blue, which has not been offered to customers in the past. The device also now supports multiple external monitors. Sales of the new MacBook Air will be launched on March 12.
It’s worth noting that the mentioned device is one of the most important products of the Cupertino, California-based technology giant. In December, Mac sales showed growth amounting to 15%. In financial terms, the corresponding figure was recorded at the slightly less than $9 billion mark. The technology giant said that this upward dynamic is related to a rebound in sales in the laptop market as a whole. At the same time, it is worth noting that total sales of Macs, including desktop models, are still lower compared to the figures for fiscal year 2022. During the coronavirus pandemic, computer sales were elevated because people needed laptops to work and study remotely.
The announcement of Apple’s MacBook Air is the final stage in a series of new products released by the technology giant over the past few weeks.
In addition to the new laptops, on Wednesday the company also announced a high-end desktop Mac Studio with a chip that can run advanced artificial intelligence.
On Tuesday, Apple unveiled the updated iPad Air with the M4 chip. Last month, the company announced the low-cost iPhone 16e.
The Mac Studio has more processing power. This product is intended for people who work on computer graphics, audio and video production, or artificial intelligence. The cost of a computer starts from $1,999. More powerful Mac Studio configurations can cost around $9,000.
The price cut for the MacBook Air comes as Apple’s US pricing is being closely watched by the company’s customers and investors to see what the technology giant will do in response to the tariffs of the Donald Trump administration.
The statement from the firm signals that so far it has no plans related to product price increases.
The cost of the new iPad Air announced at the current week, did not show any changes, remaining at the previous start $599 mark. For the same price, consumers can purchase an iPhone 16e. In this context, it is worth noting separately that the mentioned smartphone replaced the older 2022 model, which starts at $429.
Analysts at Bank of America Securities predicted last month that personal computer manufacturers, including Apple, are likely to try to pass increased costs onto customers. It is worth noting that Acer in February already announced a price growth for laptops due to the United States tariffs. Analysts at Bank of America Securities said that tariffs on personal computer imports act as a tax that vendors of corresponding products largely pass to end customers.
Most of Apple’s devices are made in China. These products may be affected by two 10% sets of tariffs on goods imported from an Asian country that were imposed by the United States. China’s retaliatory measures may affect Apple’s operations and the third-largest market.
It is worth mentioning that last month, Tim Cook, the company’s chief executive officer, met with Donald Trump at the White House. After this meeting, the US president stated that Apple did not want to be in tariffs. In January, Tim Cook told investors that the technology giant is monitoring the situation.
It’s worth noting that Apple has expanded its supply chain in recent years. Some MacBook models are currently being assembled in Malaysia and Vietnam. This decision allows the technology giant to avoid Chinese import duties. So far, there is no information about where the new MacBook Air will be assembled.
