If you were thinking of buying a new MacBook Air, now is the best time, even if the last MacBook Air refresh was in March 2024. So, while it still packs the older M3 chip, the current MacBook Air lineup is more tempting than ever, thanks to this secret upgrade.
All MacBook Air Models Now Start With 16GB of Unified Memory
Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models now come with 16GB of unified memory for their base configuration. That includes the cheapest MacBook Air you can buy for $999: the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air.
If you remember, these MacBook Air models launched with 8GB of unified memory for their starting configurations. In fact, this has been the case for all MacBook Air models up until this point. That’s why I’ve always recommended avoiding the base MacBook Air configurations.
If you needed 16GB of unified memory, you had to shell out another $200, which is pretty expensive compared to traditional RAM sticks. While 8GB of unified memory was acceptable for casual use, it was never enough for any demanding task.
Apple has finally addressed this concern by secretly bumping the unified memory across all models while leaving their prices untouched. Now, I’m happy to change my mind and say that all the base MacBook Air models now offer incredible value for your money.
What Should Apple Upgrade Next?
Now that we can finally stop complaining about Apple shipping MacBooks with 8GB of unified memory, we can focus on the next major concern. And that’s storage. 256GB of storage isn’t adequate for a computer unless you mainly use it to browse the web.
In 2024, I’d say 512GB should be the bare minimum, especially considering you can’t expand the storage on your MacBook down the line. But once again, Apple charges a hefty premium of $200 to upgrade to a 512GB SSD.
I don’t mind paying an extra $100 for that amount of storage, but $200 is quite a lot since you can find SSDs for a lot cheaper. I really hope Apple decides to include 512GB of storage on the base configurations of the MacBook Air in a year or two, as apps, photos, and videos are getting bigger and bigger.
