Updated December 24: article originally posted December 23.
Apple faces a crucial decision about the next-generation MacBook Air that will have repercussions across the entire MacBook family. It’s a nice problem to have.
Unlike the launch of the M1 and M2 Apple Silicon chipsets, where the MacBook Air was widely regarded as the lead product, the launch of the M3 chipsets saw the enterprise-focused MacBook Pro laptops launched. As part of the launch, the M2 MacBook Pro variants were removed from sale, just as the M1 MacBook Pro laptops were removed on the M2 arrival.
That wasn’t the case when the M2 MacBook Air launched. Rather than bump the $999 M1 MacBook Air from the portfolio. Instead, Apple decided to price the M2 MacBook Air from £1199, leaving the two-year-old design with the psychologically important “under a thousand bucks” price tag. Given the economies of scale and the use of older components, there were undoubtedly some financial benefits to Apple with this arrangement.
What will happen with the upcoming launch of the M3 MacBook Air?
Two options present themselves that are worthy of consideration. It’s unlikely that Apple will launch the M3 MacBook Air at the $999 price tag, but neither does it seem likely that the four-year-old M1 will be able to carry on with a straight face. Moving the M2 MacBook Air to the $999 price tag and slot the M3 MacBook Air at the $1199 price tag feels most likely.
Yet Apple has already cut the price of the M2 MacBook Air to $1099. Could it simply leave the M2 Air at $1099 and allow the MacBook Air M3 to climb up to $1299 for the 13-inch model and push the 15-inch model up to $1499 (perhaps retaining the M2 15-inch at its current $!299)?
At this point, I’d highlight the awkwardly specced M3 MacBook Pro at $1599. If Apple sticks with its love for $200 pricing steps, we have $1399, $1199, and the critical $999 price tag all fitting in nicely. Will Apple push for the extra $100 per laptop or work the M2 MacBook Air in at $999 and then price upwards accordingly?
It’s a nice problem to have.
Update: Sunday December 24. The community is anticipating the M3 MacBook Air to launch at an Apple event in March. Tim Cook and his team are expected to debut not just the new M3 laptops but several new iPads, specifically an iPad Pro with the same M3 Apple Silicon chipset, an OLED screen, and a new iPad Air with a larger 12.9-inch screen and the M2 chipset.
Thanks to the inclusion of an OLED display—and presumably to create room in the portfolio for the larger iPad Air—a price increase to $1299 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $1599 for the 12.9-inch version are being discussed.
This suggests Apple is happy to lift prices as it updates the hardware. If so, it would have little qualms about doing the same with the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. $1299 as the entry-level M3 MacBook laptop, then?
One thing is for sure. With the excess performance offered by Apple Silicon, even the base M2 chipset offers more than enough computing power for the average consumer. For all the talk of more performance and increased endurance, whatever Apple puts at $999 will satisfy most of those looking for a macOS laptop.
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