Why it matters: Apple's new MacBook Air is the update people have been longing for for years. It's late to the game, sure, but now that it is here and with the holiday season upon us, Apple is likely going to sell a lot of these in the coming months.
Apple at an early morning press event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York unveiled a smattering of new hardware including a long overdue update to the MacBook Air.
Chief among the new MacBook Air's updated feature set is a 13.3-inch Retina display that boasts 48 percent more color than the previous generation and more than four million pixels. You also get a front-facing FaceTime HD camera with a triple microphone array and Touch ID built right into the keyboard powered by Apple's T2 Security Chip.
The new Air is equipped with Apple's third generation keyboard featuring individually backlit keys, a Force Touch trackpad that's 20 percent larger than the one on the last Air and speakers that are 25 percent louder with two times the bass.
Under the hood, you'll find an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD graphics and up to 16GB of RAM. Machines can be equipped with up to 1.5TB of SSD storage that Apple says is up to 60 percent faster than before. In terms of connectivity, you get two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Battery life is rated at up to 12 hours of wireless web use and up to 13 hours of iTunes movie playback, all from an aluminum chassis that takes up 17 percent less volume, is 10 percent thinner at 0.61 inches thick and weighs 2.75 pounds.
The new MacBook Air with Retina display goes up for pre-order today starting at $1,199 in your choice of gold, silver or space gray finishes. It'll be available in Apple retail stores and through authorized Apple resellers from November 7.