If you’re thinking of buying a new MacBook Air, now is the best time, even though the MacBook Air’s last refresh was in March 2024. So, while it still has the old M3 chip, the current MacBook Air lineup is more attractive than ever thanks to this secret upgrade.
All MacBook Air models now start with 16GB of unified memory
The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models now come with 16GB of unified memory for their base configurations. This 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 so far. That’s why I’ve always recommended avoiding the base MacBook Air configuration.
If you need 16GB of unified memory, you’ll have to shell out another $200, which is quite 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 stealthily increasing unified memory across all models while keeping their prices unchanged. Now, I’m happy to change my mind and say that all base MacBook Air models now offer incredible value for your money.
What Apple should upgrade next
Now that we can stop complaining about Apple shipping MacBooks with 8GB of unified memory, we can focus on the next big concern. And that’s storage. 256GB of storage is not enough for a computer unless you use it primarily to browse the web.
In 2024, I’d say 512GB should be the minimum, especially considering that you can’t expand the storage on your MacBook any further. But again, Apple charges a hefty premium of $200 to upgrade to a 512GB SSD.
I don’t mind paying an extra $100 for that much storage, but $200 is a bit much since you can get SSDs for much cheaper. I really hope Apple decides to include 512GB of storage in the base configuration of the MacBook Air in a year or two, since apps, photos, and videos are getting bigger.