Apple on Thursday announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro that’s meant to replace the slim and portable MacBook Air.
Though Apple is apparently killing the 11-inch Air, it will keep the 13-inch Air and double the RAM of those computers, from 4 GB to 8 GB. It is not updating the Air with other upgraded specs or features, though.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro said to replace the MacBook Air is “basic” compared with the other new MacBook Pros Apple announced.
It’s basic in the sense that it doesn’t have the fancy new Touch Bar utility display bar above the keyboard, or the new Touch ID sensor that lets you unlock your computer and buy stuff online. It also has two Thunderbolt 3.0 USB-C ports compared with the four Thunderbolt 3.0 ports on the other new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros.
It also has less powerful specs than the other new MacBook Pros. At the same time, it's more powerful than the MacBook Air that Apple is offering.
Despite being called a MacBook Pro, the new one is 12% thinner than the current MacBook Air at its thickest point.
It's also generally smaller:
The basic 13-inch MacBook Pro also has a higher price tag at $1,499 compared with the $999 MacBook Air.
It's available to buy right now and will begin shipping on Thursday.