Apple’s MacBook Air just got a nifty price cut, but the Mac Studio got a beastly upgrade

Apple has introduced the latest iteration of the MacBook Air, now powered by the new M4 chip. The update brings a fresh sky blue colour, improved performance, and enhanced external display support, making it one of the most compelling upgrades yet.

Alongside the MacBook Air, Apple has also unveiled a refreshed Mac Studio with the powerful M3 Ultra chip, delivering a significant performance boost for creative professionals. These updates cement Apple's dominance in high-performance computing.

M4 MacBook Air: Faster, more efficient, and more vibrant

The standout feature of the M4 MacBook Air is, unsurprisingly, the M4 chip. While it isn't the Pro or Max variant, the standard M4 chip still delivers substantial performance gains. It boasts a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of handling up to 38 trillion operations per second. This makes it a future-proof device for Apple Intelligence features.

Memory has also been upgraded, with the base model now offering 16GB of RAM, double the previous 8GB. It can be configured up to 32GB, providing additional flexibility for power users. Despite these enhancements, the MacBook Air retains its signature efficiency, offering improved battery life without any major design changes.

M4 MacBook Air: Enhanced display support and upgraded camera

Apple has addressed a long-standing limitation of the MacBook Air — external display support. Unlike previous models, which required the laptop lid to be closed to connect two monitors, the M4 MacBook Air now allows users to run two external 6K displays while keeping the laptop screen active.

Another major improvement is the upgraded 12MP Centre Stage camera, which keeps users in the frame during video calls. This feature, already available on the latest iMac and MacBook Pro, is ideal for professionals who rely on video conferencing. Additionally, Desk View support enables users to share a top-down perspective of their workspace, a handy tool for educators and content creators.

M4 MacBook Air: New sky blue colour and more affordable pricing

The latest MacBook Air brings a subtle but refreshing design update with the introduction of a sky blue colour option. This replaces the space grey variant, joining midnight, starlight, and silver in the lineup.

Apple has also made the MacBook Air more accessible with a price adjustment. The 13-inch model now starts at Rs 99,900 (Rs 89,900 for students), while the 15-inch version begins at Rs 1,24,900 (Rs 1,14,900 for students). Pre-orders are open, with the official release set for March 12.

M3 Ultra SoC: Power unleashed

The M3 Ultra chip takes Apple Silicon to a new level, featuring a 32-core CPU with 24 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores. This delivers up to 1.5x the performance of M2 Ultra and up to 1.8x that of M1 Ultra. Its massive 80-core GPU provides up to 2x the graphical performance of M2 Ultra and 2.6x the performance of M1 Ultra, making it ideal for demanding creative applications, high-end gaming, and AI workloads.

Built using Apple’s UltraFusion packaging technology, M3 Ultra connects two M3 Max dies via over 10,000 high-speed interconnects, enabling the system to function as a single unified chip with ultra-low latency and extreme bandwidth. This approach ensures massive performance gains while maintaining Apple's signature power efficiency.

The M3 Ultra is particularly optimised for AI development. Its 32-core Neural Engine can process machine learning models at an unprecedented speed, making it capable of handling large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters directly on the device. This makes the Mac Studio a top choice for AI researchers and developers working on next-gen artificial intelligence.

M3 Ultra SoC: Unmatched performance and memory

One of the standout features of M3 Ultra is its industry-leading unified memory architecture. The base configuration starts at 96GB, with options scaling up to a staggering 512GB — more than what most high-end workstation graphics cards offer. This is a game-changer for professionals working on complex visual effects, 3D rendering, and large-scale AI models.

Connectivity has also received a major boost. The Mac Studio, powered by the new M3 Ultra SoC now features Thunderbolt 5, delivering data transfer speeds of up to 120 Gb/s — more than twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. Each port is powered by a dedicated controller, ensuring consistent high-speed performance across all connections. Thunderbolt 5 also enables multiple Mac Studio systems to be linked together, creating an ultra-high-performance computing environment for professionals who push the boundaries of content creation and scientific research.

As a result, the M3 Ultra-powered Mac Studio supports up to eight Pro Display XDRs at full 6K resolution, offering an unmatched visual setup for professionals working with ultra-high-resolution content.

Mac Studio gets a major power boost with M4 Max and M3 Ultra SoCs

Apple has also refreshed its Mac Studio lineup, equipping it with the new M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips. The M4 Max brings an up to 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, making it a powerhouse for intensive workflows like video editing, 3D rendering, and AI development. Compared to its M1 Max predecessor, it offers up to 3.5 times faster performance.

Meanwhile, the M3 Ultra chip takes performance to an entirely new level. It features a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU, making it the most powerful Apple silicon to date. With support for up to 512GB of unified memory, it is designed for demanding professional applications, including AI training and complex visual effects.

Thunderbolt 5 and next-level connectivity

The new Mac Studio also introduces Thunderbolt 5 ports, offering up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds — triple the performance of the previous generation. This upgrade allows faster external storage, better expansion capabilities, and even the ability to link multiple Mac Studios together for high-performance workflows.

With these updates, Apple continues to push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and user experience, solidifying its position at the forefront of high-performance computing.