Skip to main content

The biggest Mac announcement at WWDC was about the old MacBook Air

Apple announced a ton of new Macs at WWDC 2023, including the 15-inch MacBook Air and a long-awaited update to the Mac Pro. However, the biggest announcement of the event flew under the radar, and it has to do with the older 13-inch MacBook Air.

Introducing the 15-inch model, Apple announced that it’s slashing the price on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air by $100, bringing it down to $1,100. It’s still not as cheap as the M1 MacBook Air, which comes in at $1,000, but it’s much closer.

15-inch MacBook Air shown at WWDC 2023.
Apple

There are a couple reasons this is such a big deal. For starters, Apple almost never reduces its prices on Macs. They rarely go on sale, and even more rarely see a price cut. Just look at the M1 MacBook Air. It’s selling for the same $1,000 that Apple launched it for three years ago.

It looks like Apple is taking a similar approach that it takes with its iPhones. In most cases, Apple will drop the price of last-gen iPhones as it gets ready to introduce new models, and that’s a bit of what’s happening the MacBook Air M2. As rumors indicate, Apple could also be making way for an M3 MacBook Air to launch later this year, which would likely slot right into that $1,200 price point.

The new price makes the M2 MacBook Air a lot more impressive, too. It still runs hot and it’s not as much of an upgrade over the M1 model as some were hoping for, but it feels less overpriced now than it did when the machine released in the middle of last year.

Although the price cut on the MacBook Air was a big announcement without much fanfare, Apple introduced a ton of new Macs to its lineup. We also got our first glimpse of the M2 Ultra, which is not only powering an updated Mac Studio, but also the long-awaited Mac Pro update.

There’s no question that the biggest announcement out of the event was Apple’s Vision Pro, which itself could be considered a Mac considering it’s powered by an M2 chip. For those not interested in jumping on the latest tech, however, especially when it’s as expensive as the Vision Pro, the price correction on the MacBook Air was a big highlight of WWDC this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
Here’s everything we know about the M4 MacBook Pro so far
An open MacBook Pro on a table.

With the launch of the M4 iPad Pro, you might be wondering what’s in the cards for the MacBook Pro. Is it following hot on the heels of Apple’s flagship iPad, or will we have a significant wait before Apple’s laptop gets an upgrade?

We’ve scoured the rumor mill to find the answer, as well as worked out what sort of performance, features and designs we can expect. If you’re interested in learning more about the upcoming M4 MacBook Pro, you’re in the right place.
Price and release date

Read more
The new iPad Pro would be perfect, if only it were a Mac
A person gaming on the M4 iPad Pro and playing Diablo Immortal.

It’s no secret that I’ve been cheering on Apple’s gaming advances over the last year or so. Long-suffering Mac gamers have gone from being the forgotten also-rans of Apple’s ecosystem to feeling on top of the world, all in a very short period of time. But there’s one vital piece missing from the puzzle, and Apple’s new M4 iPad Pros have made it incredibly obvious.

I’ll admit, Mac gamers have been treated well in recent times. Not only have we had phenomenal hardware advancements in the form of the M3 Max chip -- which is a genuine gaming chip so cool and quiet that you’d be fooled into thinking it’s not -- but there’s also been a slate of top-tier games arriving on Apple’s platform, including my beloved Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a good time to be a Mac gamer.

Read more
Here’s why M4 MacBooks were a no-show — and when they’re coming
A person holds a MacBook Air at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in 2023.

Apple has just released a new iPad Pro with a shocking surprise -- it includes the M4 chip rather than making the more standard upgrade to the M3. It's the first time we've seen an iPad debut the latest M-series Apple Silicon rather than a Mac, which may leave us Mac fans wondering what's going on.

So, what's the deal? Don't worry -- M4 Macs are surely on the way, but these new iPad Pros have thrown in a wrench into the conventional timeline.
The missing M4 Macs

Read more