Plot twist: the MacBook Air is still alive

The MacBook Air just won’t die. While Apple introduced a thinner, lighter MacBook Pro last year, people still want a new MacBook Air. The MacBook Pro is roughly as heavy as the 13-inch MacBook Air, but it’s still more expensive. That’s why customers still love the MacBook Air.

Instead of killing the MacBook Air altogether, Apple is keeping it around as it still sells fine. Even better, the laptop is receiving a better CPU. There’s a single line about the MacBook Air in Apple’s press release: “Apple today also updated the 13-inch MacBook Air with a 1.8 GHz processor.”

Aaaaand… that’s it. Don’t expect a retina display, don’t expect more storage or RAM. The MacBook Air is clearly on life support. It doesn’t even get Intel’s Kaby Lake processors.

If that’s not enough for you, Apple cut the price on the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar. It now costs $1,299 instead of $1,499, making it a little bit more tempting to skip the MacBook Air altogether.

Before:

After: