Apple upgraded the MacBook Air recently by injecting a reasonably powerful hardware and sleeker design. But in exchange, the new MBA 2018 has gone pricier at $1,199 starting SRP or about P74,990 in the Philippines after taxes.
With a $100 to $200 difference versus the $1,299 price of MacBook Pro 2017 or the $1399 discounted price of touch bar model, it is really worth it buying the MacBook Air 2018 instead of the two former? We give you the top 5 reasons not to buy the MacBook Air and instead go for the MBP or perhaps 2017 model with a touchbar.
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Top five reasons to not buy the MacBook Air 2018
1. Limited CPU processor because of the Intel Core i5 8th gen Y series CPU. Despite having an 8th generation processor, the MacBook Air 2018 will fare averagely because of the 1.6GHz clock speed.
Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro 2017 has a base frequency of 2.3GHz at it is a U series instead of a Y series. Its maximum upgradeable speed can be maxed out more than the highest speed of the Core Y series.
2. Graphics power is handled by Intel UHD 617 which is not future proof but more than enough for light browsing and office tasks.
However, for just a $100 extra price you will get an Intel Iris Graphics 640, a big step up from the Y series graphics. The graphical power could handle 4K video editing and will be useful in the long run if you are planning to keep your MacBook for years. And for an extra $200 for the touch bar model you will get a noticeably more capable Iris 650.
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3. No True Tone display for the MBA 2018 but it gets a Retina resolution. The higher ppi is a new welcome, but Apple decided not to give the Air a color and brightness boost. The maximum nits is at 300 compared to 500 on the MBP. The lack of True Tone and wider color gamut makes the MBA not reliable in a photo and video editing.
If you will go for the 2017 model with touch, you will get a True Tone and P3 color gamut–a big advantage for pro users.
4. Two Thunderbolt ports vs four on MBP with touchbar. If you’re gunning for flexibility, the two ports on the left side of the MBA 2018 may limit your work, especially for those users relying heavily on IO ports.
5. Steep price for the all-new MacBook Air. Perhaps the biggest down in buying the new Air is the expensive positioning by the Cupertino giant. It could be the perfect laptop of the year if the company had offered it on $1000 to $1100 pricing. Now it is a headache for some buyers if spending $100 or $200 less is worth it.
Nonetheless, the new MacBook Air 2018 is overall impressive both in terms of exterior and internal hardware specs. It is just up to you if you will go for the new MacBook Air offering.
MacBook Air 2018 specs, release date, Philippine price
- Display: 13.3-inch 2560×1600 pixels, Retina Display
- Design: 100% recycled aluminum alloy, 1.24 kg weight, 15.6 mm thin
- CPU: Intel 8th Generation Dual Core-i5, 1.6GHz
- GPU: Intel Iris HD graphics
- RAM: 8GB or 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 128GB up to 1.5TB SSD
- Camera: Facetime HD webcam
- Connectivity: WiFi ac dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0
- Security: Touch ID or fingerprint scanner
- Audio: Stereo speakers
- Ports: Thunderbolt 3 (x2), 3.5mm audio jack, eGPU compatible
- Battery: Rated up to 11 hours
- OS: MacOS Mojave, upgradeable to Mac OS updates
- Price: $1,199 or PHP 74,990 after taxes in the Philippines
- Release date: mid November launch date in the Philippines
