Overview
- Pre-orders are live at Apple, Amazon and Best Buy, with deliveries starting March 11 and a $25 Best Buy e-gift card offered after purchase.
- The 13-inch model comes in 8GB/256GB for $599 or 8GB/512GB for $699, with Touch ID included only on the 512GB tier and education pricing starting at $499.
- Core hardware includes the A18 Pro chip, a 2408×1506 Liquid Retina LCD at 500 nits, a 1080p webcam, a 36.5Wh battery rated for up to 16 hours video or 11 hours web, and a 2.7 lb aluminum chassis in four colors.
- Cost-saving trade-offs include two unlabelled USB‑C ports (one USB 3 with DisplayPort, one USB 2), no Thunderbolt or MagSafe, a non‑backlit Magic Keyboard, and a mechanical trackpad without Force Click haptics.
- Apple claims up to 50% faster web browsing and up to 3x faster on‑device AI tasks versus Intel Core Ultra 5 PCs, while hands-on reports endorse everyday use but flag limits for heavier creative and multitasking workloads.