Apple updates the MacBook Air & 13-inch MacBook Pro, lowers prices

Apple today refreshed the MacBook Air and Pro with updated hardware while lowering the MacBook Air price to $1,099, with an even lower price of $999 for college students.

True Tone on MacBook Air

The updated MacBook Air line adds True Tone technology to the Retina screen which continually adjusts the color and intensity of the display (and Touch Bar) to match the ambient light so that images appear more natural. Apple has also lowered the notebook’s price to $1,099, down from $1,199, so you save a cool $100 over the previous generation.

If you’re a US college student, you can get the new Air for an even lower price of $999.

The refreshed Air now has a lower price and a True Tone display.

13-inch MacBook Pro

The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro has been updated with Intel’s latest eighth-generation quad-core processors that thee company says are approximately two times faster than the Intel chips in the previous iteration of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

In addition, the entry-level MacBook Pro now features:

  • Touch Bar
  • Touch ID
  • True Tone Retina
  • Apple T2 Security chip
  • Stereo speakers

It retails for the same $1,299 like before, but now includes the aforementioned features that used to be reserved for higher-priced MacBook Pro models. In other words, Apple no longer sells a Mac notebook without a Touch Bar.

College students can get the 13-inch MacBook Pro for just $1,199.

Back to School

The Back to School promotion includes a pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones with the purchase of a qualifying Mac notebook or iMac, as well as education discounts on qualifying Mac, iPad, AppleCare, select accessories and services.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has been bumped with Intel’s latest chips, Touch Bar and more.

The press release cites Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac Product Marketing:

College students love the Mac — it’s the notebook they rely on from the dorm room to the classroom, and the No. 1 choice among higher education students. With a lower $999 student price for MacBook Air and the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with faster performance, Touch Bar and Touch ID at $1,199 for students, there’s never been a better time to bring a Mac to college.

Summing it all up

To reiterate, the newly updated MacBook Air starts at $1,099 and is available at $999 for college students. The refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro still starts at $1,299, but can be had for a $100 less at $1,199 if you’re a college students in the US.

Both notebooks are available starting today from Apple.com and the Apple Store app. You’ll also be able to get them in select Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers later this week.

Thoughts on these updated notebooks?