The laptop includes the M1, the first “Apple Silicon” processor, revealed just before the laptop itself.
It comes alongside an updated Mac Mini and MacBook Pro, both of which use the same chip.
On the outside, the computer looks largely identical to the existing MacBook Air, which Apple says is its most popular Mac. It includes the same wedge-shaped design and metal outside.
It also keeps the same Retina display, as well as the new Magic Keyboard. That was recently introduced to the MacBook Air line following complaints that the previous butterfly keyboard would break too regularly.
The price is the same, too, with a starting price of $999 or £999. It can be pre-ordered from today and will be available next week.
But on the inside is the M1, which Apple said offers vastly improved performance and battery life.
The computer has five times better graphics performance and can do operations that were not possible on the previous MacBook Air, it said. The CPU is 3.5 times faster and machine learning is up to nine times faster, it claimed.
It does all that with an entirely silent design – since it does not use a fan – and better battery life that allows 15 hours of web browsing, Apple claimed.
Some other, unexpected features were also added. Apple said that the new chip brings better image signal processing capabilities, which should improve camera image quality and make people look better on video calls. The camera itself is not changed.
