The reports of the original Apple MacBook Air M1’s demise are apparently exaggerated. Yes, one of the best MacBooks ever is back, as Apple’s original Apple Silicon-powered MacBook Air is returning to shelves at an all-time low price.
Walmart's offering the excellent and still-iconic MacBook Air with M1 at its new lowest price ever, which is $50 less than we've ever seen it.
A mere couple of weeks after the MacBook Air M3’s debut pushed the M1-based Air — and its iconic wedge-shaped design — off of Apple’s own retail presence, Walmart has picked up the torch. In a press release posted today (Thursday, March 15), Walmart noted that this marks “the first time customers can purchase a Mac directly from Walmart,” and that the laptop will hit “select” brick and mortar locations following its immediate online availability.
Even though this MacBook Air hit shelves in 2020, it’s still a laptop I’d recommend to friends and family today. Yes, Apple’s MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Air M3 laptops (which are among the best laptops we’ve tested recently) offer a slightly thinner and lighter design, shaving off 0.2 inches in thickness and 0.1 pounds for the 13-inch model. The M2 and M3 MacBook Airs also offer their own performance upgrades: a Full HD webcam that beats the 720p sensor in the M1 Air and the beloved MagSafe charging port for safer refueling. Heck, the M3 model will even support two external displays at once (after you close its lid). But the MacBook Air M1 is an excellent deal at just $699, and one that’ll hold up well for years to come.
Personally, the M1 MacBook Air impressed me with its everyday performance and amazing battery life, to the point where I’d say it redefined what a MacBook Air was — all while retaining a design very similar to the one Steve Jobs pulled out of a manila envelope in 2008.