Hands-On: 2018 MacBook Air with Retina Display

Apple finally debuted the much-awaited MacBook Air with Retina display earlier today, featuring an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, superior stereo sound, Touch ID, Force Touch trackpad, and the third generation backlit butterfly keyboard, among other upgrades.

TechCrunch folks got the opportunity to go hands-on with the new MacBook Air right after they keynote event, and have shared their initial thoughts on Apple’s latest notebook. Here’s what they say:

At first glance, it’s hard to distinguish the laptops, as evidenced by the above picture. That’s the new Air (top) with my 13-inch MacBook Pro (bottom). A closer look, however, reveals the same beveled design that defines previous generations of Airs.

The keyboards are new, which is kind of a mixed bag. Touch ID is now present up top — a great addition — though Apple opted not to include the Touch Bar.

There are two USB-C ports on the left side. I know I’ll personally miss the end of the SD card reader, but we all saw things moving in this direction. The headphone jack, thankfully, is still on-board.

Overall, the 2018 MacBook Air brings a solid update to the company’s best-selling notebook, albeit with a slightly higher price tag. Let us know if you’ll be getting one in the comments section.

Click here to read more of our Apple October special event coverage.