Apple Announces MacBook Air Now Starts With Increased 16GB of RAM With No Price Increase

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:04 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously.

m3 macbook air blue
This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip.

In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the boost in RAM.

Apple:

MacBook Air is the world's most popular laptop, and with Apple Intelligence, it's even better. Now, models with M2 and M3 double the starting memory to 16GB, while keeping the starting price at just $999 — a terrific value for the world's best-selling laptop.

In addition, the highest-end MacBook Air configurations now include 24GB of RAM at no extra cost, as part of a corresponding lineup adjustment.

This increase comes after Apple announced new iMac, Mac mini, and base 14-inch MacBook Pro models this week with a minimum of 16GB of RAM as well, ending the 8GB of RAM era for the Mac after years of criticism from a vocal contingent.

No other changes beyond RAM were announced for the MacBook Air today.

The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip were released in March, and new models with the M4 chip are expected in March again next year.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Neutral)

Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple

Apple to Overhaul Mac Lineup With 11 New Models

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:13 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple is preparing to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The plans come amid a Mac resurgence, with sales projected to climb for a third consecutive year, partly thanks to a growing following among users who lean on the machines for demanding, agent-based AI workloads. The wave of new Macs will begin this fall with a refreshed...

• 125 comments

5 Reasons to Buy a MacBook Air Now Instead of Waiting

Tuesday July 28, 2026 7:53 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's next MacBook Air is several months away, but if you've been holding off on an upgrade, here's why now could actually be a good time to buy. The Current Air is the Best Value Mid-Tier Mac The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,299 following Apple's recent $200 price hike, but Amazon is already knocking $100 off, bringing it down to $1,199. The base model's 16GB of RAM means it's no longer...

• 76 comments

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...

Top Rated Comments

DrJR

23 months ago

That's great, but I heard they have moved the charge port to the bottom of the machine.

Score: 81 Votes (Like | Disagree)

HobeSoundDarryl

23 months ago

If I only had a nickel for how many defender posts I've read making Apple RAM out to be super special and thus rationalizing $200 for 8GB more vs. commoditized RAM available at retail for quantity 1 unit at peanuts. Here's absolute evidence that Apple RAM is not so expensive because we know they don't just throw away "nearly $200" cost for nothing.

And once again, I'm looking for those defenders who wrote thousands of posts about how 8GB was plenty for nearly all users to now rip into Apple for "forcing too much" RAM on all buyers. But I haven't even seen 1 such post yet... as if they didn't really mean what they were writing but just pushing whatever the company was selling. If they believed what they wrote as recently as last few weeks (and often throughout 2024), they should now find fault with Apple for "forcing" too much. Where's those comments? (rhetorical- we know- as Apple makes such hops, so evolves their passionate opinions to align with the Corp).

Congrats to all who look forward to buying base spec Macs at third party retailer sale prices. We finally were thrown a consumer bone instead of having every bit of focus on shareholder maximization. More of this Apple! More!

A magical side effect of delivering more consumer value is that it can move customers to BUY MORE and/or BUY NOW... which then benefits them shareholders too via volume accumulations instead of squeezing every penny out of each transaction.

Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)