The Apple MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.6 11" (Mid-2011/Thunderbolt) is equipped with a 32-nm "Sandy Bridge" 1.6 GHz Intel "Core i5" processor (2467M), featuring two independent processor "cores" on a single chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, either 2 GB or 4 GB of onboard 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (which is not upgradable after purchase), 64 GB or 128 GB of flash storage, and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor with either 256 MB or 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with system memory.
All of this is housed in a razor-thin (0.11-0.68 inch), 2.3-pound aluminum case that includes an integrated "FaceTime" video camera, a backlit full-size keyboard (with smaller function keys), and an 11.6-inch widescreen TFT LED-backlit active-matrix "glossy" display with a native resolution of 1366x768.
Connectivity comprises 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, dual USB 2.0 ports, and analog audio out, as well as a new "Thunderbolt" port that is backward compatible with Mini DisplayPort. This port also supports an external display at 2560x1600 and passes an audio signal. Thunderbolt additionally supports other peripherals using the Thunderbolt standard, which offers up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions. It lacks an internal Ethernet port (an external USB adapter was available as a US$29 option) and also omits Firewire and optical audio in/out.
In comparison to its predecessor, this model features a very similar external enclosure, though it includes the aforementioned Thunderbolt port, a backlit keyboard, and is slightly heavier. Internally, however, it boasts a faster processor, architecture, and RAM, as well as improved wireless capabilities.