MacBook Air Late 2018

MacBook Air Late 2018

MacBook Air

Discontinued
Released: October 30, 2018Discontinued on: July 9, 2019
United States: 1199Japan: 134800

Overview

The Apple MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.6 13-Inch (Retina, Late 2018) model is powered by a 14-nm "Amber Lake Y" 1.6 GHz Intel "Core i5" processor (8210Y) with two independent processor "cores" on a single chip, a 4 MB shared level 3 cache, 8 GB of onboard 2133 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM, and either 128 GB or 256 GB of onboard PCIe-based flash storage. It also features an "integrated" Intel UHD Graphics 617 graphics processor that shares system memory. Both the RAM and the SSD could be upgraded at the time of initial system purchase, but not afterward.


All of this is housed in a slim, wedge-shaped aluminum case with an integrated 720p "FaceTime HD" webcam, Touch ID, a thin, backlit "third generation" butterfly mechanism keyboard, a large "Force Touch" trackpad, and a high-resolution 13.3-inch LED-backlit 2560x1600 (227 ppi) "Retina" display.


The aluminum case was offered in three color options—gold (pictured, left), silver, and a darker "Space Gray" (but no other colors)—and weighs 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg). Apple estimates a battery life of 12-13 hours, depending on the task being performed.


Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, two Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C connector), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.


Compared to its predecessor, this MacBook Air may seem similar at first glance, but it boasts a higher-resolution display, a different keyboard design, and more modern connectivity, in addition to a more advanced processor and architecture.

Evaluation

The long-awaited 2018 redesign finally brought a Retina display to the MacBook Air, a feature users had requested for years. The sharper, high-resolution screen was a massive improvement and the headline feature. The addition of Touch ID and two Thunderbolt 3 ports brought it into the modern era. However, the new third-generation butterfly keyboard received mixed reviews due to reliability concerns, and the Amber Lake Y processor provided only modest performance, sometimes outpaced by older models. It was praised for its modern features but criticized for its keyboard and underwhelming power.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDMacBookAir8,1
Apple Model NoA1932 (EMC 3184)
Apple Order NoMRE82LL/A
Apple SubfamilyLate 2018

Price

Price Table
Original Price (US)1199
United States1199
Australia1849
Austria1349
Belgium1349
Brazil10399
Canada1499
China9499
Denmark10499
Finland1379
France1349
Germany1349
Hong Kong9499
India114900
Indonesia19900000
Ireland1379
Italy1379
Japan134800
Korea1590000
Luxembourg130441
Malaysia5249
Mexico28999
Netherlands1349
New Zealand2149
Norway13490
Portugal1379
Singapore1789
Spain1349
Sweden14995
Switzerland1399
Taiwan39900
Thailand35900
The Philippines74990
United Kingdom1199
Vietnam42900000

Body

Body Table
Form FactorMacBook Air Retina 13"
Case TypeNotebook
Dimensions.16-.61 x 11.97 x 8.36 in / 1.55 x 30.40 x 21.23 cm
Avg. Weight2.75 lbs / 1.25 kg

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeCore i5 (I5-8210Y)
Processor Speed1.6 GHz
Processors1 (2 Cores)
Turbo Boost3.6 GHz
Architecture64-Bit
System Bus SpeedOPI
Cache Bus Speed1.6 GHz (Built-in)
L1 Cache32k/32k x2
L2/L3 Cache256k x2, 4 MB (on chip)
FPUIntegrated
ROM/Firmware TypeEFI
EFI Architecture64-Bit
Geekbench 2 (32)8134
Geekbench 3 (32)6469
Geekbench 3 (64)6694
Geekbench 4 (SC)3971
Geekbench 4 (MC)7379
Geekbench 5 (SC)746
Geekbench 5 (MC)1501

Memory

Memory Table
Standard RAM8 GB
Maximum RAM16 GB
RAM TypeLPDDR3 SDRAM
Min. RAM Speed2133 MHz
Motherboard RAM8 GB

Storage

Storage Table
Standard Storage128, 256 GB SSD
Std. Storage SpeedOnboard
Storage InterfaceOnboard* (PCIe*)
Storage DimensionsSoldered
Standard OpticalNone

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display13.3" 16:10
Native Resolution2560x1600
Video CardUHD Graphics 617
Standard VRAM1.5 GB
Maximum VRAM1.5 GB
VRAM TypeIntegrated
2nd Display SupportDual/Mirroring
2nd Max. Resolution5120x2880 (5K)
Video (Monitor)2 (Thunderbolt 3/USB-C)

Audio

Audio Table
Microphone3 (Internal)
Headphone1
Sound OutNone

Wired Connectivity

Wired Connectivity Table
USB Ports2* (3.1)
USB2* (3.1)
Standard EthernetNone

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Standard AirPort802.11ac
Standard Bluetooth4.2

Power

Power Table
Battery Type50.3 W h Li-Poly
Battery Life12-13 Hours
Power Adapter1

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed MacOSX 10.14.1 (18B2084)
Maximum MacOS14.x (Sonoma)
Windows SupportBoot/Virtualization
Minimum Windows10 (64-Bit)
Maximum Windows10 (64-Bit)

Accessories

Accessories Table
Incl. KeyboardFull-size
Incl. InputTrackpad (Force Touch)

Upgrades

Upgrades Table
Processor UpgradeSoldered