Apple unveils new MacBook Air models

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Apple today announced a long-awaited refresh of its MacBook Air notebook line. Apple’s airy laptops haven’t been its most popular series by any means, but there is no question that the company’s remarkably thin notebooks struck a chord among jet-setters and young urbanites with expendable income. The sleek, lightweight machines were perfect for travel and even better for being seen in a local Starbucks. As time moved on however, the meager specs began showing their age and even a price drop couldn’t keep MacBook Air sales inflated.

Today, Apple looks to rekindle the public’s interest in its slender MacBook Air line with a reworked case, beefed up specs and a new smaller option.
Long story short, thin is in.

Hit the jump for more information on specs, pricing and availability.

MacBook Air 13.3-inch

• 13.3-inch LED backlit display, 1440 x 900 pixels

• 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor

• NVidia GeForce 320M GPU

• SD card reader, 2 USB ports, a Mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm audio jack and a straight MagSafe port

• Instant-on

• Multitouch glass trackpad

• Full aluminum unibody construction

• 128GB or 256GB SSD

• 802.11n Wi-Fi

• FaceTime camera

• 0.68-inches thin at its thickest point, 0.11-inches at its thinnest

• 2.9 lbs

• Battery life: 7 hours usage, 30 days standby

MacBook Air 11.6-inch

• 11.6-inch LED backlit display, 1366 x 768 pixels

• 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor

• NVidia GeForce 320M GPU

• 2 USB ports, a Mini DisplayPort and a straight MagSafe port

• Instant-on

• Multitouch glass trackpad

• Full aluminum unibody construction

• 64GB or 128GB SSD

• 802.11n Wi-Fi

• FaceTime camera

• 0.68-inches thin at its thickest point, 0.11-inches at its thinnest

• 2.3 lbs

• Battery life: 5 hours usage, 30 days standby

The new MacBook Air models are available immediately online and Apple stores should be getting inventory soon. Pricing starts at $999 for the 11.6-inch model with a 64GB SSD ($1,199 for 128GB SSD), and tops out at $1,599 for the 13-inch model with a 256GB SSD ($1,399 for 128GB SSD).