Apple’s latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro powered by the new ARM-based M1 chip have finally arrived in Malaysia. As revealed earlier, the new MacBook Air is officially priced from RM4,399 while the MacBook Pro 13 version is going from RM5,599 in Malaysia.
MacBook Air
The new MacBook Air retains the same exterior design as the earlier Intel-based model that was announced in March this year. With the new Apple M1 chip, the Cupertino company is boasting up to 3.5x faster CPU and up to 5x faster graphics than its predecessor. On top of that, it boasts up to an incredible 18 hours of battery life and the new Air is also fanless which means it runs quiter.
The new M1-based Air comes in two models and the major difference is the GPU. The base model with a 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is priced at RM4,399, while the higher-spec model with an 8-core GPU, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage starts from RM5,399. It comes in 3 colours – Space Grey, Gold and Silver.
To increase the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, it will cost you RM800. To double the base storage from 256GB to 512GB or 512GB to 1TB, it will cost you RM800 per jump. However, to jump from 1TB to 2TB, it will cost you an extra RM1,600.
If you configure both variants with 8GB RAM and 512GB of storage, the 7-core GPU version costs RM5,199 while the 8-core GPU option costs RM5,399. That’s a RM200 difference for better graphics.
For the ultimate MacBook Air, the 8-core GPU version with 16GB RAM and 2TB of SSD will cost you RM8,599. From the official Apple Online store, it will take 2-3 weeks to ship if you’re getting 256GB or 512GB of SSD. If you want to customise it to 2TB SSD, it will take up to 5 weeks.
The M1 MacBook Air is also available for pre-order from other authorised resellers such as Machines and Switch.
MacBook Pro 13
The new M1-powered MacBook Pro 13 replaces the old base model with 8th gen Core i processor that comes with 2 Thunderbolt ports. Unlike the MacBook Air, the new Pro 13 gets active cooling which should provide optimal performance while running intensive applications.
What’s even more impressive is its claimed battery life of up to 20 hours, making it the longest lasting MacBook on a single charge. You still get a Touch Bar and it features a Magic Keyboard that comes with a physical ESC key. The MacBook Pro comes in either Space Grey or Silver.
The M1-powered MacBook Pro 13 comes with an 8-core GPU and it starts from RM5,599 with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. You can bump the RAM to 16GB for an additional RM800 and similar to the MacBook Air, it costs RM800 to go from 256GB to 512GB SSD and another RM800 from 512GB to 1TB SSD. To go from 1TB to 2TB, that’s another RM1,600 upgrade.
With the max configuration of 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD, the M1 MacBook Pro 13 will cost you RM9,599. At the moment, the online store will ship the base 8GB RAM + 256GB SSD model within 7 business days while the 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD combo will take 1-2 weeks. If you choose 1TB or 2TB storage, the estimated shipping time can take up to 6 weeks.
If you prefer to get the MacBook Pro 13 with an Intel chip and 4 Thunderbolt ports, it is still available. It starts from RM7,999 for the Intel Core i5 version with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. You can even spec it up to an Intel Core i7 with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 4TB of SSD for RM15,199.
The M1 MacBook Pro 13 is also available for pre-order from Machines and Switch.
