New faster MacBook Air price drops to $899 as MacBook Pro sits still

By Will Stabley | April 29, 2014

It’s not quite the Haswell inspired upgrade of last year, but the new MacBook Air revisions that Apple quietly slipped out the door this morning are a sign that Apple is indeed looking to compete more on price when it comes to its Mac laptops. The eleven inch MacBook Air now starts at $899 in the United States, while the thirteen inch Air starts at $999. The speed bumps across the line, making the new lower prices the big story. But it also leaves open the possibility that Apple may do something more dramatic with the MacBook Pro.

Apple’s new MacBook Air speeds and prices are subtle enough that the company didn’t even bother to post a press release to its official PR page this morning, instead simply swapping out the store listings with a “Now Starting at $899” tagline. But alas the MacBook Pro lineup is sitting still this morning. Does that mean that the Pro is in store for bigger moves along the lines of heartier hardware upgrades and price cuts of its own? Or perhaps the MacBook Pro wasn’t updated this morning because it’s not going to be any time soon.

But least Apple is making moves. Ever since it shifted the iPad launch cycle from the spring to the fall, the first five months of Apple’s annual calendar have become relatively barren when it comes to new products. That could change at WWDC in June. But in the mean time, those hoping for movement on the MacBook Air lineup so they can make their purchase finally got it, while those waiting for the same from the MacBook Pro lineup aren’t going anywhere for awhile.