Mac · Retina & Beyond · 2013
MacBook Air (2013)
Same wedge, but Haswell efficiency pushed battery life to a then-unheard-of 12 hours. For years this was the default "just buy this one" laptop recommendation.
MacBook Air (2013): key facts
When was the MacBook Air (2013) released?
The MacBook Air (2013) was released in June 2013. Apple discontinued it in March 2015.
How much did the MacBook Air (2013) cost?
The MacBook Air (2013) launched at $1,099 in 2013 — about $1,513 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the MacBook Air (2013)’s specs?
The MacBook Air (2013) used a Intel Core i5 (Haswell) running at 1.30 GHz, with 4 GB of memory and 128 GB of storage. It ran OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
Why does the MacBook Air (2013) matter?
Astonishing all-day battery life from Intel’s new Haswell chips.
Full specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i5 (Haswell) · 1.30 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 GB (up to 8 GB) |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Display | 11.6" or 13.3" LED LCD |
| GPU | Intel HD 5000 |
| Ports | 2× USB 3, Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2 |
| Weight | 1.35 kg |
| Dimensions | Tapered wedge |
| Operating system | OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion |
| Released | June 2013 |
| Discontinued | March 2015 |
| Launch price | $1,099 |
How the MacBook Air (2013) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 4.0× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.30 GHz, the clock is roughly 2.5× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 32,800 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $1,099 in 2013 — about $1,513 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It stayed on sale, barely changed, for an incredible five years.
Related Mac models
Open the MacBook Air (2013) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25