Apple’s Updated MacBook Air Line Addresses Recent Cosmetic Issues

Before Apple unveiled the vibrant sky blue M4 MacBook Air, another color made waves for less favorable reasons.

Launched in July 2022, the M2 MacBook Air was the first to feature Apple’s distinctive blackish-blue shade known as midnight. This dark aluminum finish was the closest to black available at the time, but it came with a significant drawback: it easily attracted fingerprints and skin oils.

Even the most cautious owner of the midnight M2 MacBook Air had to accept that using it meant dealing with a perpetually smudged surface. It was a compromise some users were willing to accept for a near-black laptop.

Almost two years later, during the M3 MacBook Air launch, Apple announced a “breakthrough anodization seal to minimize fingerprints” for the midnight option. This mostly resolved the issue.

While the anodization seal effectively addressed the problem for the M3 MacBook Air, it did not extend to the entire MacBook Air lineup.

This was due to Apple still offering the midnight M2 MacBook Air at a lower price point—$100 less than the M3 model. If excessive smudging concerned you, the midnight M2 MacBook Air was one to steer clear of.

As of this week, Apple has ceased sales of the midnight MacBook Air that lacks the anodization seal, effectively putting an end to grimy Apple notebooks.

Apple has replaced both the M2 and M3 models with the newly released M4 MacBook Air, featuring a vibrant sky blue color option, an improved version of the midnight shade, and a new starting price of $999.