At its 2012 Wordwide Developer Conference today, Apple announced updated MacBook Air with the latest Intel Core processors, faster graphics and flash storage that’s purportedly up to twice as fast as the previous generation. Plus, pricing have been cut by about $100.

The current generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro have also been updated with the latest Intel Core processors and powerful discrete graphics from NVIDIA. Apple’s AirPort Express has been redesigned to include features previously available only in AirPort Extreme

“Today we’ve updated the entire MacBook line with faster processors, graphics, memory, flash storage and USB 3 connectivity,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve made the world’s best portable family even better and we think users are going to love the performance advances in both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.”

Available in 11-inch and 13-inch designs, the new MacBook Air features the latest Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors. The new integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 is up to 60% faster and gives the MacBook Air plenty of power to tackle games and videos, says Schiller.

The MacBook Air features flash storage up to four times faster than traditional hard drives for instant-on performance and fast access to your apps and data, he adds. Now with 4GB of faster memory, configurable up to 8GB, you can run memory-intensive apps with ease. MacBook Air also features a new FaceTime HD camera that delivers high-definition 720p.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 dual-core processors up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz. The 15-inch MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core i7 quad-core processors up to 2.7GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.7GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M discrete graphics. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with a 1TB hard drive or SSDs up to 512GB that are up to twice as fast as the previous generation.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both feature a Thunderbolt port and two USB 3.0 ports to connect to external displays and peripherals. The 13-inch MacBook Air, and 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro deliver up to seven hours of wireless battery life, and the 11-inch MacBook Air delivers up to five hours.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro ship with OS X Lion. Starting today, customers who purchase a Mac are eligible for a free copy of OS X Mountain Lion when it becomes available.

Priced at US$99, the new AirPort Express features a completely redesigned compact enclosure and new wireless and connectivity capabilities. Simultaneous dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi allows users to create a network that delivers optimal performance and range. The AirPort Express also features an audio-out port to connect external powered speakers or an A/V receiver and use AirPlay to wirelessly stream from iTunes on your Mac or iOS device.

A USB 2.0 port allows you to share a printer wirelessly over your network, and an additional ethernet port lets you connect to other computers and network devices. Setup is built right into OS X and iOS; with AirPort Utility 6.0 for OS X Lion and iOS you can access a visual map of your network for viewing and reconfiguring devices.

The 11-inch MacBook Air comes with a 1.7GHz processor, 4GB of memory and is available with 64GB of flash storage starting at US$999, and 128GB of flash storage starting at $1,099. The 13-inch MacBook Air comes with a 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of memory and is available with 128GB of flash storage starting at $1199, and 256GB of flash storage starting at $1,499. Configure-to-order options include a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 processor, up to 8GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 onboard memory and up to 512GB flash storage.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,199 and with a 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and 750GB hard drive starting at $1,499.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,799; and with a 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, and 750GB hard drive starting at $2,199. Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core processors up to 2.7 GHz, additional hard drive capacity up to 1TB, up to 8GB of memory and solid state storage up to 512GB.

Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/macbookair or apple.com/macbook-pro. The updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are available through the Apple Online Store (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.