Within the 14 years because the MacBook Air line launched, I’ve typically described it as “the most universally priceless pc you need to the option to preserve.” That’s because the Air has constantly attempted to hit a ravishing stability between worth, portability, ease of recount and parts. And since 2008, Apple has succeeded in nailing that formula more typically than now now not.
As a consequence of a recent form, a greater expose (13.6 inches versus the outdated 13.3 inches), a faster M2 chip and a lengthy-awaited upgrade to a greater-res webcam, I assume joyful holding that “universally priceless” title for the contemporary 2022 version of the MacBook Air, with one caveat. At $1,199, the $200 lengthen over the outdated-accepted $999 MacBook Air starting up worth is a disappointment. Declare that we’re reviewing the step-up $1,499 configuration, which provides more GPU cores and more storage apartment (nonetheless tranquil finest entails 8GB of RAM).
LikeBigger, brighter screenModern form with contemporary colorsA excessive-res webcam, at lastExcellent efficiency and battery lifestyles
Don’t LikeMore costly than the mannequin it replacesNew energy adapter is a paid upgrade on some configsNew webcam provides a display notch
The outdated M1 Air, with an older form, remains in the market at $999, considerably mitigating the payment lengthen on the contemporary version. However you are inevitably going to be drawn to the contemporary form and parts. Essentially the latest MacBook Air represents the largest general alternate to the product line, arguably since 2008, nonetheless now now not decrease than since 2018. That’s when the Air won popular parts adore a greater-res display and fingerprint reader. In 2020, the Air switched from Intel chips to Apple’s personal M1 chips, nonetheless with out a bodily redesign.
The M2 MacBook Air next to the M1 Air.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
That also-in the market 2020 M1 MacBook Air, a few of the first living of Macs to pass from Intel to Apple Silicon, is now now not a noxious-taking a look machine, nonetheless it absolutely’s in step with a form that launched in 2018, which is roughly with out a break in sight ago in computer terms. The contemporary version strikes from that outdated-accepted tapered form to the boxier, blockier look of the 14-streak and 16-streak MacBook Pro laptops from tiring 2021. Or now now not it is a more popular, more constructivist form that largely rejects decorative stylization. Hands down, I love it. However that will more than likely be because I am correct so inclined to the classic MacBook Air form that any alternate feels refreshing.
The configuration we tested
Impress as reviewed
$1,499
Display hide dimension/resolution
13.6-streak 2,560×1,664 LED-backlit expose
CPU
Apple M2 8-core CPU/10-core GPU
RAM
8GB
Graphics
10-core Apple GPU
Storage
512GB SSD
Networking
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wi-fi networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5
Operating system
MacOS Monterey 12.4
Declare that there’s tranquil one queer man out in the lineup. The contemporary-for-2022 13-streak MacBook Pro provides the identical M2 chip stumbled on right here, nonetheless retains the vintage 2016-era physique, total with the all-nonetheless-extinct TouchBar and 720-resolution webcam. Or now now not it is completely honest, nonetheless I’ll well be tense-pressed to imagine many reasons you’re going to bewitch it over the contemporary Air (even supposing there are just a few).
Now playing:
Peep this:
MacBook Air M2: Apple Makes Sizable Changes to This Runt…
10: 37
Read more: MacBook Pro M2 13-Lunge Overview: Familiar Have, Novel Apple M2 Chip
The contemporary MacBook Air goes beyond the Pro devices it mimics in one most major appreciate — it provides contemporary colors to the apartment grey and silver, with a recent gold Starlight and a deep, sad Hour of darkness agree with. That Hour of darkness, which appears as a matte shadowy agree with, rings a bell in my memory of the used matte-shadowy polycarbonate MacBooks of the mid-2000s, which I’ve constantly belief used to be a in point of fact fascinating look.
The contemporary Air’s footprint is a hair smaller than ahead of, and it feels slimmer. Or now now not it is 11.3mm thick general, while the outdated form tapered thinner on the front, nonetheless grew to 16mm at its rear hinge. Or now now not it is at all times a bit lighter, at 2.7 pounds versus 2.8 pounds.
The M2 Air is slimmer on the rear hinge than the used form.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
That’s rather heaps of totally different MacBook devices, costs and specs to help tune of. To sum it up, the most most major reasons you’re going to purchase the contemporary Air over the outdated mannequin are:
Slimmer, more popular form in contemporary colorsUpgraded paunchy-HD webcamLarger, brighter expose (13.6 inches versus 13.3 inches)Sooner M2 processor It also provides the contemporary MagSafe energy connection also expose in the 14-/16-streak MacBook Pro, and a few configurations consist of a recent 35W dual USB-C port energy adapter. Or now now not it is compact and has two USB-C ports constructed correct into it — one for the energy cable to the pc, and one free one for the rest you wish. Whenever you happen to preserve the most payment-effective M2 MacBook Air configuration, it be a $20 add-on upgrade. Otherwise, you correct accumulate the usual-or-garden 30W MacBook brick.
The MacBook Air has constantly been my favourite coffee store accomplice.
Libe Ackerman
The road test: Transportable and strong A MacBook Air is honest for sitting at a desk at house or in the arrangement of enterprise, nonetheless it absolutely’s in fact a pc that wishes to be on the slide with you to shine. So it came with me, to the coffee store, on the subway, to the arrangement of enterprise and more.
The customary Air used to be constantly an even scramble accomplice, nonetheless frankly newer, lighter pc designs ranking been more scramble-pleasant. As an illustration, I’ve had an very glorious time taking the itsy-bitsy Ground Computer Promenade 2 around with me, even on a sinister-nation flight. Needless to claim, the the rest scramble pc, now now not decrease than for me, used to be the tiring 12-streak MacBook, sadly discontinued ahead of it will ranking its viewers.
The contemporary Air is finest somewhat smaller and lighter than its predecessor, so don’t question a revelatory trip. On the other hand it be a mountainous fit for my itsy-bitsy scramble rep, and I’ll well now now not object to taking it on a each day shuttle.
That notch…
Dan Ackerman/CNET
The brighter display — linked to the ones on contemporary MacBook Pro laptops — helped after I had to crank up the brightness to write outside. The marginally greater display, which measures 13.6 inches diagonally where the outdated mannequin used to be 13.3 inches, also aids visibility. Yes, I’ve gotten to the age where most of my Google Docs are at 125% by default, so a higher display undoubtedly helps. On the other hand assume that the webcam is going to knock a itsy-bitsy notch into the display, noteworthy because it does on the iPhone and a few MacBook Pro devices.
After seeing the contemporary MacBook Air in particular person for the first time at Apple’s WWDC tournament in June 2022, I knew I had to test up on the Hour of darkness colour. Apple would now not describe it precisely, nonetheless I’ll well name it a matte shadowy with a hint of a blue tint. It took me lend a hand to 1 of the very first MacBooks (and a few of the first Intel Macs), the shadowy polycarbonate mannequin I first reviewed in 2006. I in fact stumbled on the form of just a few years ago, in 2018, and it booted up and worked, even supposing the battery used to be shot.
The 13.6-streak expose fits more display into about the identical apartment.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Or now now not it is a mountainous look, and stands out effectively from the ocean of virtually the same laptops which would possibly well be all both silver, grey or … silver-grey. Some devices experiment with sad interiors or garish lid illustrations, nonetheless there’s in general rather heaps of zigging and now now not noteworthy zagging in the market.
The Hour of darkness version of the MacBook Air has a fascinating, popular look, nonetheless there’s one ranking. Let me indicate.
Reader, I am no greasy-fingered vulgarian. You would possibly well prefer to take my observe for that. However I’ll well barely breathe on the Hour of darkness MacBook Air without leaving smudges and fingerprints in every single put it. Or now now not it is a general advise with sad matte objects, and I had to present this pc a thorough wipedown ahead of snapping each and every characterize. I felt obligated to elevate a cleansing fabric with me in every single put the arrangement, and I’ll well reveal you to agree with the identical.
Retain a cleansing fabric at hand for the fingerprint-susceptible matte agree with.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
M2 vs. M1, M1 Pro, M1 MaxThe efficiency fable this pc tells is a predictable one. That’s because we’ve correct tested and reviewed the contemporary 13-streak MacBook Pro, which also runs the M2 chip. Plus, we’ve been testing and reporting on every M1 iteration since 2020, including the accepted M1, the M1 Pro, the M1 Max and the M1 Ultra (which is correct a double M1 Max).
The largest factor to interpret right here is correct where the contemporary M2 chip falls in the Apple Silicon lineup. Customarily, it sits above the accepted M1 chip (which, adore the M2, is supplied in two versions with totally different numbers of graphics cores), nonetheless below the M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra. The M1 Pro and M1 Max are in the market in in the 14-streak and 16-streak MacBook Pro. The M1 Ultra, no doubt two M1 Max chips aspect by aspect, is finest in the market for the time being in the contemporary Mac Studio desktop.
Read more: Ultimate MacBook for 2022
The fable right here offers no surprises. The M2 MacBook Air outperformed the 2020 M1 MacBook Air by a modest, nonetheless now now not breathtaking, quantity. The M2 version of the 13-streak MacBook Pro, correct just a few month youthful than this machine, performed somewhat better in some assessments than the Air. Why? Doubtlessly because the Pro has a fan, which Apple refers to as “exciting cooling,” and that approach the chip can speed faster, longer, without having to throttle itself to chill down. The 2020 and 2022 Airs we tested also had finest 8GB of RAM (yes, for $1,500, you proceed to finest accumulate 8GB). Performance charts comparing the outcomes from the 2022 MacBook Air with totally different laptops are on the end of this overview.
Would I alternate the shape parts, webcam, higher display and totally different upgrades for the marginally faster M2 MacBook Pro efficiency? I’ll well now now not. Whenever you happen to suspect you’ll be hitting the ceiling of M2 efficiency, then you definately are more likely in the marketplace for a 14-streak MacBook Pro or a Mac Studio.
Read more: MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro
In my short time so far with the MacBook Air, I’ve thrown just a few Photoshop initiatives at it and speed some Mac video games by Steam. I liked the upper display for my characterize work, and as for gaming, the tranquil-unfinished Baldur’s Gate 3 is per chance the latest, most excessive-profile recreation you’re going to play. Mac gaming remains its personal skinny itsy-bitsy pocket universe. The system ran in our a video-streaming battery test for 17 hours and 20 minutes, which is correct about the identical as Apple’s estimate. The M2 MacBook Pro ran even just a few hours longer on the identical test. After we speed further battery assessments, I will update these numbers as important.
MagSafe makes its MacBook Air return.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Quality of lifestyles considerations: Webcams and energy bricksTwo totally different contemporary parts are making a MacBook Air appearance right here. One is vitally most major, totally different more of an excellent extra.
The Air now will get the updated MagSafe 3 energy connection stumbled on on the 14-/16-streak Pro (and absent from the M2 13-streak MacBook Pro). That’s as well to to the 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the left aspect. Now, I preferred the accepted MagSafe, which used to be on the Air for several years, nonetheless in the stylish USB-C era, I nearly never recount it, opting as a replace to make recount of any of the dozens of customary USB-C energy cables I in fact ranking sitting around. The universality of pc chargers is without doubt a few of the supreme dispositions in energy cable history, so of course Apple had to pass and add a proprietary cable lend a hand into the combine.
The pleasingly itsy-bitsy contemporary 35W charger.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Needless to claim, you’re going to now now not prefer to make recount of the MagSafe cable, you need to the option to recount correct about any USB-C charger as a replace. That stated, the MagSafe cable is now colour-coordinated with the Air, so my cable used to be Hour of darkness. Also expose that the $1,199 ugly mannequin would now not recount the contemporary 35W adapter, nonetheless as a replace an older 30W form. The upsell version of the Air does consist of the contemporary charger, which is pleasantly compact and entails two USB-C ports (one for the energy cable and one extra). You would possibly well add it to the ugly mannequin for an further $20, or soar to the massive 67W adapter for the identical $20.
A ways more most major to me is the contemporary 1080-resolution webcam. Or now now not it is the identical hardware as the 14-/16-streak MacBook Pro camera, which is awfully glorious, and a gigantic step up from the 720 camera MacBooks ranking been caught with for years.
The 1080 camera in the M2 MacBook Air (left) has better resolution and image processing than the 720 webcam in the M1 Air (correct).
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Or now now not it is a alternate too lengthy in coming, nonetheless a welcome one, and that leaves the M2 13-streak MacBook Pro and the M1 MacBook Air as the sole MacBooks left with the older, snide camera. On this easy aspect-by-aspect comparison you need to the option to hit upon the difference. In our Zoom-addicted future-of-work world, it be most major.
Of the total upgrades, changes and enhancements in the contemporary MacBook Air, that is per chance the one I’ll well be most unwilling to present up.
First and foremost published July 14, 2022.
Geekbench 5 (multicore)
Apple MacBook Pro (14-streak, M1 Pro, 2021)
12,259
Lenovo Yoga 9i
9,016
Apple MacBook Pro (13-streak, M2, 2022)
8,954
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M2, 2022)
8,592
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M1, 2020)
7,729
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
7,649
Declare:
Longer bars expose better efficiency
Geekbench Metal
Apple MacBook Pro (14-streak, M1 Pro, 2021)
40,631
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M2, 2022)
29,998
Apple MacBook Pro (13-streak, M2, 2022)
29,997
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M1, 2020)
18,836
Declare:
Longer bars expose better efficiency
Cinebench R23 (multicore)
Apple MacBook Pro (14-streak, M1 Pro, 2021)
12,302
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
10,322
Apple MacBook Pro (13-streak, M2, 2022)
8,731
Lenovo Yoga 9i
7,716
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M2, 2022)
6,796
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M1, 2020)
6,615
Declare:
Longer bars expose better efficiency
3DMark Wild Existence Vulgar
Apple MacBook Pro (14-streak, M1 Pro, 2021)
10,264
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M2, 2022)
6,803
Apple MacBook Pro (13-streak, M2, 2022)
6,800
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M1, 2020)
4,530
Lenovo Yoga 9i
3,903
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
3,233
Declare:
Longer bars expose better efficiency
Scheme configurations
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M2, 2022)
MacOS Monterey 12.4; Apple M2 8-core chip; 8GB RAM; Apple 10-core GPU; 256GB SSD
Apple MacBook Pro (13-streak, M2, 2022)
MacOS Monterey 12.4; Apple M2 8-core chip; 16GB RAM; Apple 10-core GPU; 1TB SSD
Apple MacBook Air (13-streak, M1, 2020)
MacOS Monterey 12.4; Apple M1 8-core chip; 8GB RAM; Apple 7-core GPU; 256GB SSD
Apple MacBook Pro (14-streak, M1 Pro, 2021)
MacOS Monterey 12.4; Apple M1 Pro 10-core chip; 32GB RAM; Apple 16-core GPU; 1TB SSD
Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-streak, Gen 7)
Windows 11 Dwelling; 2.1GHz Intel Core i7-1260P; 16GB DDR5 5,200MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe graphics; 1TB SSD
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (UM5302TA)
Windows 11 Pro; 2.7GHz AMD Ryzen 7 6800U; 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz RAM; 512MB AMD Radeon graphics; 1TB SSD
How noteworthy does the MacBook Air M2 payment?
The ugly configuration for the contemporary M2 version of the MacBook Air is $1,299. The upgraded config is $1,499 and entails more GPU cores and more storage apartment. Essentially the most costly configuration I was in a position to constructed on Apple’s online page used to be $2,499.
