Apple’s MacBook Air has long been a favourite among users seeking a blend of portability and power. The latest iterations of this iconic laptop, the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 released in 2022 and the newly launched 15-inch MacBook Air, continue to uphold this reputation. Both models are equipped with Apple’s powerful M2 chip, offering impressive performance for a wide range of tasks. But what sets these laptops apart, and which one is the right fit for you?
In this article, we delve deeper into the specifications and features of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, helping you make an informed decision.
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Buyers Guide: Which model should you get?
As someone who has used both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in various screen sizes over the years, I have a lot of context to what makes a great MacBook.
For Professional Users
Creatives, Designers, Developers – The M2 chips in the MacBook Air models are so performant that most people won’t need to consider a MacBook Pro unless they’re engaged in heavy video rendering or computational tasks. And even then, them extra cooling in the Pro only really helps under sustained load when the Air may get warm
For Casual Users
Students, Office Workers, or Home-use – The MacBook Air is the perfect laptop. It offers all the benefits of MacOS, all-day battery life, and no detectable limits on performance.
Recommended upgrades
While its hard to fault the base model MacBook Air, if you can spare the extra cash, I would recommend upgrading the RAM, especially if you multitask a lot with many browser tabs.
Which Macbook is best
The buying decision is primarily between the screen sizes, so the tradeoff personal preference. Personally, I’m considering replacing my current 13″ M1 MacBook Air with a 15″ M2 model, but I’m not in any hurry as the 13″ is super protable in a backpack.
If you’re using an old Intel-based Mac or a PC laptop, this is an easy upgrade to recommend. The all-day battery life alone will be a game-changer for you.
13-inch MacBook Air: Apple’s Compact Powerhouse
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air M2, unveiled in 2022, is a significant upgrade over its predecessor. It features Apple’s M2 chip, an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. The laptop’s design is a departure from the traditional wedge shape, now having a uniform thickness from front to back. Despite this change, it remains incredibly thin at just over 11mm and weighs a mere 2.7 pounds.
- Chip: The MacBook Air is powered by the Apple M2 chip, which includes an 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. The GPU is an 8-core unit, and there’s a 16-core Neural Engine. The chip also supports 100GB/s memory bandwidth. It’s configurable to an M2 with a 10-core GPU.
- Display: The MacBook Air features a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with LED-backlit and IPS technology. It supports a resolution of 2560-by-1664 at 227 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors. The display also supports 500 nits brightness, Wide color (P3), and True Tone technology.
- Battery and Power: The MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours of wireless web usage. It comes with a 30W or 35W USB-C Power Adapter, depending on the configuration.
- Memory and Storage: The MacBook Air comes with 8GB of unified memory, which is configurable to 24GB. The storage starts at 256GB SSD and is configurable up to 2TB.
- Wireless: It supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0.
- Camera: The MacBook Air comes with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera.
- Audio: It features a four-speaker sound system, support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers, and a three-mic array with directional beamforming.
- Operating System: The MacBook Air runs on macOS Ventura, the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system.
- Environmental Impact: The MacBook Air is designed with several features to reduce its environmental impact, including 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 90% recycled steel in the battery tray.
The 13-inch MacBook Air M2 is a great choice for those who value portability and performance. It’s perfect for users who need a compact laptop for everyday tasks and light creative work. Despite its smaller size compared to the 15-inch model, it doesn’t compromise on power, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of users.
15-inch MacBook Air: Apples big new lightweight laptop
Apple unveiled its new 15-inch MacBook Air at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, claiming it to be “the world’s best 15-inch laptop”. This new model is not only equipped with Apple’s M2 chip, an eight-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine, but it also boasts a sleek design that makes it the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop at just 11.5mm thick.
- Chip: It comes with the Apple M2 chip, which includes an 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. The GPU is an 8-core unit, and there’s a 16-core Neural Engine. The chip also supports 100GB/s memory bandwidth. It’s configurable to an M2 with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
- Display: The MacBook Air features a Liquid Retina display with a 15.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology. It supports a native resolution of 2560-by-1664 at 224 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors. The display also supports 500 nits brightness, Wide color (P3), and True Tone technology.
- Battery and Power: The MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours of wireless web usage. It comes with a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery and a 30W or 35W USB-C Power Adapter, depending on the configuration.
- Memory and Storage: The MacBook Air comes with 8GB of unified memory, which is configurable to 16GB or 24GB. The storage starts at 256GB SSD and is configurable up to 2TB.
- Wireless: It supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3.
- Camera: The MacBook Air comes with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera.
- Audio: It features a four-speaker sound system, support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers, and a three-mic array with directional beamforming.
- Operating System: The MacBook Air runs on macOS Ventura, the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system.
- Environmental Impact: The MacBook Air is designed with several features to reduce its environmental impact, including 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 90% recycled steel in the battery tray.
The new laptop represents a midrange release for Apple, filling the price gap between its 13-inch MacBook offerings and larger premium-priced models. The 15-inch Air will likely serve an audience that wants a large screen but doesn’t need the extra computing power (and cost) of 14-inch and 16-inch Pro models. The 15-inch size may also serve as a convenient middle ground between Apple’s current 14-inch and 16-inch offerings.
