The famous wedge design of the MACBOOK AIR M2 is now history after 14 years, three iterations, and two different chip architectures.
In its place is a brand-new MacBook Air with the same thickness from front to back.
Almost every feature of the new MacBook Air has been upgraded or altered – it’s the most significant update to the Air since its debut nearly a decade and a half ago.
These kinds of adjustments are significant because the Air is the laptop of choice for millions of users.
Aside from that, the Air establishes the norm for thin and light laptops that every other manufacturer strives to meet.
This new Air features Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2, in addition to design and hardware upgrades.
It also costs more – it starts at $1,199, $200 more than the model that came before it, and a device with adequate storage costs $1,499 or more. As a result, Apple is maintaining the previous M1 model in its range, mostly to provide an option for the many MacBook Air users who do not want to spend more than $1,000 on a new machine.
This new Air features Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2, in addition to design and hardware upgrades.
It also costs more – it starts at $1,199, $200 more than the model that came before it, and a device with adequate storage costs $1,499 or more.
As a result, Apple is maintaining the previous M1 model in its range, mostly to provide an option for the many MacBook Air users who do not want to spend more than $1,000 on a new machine.
This new Air features Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2, in addition to design and hardware upgrades.
It also costs more – it starts at $1,199, $200 more than the model that came before it, and a device with adequate storage costs $1,499 or more. As a result, Apple is maintaining the previous M1 model in its range, mostly to provide an option for the many MacBook Air users who do not want to spend more than $1,000 on a new machine
The new MacBook Air pulls heavily from the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 that debuted late last year in terms of appearance and shape.
It’s more symmetrical and squared off than previous MacBook Air models, with a more brutalist look.
Yet it’s remarkably tiny — just a hair more than 11 millimeters — and its thinness is immediately apparent when you open the lid and begin typing on it. It is also noticeable when you put it in a bag or carry it about.
The tapered design of the earlier MacBook Air had less visual weight and appeared lighter, but the current model is truly slimmer than its predecessor.
It’s also somewhat lighter, weighing 2.7 pounds vs 2.8 pounds for the previous generation.
That’s not a significant change, and the Air is far from the lightest computer available, but it does make it highly portable and easy to transport wherever I need it.
Overall, I like the new design.
It’s new and refreshing, and it works really well in terms of functionality.
Some people may overlook the wedge shape, but I am not one of them.
This new Air is a stunning machine, and I believe the design will serve it well for the next five (or even more!) years before Apple modifies it again.
Unless, of course, you get the new Midnight color.
This new hue is stunning right out of the box, with a deep blue-black gloss that changes with the light. However, as soon as you take it up, it is covered in greasy fingerprints that are difficult to remove. It severely detracts from an otherwise impressive finish.
Apple is far from the only business with this issue with black aluminum — Razer laptops have been fingerprinting magnets for years — but it’s significant enough that I wouldn’t buy the Midnight variant. I’ve also tested a model in the silvery-gold Starlight color, and its surface is fingerprint-free.
Despite its slimmer profile and reduced weight, the new Air is no less robust or well-made than its predecessor.
The chassis is rigid, the lid has almost little flex, and it can still be opened with a single finger.
Apple continues to lead the field in terms of build quality and fit and finish, and the new Air is no exception.
Aside from its design, the new Air uses the resurrected Mag Safe charging port from the MacBook Pro 14 and 16, which allows you to charge the laptop without fear of tripping over the wire and sending the device plummeting to the floor. It also comes with a color-matched braided cable in the box, whereas the more expensive Pro models do not.
When it comes to chargers, Apple also gives you options. The base model Air includes the well-known 30W brick that has been around for years. However, the step-up models include a new compact 35W charger with two USB-C ports or a larger and more powerful 67W charger derived from the MacBook Pro line. That larger brick can fully charge the Air’s battery in 30 minutes.
My review units arrived with the 35W charger, and while it’s small and portable, I’d rather have the more powerful charger.
In testing, the 35W brick only charged the Air 25% in 30 minutes with the lid closed, which is half the pace of the 67W brick, and those speeds were lowered even more when I inserted my iPhone into the charger’s second port.
I wish Apple had just put two ports on the more powerful brick, but there are lots of cheaper third-party choices with greater power and more ports than Apple’s options, and they function perfectly with the Air’s Mag Safe connector.
You practically receive an extra USB-C port over the older model thanks to the Mag Safe port.
Instead of using one Thunderbolt-capable port to charge the computer and the other for peripherals (though you can still charge through USB-C if you choose), you can utilize both Thunderbolt-capable ports for accessories.
However, there are only two ports, both of which are on the left side.
It would have been nice to have ports on the right side as well, and while it may be a pipe dream at this time, a USB-A port is still quite helpful for many accessories.
After all, you’ll need to keep that USB-C hub in your backpack.
Finally, Apple continues to limit the new Air to a single external display, so if you want to connect your laptop to more than one monitor at the same time, you’ll need to upgrade to a 14-inch MacBook Pro (which allows up to four external displays) or find another solution
