In June 2022, Apple announced a completely redesigned MacBook Air which was built based on the new M2 chip. It was launched in July 15,2022 at a starting price of $1.199. There is also a higher end model with a starting price of $1.499. However, the previous M1 based MacBook air is still selling at $999.
Specifications and Features of The New MacBook Air
- 13.6 i13.6 inches screen size designed with an M2 chip.
- 2560×1664 Liquid Retina Display M2
- Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU
- Up to 24GB M2 RAM
- Touch ID
- Thunderbolt/USB -C
- Up to 2TB secondary storage device
About The New MacBook Air
This recent MacBook has been updated and redesigned, it has a totally different design from previous MacBook Air line since 2010 as Apple totally overhauled the old design for a new one. It also comes with the new M2 chip.
The incoming MacBook Air is 11.3mm thick making it a little bit thinner than the previous MacBook Air and weighs about 27 pounds; just about the same size as the previous generation model of 11.9 inches wide and 8.46 inches tall.
This new MacBook Air features an updated chassis that does not include the previous tapered design used for a long time in previous MacBook Airs. Instead, this new MacBook Air has a uniform, flat body almost like MacBook pro.
Also in this new MacBook Air, you will find thin black bezels surrounding the liquid Retina display which has been updated to 13.6inches and supports 1 billion colors, it has up to 500 nits brightness making it 25% brighter than former models.
The new MacBook Air continues to feature a black keyboard with Touch ID and a large force Touch trackpad. Note that the MacBook Air comes in Silver, Space gray, Starlight and Midnight shades.
Users will find two USB -C ports available on the new MacBook Air, as well as a MagSafe port for charging purposes. A 3.5mm headphones jack with support for high impedance headphones is also featured here.
Battery of the new MacBook Air is said to last for up to 18hours when watching video contents, and 15hours when browsing the net. It supports fast charging with an optional 67W USB -C power adapter.
What’s even more exciting here is that the new MacBook Air is equipped with a next generation M2 chip, a follow up to M1. This chip features an 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU of 24GB memory.
M2 chip is built using next generation 5 nanometer technology, with better performance per watts. It has 20 billion transmitters, more memory bandwidth, faster battery life of 52.6 watts , lithium polymer battery that has a long standing capacity.
This next gen M2 chip offers advancement in efficiency and general performance with its 18% faster CPU, 35% faster GPU and a 40% Neural engine.
How To Buy The New MacBook Air
Pre- orders for this device began at 5am pacific time on Friday, June 22 before the official launch date July 15.
The starting price is at $1.999 for the version with 8-core CPU. While 10-core GPU and 512GB SSD is available for $1.499.
What To Expect From Most Of The Features In The New MacBook Air
1. Touch ID
The M2 based MacBook Air has a touch ID fingerprint sensor located next to the function keys at the top of the keyboard.
It is powered by a secure enclave which keeps your personal information and fingerprint data safe. You cab use the Touch ID in place if a password; it replaces password for protected applications, and can be used to make Apple pay purchases in safari.
2. Keyboard/Trackpad
MacBook air uses the same magic keyboard from previous models. It has a scissors-switch mechanism that is able to hold up dust and particles without falling.
3. Thunderbolt 3 USB -C ports
Thunderbolt 3 USB -C ports supports transfer speed of up to 40GB. There is a new MagSafe 3 charging ports as well as a 3.5mm headphones jack with support for high impedance headphones .
4. Speakers and Microphones
The new MacBook Air comes with four speakers sound system with improved stereo separation for vocal clarity, and two tweeters and two ultra thin woofers. It also supports wide stereo sounds and spatial audio which is available for playing music.
This version of MacBook Air is also equipped with a 3-microphone array with directional beamforming for beta sound quality on video calls.
5. Connectivity
Supports 802.11 ax WiFi (aka WiFi 6) . This WiFi protocol is faster and more efficient than 802.11ac in previous models. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Available Configurations And Upgrade Options
There are two stock 13inch MacBook Air configurations available from Apple in Silver, Space gray, Starlight and Midnight.
$1.999 – M2 chip with 8-core GPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD
$1.499 – M2 chip with 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
1. Entry level MacBook Air Upgrade Options
- 10-core GPU -+$100
- 16GB unified memory – +$400
- 512GB SSD – +$200
- 1TB SSD – +400
- 2TB SSD – +$800
- 35W dual USB -C power adapter – +$200
- 67W USB -C power adapter – +$200
2. Higher End MacBook Air Upgrade Options
- 16GB unified memory – +$200
- 24GB unified memory – +$400
- 1TB SSD – +$200
- 2TB SSD – +$600
You can buy from online retail stores like Amazon.
What More Should We Expect From The Next MacBook Air
There are rumours that Apple is working on a 15 inch MacBook Air set to be released in 2023. That would be Apple’s largest MacBook Air when it’s officially released. But for now, let’s keep enjoying the goodness in the new MacBook Air.
