Here are our initial thoughts on the 2022 MacBook Air, which might be the future’s most popular Mac.
(image courtesy of Apple.com)
The new MacBook Air has had a significant redesign, with new features and color options that make it a more versatile and powerful machine. Apple has released a new version of its most popular laptop, which features a new M2 chip that promises improved performance. The new laptop design contains many features we loved about last year’s MacBook Pro models.
The new MacBook Air will be available in July for $1,119 or $1,099 for students. After getting a brief demo of the new MacBook, we think it’s the best laptop for most people. It has excellent performance and design, and we believe it’s a great value. Want to know if you should upgrade? Here are our first impressions.
A new, refreshing design with nifty new colors
The MacBook Air was always one of the smallest and lightest laptops available, and it’s been even thinner and lighter for 2022. The new Air is 20% smaller than the 2020 version, with thin edges less than half an inch thick. It’s packed up in a 2.7-pound package that’s easy to transport.
(image courtesy of Apple.com)
But here’s what indeed drew our attention. The MacBook will be available in various colors for the first time in a long time. The MacBook Air 2022 is available in Space Gray, Silver, Starlight (gold), and an exceptionally appealing Midnight color scheme that wraps the notebook in a dark blue. This is a welcome departure from the Silver and Space Gray that most Macs have adopted recently.
It provides the MacBook Air a competitive advantage versus equally vibrant Windows laptops like the HP Dragonfly Elite and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4. This is the first significant color release since the 2017 Rose Gold MacBook, and the Midnight and Starlight Air variants looked fantastic in person.
Other notable improvements include a more extensive and brighter 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen made possible by thinner bezels. This comes at the price of a camera notch on top, like with the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but reflecting on my many days with the current Macbook Pro, I don’t find it a nuisance.
The new MacBook Air also has the same MagSafe charger as the latest Pro, which magnetically connects and detaches and helps protect your Mac from flying away if someone trips over the wire. Thanks to this dedicated charging port, you’ll also get access to both USB-C Thunderbolt connections for your accessories and storage devices (note that you can still charge via USB-C if you want).
In our short hands-on time, the MacBook Air’s Magic Keyboard seemed as responsive as ever. We were delighted to see the reintroduction of actual function buttons for efficiently controlling things like light and audio. This was a nice feature on last year’s Pro devices, and it makes quick shortcuts much more straightforward to use than the earlier gen’s Touch Bar.
We’re delighted to report that the new Air features a crisper 1080p FaceTime webcam (up from 720p), which offers double the quality and low-light functionality of the previous model owing to the processing prowess of the M2 processor within. A four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio for 360-degree audio in supported music and movies is also included.
The new M2 processor provides a significant performance gain.
(image courtesy of Apple.com)
Undoubtedly, the new MacBook Air seems gorgeous, but the most significant improvements are hidden away. We considered the 2020 MacBook Air, the inaugural laptop to arrive with Apple’s own M1 chip, to be a considerable improvement over its Intel-based counterparts when we tested it. Apple’s second-generation M2 processor will debut in the upcoming model, promising substantial performance improvements over the current model.
The M2 features more transistors and memory bandwidth, up to 18% greater overall speed than M1-powered MacBooks, and up to 1.9 times faster than a competitive Intel-powered Windows laptop. With the new GPU, Apple promises up to 35% improved GPU performance over its M1 notebooks. The new MacBook Air is even more reliable for doing intensive video editing or 3D rendering and playing demanding Mac games. This is thanks to its updated hardware and software, making it more efficient and stable.
We intend to test the new MacBook Air thoroughly to evaluate how faster it is than the previous generation, but it makes an excellent first impression. The laptop could play up to 7 concurrent streams of 4K footage in Final Cut Pro with no noticeable stutters. Flicking through over a dozen programs seemed fluid and quick.
The new MacBook Air comes preloaded with Apple’s macOS Monterey system, which recently included useful new Mac features such as SharePlay (for playing media via FaceTime with a companion) and an overhauled Safari for smooth online browsing. The macOS Ventura update, which Apple announced at WWDC, will include a new Stage Manager tool for convenient multitasking and other performance optimizations to boost the Mac gaming performance this fall.
Thanks to this upgrade, gaming company Capcom plans to bring its blockbuster game Resident Evil Village to Mac, which bodes well for those eager for more major video game titles on Mac. Ventura even lets you use your iPhone as your Mac’s camera, along with Portrait Mode for that fantastic bokeh impression and Studio Lighting for highlighting you in a dark area.
Underwhelming new MacBook Pro (that you should skip)
(image courtesy of Apple.com)
Apple is also replacing the 13-inch MacBook Pro with its M2 SoC, in addition to the new MacBook Air. This is an identical MacBook Pro released in late 2020, but with additional capability for powering through massive video edits and heavy Photoshop work.
Apple reportedly claims up to 20 hours on a single charge on this device, which will be available starting next month for $1,299. Most users, however, should avoid this model because it still has a very unpopular Touch Bar from the previous edition, has no MagSafe adapter, and, aside from the two more hours of battery life claimed, doesn’t provide many advantages over the latest MacBook Air.
Well, should you invest in a new computer?
(image courtesy of Apple.com)
If you haven’t purchased a new MacBook recently, the new MacBook Air appears to be a no-brainer for most customers. The previous Air was the ultimate laptop for Apple fans, owing to the performance that can outperform everything in its price bracket regarding frequent multitasking and creative processes.
Suppose Apple’s statements about the M2 SoC are correct. In that case, the MacBook Air might be a good MacBook Pro alternative for individuals who want a little more power to undertake intensive visual work or enjoy games on the road. The new Air appears to be the ideal laptop for someone who likes the appearance of the 14-inch MacBook Pro but doesn’t require its ludicrous power.
You may undoubtedly avoid the M2 model if you already have an M1 MacBook Air and are satisfied with its performance. However, now is the ideal time to update if you’re still using an Intel-based Mac. The M1 MacBook Air will continue to be available for $999. Still, the M2 model’s performance improvement and improved design are worth the extra money. Don’t buy the new M2 MacBook Pro as the new Air has a larger screen, a better camera, and updated interfaces.
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