The redesigned M2 MacBook Air is set to feature impressive performance and impactful quality-of-life changes to make it the perfect laptop.
Apple’s redesigned M2 MacBook Air is set to feature impressive performance and impactful quality-of-life changes that might make it the perfect laptop for the masses. The thin-and-light laptop was one of the few hardware releases announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2022. The annual WWDC keynote is traditionally devoted to software upgrades, but since the company transitioned to Apple Silicon in 2020, the event has featured the Mac. This year’s keynote saw the MacBook Air get a much-needed design refresh that matches the design language of the popular MacBook Pro lineup of laptops. With a few new features and an affordable price point, the refined computer will be one of the most popular options for Mac users.
The MacBook Air won’t be available until sometime in July, but the keynote provided a clear representation of what the upgraded laptop will be like. It features the M2 processor, and although Apple’s performance graphs aren’t the most descriptive, the M2 provides 18 percent better CPU performance than the M1 chip. In addition, the redesign keeps the MacBook Air thin and light while reflecting the company’s change in design language over the past few years. MagSafe has also made a comeback to compliment the two USB-C ports available on the MacBook Air. On paper, it’s pretty similar to the M1 MacBook Air, but there are a few key reasons that the new edition of the MacBook Air stands out from its predecessor.
A MacBook Air with Apple Silicon was first released in 2020, two years before the latest refresh. However, there were a few reasons that a buyer might hesitate to upgrade to the previous M1 MacBook Air. It was the company’s first stab at a laptop processor after designing mobile chips for roughly a decade, so users weren’t sure what they might get from an M-series processor. Apple tends to have rough first-generation products — see the original iPad and Apple Watch and the gains that the second-generation products received — making the M1 MacBook Air a risky buy. The laptop also retained the same specs as the Intel MacBook Air, leaving the only difference as the M1 processor.
M2 MacBook Air Solves A Ton Of Problems
There is not much of a reason to upgrade from an M1 MacBook Air to an M2 MacBook Air unless the decision is based on the new design. It’s thinner than the previous model at its thickest point but thicker than the previous model at its thinnest point. In addition, the M2 MacBook Air ditches the wedge-shaped design that has characterized the laptop since its inception for a uniform shape. Aside from the design, the M2 MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for Intel Mac users ready to take the leap to Apple Silicon. It has a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID — and no Touch Bar, for better or worse — that has been perfected over the years. The display is slightly larger, and although the inclusion of a notch is still puzzling, it’s a non-issue due to the macOS menu bar.
But the most important reason that the M2 MacBook Air is a game-changer will be the day-to-day use of the device. The impressive raw processing power is achievable in a small form factor that can be kept quiet and cool. Intel MacBook Air and Pro users can attest that the devices can get so hot and loud in regular use that it becomes a hindrance. Based on the firsthand impressions of Apple Silicon thus far, it’s reasonable to expect that users who take the leap to the M2 MacBook Air will be stunned by the audible fan noise — which will be none because it is passively cooled. The M2 MacBook Air is the Mac laptop for the masses as an easy-to-use, fast, and compact system that features an appealing redesign.
