Apple’s New MacBook Air Is More Powerful And Better Looking
June 8, 2022Apple unveiled its redesigned MacBook Air at the recent developers’ conference. The new boxy design takes over from the iconic wedge shape that defined the look of the model since its inception. The all-aluminum unibody measures 11.3mm thin and weighs about 2.7 pounds (0.3kg), which equates to a 20% reduction in overall volume.
Besides a new look, the laptop also gets a larger screen at 13.6-inches (500 nits brightness) versus the 13.3-inch of its predecessor – and is a notch at the top too. Said notch houses a 1080p FaceTime HD camera that is supposed to be a marked improvement over the model it replaces.
Despite its compact dimensions, the new Air features a four-speaker sound system and a three-mic array. In order to achieve the slim profile, the speakers and mics are integrated between the keyboard and display, yet deliver an improved audio experience. The new Air supports Spatial Audio for music and movies with Dolby Atmos.
Apple has equipped this new thin-and-light laptop with the new M2 processor, which you can read about here. Basically, it’s the next generation Apple Silicon with an 8-core CPU and 10 Core GPU. It delivers 100GB/s memory bandwidth that supports up to 24GB of memory.
Compared to the previous generation M1 equipped MacBook Air, the new model offers impressive capabilities:
- For video editing in software like Final Cut Pro, performance is nearly 40% faster than the previous generation.
- Applying filters and effects in Adobe Photoshop is up to 20% faster than before
- Delivers the same all-day battery life as before, with up to 18 hours of video playback.
For the first time, the new Air is supplied with a new, compact 35W power adapter that has 2 USB-C ports, allowing users to charge two separate devices at once. You can also purchase an optional 67W power adapter that will help the new laptop charge to 50% in just 30 minutes.
MacBook Air with M2 can be purchased in four different colours: silver, space gray, midnight, and starlight. Prices start at $1,199 (US) and $1,099 (US) for education.
