The new MacBook Air that Apple is bringing to market this summer comes with two new features: a new M2 processor, fast and enduring, and a blue-black casing laconically called “midnight”. Nothing to turn heads, but enough to make the hearts of fans of the apple brand beat faster.
It should also raise eyebrows for just about every other PC maker. Why does no one except Apple seem to be able to afford to already market the second generation of a notebook powered by its own processors? The M2 system-on-chip MacBook Air shows more than a significant power gain from one generation to the next: it is already, at this stage, about six times more efficient than a comparable Intel-based device.
As a bonus, with the release last Monday of the public beta version of the macOS 16 Ventura system, we are not only entitled to a Mac with the most recent mechanics currently available, but we also inherit a very neat software interface, pleasant to the eye and the mouse, which has the only drawback of still not offering a touch function (unlike most recent laptops with a Windows 11 system).
The MacBook Air, for the record, is the best-selling laptop on the planet. It was born at a time when the CEO of Apple was still called Steve Jobs and it was presented in an envelope like the one used by messengers in offices all over the world. Back then, a notebook was usually the size of a pizza box, or almost. This year, we could probably fit two MacBook Airs in the same envelope. The device has been slimmed down by 20% compared to its most recent predecessor, itself already slimmer than the others before it.
Leaner, more muscular
This slimming cure was made possible by more compact components. The logic board, the big green thing on which the rest of the mechanics hang, is half the size of that of older Macs. That’s a bit more room for the M2 system-on-chip, a system that has gained some weight compared to the M1. It has an eight-core processor, a ten-core graphics processor, and the bandwidth that connects these two to the RAM has been increased by half. Loaded with 64 gigabytes of RAM, the MacBook Air M2 should offer many years of good service, and thus sustainably amortize its selling price, which is not necessarily among the most affordable.
The MacBook Air is still less expensive than the 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by the same mechanics. This undoubtedly makes it the Mac of reference within the Apple catalog. Differences in overall performance are only marginal, and only occur in high-end applications. For example, if you’re editing video with professional software like Logic Pro, rather than the free pre-installed iMovie app on newer Macs, maybe a Pro will do better than an Air. But not all the time.
Because Microsoft is taking such a long time to include its own video editor in the tools integrated into Windows 11, Apple has no trouble praising the merits of its iMovie software, which is also entitled to an upgrade to be easier for use by the general public. iMovie on a MacBook Air M2 will accept 4K format video files without too much trouble and will export the final product 40% faster than the M1 chip MacBook Air. It will also do it six times faster than an old Intel-based MacBook Air.
Surface news
In addition to noticing the more compact format, a simple glance is enough to spot the new exterior features on the MacBook Air. It starts with a MagSafe magnetic power port, adding to two USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports and an audio port. That’s more than the MacBook Pro M2 offers. We lift the hood and we see however that the 13.6-inch display of the device is still slightly crowded by the upper notch where the front camera is located. Camera that is in full HD, at least, and that is very suitable for the video calls that we make these days more than ever.
Note that there’s a not-so-bad sound system under the keyboard, as well as mics that pick up vocals quite clearly, even if the promises of “studio-quality” sound are overdone. Ambient noise remains very present, which can be said of all microphones, except those designed on purpose to be installed in a recording studio.
Also – and this is a detail that made an astonishing number of spectators react during Apple’s WWDC conference where the MacBook Air was unveiled for the first time – the power supply included in the box of the slightly more equipped versions of the device has increased fast-charging capability and features two USB-C slots. It’s not a revolution, but it’s practical.
The same could be said for the whole of the new MacBook Air: practical without being revolutionary. And offered in a new color that will appeal to IT managers. The best-selling notebook will predictably remain at the top of the charts. As if the competition had abdicated.