The MacBook Air 2022 benefits from a new design taken from the MacBook Pro 2021, but thinner. In addition to its evolving design, its main novelty is the integration of the M2 chip which further improves the experience. The price is also significantly on the rise.
The MacBook Air is a popular product for many users for its high-end performance and more affordable price than MacBook Pros. The minimalist design of the ultrabook also makes it practical and easy to carry. The new 2022 MacBook Air, with its new M2 chip, has the heavy burden of taking over from the 2020 model, which was a huge surprise.
Difficult to do better in terms of leap in performance, but the new model still manages to progress in this area. But it is especially on the aesthetic level that it makes its small revolution. After several years of stagnation, the design of the MacBook Air M2 finally brings a breath of fresh air.
? When was the MacBook Air 2022 released?
Following its surprise announcement at Apple’s WWDC in June 2022, the MacBook Air M2 launched on July 15, 2022, a week after pre-orders began. It therefore arrives a little earlier than the MacBook Air M1 which made its debut at the end of 2020. The release of the new model does not retire the old one. The latter is still available on the Apple site.
? How much does the 2022 MacBook Air cost?
Apple has revised prices upwards. The MacBook Air 2022 is thus displayed at a base price of 1499 euros, against 1129 euros for its predecessor. This still represents an increase of more than 30%. You have the choice between several configurations. Apple offers two versions of the M2 chip. If the CPU part has 8 cores, the GPU has a choice of 8 or 10 cores.
The MacBook Air M2 is also offered in three RAM versions: 8, 16 and 24 GB. Finally, there are 4 SSD storage versions to choose from: 256 or 512 GB and 1 or 2 TB. All in all, Apple offers 24 configurations possible for the 2022 MacBook Air with prices ranging from €1499 to €2539.
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? What is the design of the MacBook Air M2?
This generation of MacBook Air brings significant design changes. The laptop is still thinner and lighter than the previous model despite its increased power. This aesthetic evolution is made possible by the absence of any cooling system, even passive. Unlike the M1 model, Apple relies solely on thermal paste and a graphite strip.
The design of the MacBook Air M2 is also distinguished by its more homogeneous and uniform appearance, as on the latest MacBook Pro 2021. If the base of the machine remains thicker than the closing cover, the lines this time are flat and less in relief. The edges of the screen are also thinner and we note the presence of a notch as on the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inches from 2021.
Aesthetically, Apple is therefore operating a small revolution. And that’s not all: the new model is available in a new color: Minuit (dark grey). The other three colors available are: grey, pink (starlight) and silver.
? MacBook Air M2 2022: a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
Contrary to rumors, the 2022 MacBook Air does not have a Mini-LED technology screen like the iPad Pro and the 2021 MacBook Pro. Even the Pro version of 2022 (M2) does not benefit from this technology. This means that it is only available on the Pro versions of last year.
As a reminder, this technology makes it possible to benefit from a less imposing backlighting system and therefore to improve the design of the device, better contrast, deeper blacks (without however reaching the level of OLED), more vivid and rich colors, all with optimized energy consumption.
The MacBook Air M2 therefore has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina LED display against 13.3 inches for the M1 version. We are on a definition of 2560 x 1664 pixels with a brightness of 500 nits. The panel is DCI-P3 compatible and displays a billion colors.
?️ What performance for the M2 chip on the MacBook Air 2022?
The MacBook Air 2022 is equipped with an ARM M2 chip. It succeeds the recent M1 Pro and M1 Max chips which are reserved for the latest MacBook Pro. The new chip has the same number of CPU cores as the M1, namely eight. This new generation, on the other hand, increases the number of GPU cores: 8 or 10 on the M2 against 7 or 8 for the M1. We stay on a fineness of engraving of 5nm. Some reports mentioned a thinness of 3nm, but it will probably be necessary to wait until 2023 to arrive at this point.
The new model logically progresses in terms of performance. You can read our review of the MacBook Air 2022 to find out all about its evolutions. On the other hand, we remain behind the M1 Pro and M1 Max in terms of performance. This makes sense, as MacBook Pros are aimed at a professional and creative audience, whereas the MacBook Air is more of a consumer machine for users who simply want a portable PC under the Apple ecosystem.
?️ Connectors and connectivity
The historic MagSafe power and charging connectors for MacBooks had disappeared, but have made a comeback on the 2021 MacBook Pros. Unsurprisingly, we also find it on the new MacBook Air. We are here in the presence of a catch MagSafe 3 at a power of 30W. This is accompanied by two fast USB-C ports (3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3) for connecting accessories requiring high speeds (external SSD, monitor, etc.) and for compatible peripherals. A 3.5 mm jack port for wired audio is also present.
The MacBook Air, on the other hand, is deprived of several connectors compared to the MacBook Pro since it is necessary to make a cross on SD card slot and HDMI port. Apple believes that these elements are especially useful for users targeted by the Pro model of the laptop, and that if necessary there is still the possibility of using an adapter via one of the USB-C ports. In addition, their integration would complicate the sleek design desired for the Air range.
In terms of connectivity, we find the same technologies as on the previous MacBook Air, namely Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6. For the WiFi 6th eyou Bluetooth 5.2, we will probably have to wait for the next generation. Finally, theAirPlay and theAirdrop are of course part of it.
? MacBook Air 2022: a better webcam
While teleworking and the use of videoconferencing have largely developed over the past two years, Apple is adapting and including a front camera of 1080p quality on the 2022 MacBook Air. The previous model was content with a 720p webcam which offers a very poor experience. We also see on the latest MacBook Pro that the combination of a 1080p webcam and the image processing capacity of the new ARM chips can work wonders.