The 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, 8-core CPU, and 10-core GPU were the specifications of the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air. Its power combination, fanless construction, long battery life, and lightweight, tiny design made it the ideal laptop for my needs. For those who are ready to pay a little bit extra for an excellent laptop, the MacBook Air M2 is the ideal option. Its pleasantly portable shape houses excellent performance, an impressive 14 hours of battery life, and a vibrant, vivid display. Discover more in Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch) review.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch)
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Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch) YouTube review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Vivid and eye-catching 13.6-inch display
- Strong M2 chip
- 1080p webcam
- Extended battery life
- Lighter and thinner design
- MagSafe charging is quite practical.
Cons
- Supports only single external monitor
- Port options are still limited
Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch) Specs
- Two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports
- 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 display
- Apple M2 chip (8c CPU / 8c GPU, configurable to 10c GPU)
- 256GB storage (configurable to 2TB)
- 8GB RAM (configurable to 24GB)
- 1080p webcam
- MagSafe 3 charging
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Four-speaker sound system with three-mic array
- Magic Keyboard with full height function row and Touch ID
- 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
- 0.44in x 11.97in x 8.46in (11.3mm x 30.41cm x 21.5cm)
- 2.7 pounds (1.24kg)
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Price
The price of the MacBook Air has dropped from $1,199 to $1,099, and it comes with an 8-core CPU, a binned 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. This was a really good beginning price. With the announcement of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3), the price of the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) has now decreased to $999/£999/AU$1,599.
MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Air M1 chip comparison
| MacBook Air 2022 | MacBook Air 2020 | |
| Price | from $1,199 | from $999 |
| Display | 13.6 inches (2560 x 1664) | 13.3 inches (2560 x 1600) |
| CPU | 8 cores (M2) | 8 cores (M1) |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, 24GB | 8GB, 16GB |
| GPU | 8-10 cores (M2) | 7 cores (M1) |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Camera | 1080p | 720p |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt 3/USB 4, headphone jack, MagSafe charging | 2 Thunderbolt 3/USB 4, headphone |
| Battery life (tested) | 14 hours, 6 minutes (tested) | 14 hours, 40 minutes (tested) |
| Dimensions | 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches | 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds | 2.8 pounds |
Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch) review
Built & Design
Even with its rigid chassis and nearly non-existent flex, the lid can be opened with just one finger.Although the screen on the Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip is slightly larger than the previous model (13.6 inches versus 13.3), the majority of the extra space is accounted for by the height increase. This gadget makes an ordinary Bic pen appear bulky in comparison, as it measures only 0.44 inches thick when the lid is open.
One of the main advantages of the Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 over the 14-inch MacBook Pro was its weight. While 2.7 vs. 3.6 pounds might not seem like much, they build up when walking and traveling for a full day. Every day, I take my MacBook Air on trips to and from work, cafes, and universities. It has been all over Canada, from coast to coast.
Ports
The M2 MacBook Air features a headphone jack on the right side of the notebook and two Thunderbolt Ports and MagSafe on the left. I have a very small use case for the port, therefore it’s ideal for me.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Display
My preferred laptop screen size is 13.6 inches, but I’m glad I went with a smaller model (I’m still hoping for a reincarnated 12-inch MacBook). Most of my single-window duties are perfectly covered by a 13.6-inch laptop, but larger canvases are much better for split-view and some of my favorite apps, including Sketch. 13.6″ is the ideal size for most single-app performance, daily writing, calendar work, and music.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Screen and resolution
The resolution has been increased to 2,560 x 1,664 from 2,560 x 1,600 in Apple MacBook M2. As a result, the sharpness of the larger screen is intact. In addition to being 100 nits brighter—it is now 500 nits—the new Liquid Retina screen can now display one billion colors.
Brightness
The brightness, black levels, and general punchiness of the displays are inferior to those of the Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 models with better grade Mini LED screens. Additionally, it lacks the ProMotion faster refresh rate that similar versions have for better scrolling.
Color
The precision and reproduction of color appeared exactly as nice. The display on the Air M2 captured 75.9% of the more precise DCI-P3 color space and 107% of the sRGB color range. The XPS 13 OLED achieved higher scores of 117% and 83%, in that order. Nonetheless, the Air and the XPS 13 have the identical Delta-E accuracy score of 0.2.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Processor
With its second-generation, 5-nanometer M2 System on Chip (SoC), Apple promises the next MacBook Air (M2, 2022) would have a 40% faster neural engine, a 35% faster GPU (now with 10 cores), and an 18% faster CPU than the previous model. It’s important to note that the MacBook Air’s base system comes with an 8-core GPU, but you may upgrade to a 10-core GPU.
Approximately 20% faster than the M1, the M2 is an excellent upgrade over the M1 and orders of magnitude quicker than the prior Intel models. Since Apple has claimed that the M2 chip will provide the same excellent performance and long battery life as the M1, we had high expectations for the MacBook Air’s battery life.
Keyboard
The keyboard on the new Air is likewise derived on the MacBook Pro 14-inch model. Thankfully, it lacks the dubious helpful Touch Bar found on the most recent 13-inch MacBook Pro M2, but it does include a full-height function row and Touch ID. The keys are well spaced and have sufficient travel.
Touchpad
The wide, accurate touchpad on the Air facilitates a range of movements, from pinching to zooming to displaying all of your open apps. Although the keyboard’s Touch ID button makes logging in simple, I wish Apple supported Face ID so that system unlocking would be even quicker.
Multi-tasking
The 16GB of unified memory that comes with the model we have on test is definitely helpful when it comes to speedy and responsive web browsing in both Safari and Chrome. Additionally, typing documents on the slightly narrower keyboard—which retains the same Magic Keyboard switches—feels comfortable and pleasing.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 camera quality
The webcam on the new MacBook Air is 1080p, while the one on the previous model is only 720p. The extra image processing work completed by Apple’s M1 and M2 CPUs benefits both. Even though we don’t think the webcam on the MacBook Air M2 is the best, 1080p resolution is still better than 720p.
Audio
You shouldn’t be surprised that the 13-inch MacBook Air’s sound isn’t as rich, complex, or loud as it would be from a device like a HomePod or MacBook Pro. However, the MacBook Air’s sound quality is superb considering its size.
The Air’s four speakers provide excellent sound for playing music in small spaces or in groups, as well as for personal computer use. With the MacBook, you may enjoy a more immersive sound experience compared to other devices because it also supports Spatial Audio.
Rather than the 8-core CPU found on the $1,199 model, our MacBook Air M2 had a 10-core GPU.Like the MacBook Pro M2, the MacBook Air M2 is a poor gaming computer even with the increased GPU capability.
With the resolution set to 1920 x 1200, the MacBook Air M2 managed 27 frames per second on Rise of the Tomb Raider. That’s not up to the minimum 30 frames per second that gamers, including myself, are ready to settle for.
It dropped to 15.3 frames per second at 2940 x 1920. Gathering Storm, a game by Sid Meier, performed better, averaging 40.3 frames per second at 1470 x 956 resolution. Results for the MacBook Air with M1 processor were comparable. At 1440 x 900 pixels, Rise of the Tomb Raider averaged 29 frames per second, while Civilization VI achieved 36 frames per second at the same resolution.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 battery life & charging
For me, the Air’s battery life has been the most obvious feature. It’s amazing. I can use the device for about four to five hours every day without needing to charge it because I just use it for light work during the week. Indeed, over a few recent three- or four-day travels away from home,
The 30W charger that comes with the base model MacBook Air can be upgraded to a 67W adapter for $59, which will charge your device to 80% capacity in just 20 minutes. It has two ports, so you can charge your iPhone, iPad, or other devices simultaneously, though this will slightly slow down charging times because the 67W is divided between devices.
Apple 2022 MacBook Air laptop with M2 chip 34.46 cm (13.6-inch) alternative
In terms of portability, cost, and performance, the Dell XPS 15 is the ideal Windows laptop.The typical laptop screen size is from 13 to 18 inches, and the 15-inch display falls about in the center of that range.
And even while it’s not as powerful as some gaming laptops or as light as some ultraportables, the XPS 15 is still a great all-around Windows notebook that, if you’re willing to pay for a top-tier model, can be outfitted with some very potent hardware.
The XPS 15 is among the greatest Windows laptops you can purchase, despite being pricy if you want the best model (the OLED display upgrade is especially worth having if you can afford it, since it makes everything you do on the laptop appear nicer). This is because of its excellent design and adaptability.
The Dell XPS 15 is somewhat portable at 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.73 inches and weighs about 4.2 pounds, but it is still a little heavier than laptops that place a higher priority on thin and light designs. You’ll feel it in your shoulders at the end of the day, even if you can fit it in your bag and carry it through a work or schoolday.
The XPS 15’s 15.6-inch display has a beautiful appearance and seems to float in the air because of its InfinityEdge display’s tiny bezels. Getting work done or watching movies looks fantastic on the large, gorgeous screen—especially if you go for the 3.5K OLED display update.
When equipped with the newest parts, the Dell XPS 15 is a very competent computer. Our review unit’s Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD made it more than fast enough for our needs at the time of review. If you choose to upgrade this all-purpose ultraportable laptop with a discrete Nvidia laptop graphics card and additional RAM, it may also function as a respectable gaming laptop.
In our battery testing, the Dell XPS 15 device lasted little over 10 hours, which is decent but not exceptional considering that many MacBooks survive 12–15 hours.
