MacBook Air M2 (2022): thinner, lighter and more powerful than ever

Ever since Apple launched its line of lightweight computers in 2008, the MacBook Air —when Steve Jobs took the first in a yellow envelope —, there was always a fairly clear definition of the audience they were addressing. The Air, by definition, is aimed at a more casual audience that doesn’t need as much processing power and ultimately prefers the device’s lightness, portability and sleekness over its power.

On the other hand, the MacBook Pro aimed to experienced users, that is, an audience that demands the best of the best in terms of performance, graphics, memory and performance. A difference that is also reflected in the price: the Air can be considerably cheaper than its larger Pro brothers.

But that all changed at the end of 2020 with the introduction of Apple’s proprietary chip, the M1. The performance of this processor – used in its recent laptops but also in the latest iMacs, Mac Minis and iPads – has blown the industry away in terms of efficiency and power.

To make matters worse, in June this year the second generation of the chip debuted, the M2, of course even more powerful than its predecessor. It is precisely this engine that powers the fourth generation of the MacBook Air, thinner, lighter and brighter than the previous version. But that’s not all. Let’s examine it more carefully.

• Cut : 1.13 x 30.4 x 21.5cm.
• lester : 1.24kg
• Filter : 13.6″ Retina IPS LED display (2560 x 1664) 500 nits True Tone
• Drums : 52.6 watt-hours (up to 18 hours of video playback according to the manufacturer)
• Processor : Apple M2 with 8 processor cores (4 high performance and 4 high performance)
• Memory : 8 GB (configurable up to 24 GB)
• Storage : 512 GB SSD (configurable up to 2 TB)
• connectivity : Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0
• Sound : four speakers, Dolby Atmos and three directional microphones
• Camera : Facetime HD 1080p
• ports : 1 MagSafe 3 / 2 USB-C / Thunderbolt / 1 Jack 3.5mm
• Operating system :macOS Monterey

As always, due to the dedicated effort that goes into its packaging, coupled with the feeling of encountering the product for the first time, taking an Apple product out of its box is a pleasure in itself. Inside the white packaging we find the device —very light, only 1.24 kg—, which immediately catches the eye due to the great changes that its new design presents.

Also included in the box is a new reinforced cable (finally), with the return of the traditional Magsafe 3 charging socket – which immediately frees up an ever-useful USB-C/Thunderbolt port – and a 30-watt USB-C charger.

The chassis is still solid recycled aluminum and the color of the portable The one we had to review was the silver model, although it also comes in other hues such as Midnight Black (my favorite), Starry White and Space Grey. The color of the reinforced power cable matches that of the computer. Nice detail.

When opening the screen (something that can be done with just one finger), we find the MacBook Air’s new interior design. What is most striking is that the traditional decline of its design (the famous corner, in the shape of a point) no longer exists. We now have a much flatter and more uniform look, very similar to the 14″ Pro 2021 model – in fact, side by side they are easily confused – but with an even thinner (only 11.3mm thick) thinness than the previous generation and a featherweight which clearly makes it an ultra-portable device. With this they also gain a somewhat larger screen (13.6 inches).

The new details that the MacBook Air M2 presents are numerous: starting with the biometric reader at the top left -which is also the power button-, much larger and more comfortable to use than before. It also gives the impression that the response time it has is also faster: sometimes it seems that you don’t even have to put your finger on the key for the screen to be already on. The reader is also used to make instant purchases, open protected documents, access websites or validate downloads, among other uses. Very useful.

The keyboard – or magic keyboard, as they like to call it, it is very comfortable, quiet and convenient to use. Gone, for better or for worse, the famous touch bar on the keyboard. Personally, I’m happy. From touchpad nothing to say: impeccable size and sensitivity.

The hinge is very precise, although it has a slight vibration on the screen when you leave it where you want it and start typing. In it, behind grilles, some of its four speakers are also hidden, which bounce the sound off the screen so that it reaches the user.

Perhaps the only visual detail that makes noise is the length notch at the top of the screen, where the front camera is. It feels like it could have fit perfectly into its scaled-down frame, even if it doesn’t get in the way of the experience too much. The webcam – well – it’s 1080p, full high definition, although when meeting via Zoom or the like I didn’t notice a significant increase in resolution. I hope others have seen the difference.

On the right side, towards the corner, we have a solitary but still useful 3.5″ jack input for headphones. On the left is the power port with MagSafe magnets (perhaps the best connector ever, which attaches like it has a life of its own) and two USB-C/Thunderbolt inputs – possibly very little – which, in addition to connecting other devices, allow charging or use a monitor up to 6K.

The screen is a Liquid Retina, of course, with True Tone technology and slightly larger than previous generations. There is more space and it is appreciable. Of course, there is no ProMotion (a mode that allowed automatic adjustment of the screen refresh rate), but 120 Hz is guaranteed, so you can always count on a smooth experience of animation and visual transitions .

In addition, Apple has increased the brightness of its display to 500 nits, so the overall display – independent of ambient light – is extremely rich and with very vivid colors. The visual is 13.6-inches, which might not be as noticeable compared to the MacBook Air M1 – they’re 0.3-inches longer – but it’s definitely a space saver. Considering the overall dimensions of this model are smaller, the fact that they were able to include a larger screen is a tremendous achievement.

The sound is also very good. It’s a four-speaker system that enables technologies like Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. Compared to two other competing laptops, the one that demonstrated the best sound quality was the MacBook Air, with cleaner and more powerful sound than its competitors.

In addition to everything that works, the details offered by the macOS environment are very nice, from the possibility of unlocking the device from the clock, answering iPhone calls from the computer, to using an iPad as a second screen. The integration, as Apple has accustomed us to it, is very good.

Apple claims that the Air M2’s battery can last up to 18 hours of use on a full charge. In our first impressions, the performance was remarkable, with only a 10% reduction in power after a few hours of intense work, with several applications open such as Spotify, WhatsApp, browser, social media applications, videos and text documents .

Charging the device fully, from 0 to 100%, takes approximately 150 minutes (2.5 hours) if the 30W adapter is used. Apple sells a 67W charger separately which, having more than double the power, cuts times by more than half.

As for storage, the model we used for testing has 512GB of solid-state memory (SSD), which for most users should be more or less sufficient. Anyway, there are models up to 2TB (and a cheaper one with 256GB, who raised some controversy for his performances ).

The star, of course, is the machine’s processor. Apple’s proprietary octa-core chip, the M2, isn’t a game-changer like its predecessor (which put all the competition to the test), but it’s 1.4 times faster, a huge improvement that adds even more more to the power to live.

In this sense, the 8 GB of RAM is more than enough. Similar to how it happened in the also mentioned iPad Air. Although there is also the possibility of having models with more memory, up to 24 GB, but it can be a little… a lot.

And therein lies the key to the experience that makes the MacBook Air a delight: from the moment it’s turned on to the moment the lid closes, it’s easy to use. After a few weeks of exploring, there was never any hint of overheating or lagging, and that the device does not include a fan but a passive cooling system.

Given that I’m a regular MacBook Pro user, I personally think this MacBook Air M2 is a welcome refresher that reframes my laptop needs. In other words, with a few exceptions, such as really demanding and constant graphics work, is it really necessary to have a MacBook Pro? Or is the Air version all we really need? For my part, I have already crossed the bridge.

With its M2 line, Apple has blurred the line between the MacBook Pro and the Air. For the vast majority of users, what this new version of the Air brings will be more than enough to have a powerful, optimal and long-lasting session of use, useful for working, having fun or communicating, in a device that is also very light and pleasant to use.

The Californian company has just set a new standard for laptops. Add this new thin and light design to the powerful M2 chip, setting the bar high for the rest of the laptop industry. A weakness? Its very high price.

Note: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

*Prices for products in this item are current as of August 17, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.