M2 MacBook Air: Since the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro debuted with Apple’s own M1 plastic tech powering them in 2020, Mac laptops have observed a little renaissance. The MacBook Air has come back to becoming an easy recommendation or de facto “no brainer” type of purchase for most of us, as the 13-inch MacBook Pro is just about the crowning glory Bar holdout once Apple revitalized its MacBook Pro line in 2021 with new 14- and 16-inch models. M2 MacBook Air However, after Apple’s recent WWDC bulletins, there exists a recently redesigned MacBook Air along with a spec-bumped 13-inch MacBook Pro, both releasing This summer.
The brand new 2022 MacBook Air brings a brand new design having a bigger 13.6-inch notched display plus some nice quality-of-existence upgrades like MagSafe charging along with a new 1080p webcam. Meanwhile, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is essentially exactly the same machine because the 2020 model, including a Touch Bar, has the brand new M2 Apple processor. So, how can they rival the MacBook Pros that rocked our collective nerdy worlds this past year using the M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs and also the reintroduction of plenty of ports?
A redesign and an also-ran
To start with, the MacBook Air looks fresh due to its thinner, non-wedge shape, and a bit more colorful options. It’s apt to be accessible in silver, gray, and starlight, plus a fast-ant “midnight,” beginning in the fundamental configuration by getting an eight-core M2 CPU with eight GPU cores, 256GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. It’s also got this type of 1080p webcam – finally, ignore 720p – and smaller sized bezels. Yet it elevated the display size to 13.6 inches, getting a larger resolution of 2560 x 1664. The underside model Air is a lot more pricey when compared with the 2020 version (that’s sticking around at $999), and chances are it will start at $1,199 if the launches within this summer time.
When it comes to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, it’s getting updated inside but additionally being left out with a few hardware choices that feel dated. It has exactly the same eight-core M2 CPU with 10 GPU cores the brand new Air could be configured with, but similar to the 2020 M2 MacBook Air model, it offers an admirer for longer use under heavier loads. Regrettably, it is also saddled along with other holdovers from the 2020 predecessor – exactly the same screen and chassis, exactly the same two-port options, zero MagSafe, and it is tied to the Touch Bar. Frankly, it appears as an odd choice this MacBook Pro is sticking around having a dated design and input method that’s basically eliminated, but it’s likely to start at $1,299 if this also launches This summer. Touch Bar stans rejoice, I suppose?
We’ll need to observe how the brand new MacBook Air and 13-inch M2 MacBook Air shake in our full review, on the other hand, here’s the way they rival the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops inside a spec-for-spec comparison.
2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro versus 2021 MacBook Pros
| Specification | MacBook Air (2022) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022) | 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021) | 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,199 | $1,299 | $1,999 | $2,499 |
| Display | 13.6-inch with a notch cutout | 13.3-inch | 14.2-inch with a notch cutout | 16.2-inch with a notch cutout |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2560 x 1600 | 3024 x 1964 | 3456 x 2234 |
| True Tone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Bar | No | Yes | No | No |
| Pixels per inch | 224 PPI | 227 PPI | 254 PPI | 254 PPI |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits | 1600 nits | 1600 nits |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Dimensions | 11.97 x 8.48 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 12.31 x 8.71 inches | 14.01 x 9.77 inches |
| Thickness | 0.44 inches | 0.61 inches | 0.61 inches | 0.66 inches |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds | 3 pounds | 3.5 pounds | 4.7 pounds (M1 Pro), 4.8 (M1 Max) |
| Quoted battery life (wireless web) | 15 hours | 17 hours | 11 hours | 14 hours |
| Quoted battery life (video) | 18 hours (Apple TV app) | 20 hours (Apple TV app) | 17 hours (Apple TV app) | 21 hours (Apple TV app) |
| CPU | Apple M2 8-core | Apple M2 8-core | Apple M1 Pro 8-core or 10-core or M1 Max 10-core | Apple M1 Pro 10-core or M1 Max 10-core |
| GPU | Apple M2 8-core or 10-core | Apple M2 8-core or 10-core | Apple M1 Pro 14-core, 16-core or Apple M1 Max 24-core, 32-core | Apple M1 Max 24-core or 32-core |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB or 24GB | 8GB, 16GB or 24GB | 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB | 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB | Up to 8TB NVMe SSD | Up to 8TB NVMe SSD |
| Ports | 2 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 support, MagSafe 3 Port | 2 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 support | 3 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 support, SDXC card slot, HDMI, MagSafe 3 Port | 3 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 support, SDXC card slot, HDMI, MagSafe 3 Port |
| Number of speakers | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 3.5mm headphone jack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front camera | 1080p | 720p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint reader | Fingerprint reader | Fingerprint reader | Fingerprint reader |
| Power adapter | Type-C, 30W or 35W dual (fast-charge with 67W power adapter) | Type-C, 67W | Type-C, 67W or 96W | Type-C, 140W |
| Colors | Silver, Starlight, Space Gray, Midnight | Silver, Space Gray | Silver, Space Gray | Silver, Space Gray |
| Wireless options | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
It might be difficult to contend with these beefy Pro machines, however, the 2022 MacBook Air shows some promise using these nice quality-of-existence enhancements. Obviously, one convenience the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros obtain that the brand new Air and 13-inch Pro lack is definitely a Sdcard slot. However that likely might have managed to get thicker than its very svelte 11mm, and when Apple did decide on that, it could result in the 13-inch Pro much more unattractive in comparison.
The MacBook landscape goes to appear different the following month when these new laptops launch. What specs inside a MacBook Air or Pro seem like the best match for you personally?