15-inch MacBook Air M2 Review: What’s new?

June 20, 2023, 08:02 AM
by Md. Mehedi Hasan

UNB News
Publish- June 20, 2023, 08:02 AM
Md. Mehedi Hasan
Update- June 20, 2023, 08:58 AM

15-inch MacBook Air M2 Review: What’s new?

Apple brings MacBook Air M2 15"

Apple enthusiasts and tech enthusiasts alike have eagerly awaited the arrival of the highly anticipated 15-inch MacBook Air. With its larger screen size and enhanced features, this latest addition aims to redefine the consumer laptop experience. Released on June 13th, the MacBook Air 15-inch M2 is generating tremendous buzz as Apple's online store prepares for the surge of eager customers. This article delves into the latest features, pros and cons of Apple’s latest Macbook Air M2 15-inch model.

Key Specs of 15-inch MacBook Air M2

Design

The 15-inch iteration of the MacBook Air, powered by the M2 chip, adheres to the design principles established by its 13-inch counterpart. Its sleek and lightweight construction remains a focal point. The laptop retains a flat and uniform chassis, featuring elegant flat edges.

With dimensions of 13.4 x 9.3 x 0.45 inches and weighing a mere 3.3 pounds, the MacBook Air 15-inch M2 is among the thinnest and lightest laptops available. With a 0.45-inch thickness, the M2 claims to be the slimmest 15-inch laptop in the market. Noteworthy competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 and Dell XPS 15 OLED (2023), measure 0.5 and 0.71 inches in thickness, respectively.

Different colour options of 15" MacBook Air M2

Despite its slightly larger size and increased weight compared to the 13-inch model, carrying the new Air with one hand is effortless, thanks to exceptional weight distribution. It remains true to its "Air" moniker by maintaining a lightweight essence. Additionally, when compared to the bulkier 16-inch MacBook Pro 2023, the 15-inch MacBook Air almost disappears into a backpack during travel.

Encased in a meticulously machined aluminium chassis, the MacBook Air 15-inch M2 exudes durability and solidity. The smooth finish enhances the tactile pleasure of handling the device.

Display

The standout feature of this laptop is its large 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, which offers a native resolution of 2,880p by 1,864p and presents vivid and vibrant visuals. The display excels at various tasks such as watching videos, browsing the web, and editing photos.

In terms of color accuracy, the 15-inch MacBook Air outperforms its 13-inch counterpart with a Delta-E score of 0.17 (lower scores indicate better performance), compared to the 0.22 achieved by the smaller model. Both laptops surpass the XPS 15 OLED, which scored 0.24 in the same test. The display of the device shows much brightness, as Apple has once more implemented a 500 nits brightness level for HDR brightness.

Port

The left side of this advanced laptop features two Thunderbolt or USB 4 ports, providing connectivity and high-speed data transfer capabilities. Additionally, the iconic MagSafe power adapter makes a comeback, offering efficient charging functionality.

On the right edge, there is a dedicated headphone jack, catering to those who prefer wired headphones or face battery life challenges with wireless options. While the inclusion of MagSafe charging is commendable, the absence of an additional USB-C port on the right side may be disappointing to some, considering the notebook's size. However, this aligns with the evolutionary path set by the smaller 13-inch model.

Touchpad and Keyboard

The 15-inch MacBook Air boasts a spacious and highly responsive keyboard, which stands out as a notable feature. The keys offer a satisfying level of snap and have an optimal travel distance, striking a balance between being neither too short nor too long. Typing on this laptop feels almost as efficient as using top-tier mechanical keyboards.

In terms of the touchpad, it benefits from a size increase compared to the 13-inch Air model, resulting in improved accuracy and responsiveness. The additional space allows for the seamless execution of gestures such as swiping and pinching to zoom. Despite its larger size, accidental touchpad grazing while typing is a non-issue.

MacBook Air 15-inch M2

Performance and Software

Apple employs the M2 chip in 15.3-inch MacBook Air models. Acting as the successor to the M1, the M2 features an 8-core CPU, similar to the M1, but with support for eight or ten GPU cores, an improvement from the seven or eight cores in the M1.

The M2 chip utilises advanced 5-nanometer technology, resulting in enhanced performance per watt. With 20 billion transistors, 25 percent more than the M1, it delivers improved memory bandwidth at 100GB/s.

Compared to the M1, the M2 chip demonstrates notable advancements. It is 1.4 times faster than the M1 and 15 times faster than previous Intel-based MacBook Air options. The CPU offers an 18 percent speed boost, the GPU is 35 percent more powerful, and the Neural Engine performs 40 percent faster. Geekbench benchmarks verify that the M2 chip surpasses the M1 chip by up to 20 percent in multi-core performance.

In terms of memory and storage, the M2 MacBook Air accommodates up to 24GB of unified memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The base models are equipped with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage.

Gaming and Graphics

The MacBook Air 15-inch excels in everyday computing and light photo/video editing but falls short in gaming due to limited third-party support. Games optimised for Apple silicon perform well, as seen with Resident Evil Village.

Compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Max chip and 64GB RAM, the 15-inch Air's M2 chip delivers lower framerates, reaching around the high 50s with MetalFX disabled and a locked 60fps with it enabled. Non-MetalFX games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Civilization VI showed lower framerates, with the latter performing better.

In comparison to the XPS 15 OLED Windows laptop, the MacBook Air trailed in gaming capabilities. The 15-inch Air boasts impressive battery life, averaging around 14 hours and 59 minutes in the Tom's Guide battery test, surpassing the 13-inch Air but falling short of the MacBook Pro's epic 18 hours and 20 minutes.

Audio

The six-speaker sound system is one of the most significant enhancements found in this laptop compared to its 13-inch counterpart. While the 4-speaker sound system of the smaller model was already impressive, the new laptop's speakers surpass it in terms of audio performance. The sound quality of this laptop is comparable to that of the latest MacBook Pros, which also feature a 6-speaker sound system.

Webcam

The 15-inch MacBook Air features a 1080p webcam, which may not match the quality of top-tier webcams. However, it proves suitable for video calls and even taking selfies. A photo taken in a nighttime setting indoors exhibits some softness.

Battery Life

The 15-inch MacBook Air, provided by Apple, includes a 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter. One advantage of this adapter is the ability to charge another device simultaneously. Alternatively, you can opt for a 70W charger without any additional cost, though this option only provides a single charging port.

Notably, the MacBook Air 15-inch operates without a fan, which may raise concerns about heat dissipation. Fortunately, the laptop maintains a relatively cool temperature.

Official Price of 15" MacBook Air M2

In India, the starting price for the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch 2023 laptop, featuring the Apple M2 chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and running on MacOS, is Rs 1,34,900 or BDT 1,77,642. The conversion rate here is Rs 1 equals Tk 1.32. However, the official price of this device in Bangladesh may change due to tax and other issues.

Pros and Cons of 15" MacBook Air M2

Pros

-Sleek and lightweight design with a flat and uniform chassis
-Large 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display
-Spacious and highly responsive keyboard
-Improved touchpad accuracy and responsiveness
-M2 chip with enhanced performance
-Advanced 5-nanometer technology
-Silent operation without the need for fans
-Extended battery life
-6-speaker sound system

Cons

-Limited gaming capabilities due to limited third-party support
-Lower framerates compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro
-Webcam quality may not match top-tier webcams.

Conclusion

The 15-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip provides solid performance for everyday computing tasks. It features a 15-inch display that is well-suited for watching videos and browsing the web. With a remarkable 15-hour battery life, it offers exceptional endurance. The laptop showcases an elegant design.

For those seeking a smaller MacBook, the MacBook Air provides similar performance at a lower price point. Alternatively, the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 offers better performance at a higher cost. The Dell XPS 15 OLED presents itself as a compelling non-Apple alternative.

It stands out as a leading choice among Apple laptops. On the whole, the MacBook Air 15-inch M2 provides excellent value for its price and performance.