Hey guys, it’s Kevin, and this…
is the M2 MacBook Air.
So, I’ve been using it for about two weeks now, and it’s the MacBook most people should buy.
In this video, I’ll give you my overall thoughts of using it,
how it compares to the 14” MacBook Pro,
and the specs I would recommend upgrading.
So, let’s get started.
When Steve Jobs first introduced the MacBook Air in 2008,
it was the world’s thinnest notebook.
It had the iconic wedge shaped design, a full size display, and a full size keyboard.
And ever since then, there were some display and keyboard upgrades (or downgrades),
but the wedge shape stayed the same…
until now.
The whole notebook is flat, which I like, and it’s just 11.3 mm thin.
Here it is compared to the 14” MacBook Pro, which is 15.5 mm thin.
And the Air is about the same thinness as just the bottom of the Pro.
There are four finishes this time,
the usual Space Gray and Silver, and the new Midnight and Starlight.
I'll be sure to link this in the description box below.
Starlight is a faded gold color, and Midnight is a really dark blue.
It makes Space Gray look like silver,
and Midnight can look like matte black depending on the lighting.
I like it more than Space Gray, but there are two downsides.
The first being it’s a fingerprint magnet.
It’s impossible to keep it clean just like the stainless steel band on the Pro iPhones.
And the second is paint issues.
I’m very careful when I plug stuff in, but the paint is scratched around the ports.
Just something to keep in mind if you do get this color.
Just like the 14” and 16” MacBook Pros, Apple added back MagSafe.
And the included braided cable is color matched unlike the MacBook Pro, which only came in silver.
They also included midnight colored Apple stickers, which is a nice touch.
Now, you have access to both Thunderbolt 3 ports while charging.
And it supports fast charging up to 50% in 30 minutes
with the optional 67W USB-C Power Adapter.
I do wish Apple added a USB-C port on both sides.
Things can get a little tight when all of the ports are in use.
The SD card slot and HDMI port is only on the Pro models,
but both models have a headphone jack which supports high impedance headphones.
The display is new, and it's bigger at 13.6" and brighter at 500 nits.
The bezels are thinner than the M1 MacBook Air, but not as thin as the Pro.
The Air also adopted the notch, which is... fine,
and it has the new 1080p camera, which is also... fine.
Once you're using the MacBook Air, you won't even notice the notch.
Compared to the Pro models, this is a Liquid Retina display, LED-backlit, and at 60 Hz.
So, no XDR display with mini-LED at 120 Hz.
One thing to note is that Apple made the default resolution at 2940 by 1912
instead of the native 2560 by 1664.
It offers more space but at the expense of a less sharp resolution.
I think Apple chose this because most customers won't be able to tell the difference
and would prefer more screen real estate.
Apple's keyboards are always great to type on, with the exception of the years of butterfly switches.
The keyboard is the same at the MacBook Pro, but it does sound a little deeper.
Maybe it's just me.
There's a full height function row and a Touch ID/Power Button in the top right corner.
Apple's trackpads are great as well, and it's still the best trackpad in any notebook.
It's easily clickable anywhere and pressure sensitive thanks to the taptic engine and force sensors.
The speaker grills are no longer present on the M2 MacBook Air.
That's because Apple added a new four-speaker sound system in the hinge.
They sound pretty good, not as much bass as the Pro, but good enough for entertainment stuff.
So, this MacBook Air is a joy to carry around.
I take this instead of the iPad Pro since it's lighter, and it's a real computer.
I can easily hold it with one hand and use the keyboard and trackpad with the other.
I can even hold it like an iPad and use it that way.
I love using this everyday.
And going back to the 14" MacBook Pro makes it feel thick and heavy.
If this had the power of the Pro, then I wouldn't mind using this as my daily machine.
But that's not what Apple designed this for.
Ok, I got the base model M2 MacBook Air with an
8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, and 256GB SSD Storage.
I’ve been using it for the past two weeks for everyday tasks like
web browsing, checking emails, and watching videos.
I also used it for work with Microsoft Office.
And I did some occasional photo and video editing.
The M2 chip performed great, but as soon as I started video editing,
that’s where I noticed some performance issues.
I once had 10GB of swap memory while editing a 4K video.
Again, this is a base, model, MacBook Air
and combine that with the slower SSD speeds from the single module, it’s expected.
Other than that, this can handle everyday stuff and office work flawlessly.
Alright, the battery life on this is incredible.
It can last me almost two days on a single charge.
I don’t do anything CPU or GPU intensive on this machine though,
just normal and work activities.
There was a tip I saw on social media for more battery life.
With the included cable, plug one end to the USB-C port,
and the other end to the MagSafe port,
and the MacBook Air will begin charging itself.
Infinite Power.
So, this M2 MacBook Air starts at $1199.
It’s $200 more than the M1 MacBook Air, which Apple is still keeping in the lineup.
I used that for a year, and it’s a great notebook and still is but with an outdated design.
If you wanted to eliminate that SSD speed issue I mentioned before,
then it’ll be an extra $200 for 512GB,
bringing this to a $1400 notebook.
But, if you wanted to use the Air for years and “future proof” it,
then you’d probably want to upgrade it to a
10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, and at least 1TB of storage.
And that’ll cost $1900,
and it’s only $100 less than the base model M1 Pro MacBook Pro,
which is worth considering.
Both MacBooks have their pros and cons, and it’ll depend on your workflow.
The MacBook Air is thinner, lighter, has longer battery life,
comes in Starlight and Midnight, completely fanless, and it’s cheaper.
The MacBook Pro on the other hand is more expensive, but it has a bigger screen,
and brighter with mini-LED, 120 Hz ProMotion,
the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip and a fan for active cooling, and more ports.
If you’re going to be doing every day stuff and the occasional photo and video editing,
and you value extreme portability,
then the M2 MacBook Air with at least 512GB of storage will be great.
But, if you’re going to be doing creative things every day like photo editing, video editing, and animations,
then the 14” MacBook Pro is a better choice.
And that's it for my review of the M2 MacBook Air.
Overall, I like it a lot.
Maybe I could have the MacBook Pro docked and use it as a desktop.
And use the MacBook Air when ever I’m away from my desk.
If you enjoyed this video,
then you might like to check out my review of the 14” MacBook Pro
and my top features in macOS Ventura.
Please like, comment, and subscribe,
and I’ll catch you guys in the next one. Bye!