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15" review embargo
- Thread starter h.gilbert
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Here is my review. Typed this from jail due to breaking the NDA.
"The new 15" MacBook Air has been updated, and it’s the biggest update to the Air since it originally debuted, it's now 15".
These kinds of changes are a big deal because the Air is the default laptop option for millions of people. Beyond that, the Air sets the standard for thin and light laptops that every other manufacturer chases.
In addition to the design and hardware changes, this new Air has Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2. It also comes with a low price tag — it starts at $1,299. As a result, Apple is keeping the M2 model for larger laptops, specifically to provide an option for the many MacBook Air buyers that don’t want to spend much more on a 16" MacBook Pro.
The new MacBook Air borrows a lot of its design and shape from the 13" M2 MacBook Air. It’s symmetrical and squared off, with a more brutalist presentation than prior MacBook Air models.
Yet it’s remarkably thin — just a smidge over 11 millimeters — and that thinness is immediately noticeable when you open the lid and start typing on it. It’s also noticed whenever you slot it into a bag or carry it around.
Despite that thinner profile and lighter weight, the new Air is no less solid or well-built than before. The chassis is stiff, the lid has next to zero flex, and it still can be opened with a single finger. Apple remains at the top of the field when it comes to build quality and fit and finish, and the new Air is no exception.
In addition to its shape, the new 15" Air borrows the resurrected MagSafe charging connector from the 13" M2 MacBook Air, which lets you charge the laptop without worrying that tripping over the cable will send the computer tumbling to the floor. It even comes with a color-matched braided cable in the box, something you don’t get on the more expensive Pro models.
But it’s still only two ports, and both are on the left-hand side. It’d have been great to have ports on the right side, too, and while it’s perhaps a pipe dream at this point, a USB-A port is still very useful for a lot of accessories. You’ll have to keep that USB-C hub in your bag after all.
Lastly, Apple is still limiting the new Air to a single external display, so if you want to plug your laptop into more than one monitor at a time, you’ll need to step up to a 14-inch MacBook Pro (which supports up to four external displays) or figure out some other workaround.
Unfortunately, just like the 13" M2 MacBook Air model, the new 15" Air now has a notch in its display. And just like on those other models, the notch presents some real issues when I’m using the computer.
We were able to test the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and sure enough, the storage is a lot slower than the M2 models with 512GB. Unless you’re able to get the base model 15" M2 Air on sale for a sizable discount, I’d stay away from it.
In my battery testing, the 15" M2 Air performed exactly the same as the 13" M2 Air model. That means I got between eight and 10 hours of real-world use out of it with the display set to a comfortable 200 nits of brightness and using Chrome, Slack, multiple Spaces, all my menu bar apps, Zoom calls, and lots of other inefficient things I do throughout the day.
The new 15" MacBook Air is a success. It’s got a bigger screen and better speakers."
"The new 15" MacBook Air has been updated, and it’s the biggest update to the Air since it originally debuted, it's now 15".
These kinds of changes are a big deal because the Air is the default laptop option for millions of people. Beyond that, the Air sets the standard for thin and light laptops that every other manufacturer chases.
In addition to the design and hardware changes, this new Air has Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2. It also comes with a low price tag — it starts at $1,299. As a result, Apple is keeping the M2 model for larger laptops, specifically to provide an option for the many MacBook Air buyers that don’t want to spend much more on a 16" MacBook Pro.
The new MacBook Air borrows a lot of its design and shape from the 13" M2 MacBook Air. It’s symmetrical and squared off, with a more brutalist presentation than prior MacBook Air models.
Yet it’s remarkably thin — just a smidge over 11 millimeters — and that thinness is immediately noticeable when you open the lid and start typing on it. It’s also noticed whenever you slot it into a bag or carry it around.
Despite that thinner profile and lighter weight, the new Air is no less solid or well-built than before. The chassis is stiff, the lid has next to zero flex, and it still can be opened with a single finger. Apple remains at the top of the field when it comes to build quality and fit and finish, and the new Air is no exception.
In addition to its shape, the new 15" Air borrows the resurrected MagSafe charging connector from the 13" M2 MacBook Air, which lets you charge the laptop without worrying that tripping over the cable will send the computer tumbling to the floor. It even comes with a color-matched braided cable in the box, something you don’t get on the more expensive Pro models.
But it’s still only two ports, and both are on the left-hand side. It’d have been great to have ports on the right side, too, and while it’s perhaps a pipe dream at this point, a USB-A port is still very useful for a lot of accessories. You’ll have to keep that USB-C hub in your bag after all.
Lastly, Apple is still limiting the new Air to a single external display, so if you want to plug your laptop into more than one monitor at a time, you’ll need to step up to a 14-inch MacBook Pro (which supports up to four external displays) or figure out some other workaround.
Unfortunately, just like the 13" M2 MacBook Air model, the new 15" Air now has a notch in its display. And just like on those other models, the notch presents some real issues when I’m using the computer.
We were able to test the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and sure enough, the storage is a lot slower than the M2 models with 512GB. Unless you’re able to get the base model 15" M2 Air on sale for a sizable discount, I’d stay away from it.
In my battery testing, the 15" M2 Air performed exactly the same as the 13" M2 Air model. That means I got between eight and 10 hours of real-world use out of it with the display set to a comfortable 200 nits of brightness and using Chrome, Slack, multiple Spaces, all my menu bar apps, Zoom calls, and lots of other inefficient things I do throughout the day.
The new 15" MacBook Air is a success. It’s got a bigger screen and better speakers."
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i’m just going to ask ChatGPT to write me some reviews that I can read instead of waiting haha
You would have gotten double the battery life if you didn't use Chrome.
I believe it's usually a week after the announcement/initial orders, so probably Monday PST (Tuesday for those of us in NZ/the future).
What does the notch affect? Applications such as Photoshop with a long menu bar have the menu items wrap around the notch so nothing is missed. Videos do not go edge to edge on the screen but not a big deal. The notch is generally in the menu bar area so no real useful application space is lost.
I don't find the notch to be an issue and is basically ignored in my everyday use. I suspect for most it is just something to complain about, to find fault, in an otherwise quite solid product. If the notch is that much of a problem, the Microsoft Surface Pro laptops do not have a notch. Problem solved.
I sort of look at this way. I am certain that Apple had a lot of design people, ergonomic people, simulations, and testers actually using the screen with the notch. Probably even simulated on other Apple computer products. I don't think it was a design choice taken lightly by Apple.
There have been a few bone-headed design decisions by Apple; that round mouse!, the lack of CTL-C, CTL-V using instead Command-C, etc. Those are just my opinion. And you know what? Apple never asked me my opinion.
After using an Air for almost a year now I don't even notice the notch as it has not affected anything I do on the machine. It is in the menu bar for the app, the menus avoid the notch, so it not a big deal. I figure the notch is here to stay for some time.
In the increasing demand to maximize the screen space with thin bezels I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the other laptop manufacturers do the same thing and have their own notch. And over time creative ways will be found to minimize the impact.
It isn't, but what is there to really match? There is silver and darker silver.
I agree on the round mouse, but Command-C is so much better than CTRL-C as the keys are much closer, and therefore easier to do one-handed. I use a Mac at home, but currently using Windows at work, so have to swap between them. I much prefer the Mac way.
I saw it today in my youtuber friend's office and it's the new macbook for the masses for sure. Lighter than my 14" mbp and plenty of performance! awesome device!
Excellent. I am the other way around as I prefer the distance between the keys and find using the Control key much easier. I was windows born and raised starting with Windows 3.0, many, many moons ago. I might think differently if I started within the Mac ecosystem.
I bought the MacBook Air M1 so I could learn more about the Apple systems. When the M2 Air came out I upgraded as I wanted the MagSafe and a slightly larger screen. I still use my W11 desktop for photography as I have dual monitors and that machine is a screamer. Installed W11 in 45 seconds, normal boot time from power off is 10 seconds. With 64 Gig of memory Photoshop seems to be much happier with dozens of layers in images. Or maybe it is my imagination.
I do run parallels on the Mac. I need Quicken while on the road. I can convert my Windows Quicken file to the Mac version, but not the other way around. The interface on the Mac is funky and makes it very difficult to do some items with investments. So I stay in both environments and continue to complain about CTL-C, CTL-V and probably will for a long time.
New MacBook Pros come with color-matched MagSafe charging cables - 9to5Mac
There are a bunch of notable changes with the new MacBook Pro models, including the M2 Pro and M2 Max...
9to5mac.com
The cable color absolutely doesn’t match. The connecting MagSafe piece does, but the cable doesn’t.New MacBook Pros come with color-matched MagSafe charging cables - 9to5Mac
There are a bunch of notable changes with the new MacBook Pro models, including the M2 Pro and M2 Max...