Midnight MacBook Air M2 is here! First impressions and photos thread

[Shorty89]

Loving the midnight blue

 

[Dealmans]

I had a feeling that would be the case -- that's legit real world drawback for sure

Well that's it, I didn't know that and have been using it for 2 days, mine is going back, also I eat bucket loads of kfc and fat dripping Big Macs.
All over red rover lol

 

[turbineseaplane]

Well that's it, I didn't know that and have been using it for 2 days, mine is going back, also I eat bucket loads of kfc and fat dripping Big Macs.
All over red rover lol

Well hey. You tried it at least!

Careful with whatever “red rover” is… that will show on the midnight finish for sure

 

[Dealmans]

Seeing lots of not great backlight bleed getting posted here.

there is one person, please show us the others?

 

[turbineseaplane]

there is one person, please show us the others?

I thought there were two so far.

My mistake.

Worth watching as more reviews come in.

Cheers

 

[Dealmans]

(dark room, high brightness, full screen). Thanks

Just tested mine, no light bleed.

 

[Francescop147]

Just received delivery of my M2 MBA in midnight, 8C/10C, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD. Original delivery estimate was July 18.

First impressions:

• The midnight colour is SEXY as. Dark navy blue in certain good lighting and changes to black in other angles
• Midnight is a fingerprint magnet. Every single touch will show up. That's what the polishing cloth is for right?
• The Apple logo on the lid is bigger than the M1 MBA (I have a skin with a cut out for the logo for the M1)
• Notch noticeable at first (never had the 14 MBP) but is starting to fade into the background
• Feels thinner and lighter than the M1 MBA in the hand.
• Substantially lighter than the iPad Pro 12.9" with smart keyboard
• Keyboard feels great to type on, and the non-wedge shape angle is a non issue. It feels more tactile than the M1 keyboard. Aren’t they the same?
• Speakers are directly under the screen now and not on the sides of the keyboard.

Will add more impressions as I start using it.

Some photos below. They don't do the midnight justice so pop into a store to check it out in person!

View attachment 2029908 View attachment 2029909 View attachment 2029911 View attachment 2029910 View attachment 2029912 View attachment 2029913 View attachment 2029915 View attachment 2029914

Here’s some pics of the new Midnight MacBook Air that I took!

 

[bbfc]

Here’s some pics of the new Midnight MacBook Air that I took!

Midnight looks so good!

 

[craumm]

Can we get Apple to give us all their $19 Polishing cloth with this model. The fingerprint issue is significant. Realized after using for 1 day.

 

[solideliquid]

What do you mean by you didn't use it? If you switched from the 14" Pro to the MBA you should expect to be a little disappointed with the screen and sound.

This has been my experience.

 

[snowmojo]

I loved the midnight but the fingerprinting was a deal killer so I returned it. Picked up an in-stock Space Gray instead - very happy with it.

 

[Boardiesboi]

New laptop looks great, enjoy it.
Do you have a link to the iPad wallpaper you’re using?

There you go

 

[drew0020]

I'll throw out some impressions:

• Coming from a Gold M1 Air, so M2 isn't life changing but appreciated
• I miss the warm Gold color of the M1 but Starlight is too Silver for me so went Midnight
• I owned the original black MacBook in 2006 - Midnight gives a similar vibe, but the deep blue tone is cooler
• The fingerprint thing is way overblown - wash your hands to get oils off and its a non issue (judging the color based on Apple Store models is nuts given the thousands of grubby hands that touch it all day)
• Buy a microfiber cleaning cloth and enjoy the color
• The design is nicer, but it's harder to pick up off a flat surface now that the edges aren't elevated by the bottom bulge
• Strange using such a dark color on a Mac after so many years of silver, gold, and space gray but that adds to the appeal of Midnight

View attachment 2030573 View attachment 2030572 View attachment 2030571

It honestly looks worse every time I see it. The Midnight color looks like my cheap Dell work laptop (worse on the fingerprints though), but of course a much better computer.

 

[d4rk]

The finger prints are real lol, mainly top and bottom, just touching with clean fingers leaves a print. Trackpad and either sides are ok.

That's the one thing that would put me off the Midnight color ... it's going to show a lot of chipping/nicks over time I think, especially around ports and edges

If that's a primary concern, silver is really the only color that avoids that issue

I am so torn... I have a Midnight on order (love the look of it) but I hate finger prints. I have a Space Gray that I wipe fingers print off. I have looked at Silver online but it's so just Silver.

That sounds like the black plastic MacBooks.

My first Mac was the black MacBook and I loved it. Fingerprints and all. I’ve ordered the Midnight color and also ordered the Matte Black Dbrand full body skin. I’m going to practice putting a Drand skin on my Steam Deck first. I’m hoping this will give a really nice black look without any of the fingerprint issues. Then any of it that’s not covered by skin won’t stand out as much as it would if it was space gray or silver.

 

[turbineseaplane]

My first Mac was the black MacBook and I loved it. Fingerprints and all.

As you quoted about the chipping, it should be noted that your black MacBook was plastic and thus the chipping of paint color wasn't really a thing in the same way it is with the all metal units now.

 

[d4rk]

As you quoted about the chipping, it should be noted that your black MacBook was plastic and thus the chipping of paint color wasn't really a thing in the same way it is with the all metal units now.

That’s true but we had to deal with the plastic cracking and eventually the black plastic color would peel back slightly after a few years.

I had a Black & Slate iPhone 5 which looks very similar to Midnight. Same thing there. It would chip over time around the ports and edges. It didn’t bother me but I completely understand why that will bother some people.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

It's a computer. A machine.

Not fine jewellery you keep in the safe for 364.5 days of the year.

This is getting a bit insane

This is what I've been saying for days. People seem to be more concerned with the overall aesthetic of the machine, more-so than the actual functionality. I'm not sure about everyone else, but when I'm using a laptop, I don't notice fingerprints. Maybe that's because I spend more time actually looking at the screen, as opposed to the outside lid, but I digress.

I get it though. I understand that people probably won't be able to show their face in their local Starbucks with a MacBook covered in fingerprints. You certainly can't have your latest status symbol covered in smudges for all the total strangers to see & judge.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

What made you upgrade from the M1 to the M2?

I just wanted the new design of the Air. M1 is still amazing though compared to any Intel Mac.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

I'll throw out some impressions:

• Coming from a Gold M1 Air, so M2 isn't life changing but appreciated
• I miss the warm Gold color of the M1 but Starlight is too Silver for me so went Midnight
• I owned the original black MacBook in 2006 - Midnight gives a similar vibe, but the deep blue tone is cooler
• The fingerprint thing is way overblown - wash your hands to get oils off and its a non issue (judging the color based on Apple Store models is nuts given the thousands of grubby hands that touch it all day)
• Buy a microfiber cleaning cloth and enjoy the color
• The design is nicer, but it's harder to pick up off a flat surface now that the edges aren't elevated by the bottom bulge
• Strange using such a dark color on a Mac after so many years of silver, gold, and space gray but that adds to the appeal of Midnight

View attachment 2030573 View attachment 2030572 View attachment 2030571

Awesome setup there & the midnight looks great!

 

[happyslayer]

Just tested mine, no light bleed.

Just tested my midnight base M2 Air as well, went into a dark closet... no light bleed.

 

[cmbarclay]

My first Mac was the black MacBook and I loved it. Fingerprints and all. I’ve ordered the Midnight color and also ordered the Matte Black Dbrand full body skin. I’m going to practice putting a Drand skin on my Steam Deck first. I’m hoping this will give a really nice black look without any of the fingerprint issues. Then any of it that’s not covered by skin won’t stand out as much as it would if it was space gray or silver.

Well I went to the Apple Store in Glendale, CA today, they had a MBA M2 in Gray 8/10 cores, 16gb/1TB and I bought it. So Space Gray it is. I did look at all the new colors, I did see some finger print on the black and I tried to put mine on... didn't seem to be the finger print magnet I keep reading about.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

Well I went to the Apple Store in Glendale, CA today, they had a MBA M2 in Gray 8/10 cores, 16gb/1TB and I bought it. So Space Gray it is. I did look at all the new colors, I did see some finger print on the black and I tried to put mine on... didn't seem to be the finger print magnetic I keep reading about.

Well either way, you got the best color. You can never go wrong with Space Gray.

 

[calstanford]

Did something I'd never expect I'd do. Went to the Apple Store to check out the new colours. I've had Midnight on order (with a delivery next week for 24GB/2TB) as I love the idea of a blue Mac. Sadly it wasn't very blue but very grey instead.

Now, I wouldn't say it looked BAD in the store. But honestly I was disappointed after spending some time with it. The fingerprint thing is real. I was in the store 15mins after it opened early Sunday morning, so there were very few customers. All the devices were freshly cleaned and the Midnight Macbook looked horrid. You can see every print. The shop personal actively tried to discourage me from buying it as they were tired of wiping it already.

Next to it they had Starlight. Now, while I am not a fan of silvery Macs (if anything I loved the yellow Gold of the 2017 Macbook I owned), the Starlight one looks like fine jewlery next to the Midnight. You can't see prints and the colour has something that just says value.

In contrast after spending 10 mins with the Midnight model and stepping away and towards it, it reminded me of a generic PC laptop. Guess it doesn't help I owned Thinkpads 20 years ago...

So off I went, canceled my online order and made a new one for Starlight. Sadly now it's a 3 week wait instead of 1 but I don't regret it one bit.

 

[Caviar_X]

Finally more pix of the starlight. I ordered that color and I can’t wait to see it in person.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

amazing setup ! thanks for the real world update - can't wait to get one myself (had the original black macbook back in the day as well)

Many people on here may not know, but this thing in an Apple Store circa 2006 was like seeing a unicorn 🦄 drinking from a desert 🏜️ oasis. Just a sea of white polycarbonate and this dark black MacBook standing out. I loved it.