Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Anchor
Google PlayThe MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular computer. For many, the MBA suits all their business needs in a lightweight, stylish form factor. But the MacBook Air has never really been the computer for me. I’m a designer, a motion graphics artist, an editor, and content creator, so for me, I always would opt for the MacBook Pro. The Apple computer which contained additional power and features that was better suited for my work flows. This new M2 MacBook Air update has additional power and features that are closing the gap between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that may make this computer a more attractive form factor for content creators.
If you are in the market for a new Apple computer you may be asking yourself, should I go with the MacBook Air M1 or M2, or should I go for the MacBook Pro? Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s new MacBook Air M2.
Speaking of color, there are four: Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Midnight. They’re all very business professional, with Starlight and Midnight being the two new colors. While there are 4 colors in total, I think the MacBook Air begs to get the iMac treatment with their 7 new vibrant colors.
In true MacBook Air fashion, this thing is very lightweight. At 2.7 lbs, it didn’t seem unusually light mainly because the sturdy, yet thin (11.3mm) design makes it feel substantial and hardy. However, when directly compared to a 14in.’ MacBook Pro, which was less than a pound heavier (3.5 lbs.), the difference was clear, and the MacBook Air feels really light. While so much of the design language is taken from the new MBP, this is a thinner laptop with Mag Safe, and fewer ports.
The funny thing about the power adapter, is that you may not find yourself using it too often. The battery life on the MBA is incredible. I found myself using it all day and not needing a charge. Apple has rated the battery as being able to do 15 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback. That amongst other things makes the Air an incredible work and travel computer.
Power Comparison
The MacBook Air is a powerful silent computer. The computer is quiet because it has no fans and is passively cooled. For most applications that involve manipulating static content (Graphic Design, Photography, web design etc), the M2 MacBook Air works absolutely fine and is zippy and fast. However, when you start to get into longer renders the computer performance becomes throttled. I did some tests by rendering videos via Adobe Premiere and Media Encoder. I wouldn’t consider this a perfect comparison of m1 and m2 chips in laptops, because I’m comparing very different computers in the lineup. The iMac and MBP have fans, so they are more consistently cooled, and therefore they aren’t throttled.I also found that typically a first render would be much faster than a second or third render on the machine.
Price
At the end of the day your choice of computer will have more to do with what you want to do with your laptop, and how much you can spend on that choice. If you are just typing, perhaps the M1 MBA (starting at $999) is the right choice for you.If you are doing Photography and Design, and don’t see yourself needing extra power or ports, then the M2 MBA (starting at $1199, and starting at $1499 for the 10-core GPU) may be better suited for you.Currently the king of these computers for me, is the MacBook Pro 14in (starting at 1,999 for the M1 Pro and starting at $3,099.00 for the M1 Max).The extra ports and power on the M1 MBP make it ideal for video and motion work, but starting is significantly more expensive than the MacBook Air.As a side note the MBP 14in is a completely different computer than the 13in’ model (starting at $1299), which is actually much closer in design to the M2 MBA.
While I never would have considered the computer for myself in the past because of my need for power, I can honestly say that this lightweight well designed laptop would be a great choice for me, especially in a hybrid work scenario where I need a laptop that can go with me, and I have a Mac Studio at home for beefier video editing.
The MacBook Air M2 is a great computer. What I’m most excited for is that it provides a preview of what the M2 Apple Silicon updates will look like in the near future. The MacBook Air M2 is currently available for preorder on Apple’s website, and widely available 7/15.
