The new 15-inch MacBook Air, hailed for its exceptional display and advanced FaceTime HD camera, has fallen short of expectations in one key area. The laptop does not support multiple external displays, much to the disappointment of many potential customers. This feature limitation mirrors that of its predecessor, the 13-inch MacBook Air.
While not a necessity for all, dual external display setups are commonplace, especially in business contexts where employees might use two lower-resolution screens rather than a single high-resolution one.
MacBook Air users have been hoping for a feature that allows them to dock their devices and smoothly operate two external displays. But, similar to the 13-inch model, the new MacBook Air can only support one external display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60Hz, along with the laptop’s in-built display. There are workaround methods, but they lack the dependability of native Apple support.
Interestingly, this represents a step backward from the Intel-powered MacBook Air released in 2018, which could support up to two 4K external displays.
The limitation might be a strategic move by Apple to create a differentiation point, incentivizing consumers to choose the more costly MacBook Pro models. The decision could also help protect the sales of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, as some customers could see the 15-inch MacBook Air as a potential rival.
Given that the 15-inch MacBook Air utilizes the same M2 chip as the current generation, Apple may want to consider enhancing multi-display support if they release a new MacBook Air model featuring the M3 chip.
