Pre-orders for the new MacBook Air with M2 are now open.
On Friday, July 8, at 5am PDT, Apple opened pre-orders for the all-new machine in select markets, including Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, following the release of the M2 MacBook Pro.
The new design takes inspiration from the MacBook Pro and has a unibody enclosure, a new notch, and color options like Starlight and Midnight, as well as the welcome return of MagSafe charging. There had been reports that Apple was going to adopt the same pastel design colors that were used on the redesigned iMac, but it appears as though Apple wanted a classier and more understated look with the launch of four colors.
Speaking of the launch of the new machine, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said: “We’re so excited to bring our new M2 chip to the world’s two most popular laptops — the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Completely redesigned around M2, MacBook Air is thinner, lighter, and faster with a bigger display, better camera, and all-day battery life, in four beautiful finishes. Only with Apple silicon can you build such a thin and light notebook with a fanless design, and this combination of performance and capabilities. M2 also comes to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, featuring incredible performance, ProRes acceleration, up to 24GB of memory, and up to 20 hours of battery life — making our most portable pro notebook even better.”
The new machine features an M2 chip, which offers industry-leading power efficiency, a unified memory architecture, and custom technologies that have helped to set MacBooks further apart from their competitors. Apple says that the M2 chip should “dramatically speed up video workflows,” whilst a new media engine and a powerful ProRes video engine allow users to play back more 4K and 8K video content than ever before – on a MacBook Air, too!
Of course, it’s the design of the new MacBook Air that’s really interesting. The new model is thin from every angle, measuring just 11.3mm, and weighing just 2.7 pounds. Apple says that the new model has a 20% reduction in volume over its predecessor, and it has a silent, fanless design thanks to its new custom chip. Apple has added MagSafe back to the Air, too, which protects the device when it’s plugged in, alongside Touch ID for advanced security. The machine sports a new 13.60inch Liquid Retina display, which has been expanded closer to the sides and up around the camera to make room for the menu bar – of course, that means the new model features a controversial ‘notch’ like the MacBook Pro, but many have come to terms with this design choice and now see it as a core part of the MacBook design.
Other features added to the new MacBook Air include a 1080p FaceTime HD for improved picture quality, and a four-speaker sound system, supporting Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. The new machine offers new charging options, too, with Apple launching a new compact power adapter with two USB-C ports, allowing users to charge two devices at once. Apple has also enabled Fast Charge on the MacBook Air for the first time, offering up to 50% faster charging, making it the ideal on-the-go choice for everyday users and professionals.
Are you looking forward to getting your hands on the new MacBook Air? Let us know if you’re pre-ordering and check back soon for the latest.