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The MacBook Air has captured the hearts and minds of users since its first introduction in 2008. Then Steve Jobs showed the world the most compact and stylish, but at the same time productive laptop. Since then, there have already been 14 iterations of the computer in its three generations. In 2022, the signature bevelled design (which made the MacBook Air look much thinner) was finally changed.
Despite forecasts, the new MacBook Air line was not shown at presentations in the fall of 2021. Apparently, Apple decided to postpone the release of more affordable laptops, deciding not to mix the release of the Pro and Air series. Insiders assumed that the laptop will be presented “before the end of 2022” – and so it happened in the end1.
Price MacBook Air 2022 in Our Country
The rise in the price of technology has not bypassed Apple products in 2022. With the introduction of the new M2 processor, the price of the MacBook Air 2022 has increased from $999 to $1199. This is the basic cost for which the buyer will receive a device slightly better than a laptop on the M1 processor – it has cut off the capabilities of the video core.
A full-fledged MacBook Air 2022 model with a 10-core video chip, 512 GB of internal memory and a dual charger will cost $1499 already.
Of course, the official price of the MacBook Air 2022 in Our Country will also increase. Given the current Apple sanctions policy, it is most likely that we will buy new items through parallel imports.
Already, resellers are offering to pre-order the basic model of the MacBook Air 2022 in Our Country at a price of 90 thousand rubles. It is better to refuse such adventurous offers and wait a bit – then you will definitely be able to buy a real laptop, and the price will drop.
If MacBook Air 2022 does look like this will buy it as look great @iDropNews @iPhone_News #macbookair2022 #Apple #uk @AppleDemoYT @appltrack @dylandkt @ijustine @jennaezarik @MacbookAirBuzz @tim_cook @rundergroundyt @iupdate @EveryApplePro @ASB_YT @briantong pic.twitter.com/i1Nubow39F
— trainspotteruk (@wetherspoonspub) November 4, 2021
MacBook Air 2022 release date in Our Country
As we wrote above, the official presentation of the new MacBook Air in 2021 did not take place. A lot of information appeared on the network about the release date of the laptop. As a result, the developer and analyst with the nickname Dylan turned out to be right – the official release of the laptop took place in mid-20222. The MacBook Air 2022 will go on sale on June 24, 2022.
In terms of parallel imports, the release date of the MacBook Air 2022 in Our Country may be somewhat delayed. Most likely, it will be possible to buy a new product in the Federation without hype and pre-orders until the end of July.
Specifications for MacBook Air 2022
Judging by the official specifications, even the youngest model in the MacBook Air 2022 line will be able to 100% satisfy requests for daily computer use. Yes, the MacBook Air is much weaker than the MacBook Pro, but its power is more than enough for the Internet, office tasks or undemanding games.
Key features of MacBook Air 2022
- Display: 13,6 inches, 2560×1664 pixels, True Tone Retina LED display, brightness 500 cd/mXNUMX
- Case and keyboard: Aluminum, 4 colors, Apple Magic Keyboard
- Processor, memory, interfaces: Apple M2 processors, 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB to 2TB storage, MagSafe magnetic charging, Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
- Autonomy: Up to 18 hours battery life
Screen
The first thing that catches your eye in the display design of the MacBook Air 2022 is the notch at the top of the middle of the screen. A 1080 Facetime camera and light sensor are hidden in it, freeing up usable space on the sides. Due to this, the screen resolution and its diagonal slightly increased (by 64 pixels and 0,3 inches, respectively).
In the MacBook Air 2022, the screen brightness increased by 20%, but it never came to a full transition to mini-LED in this model. Apparently, the innovation of the display backlight, expected by everyone, will remain the prerogative of expensive Apple devices. For example, MacBook Pro or iPad Pro.
To summarize, the MacBook Air 2022 has a standard display for mass-produced Apple devices. It is suitable for most inexperienced users – professionals for photo and video processing still choose the MacBook Pro or full-fledged desktop computers from Apple.
The MacBook Air refresh coming in 2022 will be Apple’s biggest design change since 2018. https://t.co/IaYxFaXkGS
— iDrop News (@iDropNews) November 10, 2021
Case and keyboard
Insider Jon Prosser has suggested that the 2022 MacBook Air will be available in the new iMac colors – blue, silver, orange, teal, purple, pink and gold. However, in the end, this did not happen. Right now, the laptop can be purchased in standard four colors – Silver (silver), Starlight (light), Space Gray (gray) and Midnight (dark gray). It is possible that over time there will be new body colors. According to the already good tradition, the laptop is made of aluminum.
In general, the design of the MacBook Air 2022 is no longer similar to previous versions. The laptop received flat edges of the case and became more like a MacBook Pro – especially its compact 14-inch model. It does not look at all in the light style of Air, but you can get used to everything.
Reminiscent of the MacBook Pro and the keyboard of the MacBook Air 2022. A full-sized row of top keys and Touch ID appeared here. Magic Keyboard works in MacBook Air 2022 according to the “scissor” system familiar to Apple technology
Bloomberg insiders were right that the new MacBook Air 2022 should be “lighter and thinner”3. The thickness of the most massive part of the laptop has decreased from 1.6 to 1.1 cm, and the weight has been reduced from 1.29 to 1.24 kg.
Processor, memory, interfaces
A year ago, the MacBook Air was completely transferred to its own Apple M1 mobile processors with an integrated video core. Of course, the American developer only benefits from this, now all software and drivers need to be prepared only for their needs.
In 2022, Apple introduced a mobile version of the M2 processor. In fact, it turned out to be better than the standard M1, but still loses in performance to the M1 Pro and M1 Max. But the last two chips were obviously created for other needs.
The standard SoC (system on a chip) of the M2 processor consists of an 8-core CPU (central), an 8-core GPU (graphics), and a 16-core processor for processing artificial intelligence algorithms. There is no reliable information about the clock speed of the M2 cores yet, but Apple claims an increase of 19% for the CPU and 25% for the GPU compared to the standard M1. The low heat dissipation of the MacBook Air 2022 processor allows you to use the cooling system without coolers – nothing will make noise and clog here.
A more powerful version of the MacBook Air 2022 will install an M2 processor with 10 graphics cores and this will have a positive effect on games or video processing.
The processors on the new MacBook Airs allow up to 24GB of DDR4 RAM, up from the 16GB found in the M1. The minimum amount will remain the same – 8 GB.
The capacity of the MacBook Air 2022 SSD ranges from 256 (for the base M2) and 512 GB (for the more advanced) to 2 TB.
Both versions of the laptop have MagSafe magnetic charging. It works with a 30 or 35 watt power supply. The more powerful one is for the $1 laptop version and has another input for connecting a charging cable for a second device.
Among the interfaces of the MacBook Air 2022 are a full Jack 3.5, 2 Thunderbolt, 4 USB, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
Also, according to Apple, the quality of the built-in speakers has been significantly improved in the new laptop, which will be able to work in Apple’s spatial audio mode. The quality of the built-in front camera has been increased from 720p to 1080p.
Autonomy
The new M2 processor only had a positive effect on the autonomy of the MacBook Air 2022. Apple does not like to refer to the battery capacity of their devices, but instead gives the number of hours of battery life. Despite the brighter screen and faster processor, the battery life of the 2022 MacBook Air is on par with the 2020 laptop.
So, Apple indicates up to 15 hours of work on the Internet and 18 hours of video viewing. Of course, video processing or “heavy” games will drain the battery much faster, but Apple chose not to indicate the battery life of the MacBook Air 2022 in such modes.
Conclusion
The MacBook Air 2022 has a great look. Now this is no longer the “airy” laptop of Steve Jobs from 2008. The device has acquired a more standard form for the entire Apple ecosystem and familiar colors. There is nothing bad in this.
In technical terms, we are pleased with the use of a powerful core processor, increased screen brightness, and at the same time maintaining the laptop’s autonomy at the level of previous years.
At the same time, the possibility of increasing the RAM up to 24 GB looks a bit strange – if you don’t have enough performance, then it’s more logical to think about buying a more expensive MacBook Pro with M1 Pro or M1 Max. The MacBook Air 2022 remains a relatively affordable laptop for web browsing or light photo or video editing.
Sources of
- https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/upgraded-macbook-air-delayed-until-end-of-2022/
- https://twitter.com/dylandkt
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-01-22/mark-gurman-unveils-the-redesigned-apple-macbook-air-vr-headset-plans-video