It’s been an exciting year for Apple fans, ranging from the introduction of new MacBook Pros, an expansion of the MacBook Air lineup, and one of the best year-over-year iPhone upgrades in a long time.
This made it a tricky decision to determine the 9to5Mac Product of the Year for 2023, but we ultimately decided to crown the new 15-inch MacBook Air as this year’s winner. Here’s why.
Seth Weintraub, 9to5Mac Founder and Publisher
I’ve been begging for a 15-inch MacBook Air for a decade, and it finally happened this year. I don’t need the Pro level of speed, RAM, and storage for my current work, which requires light photo/video editing and mostly productivity apps. When I see executives with MacBook Pro these days, I think to myself, this is vanity only.
But I do find the ability to have two simultaneous windows open incredibly useful, especially on the road, and the 15-inch display is perfectly sized for that. It has turned those long airplane rides way more productive and, at the same time, hasn’t weighed my bag down much more at all. Even at home, I sometimes don’t plug in the external display because the 15-inch display is enough.
Until there’s a foldout display from Apple, this is the computer for me.
Chance Miller, 9to5Mac Editor-in-chief
When we sat down to determine the 9to5Mac Product of the Year, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is what first came to mind. With the combination of the new titanium design and 5x telephoto camera, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has stood out as one of my favorite iPhones of all time.
But after more discussion with the rest of the team, the 15-inch MacBook Air quickly became the clear winner. With a 15-inch screen and an ultrathin form factor, it’s a perfect representation of how the Apple Silicon transition has helped Apple expand the Mac lineup.
To have a big-screen MacBook that’s over $1,000 cheaper than the 16-inch MacBook would’ve been unfathomable a few years ago, and yet here we are.
Looking into the future, I’d love to see a more powerful version of the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M-series “Pro” chip inside. After all, Apple also released a version of the Mac mini with the M2 Pro chip this year.
But for now, the 15-inch MacBook Air is a clear hit – and it satisfies a wish I’ve been writing about for years.
Zac Hall, Senior Summer Intern
The 15.3-inch MacBook Air finally exists: practically as thin as the 13.6-inch version, nowhere near as hefty as current MacBook Pros, and enough screen real estate to let apps stretch their legs.
This Mac is also a machine completely worthy of the MacBook Air name.
It’s quite literally the 13-inch MacBook Air with a larger display and higher entry-level specs. The 15-inch MacBook Air (3.3 pounds) is not just lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro (4.7 pounds); it also somehow weighs less than the 14-inch MacBook Pro (3.5 pounds).
Unless you favor smaller screens, the 15-inch MacBook Air has become the default Mac to start with and spec up.
Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac Editor
I’ve been using a MacBook Pro for the last decade and a 14-inch M1 Pro for the last two years. After seeing the 15-inch MacBook Air launch this year, I’ve decided it will be my next laptop. I love that Apple has delivered a larger screen size in the ultraportable Air design. You’ve also got great battery life, plenty of power for most users, memory up to 24GB, and the updated flat sides and slim display bezels that match the MacBook Pro.
Unless you’re a creative pro or similar with intense workflows or need support for more than one external monitor, I think the 15-inch MacBook Air is the perfect laptop at a reasonable price.
Filipe Esposito, 9to5Mac Editor
The 15-inch MacBook Air is certainly a lot of people’s dream laptop. It offers incredible battery life with a display large enough for serious work while also preserving the lightness and thinness of a MacBook Air. Even as a MacBook Pro user (mainly because of the ports and the better display), I envy those with the 15-inch MacBook Air. It’s the Mac a lot of people have been waiting for.
Jeff Benjamin, 9to5Mac Videographer
If video production weren’t my main use-case for a computer, I would, without a doubt, be using the 15-inch MacBook Air as my main computer. It wasn’t that long ago that a 15-inch machine was the largest size laptop that Apple offered, one reserved for its higher-end Pro lineup. Today, we get the benefits of a larger display without necessitating all the extra features on the more expensive MacBook Pro.
Yet, even without the “Pro” designation, the MacBook Air’s M2 chip makes the performance of Intel-powered Air machines from just a few years back look downright sterile. Starting at just $1299, it’s a ridiculously good deal, and it’s always my default recommendation for users searching for a new laptop.
Bradley Chambers, 9to5Mac Editor and Development Lead
Since the time Steve pulled the first MacBook Air out of an envelope on stage in 2008, it’s been a key part of Apple’s lineup. Even during periods when it was underpowered and overpriced, this laptop was the most approachable model in the lineup. The first Apple Silicon MacBook Air in 2020 set the stage for the current Mac renaissance.
The 15-inch MacBook Air took it to a new level by hitting the mark of one of the most affordable laptops that is perfect for almost anyone. With a large screen, incredibly fast processor, and timeless design, it’s easily one of the best computers Apple has made in its history. It brings a long battery life, a 1080P webcam, and an M2 chip to a computer that should satisfy the needs of most users for the next four to five years. For students going off to college, it’s the best option available.
Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac European Editor
For years, Apple seemed to think there were only two types of MacBook customers. Those who needed both a large screen and lots of power, and those who were content with modest power and a small screen. It seemed oblivious to everyone who wanted the space of a large screen without a beefy CPU. Or, indeed, those who wanted the best of both worlds: the screen size of a MacBook Pro with the lighter weight and slimmer form factor of a MacBook Air. That’s what Apple finally gave us with the 15-inch MacBook Air. (OK, they held back one inch…)
For finally satisfying the long-held wish of many, this is my Apple product of the year.
Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac European Contributor
The 13-inch MacBook Air was already great, but expanding the lineup to a 15-inch model broadens the appeal significantly. The Air is so compelling, with an incredibly powerful machine in a thin and light enclosure, with really great battery life to boot. A 13-inch laptop screen size is simply too small to be a primary computer for many, but the 15-inch size closes that gap. Apple’s pricing for the 15-inch was also surprisingly competitive, just $200 more than the 13-inch. It’s not a revolution, but not everything has to be.
Sometimes, it’s just about putting the pieces in the right order. The 15-inch Air is emblematic of that. It’s so good it makes it really hard to recommend anything else to prospective Mac buyers. This machine was obviously meant to come out in 2022, and supply chain delays pushed that back a year. But even with the next-generation M3 Air likely launching in the spring, the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air would still get a very strong buy recommendation from me today.
Michael Bower, 9to5Mac Graphics Editor
The decision to name the MacBook Air as product of the year is a mistake, as any sane person knows the 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro is superior if for no other reason than it comes in Space Black.
Rikka Altland, 9to5Toys Editor-in-chief
Chiming in from the 9to5Toys side of the conversation, the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air has been a big hit with shoppers too. So it’s not just us writers who are swooned by Apple’s decision to finally give us a larger portable MacBook – it’s everyone else as well!
While I myself can’t be included in that list of converts over to the thin side of the lineup, I do often fantasize about making the switch over from my 14-inch MacBook Pro. I really do miss the days of having something as lightweight as a MacBook Air. But for now, I’m just an admirer of this year’s winner.
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