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In 2008 Steve Jobs introduced the first ultra-thin, lightweight MacBook Air by dramatically sliding it out of an inter-office envelope. The idea of a dramatically thin, lightweight, and fully functional laptop continues on.

MacBook Air M3 15-inch deals

The MacBook Air is “the default Mac” – the one you should buy if you’re not sure which model you need.

History

The MacBook Air was launched in 2008 as a premium 13-inch model, billed as the world’s thinnest laptop. It was dramatically revealed by Steve Jobs sliding it out of an office envelope.

In 2010, it was joined by an 11-inch model. By 2011, that had become the entry-level MacBook, replacing the plain MacBook in the lineup. Its combination of affordability, portability, cuteness, and suitability for most people’s computer usage saw it become a hugely popular machine with everyone from students to senior business execs.

The 11-inch MacBook Air was discontinued in 2016, leaving only the 13-inch models.

In 2018, we saw the first major update to the then-elderly design. This gave the machine a Retina display, Touch ID, USB-C ports along with a design refresh with smaller bezels, a slimmer form factor, and lighter weight.

In 2020, the MacBook Air was one of the first three machines to make the switch from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in the form of the M1 chip. In 2022, it was joined by an M2 model.

MacBook Air Specs

The 2020 M1 MacBook Air is powered by an 8-core Apple M1 chip, comprising four performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s available in two almost-identical versions, one with an 8-core GPU, the other with a (chip-binned) 7-core one. The machine is available with either 8GB or 16GB of unified memory. SSD storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

The 2022 M2 MacBook Air has a 10-core GPU option, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Pricing

M1 MacBook Air (2020) pricing starts at $999 for the 7-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

M2 MacBook Air (2022) pricing starts at $1199 for the 8-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

The machine can be specced up as far as 16GB unified memory and 2TB SSD for $2,049.

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

MacBook Air Review

In our video review of the machine, we described it as game-changing.

There is very little negative to say about these MacBooks. Apple has taken a design like the MacBook Air, which it more or less perfected with the early 2020 refresh, and made it 10 times better. This is no hyperbole. These M1-powered MacBooks are such a huge improvement in performance and battery life with virtually no negative baggage. I can’t see myself ever wanting to go back to an Intel-based laptop […]

If I was using an Intel-based MacBook Air, I wouldn’t even consider using a machine with such little memory to handle my day-to-day creative workflow, but Apple’s implementation of unified memory cannot be compared 1:1 with typical RAM configurations.

Basic day-to-day usage is relatively unaffected by the amount of RAM, or lack thereof. The MacBook Air is competent with only 8GB of RAM even when running lots of apps simultaneously, even with a dozen Safari windows, and even when swapping out to the SSD […]

I can attest to the fact that these MacBooks have incredibly long battery life, so much so that it was honestly hard to believe initially. I was able to use my MacBook Air for a full workday, writing, browsing the web, chatting on zoom, and editing video and photos, and the machine was only at 50% by the end of the day. I woke up the next day, and did several hours of zoom video calls and web browsing, and the machine finally gave me a warning to plug in when it reached 10%

MKBHD Easter egg latest clue to suggest 2022 MacBook Air pre-orders will start on Friday

2022 MacBook Air with M2

Update: The easter egg was real. Orders do indeed open on Friday.

The new redesigned MacBook Air with the M2 chip was announced last month at WWDC 2022. However, Apple hasn’t specified when the new laptop will hit stores, except for saying that sales will begin sometime in July. Thanks to an easter egg in one of MKBHD’s videos, we now have a clue that the launch of the M2 MacBook Air will be very soon.

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M2 MacBook Air reportedly hitting stores July 15 with pre-orders a week earlier

M2 MacBook Air review

Apple announced a new generation of the MacBook Air earlier this month at WWDC 2022 along with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro. However, while the MacBook Pro with the M2 chip is already available in stores, Apple said that the M2 MacBook Air will be available sometime in July. Now it seems that we finally have a release date for the M2 MacBook Air.

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M2 speed compared to every other recent Apple processor

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It wasn’t long after the new(ish) MacBook Pro went on sale that we got to see some M2 speed benchmarks. These confirmed Apple’s claims in terms of improvements over the base M1 chip, but also confirmed that, as expected, the M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips still leave the M2 in the dust.

A new comparison table shows how the M2 speed compares to every other recent Apple Silicon chip, from the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, through to the M1 Ultra – and it makes for interesting viewing …

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Best MacBook trade-in values following debut of the new MacBook Air

Best MacBook trade-in values

The new MacBook Air has been unveiled with an all-new design, M2 chip, and a range of other impressive upgrades. That means it’s the ideal time to trade in your old MacBook ahead of the new MacBook Air July release to get the most value from your machine. Here’s a look at the best MacBook trade-in values including a 10% cash bonus from our official trade-in partner Decluttr with code “9TO5MAC“.

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12-inch MacBook vs 15-inch MacBook Air: Which would you buy?

12-inch MacBook vs 15-inch MacBook Air

Apple is reportedly set to expand its MacBook lineup with a pair of new screen sizes as soon as next year. According to Bloomberg, Apple could release a new 15-inch MacBook Air and 12-inch MacBook in 2023, representing two new additions to the MacBook lineup.

Now that these rumors are out in the world, what do you think? Would you buy either of these machines?

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MacBook Air colors: Concept imagines ‘what could have been’ with more iMac-style design

macbook air colors

Apple officially unveiled a completely redesigned M2 MacBook Air at WWDC this week. While the new MacBook Air’s design is impressive, it does lack one thing many people were expecting: a range of color options. A new concept from our friend Parker Ortolani imagines the “MacBook Air that could’ve been,” with an array of colors and a two-tone design similar to the iMac.

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M1 versus M2 chip: Here’s everything we know so far

M1 versus M2 chip | Side-by-side illustrations

AnandTech has taken a deep dive into the new M2 chip announced yesterday, focusing in particular on the M1 versus M2 chip performance. These chips are available in the all-new MacBook Air, and in an updated version of the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The site says that while Apple has been as coy as ever when it comes to specifics on the chip (for example, the clock speed), we do know quite a few things already …

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MacBook Air colors: We might get four options today, with more later

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A sketchy report dating back to July of last year suggested that we’d see a new range of MacBook Air colors this year. This was given new life a month later when it was backed by Ming-Chi Kuo.

The pastel colors offered by the new iMac rekindled excitement about the idea, and many of us could see the merits in Apple offering same color choice for the MacBook Air. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently warned not to get too excited …

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14-inch MacBook Air and other B&H ‘hidden product listings’ are not real, says company

14-inch MacBook Air concept image in blue

Excitement was generated yesterday when it appeared that a 14-inch MacBook Air was one of a number of “hidden product listings” discovered on the website of Apple authorized reseller B&H Photo. However, the company has responded by saying these are not real listings.

Not only were they just pre-event guesses, but they weren’t even guesses for this event …

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M2-powered 14″ MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook Pro product listings hidden on B&H website

Update: Products have been announced. New MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Earlier today, eager Apple fans discovered listings for a new Mac mini and “Mac mini tower” on the website of Apple Authorized Reseller B&H Photo. Now, 9to5Mac has also dug up listings on the B&H Photo website for a new 14-inch MacBook Air powered by an M2 chip, as well as a new entry-level MacBook Pro with the M2.

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New MacBook Air ‘planned’ to be introduced at WWDC 2022, but multiple new colors are unlikely

2022 macbook air

We’ve been hearing rumors about a new redesigned MacBook Air for some time now, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported multiple times that there’s a high chance it will be introduced at WWDC 2022. Now the journalist has corroborated that the new MacBook Air was “planned” to be introduced at Apple’s developer conference. However, he claims that it may not be available in multiple colors as expected.

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New MacBook Air imminent? Current inventory only M1 Mac with delayed shipping

While we’re almost to WWDC 2022, customers are still facing long shipping estimates for their Apple devices. Supply chain issues have been plaguing Apple for months and will continue throughout the summer. Currently, the M1 MacBook Air is the only M1 Mac with delayed shipping. Most of the M1 MacBook Pro and M1 iMac models will ship this week.

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Best Apple gifts to give a 2022 graduate right now

apple graduation gift ideas

Graduation season is upon us. Whether graduating from high school, college, or trade school, Apple surely has a gift for everyone. These items are helpful for those continuing their education, but those entering the workforce may benefit from these as well. While there may be new items unveiled at WWDC 2022 next month, these are products you can buy right away for your favorite graduate.

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MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which should you buy?

MacBook Air vs Pro comparison

Apple’s MacBook lineup offers impressive performance and at first glance, the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro seem quite similar. They have the same CPU/GPU, same ports, same FaceTime camera, and more. However, the more powerful 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro may complicate your decision. Let’s take a closer look at the MacBook Air vs Pro to see what differentiates these MacBooks and help you decide which to buy.

Update: With the arrival of the M2 chip, we have a new comparison of the 2022 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro:

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