The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular laptop, and for good reason. It’s thin and light, performs very well, and is the most affordable laptop Apple sells.
At the end of 2020, it got its first major revision in a long time as one of the first Mac models to be powered by Apple Silicon. The M1 MacBook Air is a fantastic laptop, but in June 2022 at WWDC Apple announced an all-new MacBook Air with a better M2 processor, a new design, and several welcome new features and improvements. Now, in June 2023, another new MacBook Air is expected. A 15-inch version that may feature a M2 Pro chip.
We are awaiting news on whether the 15-inch MacBook Air rumors are true and expect to hear more on June 5 at WWDC.
MacBook Air price and specs
There are two MacBook Air models on sale right now, with a new one expected soon.
M1 MacBook Air
We love the M1 MacBook Air which was one of the first Macs to feature an M1 chip when it launched in 2020. Almost three years later we still think the performance and battery life are phenomenal. The older M1 MacBook Air remains available at $999/£999. If Apple starts selling a new larger MacBook Air it may stop selling this model.
M2 MacBook Air
In July 2022 a new M2 MacBook Air brought a whole new design with lots of welcome improvements to the range. The M1 model remained on sale for now.
This MacBook Air sports a new design: the wedge shape is gone in favor of a flat body that resembles the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, only slimmer–even thinner than the old Air design, in fact. The bezels around the display have shrunk, expanding the viewing area to 13.6 inches. It still has only two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, but with the addition of the MagSafe connector for charging (including fast charging), they’ll both be free more often. The webcam got a bump to 1080p with much better overall quality, and the speakers and microphones are improved. The price went up a little, but you’re getting a lot more computer for the dollar. It’s $1,119/£1,249.
MacBook Air: Why you should buy
The new MacBook Air brings a whole new design and the latest M2 processor. Now that it has been available for several months, you may start to find some discounts on certain configurations from third-party retailers. Check our best MacBook Air deals to see if you can save some money.
MacBook Air: Why you should wait
The only reason not to buy the MacBook Air right now is if you need more performance, and want a MacBook Pro, or if you want a larger screen, in which case you might want to wait to see if the rumors about a 15-inch MacBook Air are true. The next MacBook Air, with the M3 processor, will probably be a good leap over this one–but it’s also not likely to appear until the beginning of 2024.
Macworld recommends: BUY
It’s not often that Apple fully redesigns one of its most popular Macs, and that’s exactly what the new MacBook Air is. If you want to wait for the 15-inch MacBook Air it doesn’t look like it will be a long wait, and when/if that arrives we may see some good deals on the 13-inch M1 and M2 MacBook Air models.
