Apple MacBook Air 2022 M2 review, a refreshing new era

announced during the WWDC 2022 Along with the new Apple Silicon M2 (see details HERE), Apple’s new MacBook Air M2 will be available tomorrow. If it does not yet replace the MacBook Air M1, there is no doubt that in the more or less near future, this MacBook Air M2 will be the basis.

Still, for the moment, it does not yet replace the MacBook Air M1 since the latter remains in the Apple catalog. And if you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, be aware that delivery times are getting longer day by day. This is likely to continue when the general public will finally discover the beast in real life.

We spent the week with it and here is our opinion on the new Apple MacBookAir M2. For this test, we had the version at 1849 euros in the midnight version.

Technical characteristics

Unsurprisingly, we find a huge white box on which we already discover the finesse of the MacBook Air M2. In the version we tested, we find not only the Magsafe cable in the colors of the MacBook Air M2 but also the new 35W charger with two USB-C ports. As a reminder, the power is shared between the two USB-C ports. If you need a power of 35W, it will only be necessary to use one of the two ports to have the maximum power. We also remind you that it is always possible to recharge the device via one of its two USB-C ports.

The new MacBook Air M2 will be available tomorrow from 1499 euros for the first model and 1849 euros for the second model, slightly faster and above all with more storage.

The new design

Once the box is opened, we obviously discover the new MacBook Air M2 and especially its new design. But even before its design, we see that the Apple laptop is extremely thin. This impression of finesse is, moreover, reinforced by the fact that the MacBook Air M2 offers a constant thickness over its entire size. This was not the case on the MacBook Air M1.

Suddenly, after the finesse with a thickness of only 11.3mm, we discover its weight of 1.24kg (against 1.29kg on the MacBook Air M1). If it is not fundamentally lighter than its predecessor, the weight is better distributed so that we have this impression of lightness.

Once the surprise of the weight has passed, we discover the new design which is reminiscent of the very recent MacBook Pro 14 and 16. Indeed, we find a sleeker design and this screen with a notch, as on the iPhone. As a result, once opened and in use, we did not make any differences with the MacBook Pro 14 and 16. It is only when we close the laptop that we see the difference between the MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Pro 14 and 16.

The finish is obviously excellent. If our conferees of 01net tested the Stellar Light version, we had the Midnight version. And the least we can say is that whatever the version, the MacBook Air M2 are absolutely beautiful. We also appreciate the matching MagSafe cable and the fact that the Apple computer incorporates 100% recycled aluminum. And as usual with darker versions, watch out for small traces of fat.

screen and audio

The screen of the new MacBook Air M2 is a Liquid Retina screen with an IPS-type panel. The diagonal is 13.6 inches compared to 13.3 inches on the MacBook Air M1. The 0.3-inch difference is in itself negligible, but having much thinner bezels makes it feel like there’s more displayable space. We therefore thank the thinner edges and also the notch “à la iPhone”. Speaking of the notch, if it surprises at first, we’ll be honest, we quickly forget it on a daily basis. We think that after 24 hours, the user will have the feeling that he has always used a screen with a notch.

In this notch, we obviously find the FaceTime HD 1080p camera and the light sensor. As for the light sensor, it works well but we found it a bit too sensitive. All it took was a small variation in ambient light for the brightness of the screen to change completely. It was painful, especially in the Eurostar for example. So, depending on the environment, it will be better to deactivate the automatic brightness. We hadn’t had this kind of problem with the other Macs so maybe this will be resolved with a future update.

As for the display, there is no XDR screen and this may be a criterion for those who prefer more screen fidelity to the featherweight MacBook Air M2. Now, don’t make us say what we didn’t say, the screen is still very good and on our side, we were able to easily work on our photos. On the other hand, if we appreciate this better brightness compared to the MacBook Air M1, and even if the brightness sensor is still somewhat capricious, we noted a less marked contrast compared to others, which our colleagues from 01Lab confirm.

And finally, in the notch, we finally find a 1080p webcam. I know that some will find this normal but we remember that not so long ago, Apple only offered 720p webcams. The good in terms of quality is not negligible but we are not going to praise it either. Apple has just caught up, especially after almost 3 years of pandemic where the webcam has become an important criterion when choosing its laptop. On the other hand, still no Center Stage which remains an asset on iPads, iMacs and more recently the Studio Display. This doesn’t really shock us since MacBooks remain more personal devices and we have to have it in front of us most of the time.

In terms of audio, there is a system of 4 speakers. The sound is good and despite the super thin design of the MacBook Air M2, it does not saturate at high volume. On the other hand, in comparison to a MacBook Pro 14 or 16, there is a small difference. Yes, you need both to compare but basically, you lose a little roundness and depth. Nothing dramatic either, we watched series episodes with it and it was very good.

The Apple M2 chip at the heart of it all

Inside, we find the new Apple Silicon M2. It was announced at WWDC 2022 and the MacBook Air M2 isn’t the first machine to use the new M2. There has been a certain MacBook Pro 13 before. It arrived a few weeks ago and we can only direct you to the tests of our colleagues from Lemon Squeezer HERE Where 01net HERE.

In any case, unsurprisingly, the new M2 chip is a powerhouse that offers even more power and energy efficiency compared to the M1 chip. In the statistics according to Apple, the M2 chip offers 20% more CPU and up to 38% more GPU compared to the M1. Another funny statistic is up to 15 times more power compared to the last MacBook Air with an Intel processor, that is to say.

In our tests, if we give you office automation or multimedia content management, we were able to play with Final Cut Pro or Lightroom and the MacBook Air M2 held the load more than easily. Not only was it fast on a daily basis, but the computer didn’t overheat. In everyday office and multimedia use, there is very little chance that we can push the MacBook Air M2 to its limits.

We know that the M2 chip consumes less energy than the M1 chip. Apple promises 18 hours of “normal” use. We didn’t make any scientific measurements but to give you an idea, we started working with it on Tuesday at 7.30 am, then we had a trip to London and we returned to Paris at 11 pm on Wednesday. We worked on the MacBook Air M2 during these two days with our daily work, two 45-minute visios, the writing of two tests, the processing of 360 videos, the editing of a small video in Final Cut Pro, the processing fifty RAW photos of 45 Megapixels and there remains 16%… It’s just impressive. We left with the principle of not recharging it over two days of travel and we did not do it, that is to say.

Now, as usual, everything depends on usage and it is true that during these two days, we worked in fits and starts. As a result, it will not necessarily reflect the users. On the other hand, in our tests in our laboratory 01Lab, the test results give autonomy of the order of 1:30 p.m. in general-purpose use and 12:30 p.m. in video streaming, that’s a lot and it highlights the possibility of working a full day without worrying about autonomy. . Compared to the MacBook Air M1, it’s almost similar, we love it.

The connection

And that may be the problem for some types of mainstream users. Indeed, we particularly think of photographers since the MacBook Air M2 is perfectly capable of handling the load of any photography workflow. We tested with 45 Megapixel RAW files and the camera didn’t flinch once. Plus, the MacBook Air M2 can handle the load of any small video project.

As a result, we will have understood that this little SD port is missing which changes everything for certain trades, especially after a few months with a MacBook Pro 14. If we put aside the very power of the machines, it is this connection which will be able to direct certain users towards the MacBook Pro 14 and 16. On the other hand, very little chance that some will move towards the MacBook Pro 13 which has a smaller screen in itself, the same connectors and a Touch Bar which is dedicated to vanish.

On the other hand, we are happy to find the 3 microphones as on the MacBook Pro, which allows the MacBook Air M2 to be a perfect companion for recording sound of sufficient quality for certain projects. Likewise, we find the excellent MagSafe port which frees up a USB-C port just in case. Having two USB-C ports available with charging is not a luxury and we even find it to be the minimum.