Apple Revamps MacBook Air, 13-Inch MacBook Pro With New M2 Chip

Apple's WWDC included the launch of an updated MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro equipped with its second-generation M2 chip. Both laptops go on sale next month. 

The biggest changes are coming to the MacBook Air. Apple managed to reduce the overall volume by 20% when compared to the M1 MacBook Air launched back in 2020. The product also measures only 11.3 millimeters thick, down from 16.1mm. 

As a result, the company is marketing the 2.7-pound laptop as “remarkably thin.” But the new MacBook Air also promises to pack a punch, thanks to the newly designed M2 chip inside. 

Apple is using a second-generation 5-nanometer process to fabricate the Arm-based processor. This allows the company to pack 25% more transistors on the silicon compared to the M1 chip, which also used an older 5nm process.  

The M2 still operates as an 8-core CPU chip, with 4 cores devoted to high-performance tasks and the remaining cores dedicated for lighter tasks that consume less power. But the higher chip density means the M2 significantly outperforms the M1 without compromising power efficiency. 

According to Apple’s benchmarks, the M2 promises to offer an 18% CPU performance uplift over the M1. The company also claims the M2 easily beats an Intel 10-core i7-1255U laptop while using only one-fourth the power. Meanwhile, the M2’s graphics are bumped up to a 10-core GPU, which should offer a 38% higher performance in video-editing apps compared to the M1. 

The new MacBook Air also contains two major component upgrades over the older model. The product now contains a 1080p web camera over the weaker 720p camera. Apple also added a MagSafe charger to the laptop that’s capable of fast charging. So no need to only rely on a USB-C port for charging.

In addition, the new MacBook Air comes with a slightly larger display at 13.6 inches. It adopts a notch for the web camera, making it look more like last year’s 14-inch MacBook Pro. “With the power efficiency of M2, all of the capabilities of MacBook Air are built into a silent, fanless design,” the company said.  

For the first time, users will also be able to configure the product with up to 24GB of unified memory, which is basically RAM. However, the new MacBook Air will arrive with a higher starting price at $1,199. Meanwhile, the 2020 M1 MacBook Air will remain on sale at the existing $999 price. Interested customers will be able to buy the new MacBook Air in four colors: silver, starlight, space gray, and midnight.

Apple is also bringing the M2 chip to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It’ll go on sale next month starting at $1,299. But aside from the new silicon, it doesn’t appear Apple has changed the product's design. However, Apple notes the 13-inch MacBook Pro does feature up to 20 hours of battery life when it comes to video playback, which is two hours more than the revamped MacBook Air.