Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.8/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.6/10
ENG/DESIGN: Very Good—8.0/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good—8.5/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.6/10
PORTABILITY: Excellent—9.4/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.8/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.4/10
SIZE: 13.6"
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a premium build quality and is priced in the upper midrange. It features 1TB storage, 16GB RAM, and utilizes the Apple M2 processor, providing very good general-use performance and silent operation due to its fanless design. The integrated M2 GPU accommodates some engineering tasks but might not be ideal for intensive 3D or machine learning workloads. The 13.6-inch IPS display has a resolution higher than Full HD but is not touch-enabled. It offers excellent portability at 2.7 pounds and has a lengthy battery life suitable for all-day use. It runs on MacOS and connectivity includes two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and USB-C charging, but no support for traditional USB or HDMI without adapters. Suitable for general use, everyday multitasking, and light engineering work, but not aimed at intensive gaming or the most demanding engineering software. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Lightweight and slim design
- High-resolution, color-accurate screen
- Silent, fanless operation
- Best-in-class keyboard and trackpad
- High build quality
Cons
- Average 3D/machine learning performance
- Higher price point
- No touchscreen
- Limited port variety
Ratings by Category
Build Quality:5.0
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability.
Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify.
Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Operating Noise:5.0
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Keyboard Quality:5.0
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
Portability:4.9
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
Battery Life:4.8
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
General Use:4.6
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is excellent for general use due to its high-quality CPU and RAM configuration, which ensures smooth performance, and its high-resolution IPS display enhances visual clarity and color accuracy for a premium viewing experience.
Software Development:4.6
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Content Creation:4.6
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Engineering & Design:4.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is equipped with a high-performance CPU and GPU integrated into the efficient Apple M2 chip, offering robust processing power for engineering and design tasks without compromising on the silent, fanless operation which enhances user comfort. It boasts a high-quality screen with wide color coverage and brightness, along with other features such as a backlit keyboard and impressive speaker quality, all within a lightweight and portable design.
General Use Screen Quality:4.4
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Gaming & AI:3.7
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability as well as AI performance, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
While performance (especially graphics performance) is the most important factor determining this score, we also give modest weight to screen quality, heat management, keyboard quality, and storage.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,099 | ||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | ||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | ||
Width | 11.97" | ||
Depth | 8.46" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Apple M2 | ||
RAM | 16 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
RAM Slots | 0 | ||
Storage | 1024 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 15 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | ||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 10/10 | ||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | ||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | ||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | ||
Webcam | 1080p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | No | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 0 | ||
USB-C ports | 2 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 1 | ||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | ||
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Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Comparison charts
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