Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.7/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.6/10
ENG/DESIGN: Very Good—8.0/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good—8.5/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.4/10
PORTABILITY: Excellent—9.4/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.8/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.8/10
SIZE: 13.6"
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is priced in the upper midrange category and features a 13.6-inch IPS display, 512GB of storage, and 24GB of RAM, powered by the Apple M2 chip with a 10-core GPU. Its battery life is robust, allowing up to 15 hours of typical usage. The sleek design at just 0.44 inches thick and a weight of 2.7 pounds makes it highly portable. It runs MacOS and has a fanless design which ensures silent operation. The laptop does not cater to intensive gaming, but its high-quality build and strong performance are well-suited for general use and some creative tasks. The backlit keyboard adds comfort and the inclusion of a fingerprint reader ensures security. It does not feature a touchscreen, hardware ray tracing, or DLSS technology, but it supports USB-C charging and Thunderbolt connectivity. 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 portable
- Silent, fanless operation
- High screen color accuracy
- Long battery life
- Backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader
Cons
- No touchscreen available
- Limited port variety
- No facial recognition
- Moderate 3D performance
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 MacBook Air (2022) features a powerful CPU and ample RAM, ensuring smooth performance for everyday tasks, along with a high-quality screen that displays crisp, vibrant colors, making it ideal for general use. Its lightweight design and long battery life make it extremely portable, allowing you to work on the go without constantly seeking a power outlet.
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:4.5
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
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design, CAD and 3D 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.
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 | $1,599 | ||
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 | 24 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
RAM Slots | 0 | ||
Storage | 512 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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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