Apple MacBook Air (2022)

Apple MacBook Air

Apple MacBook Air (2022)

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BEST RATING
Build Quality:
5.0
GENERAL USE: Good7.9/10
GAMING/AI: Fair6.4/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good7.5/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good8.0/10
CONTENT CREATION: Good7.9/10
PORTABILITY: Excellent9.4/10
BATTERY: Excellent9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good7.8/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good7.0/10
SIZE: 13.6"

The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is a midrange laptop that offers a solid blend of performance and portability, making it a good choice for general use. Its main processor and GPU are both Apple's M2 chip, which provides good general performance and can handle some lighter engineering tasks. Keep in mind, for 3D rendering, machine learning, or heavy gaming, the performance might not meet the demands of those intensive tasks. It features 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, which is ample for everyday tasks, but may be limiting for more demanding applications. The battery life is commendable, providing up to 15 hours of typical usage, and its fanless design ensures silent operation. Its 13.6-inch IPS display with a high resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio delivers clear and vibrant images with wide color coverage, but it does not have a touchscreen or high refresh rate. The MacBook Air is highly portable, weighing just 2.7 pounds and with a thickness of 0.44 inches, enhanced by its sleek build quality. For connectivity, it includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports but lacks Ethernet or HDMI ports. The keyboard and webcam quality are rated as excellent, adding to the appeal for professionals on the go. Notably, there are no available slots for RAM or storage expansion. If you prioritize a balance of portability, build quality, and overall performance for everyday tasks, the MacBook Air (2022) is a compelling option. 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

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Pros
  • Excellent portability with lightweight design
  • Outstanding battery life for longer usage
  • Fanless operation for silent performance
  • Superb build and keyboard quality
  • Best-in-class web-cam and speaker audio
Cons
  • Limited to 8 GB RAM for multitasking
  • Entry-level GPU limits 3D tasks
  • No touchscreen or HDMI port
  • Not designed for high-end gaming

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:
4.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is ideal for general use due to its powerful CPU and integrated GPU, high-quality display, and excellent portability fostered by its lightweight design and long battery life. Moreover, its silent operation, best-in-class keyboard and speakers, and solid build enhance the user experience for everyday tasks.
Software Development:
4.4
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:
4.4
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.
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.
Engineering & Design:
4.2
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.
Gaming & AI:
3.4
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

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GENERAL

Price
$899
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
8 GB
DDR Memory Version
5
RAM Slots
0
Storage
256 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
PerfectRec logo
10/10
Portability Score
PerfectRec logo
9.4/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
No
Premium Business Laptop
Yes
Fan Noise Score
PerfectRec logo
10/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
PerfectRec logo
10/10
Speaker Quality Score
PerfectRec logo
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

Shopping

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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."

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Why trust us

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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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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