Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.1/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.5/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good—7.7/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good—8.1/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.2/10
PORTABILITY: Excellent—9.4/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.8/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.1/10
SIZE: 13.6"
Evaluation
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Best-in-class build quality
- Silent operation with fanless design
- High-resolution, bright screen
- Portable and lightweight
Cons
- No touchscreen or high refresh rate
- Only USB-C/Thunderbolt ports available
- Limited performance for 3D/machine learning
- Expensive compared to rivals
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.
Software Development:4.5
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.
General Use:4.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) shines in general use with its powerful Apple M2 processor and ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient performance, while the high-quality IPS screen provides crisp visuals with excellent color accuracy.
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:4.3
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is equipped with Apple's M2 processor and a 10-core GPU, ensuring robust performance for engineering software and design applications, along with a high-quality, color-accurate screen that is vital for design work. Additionally, its lightweight, thin design and silent operation make it suitable for work in quiet environments and on the go.
Gaming & AI:3.6
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has only a moderate GPU, which limits its 3D rendering capabilities and performance in graphics-intensive tasks, and its screen supports a standard refresh rate that's not optimized for high-frame-rate 3D applications.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $949 | ||
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 | 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 | ||
Shopping
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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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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