Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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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—8.2/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.2/10
PORTABILITY: Very Good—8.9/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Very Good—8.0/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.1/10
SIZE: 15.3"
Evaluation
Pros
- High-resolution, bright display
- Silent, fanless operation
- Premium build quality
- 15-hour typical use battery
- Excellent portability and lightweight
Cons
- Limited RAM for intensive tasks
- Moderate performance for 3D/machine learning
- No touchscreen or number pad
- Higher price point
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.
Battery Life:4.8
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Portability:4.7
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
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 Screen Quality:4.5
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.
General Use:4.4
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
The most important factors in this score include CPU performance, amount of RAM, screen quality, storage, and battery life.
Keyboard quality, speaker quality, low fan noise, heat management, and to a lesser extent webcam quality are all moderately important factors for this score.
Engineering & Design:4.3
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with a powerful Apple M2 processor and integrated 10-core GPU that excel in engineering and design tasks, complemented by a high-quality 15.3-inch IPS display that offers clear and accurate color representation for detailed work.
Gaming & AI:3.6
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has an integrated Apple M2 graphics processor which may not offer the same level of performance in 3D tasks as dedicated gaming or professional GPUs, and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which isn't optimal for high frame-rate 3D applications.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,499 | ||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | ||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | ||
Width | 13.4" | ||
Depth | 9.35" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Apple M2 | ||
RAM | 8 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
RAM Slots | 0 | ||
Storage | 512 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 15 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | ||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 10/10 | ||
Portability Score | 9/10 | ||
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 | ||
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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