The proof: MacBook Air 15″, how the new large-screen Apple laptop looks and feels
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The MacBook Air has always been a safe choice for those looking for an affordable, extremely portable Mac with good battery life. But for some it has a limit: in fact, the screen in the M1 version measures 13.3 inches, in the more recent M2 it measures 13.6 inches. And now, one year after the redesign, the much-anticipated 15.3-inch model finally arrives. It is the first time for the MacBook Air, which it has always been available in only one size.
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The reason for being
THE2021 has been a banner year for the computer market. With the pandemic forcing many people to work and study from home, demand for more powerful and portable computers has exploded, with sales exceeding 341 million. But the boom was short-lived: last year sales fell by 16.5 percent and have not recovered in 2023. Apple often escapes industry trends, and in fact in 2022 it grew compared to the previous year, also for thanks to the new computers with M1 and M2 chips, but in the last six months, Mac sales have dropped sharply. And for this reason, the MacBook Air arrives right now: technically it could have come out last year, together with the 13-inch model, but from a market point of view, the right time is now.
Affinity and divergence
The model presented at the last WWDC is in all respects equivalent to the MacBook Air M2 already on the market: processor is the same, RAM and storage options haven’t changed, colors haven’t changed either (midnight, galaxy, space gray, silver). The design is identical, inspired by that of the new MacBook Pro. However, dimensions and weight obviously vary: the MacBook Air 15” measures 1.15 cm thick, 34.04 cm wide and 23.76 cm deep; the weight rises from 1.24 to 1.51 kg. Overall, however, it remains an extremely portable computer, also suitable for those who work on the go (but not on the seats of Ryanar and other low cost ones, where the 13 inch remains the best choice).
In detail, the basic version, while adopting the same M2 chip of the 13 inch, has a different configuration (8 core CPU and 10 core GPU instead of 8 CPU and 8 GPU), and includes 35W power supply with two USB-C ports instead of the 35W one-port one on the smaller model. The other specs are identical, except for the lithium-polymer battery that switches from 52.6 W/h to 66.5 W/h. We should rejoice, but instead Apple declares exactly the same autonomy for both models: evidently the bigger screen consumes more energy. In any case, 15 hours of web browsing on wi-fi, or 18 of video playback is a lot, and you will get tired of working (or watching movies) long before the battery runs out, as we verified in the few days of our test . Charging is reasonably fast and you can also use the power supply of a smartphone, via USB-C.
Like the smaller model (but unlike all the Pros), the 15-inch Air it does not have an internal fan and relies on the recycled aluminum chassis for heat dissipation; in even prolonged use, however, we have not noticed overheating.
The surprise
The MacBook Air under our test has 8 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores, 16 GB of RAM and 1TB of storage space, for a retail cost of 2,339 euros. As always, we configured it using Migration Assistant, which copied 245 GB of data from a 13” M2 MacBook Air via a Thunderbolt cable (the two USB-C ports are compatible with this standard). Everything worked perfectly, and in about 15 minutes the new computer was ready to use.
We started with GeekBench, which is kind of the standard for computer testing, because it runs a set of tasks involving the CPU (the actual processor), the GPU (the graphics unit), but also the ram, the hard drive and other components. And here came the first surprise: for Geekbench M2 processor frequency is different: 1.95 GHz on the 13″ model, 3.47 GHz on the 15″ model. It is therefore not surprising that the numbers are different too: the overall result goes from 1068 to 1886 (+76%) in single core, from 6366 to 8651 (+36%) in multicore. It’s strange that Apple hasn’t reported any new features in the processor, indeed all official communications always refer to the same chip and the same characteristics.
Going to browse through the individual items of the GeekBench test, the greatest increase is found in Structure from Motion, used in the reconstruction of moving scenes in 3D, while there is practically no difference in the encryption of a 256-bit AES key. In everyday use, however, compared to the 13″ model, the 15″ model seems to us to offer the same fluidity in games, web browsing and the use of multimedia content. Our test did not report any differences in the performance of the ‘SSD, but again this time we recommend choosing the version with at least 512GB: for storage space, but also because it uses two memory slots in parallel, while probably also on the Air 15” the 256 GB configuration could use only one slot and therefore be slower. The difference in normal use would still be imperceptible, and certainly very far from the test numbers, but it could become more evident when the computer practices what is called swap: when the Ram memory runs out, it uses the disk memory, which is slower. It happens when you have many programs open, especially those for image processing and video editing.
The rest
Everything that was good about the MacBook Air 13” is also present in the MacBook Air 15”: the keyboard is the same – excellent – as the MacBook Air and Pro models, and there is also the MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic system that ensures the release of the power cable in case of sudden stresses, to avoid disastrous falls. The power cable is in the same color as the computer, dark blue in our case, and covered in fabric which makes it more resistant to wear. The integrated 1080p webcam is also good, the bare minimum to be seen well in video calls.
They are on the MacBook Air 15”. six speakers instead of four, and you can hear it: the audio, already good on the smaller model, thanks to the double force-cancelling woofers improves in the precision in the low frequencies and in the definition of the voices. The rendering of spatial audio with music and dialogues is also excellent.
On the screen there is little to say: the brightness is very good (500 nits), with texts and images that always remain legible, even outdoors. It seems to us a little less reflective than the 13” model, but again there are no official indications from Apple. The display gains 1.7 inches diagonally, or 4.3 cm, and goes from 2560×1664 pixels to 2880×1864 pixels; it therefore offers more space for apps such as Excel or Final Cut, but above all it becomes as large as two 10.2 iPads side by side. And with split viewwhich allows you to split the screen to view two apps simultaneously, the 15 inches become a considerable advantage.
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We like it
- Excellent performance
- Great sound
- Great display
We do not like it
- Costly
- The basic configuration RAM is 8 GB
- In the Midnight color it is impossible to keep it clean
In the end
The MacBook Air 15” fills a niche that may be less small than it seems: those of those looking for a laptop to work on it for a long time. As if to say, not so much during the trip, where the 13” is certainly the best choice, but at the destination. Let’s think, for example, of those who can still take advantage of remote working, perhaps from the sea or the mountains: they won’t need an external monitor, and won’t have to deal with too many compromises in terms of practicality of use. Until now, Apple hasn’t offered a computer like this, while in the Windows world the options available are different, from Samsung to LG, from Microsoft to Dell. The 15-inch screen makes a lot of sense for those who don’t need the power of a 16-inch MacBook Pro (and there are quite a few), and it’s paired with a processor that’s virtually unmatched among PCs: powerful, reliable, with a excellent autonomy. The construction is excellent and, according to our experience with the 13-inch, robust enough to stand the test of time, apart from the inevitable scratches and signs of use, especially on the Midnight blue. And don’t worry about software updates or more demanding programs, provided you choose at least 16 GB of Ram. Of course, like all Apple products, the new laptop isn’t exactly cheap, starting at €1,649. In return the 13” model costs less: 1,349 euros instead of 1,529 euros, and is confirmed as the most obvious choice for those looking for the Mac with the best balance between size, performance and price.
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