The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular laptop, and for good reason. It’s thin and light, works great, and is the most affordable laptop Apple has sold.
At the end of 2020, the MacBook Air became one of the first Mac models to be powered by Apple Silicon. The MacBook Air M1 is a fantastic laptop, but in June 2022 at WWDC, Apple announced an all-new MacBook Air with an improved M2 processor, a new design, and several welcome new features and improvements. Then in June 2023, a 15-inch MacBook Air arrived. A 15-inch version which also includes an M2 chip.
As of June 2023, there are three MacBook Air options:
- 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1
- 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2
- 15.3-inch MacBook Air, M2
Apple
Is it a good time to buy a MacBook Air?
Apple claims the MacBook Air is its most popular laptop and it’s no surprise. It’s a great Mac to buy and now is a good time to do so because after introducing the 15-inch MacBook Air in June 2023 there’s unlikely to be a further update to the lineup until now. in 2024.
The only reasons not to buy one would be:
- To wait for M3 chips.
- Wait for a better price.
M3 chips are unlikely to arrive before early 2024.
The best prices will probably be during Black Friday in November, but you don’t have to wait until then: resellers offer discounted prices all year round. Take a look at our roundup of the best MacBook Air deals that we update monthly. You’ll also see the best prices right now below.
That’s a general view of whether you should buy a MacBook Air, but the answer is slightly different depending on which model you’re interested in. Read on to find out how these three models compare.
Should you buy the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, 2020
We love the MacBook Air M1, which was one of the first Macs to feature an M1 chip when it launched in 2020. Nearly three years later, we still think the performance and battery life are phenomenal.
We were worried that Apple would pull this MacBook Air from sale when it launched the 15-inch MacBook Air, but that’s not the case. The old MacBook Air M1 remains on sale at $999 / £999. The only thing that makes it less appealing is the fact that Apple has dropped the price of the entry-level MacBook Air M2, so it’s only $100/£150 more.
Should I buy? No
If you want a low priced MacBook Air and don’t mind that it doesn’t have the new design or the M2 chip (to be honest the M1 is good enough for most people) then the M1 MacBook Air is a good choice. But you could just pay $100 more to get the MacBook Air M2 which has so much to offer (as you’ll see below). If you see a bargain, it’s worth buying – check first that there isn’t a similar discount on the M2 model.
Should you buy the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, 2022
In July 2022, Apple started selling the MacBook Air M2.
This MacBook Air brought a whole new design: the wedge shape has been replaced by a flat body that looks like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, but slimmer, even thinner than the old Air design, in fact. The bezels around the screen have shrunk, expanding the viewing area to 13.6 inches.
Like the MacBook Air M1, this model only has two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, but with the addition of the MagSafe connector for charging (including fast charging), they’ll both be free more often. The webcam has been upgraded to 1080p with much better quality overall, and the speakers and microphones are improved.
Should I buy? Yes
When Apple introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air, it dropped the price of the MacBook Air M2, so it really doesn’t cost much more than the older model. It was $1,199 / £1,249 and is now $1,099 / £1,149.
Considering all the features on offer, from the best FaceTime camera to the biggest screen, there are plenty of reasons to buy this laptop now. The only reason to look elsewhere is if you want an even bigger screen.
Should you buy the 15.3-inch MacBook Air, M2, 2023
In June 2023, Apple started selling the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip. In many ways, it’s just a slightly larger version of the MacBook Air M2 launched the year before, with many of the same features and specs: 18-hour battery life, Touch ID, Liquid Retina display, camera FaceTime 1080p, 802.11zx WI-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 and a MagSafe charging port so both USB-C ports are available.
But there are a few improvements beside the obvious (screen size): the larger MacBook Air gets a speaker sound system and force-cancelling woofers while the 13-inch M2 Air doesn’t. only has four speakers (which themselves are superior to the MacBook Air M1’s stereo speakers).
Should I buy? Yes
At first glance, it looks like the 15-inch MacBook Air costs a bit more than the 13-inch M2 model, the 15-inch from $1,299/£1,399 the 13-inch with M2 from $1,099/1 £149, but that’s only $200 / £250, which isn’t such a huge jump for a bigger screen and the other benefits mentioned above.
So our advice is to buy one, but maybe wait a few months for the discounts to start showing up (not that we expect this new MacBook Air to be discounted any further for quite some time). Check out our best MacBook Air deals to see if you can save some money.
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