Apple says goodbye to an iconic design – and makes the MacBook Air super fast…
At the start of the WWDC developer conference, the iPhone group has new operating software presented the second generation of his self-developed computer chips, the M2 processor. One of the first two notebooks with the chip on board is the Macbook Air. BILD was able to take a look at it shortly after the presentation at the Apple Park headquarters.
The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first version of the MacBook Air in 2008. At the time, he called the portable computer with the increasingly narrow housing the “thinnest notebook in the world”.
Now the wedge-shaped case is history. Apple has given the Air a completely new look for the first time. And that looks damn nice.
Midnight is what Apple calls the new dark blue of the MacBook Air
The new Air has an evenly thin aluminum body. While the case last measured between 0.41 centimeters at the thinnest point and 1.61 centimeters at the thickest point, it now measures a slim 11.3 millimeters everywhere.
The edge of the aluminum housing is sharply angled at the top, but gently rounded at the bottom. As a result, the Air feels comfortable in the hand when you lift it, and at the same time it looks very stable and robust.
Overall, the MacBook Air has slimmed down about 20 percent of its volume with the new design. With a weight of 1.24 kilograms, it is only a few grams lighter than its most recent predecessor, the Macbook Air with an M1 chip (1.29 kg).
The elegant aluminum housing is available in the classic colors silver and grey. There are also two new colors to choose from, which Apple has dubbed Midnight and North Star. While midnight is a deep, dark blue, which should also pass as black in dim light, Polarstern is a gold hue which, depending on the angle of view, sometimes tips into silver.
The aluminum case is 11.3 millimeters thin, the edge is rounded down
On the narrow side of the Air, there’s a reunion with a long-missed connector: Apple is bringing back the MagSafe connector for charging on the Air. The connection is held magnetically on the device and can be easily detached if you accidentally get caught in the charging cable.
In addition to the MagSafe connection, the Air has two USB-C sockets for accessories such as external hard drives, screens, etc. The notebook also has a headphone connection.
The MacBook Air can be unlocked with the fingerprint scanner Touch ID
Although the size of the device has remained almost unchanged (12 inches wide by 8.5 inches deep), the Air has a slightly larger screen than its predecessors. Thanks to the narrower edges around the display, it now measures 13.6 inches. According to Apple, the screen is 25 percent brighter than its predecessor.
At the top of the display, however, there is a notch (the so-called “notch”), next to which the menu bar is arranged. An improved camera for video telephony is housed in the notch. It now has a Full HD resolution, but doesn’t offer a follow mode like the iPad Air, which recognizes and focuses on the people in front of the camera during video calls.
The MagSafe connector for charging is magnetically held to the Air
Thanks to the new M2 processor, Apple promises a significant increase in performance, especially for computationally intensive tasks such as cutting and outputting high-resolution videos. Compared to the previous model with the M1 chip, there should be 40 percent more power. With complex image processing, the M2 should be 20 percent faster than the M1. Tests have yet to confirm this.
The camera for video calls is built into the screen notch
The Macbook Air can be equipped with up to 24 gigabytes of RAM and up to 2 terabytes of data storage. Apple promises up to 18 hours of battery life.
Starting at a price of 1499 euros, the MacBook Air will be available for purchase next month. The entry-level price is a whopping 370 euros higher than that of the previous model.