MacRumors

Today marks the third anniversary of Apple discontinuing the 12-inch MacBook. The portable notebook was removed from Apple's online store on July 9, 2019 alongside refreshes to the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro on the same day.

Introduced in March 2015, the 12-inch MacBook featured a thin and light design that weighed just two pounds, and it was also Apple's first fanless notebook. Pricing started at $1,299, with the original model's standard specs including a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

Key design aspects of the 12-inch MacBook included a single USB-C port for charging and data transfer, a then-new Force Touch trackpad, and a terraced battery design that allowed for a larger battery to fit inside the notebook's thin chassis.

"Apple has reinvented the notebook with the new MacBook," said Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller, in a March 2015 press release. "Every component of the MacBook reveals a new innovation. From its fanless design, ultra-thin Retina display and full-size keyboard that's 34 percent thinner, to its all-new Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port and breakthrough terraced battery design, the new MacBook is the future of the notebook."

Unfortunately, the 12-inch MacBook was also the first MacBook model to feature Apple's infamous butterfly switch keyboard design, which is prone to failure and was eventually dropped from the entire MacBook lineup after years of complaints.

Apple last updated the 12-inch MacBook in June 2017, with the notebook having gone over two years without a hardware refresh before being discontinued.

In hindsight, it is clear that the 12-inch MacBook was hampered by the thermal constraints of Intel processors, with the notebook's thin and light design more appropriate for performant yet power efficient Apple silicon chips. Last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was considering launching an all-new 12-inch notebook by 2024, but it is unclear if the notebook would be branded as a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro. While the 12-inch MacBook was a low-end notebook, Apple also offered a higher-end 12-inch PowerBook G4 in the mid-2000s, prior to the original MacBook Pro being released.

An early benchmark result for the new MacBook Air has surfaced, providing a closer look at the M2 chip's performance in the notebook.

In a Geekbench 5 result spotted by "Mr. Macintosh" on Twitter, the MacBook Air with the M2 chip and 16GB of unified memory achieved a single-core score of 1,899 and a multi-core score of 8,965. These scores are approximately the same as those achieved by the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, confirming that the notebooks have virtually identical performance in synthetic testing, as was the case with the M1 models.

While the M2 chip performs equally in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in Geekbench testing, the MacBook Pro could still fare better in real-world usage during sustained, demanding workloads since, unlike the MacBook Air, it has a fan.

The previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip has an average single-core score of 1,706 and an average multi-core score of 7,420, meaning the M2 MacBook Air delivers up to 20% faster multi-core performance compared to the M1 model.

The result also confirms that the M2 MacBook Air outperforms the base model Mac Pro tower with an 8‑core Intel Xeon W processor despite costing nearly $5,000 less. While that is not an apples-to-apples comparison, it is nevertheless a testament to the impressive performance of Apple silicon chips in more affordable Macs.

It remains to be seen if the base model M2 MacBook Air with a 256GB SSD is equipped with only a single NAND storage chip. Last month, it was discovered that the base model M2 MacBook Pro has significantly slower SSD speeds compared to the equivalent M1 model due to having a single 256GB storage chip instead of two 128GB chips. Due to virtual memory swapping, slower SSD speeds can impact overall system performance at times.

Apple began accepting pre-orders for the new MacBook Air on Friday, July 8, and the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin on Friday, July 15. Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199 in the United States, while the previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.

Apple's completely revamped MacBook Air is here! In line with our report from late June, Apple has now started taking orders for the new notebook ahead of a launch next week.

This week also saw the release of the third set of developer betas for iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and other upcoming updates, and we're expecting public betas to debut next week. Finally, we're continuing to hear rumors about Apple's product pipeline for the iPhone and Apple Watch, so read on below for details on all of these stories!

Apple Now Accepting Pre-Orders for New MacBook Air With M2 Chip

Apple on Friday began accepting orders for the new MacBook Air equipped with the M2 chip, after announcing the date earlier in the week to confirm our exclusive report from last month. The first deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin one week later on Friday, July 15, but launch-day availability is already starting to slip.

The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, flatter edges, and new color options. The notebook features MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and more.

iOS 16 Beta 3 is Out: Here is What's New

Apple this week released the third betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, and a handful of new features have been added across the platforms.

We've unpacked everything new in the latest iOS 16 beta for the iPhone, including a new Lockdown Mode that offers "extreme" security for high-profile individuals targeted by state-sponsored spyware, a new Clownfish wallpaper inspired by the original iPhone, Lock screen changes, and more.

Apple also enabled two new features in the latest betas: iCloud Shared Photo Library and AFib History.

Apple Announces New Lockdown Mode on iOS 16 With 'Extreme' Level of Security

Apple shared more details about the new Lockdown Mode enabled in the third betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura this week.

Lockdown Mode is found in the Settings app under Privacy & Security. When enabled, Apple said the optional feature provides an "extreme" level of security by strictly limiting or disabling the functionality of features, apps, and websites, such as Safari, Messages, and FaceTime.

iCloud Shared Photo Library Support Added in Latest iOS 16 and macOS Ventura Betas

The new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature that Apple previewed at WWDC has been enabled in the third betas of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura this week.

‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library is designed to make it easier for you to share photos with your family members or friends. The feature allows you and up to five other people to add, edit, or remove photos in a shared library accessible across multiple devices via iCloud.

Apple Watch Series 8 Might Be Able to Detect a Fever

Apple Watch Series 8 models launching later this year will be able to detect if you have a fever, should the feature pass final testing, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in the latest edition of his newsletter.

Fever detection is also expected to be a feature on a new "rugged" version of the Apple Watch Series 8, which is rumored to feature a strong metal casing, a larger and more shatter-resistant screen, and a larger battery.

Apple's Latest Chips to Remain Exclusive to Pro Models for iPhone 15 and Beyond

Back in March, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that only iPhone 14 Pro models would be upgraded with Apple's latest A16 chip this year, with the standard iPhone 14 models sticking to the A15 chip.

It was unclear whether this would be a one-off change due to the ongoing chip shortage, but Kuo has now claimed that the trend of only the Pro models getting Apple's latest chip will continue with the iPhone 15 series and beyond.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Elon Musk no longer plans to purchase Twitter for $44 billion, according to Reuters. Musk told Twitter this evening that he is calling off the deal because of "material breach of multiple provisions of the agreement."

Back in April, Musk offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, and Twitter agreed to accept the offer in late April. Since then, the deal has been up in the air because of an issue over spam or fake accounts.

Musk in May put his Twitter takeover "temporarily on hold" because he did not believe Twitter's claim that fake or spam accounts represent less than five percent of users. Musk at the time said that he was "still committed to the acquisition," but he also said that he wanted to look into Twitter's spam account data.

In a notice to Twitter, Musk said that Twitter did not comply with its contractual obligations and that he was not provided with the relevant business information that he requested.

Update: Twitter chairman Bret Taylor says that Twitter's board is "committed to closing the transaction" and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the agreement.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

With iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple has added a number of improvements to the Mail app to bring it in line with competing email apps. The Mail app includes search updates, an undo send option, and tools for getting reminders about emails that you need to follow up on, plus more.

This guide covers everything that you need to know about the Mail app in iOS 16, available now, and in iPadOS 16, coming in October.

Improved Search

Search in the Mail app has been improved and you'll now see a wider range of suggestions when you start typing in a search term. You'll see more relevant email messages come up, and Apple also says that search corrects typos and uses synonyms for search terms.

It's not significantly different from the iOS 15 search function, but it does make search quicker, more accurate, and more intuitive to use.

Improved search is available for all users, while the typo correction feature is available in English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, and United States).

Undo Send

After you send an email in iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, you have a 10 second period in which to unsend the email if you make a mistake. 10 seconds is shorter than the amount of time that other mail apps like Gmail give you to unsend an email (30 seconds), but it's better than no unsend option at all.

Once you send an email in iOS 16, you'll see an "Undo Send" button at the bottom of the interface in the Mail app. You'll need to tap it within 10 seconds to unsend the email, which takes you back to the compose interface. From there, you can correct your error and resend or delete the email entirely.

Scheduled Send

When you're ready to send an email that you've written, you can schedule a time to send it, which is a new feature in iOS 16. To do so, long press on the send icon (the blue arrow) and then select an option.

Apple has preset options that include "Send Now," "Send 9:00 PM Tonight," and "Send 8:00 AM Tomorrow." If those preset times don't work for you, you're able to tap on "Send Later..." and choose any date or time that you want.

Before it goes out, the email will be listed in a "Send Later" mailbox that's listed under options like Flagged and Unread. You can tap into this email inbox to see the messages you have scheduled and what time they're scheduled for.

Mail Reminders

If you opened up an email and don't have the time to respond to it, you can have the Mail app remind you to get back to it later. Apple allows you to select a date and time to have messages resurface in your inbox so nothing goes missing.

To use the Remind Me feature, tap the Reply button on any email in your inbox. From there, scroll down to "Remind Me" and tap it. Apple will give you the preset options to be reminded about it in an hour, "tonight," and "tomorrow." You can also for the "Remind Me Later..." option that lets you set a specific date and time to get a reminder to respond.

When the reminder time rolls around, the Mail app will move the email to the top of your inbox with a "Remind Me" label so you can respond.

Follow Up

Apple has added a "Follow Up" feature that is designed to move sent email messages to the top of your inbox so you can send a follow-up if you don't hear back from the person you sent the email to.

On certain emails in your inbox where you've indicated that you're awaiting a response, you'll see a "Follow Up" option. Tapping it will take you to the compose interface with an email addressed to the person that you're waiting to hear from.

Notifications for Missing Recipients and Attachments

If you mention an attachment or a person that you are planning to include on an email in the body of the email and then forget to add that information, the Mail app will let you know.

This feature brings the Mail app in line with competing mail services like Gmail, informing you if you forget an attachment or to add someone you meant to add to an email.

Rich Links

Links to websites, songs in Apple Music, and more are displayed as rich links in iOS 16, rather than plaintext. This means if someone sends you a link in the mail app, you can see a preview of the contents right in the message without having to click on the link.

Apple already uses rich links in apps like Messages, so the iOS 16 update brings the Mail app in line with Apple's other apps.

Focus Filters for Mail

Apple in iOS 16 added a new Focus option called Filters. Filters are designed to allow users to filter out content within apps, displaying a specific Mail account or Calendar, if you have multiple. When you use a Focus with a filter set, the app with the filter will only show what you've selected, hiding everything else.

For the Mail app, you can choose any Mail account to associate with a Focus. With a filter set, when you're in that Focus, the Mail app will only show the accounts you've selected. It's useful if you want to filter out personal emails while working, and vice versa, for example.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the iOS 16 Mail app, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Expercom recently introduced some of the first discounts on Apple's 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, which launched last month. At this time, these MacBook Pro models are not in stock, but Expercom estimates a shipping date within 7-14 days.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 256GB model, Expercom has this 13-inch MacBook Pro for $1,234.05, down from $1,299.00. You can also get the 512GB 13-inch MacBook Pro for $1,424.05, down from $1,499.00.

Expercom also has a few custom configuration variants of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro at a discount, with the option of boosting memory up to 16GB and 24GB options. Additionally, there's a high-end 2TB model on sale for $1,994.05, down from $2,099.00.

Shoppers should again note that these 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro models are not currently in stock on Expercom, but the retailer suggests a shipping date within the next two weeks for most models. Expercom is the only retailer online to currently offer any markdown on these notebooks.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

The Oregon Trail app for Apple Arcade was today updated with a new integrated Health experience that's designed to motivate you to walk the 2,000 mile path in real life through gamification.

Oregon Trail fans can use an integrated "Walk the Trail" feature that takes advantage of data from the Health app to walk a virtual Oregon trail. There is also a new Apple Watch app called The Oregon Trail: Step Tracker that lets people be motivated by an Oregon Trail walking experience on the wrist.

Data from the Apple Watch app is synced to the ‌Apple Arcade‌ version of The Oregon Trail, and it is designed to provide a full 2,000 mile journey that crosses Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie, Fort Hall, and more on the journey to Oregon City.

Oregon Trail creator Gameloft says that players can go through five journey legs with 64 locations, 7 forts, 15 river crossings, and eight pony express stations along the way. If players walk 10,000 steps per day, it will take them more than a year to complete the virtual Oregon Trail journey.

Along the path, players will see animated environments change and there will be statistics and progress data provided in The Oregon Trail app. There are also daily summaries, avatar customization options, and in-game rewards to earn.

"By utilizing Apple Health, we can confidently say the original walking simulator branches out of being just a game, into a method for players to follow the path of The Oregon Trail with their own steps. We think it's a great way for people to better understand those who made this journey, all while taking strides towards enhancing their own health and fitness," said David MacMinn, Game Manager of Gameloft Brisbane.

The app uses daily walks, runs, and wheelchair pushes for data. ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers can download The Oregon Trail app from the App Store, while The Oregon Trail: Steptracker is available exclusively on the Apple Watch and does not require ‌Apple Arcade‌.

Apple employees this month will compete to close their Apple Watch rings in Apple's annual "Close Your Rings Challenge," meant to inspire employees to get up and move.

The challenge, which kicked off July 1, lets Apple employees compete in teams of four to close their Activity Rings for the entire month of July. "Over the course of four weeks, compete for bragging rights, points and prizes as you move, exercise and stand your way to a better you," the company told staff promoting the challenge.

Employees who earn at least 1240 points will receive a special black quarter-zip performance jacket with the fitness ring seen in the image above.

Apple on Friday opened pre-orders for the new MacBook Air with M2 chip through its website and the Apple Store app, and delivery estimates have already slipped for all configurations and color combinations in the United States.

Shipping estimates for all MacBook Air configurations have slipped to July 26 or later, with some custom configurations with upgraded specs shipping as late as August. When pre-orders first began, some configurations were available for delivery as early as July 15.

The new MacBook Air will also be available to purchase at select Apple Store locations around the world starting July 15, but availability will likely be limited to the standard configurations. Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199 in the United States. The previous MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.

Apple also made its USB-C to MagSafe 3 charging cable available to order in three new colors that match the new MacBook Air. The cable, priced at $49, is currently estimated for delivery between July 15 and July 19 in the United States.

Update: July 15 delivery is no longer available for any M2 MacBook Air configuration. This story has been updated accordingly.

Images of cases for the entire iPhone 14 lineup were today shared, reinforcing expectations about the design refinements coming to this year's new iPhone models.

The images, shared on Weibo and highlighted by "DuanRui" on Twitter, depict ultra-slim third-party cases for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Although one of the devices is labeled iPhone "14 Plus," there is no reliable evidence to suggest that this will be the device's final naming, with the "14 Max" moniker being more likely in parallel to the "iPhone 14 Pro Max."

The cases mirror a broad range of plausible design rumors from reputable sources, including CAD renders and specific dimensions, leaked schematics, images of accessory production molds, early third-party cases, and more as the lineup's designs become increasingly clear.

The images also include a close-up comparison of the cases' precise moldings and cutouts for the rear camera setups, illustrating how much it is expected to grow from the iPhone 13 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro:

The even larger rear camera array is expected to house a new 48MP camera system with a 57 percent larger sensor and 8K video recording capability. For reference, the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro" today shared an image of an iPhone 14 Pro dummy, highlighting the potential increase in camera thickness:

The larger camera plateau is naturally more noticeable on the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro than it is on the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the cases also show the Pro models' slightly taller design, increased thickness, and more rounded appearance due to corners with larger radii.

Earlier this year, Apple graphic designer Ian Zelbo created ostensibly accurate renders of the iPhone 14 Pro in an effort to provide a look at what to expect from this year's design. See our detailed roundups for more information about the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Woot today is offering Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 in new condition for the all-time low price of $89.99, down from $129.99. This is one of Woot's flash sales, so you only have today to take advantage of the $40 discount.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Woot is selling the Magic Trackpad 2 in brand new condition, and it includes a Lightning cable in the box. The Magic Trackpad 2 is compatible with Macs and iPads (running iPadOS 13.4 or later), and only the white color option is on sale today.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple's new MacBook Air with the M2 chip is now available to order on Apple's online store. Deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Friday, July 15.

Announced in June at WWDC, the new updated and redesigned ‌MacBook Air‌ features the biggest design overhaul to the ‌MacBook Air‌ line since 2010, and is the first to feature the ‌M2‌ chip.

The new model features a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a notch on the top bezel housing an upgraded 1080p camera, a uniform, flat body similar to the MacBook Pro, and new Starlight and Midnight color options.

Connectivity-wise, two USB-C ports are available on the ‌MacBook Air‌ along with a MagSafe port for charging purposes and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones.

The machine also includes a built-in four-speaker sound system that supports spatial audio and wide stereo. It also features a three-microphone array.

The next-generation ‌M2‌ chip features an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, along with support for up to 24GB memory. Compared to the M1, the ‌M2‌ offers advancements in performance and efficiency with an 18% faster CPU, a 35 percent faster GPU, and a 40 percent faster Neural Engine.

Pricing for the new ‌MacBook Air‌ starts at $1,199 in the United States. The previous-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ with the ‌M1‌ chip remains available for $999.

Apple today made its USB-C to MagSafe 3 charging cable available to purchase separately in three new colors matching the MacBook Air, including space gray, midnight, and starlight, with pricing set at $49. Until now, the cable was only sold in silver.

Apple already includes a color-matched MagSafe 3 charging cable in the box with the new MacBook Air, but now the cable can be ordered individually from Apple's online store for those who want an extra one or need a replacement.

The cable is also compatible with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released last year. This means that customers who purchased a new MacBook Pro in space gray will finally be able to get a matching space gray MagSafe 3 cable, as Apple somewhat surprisingly chose to bundle a silver cable with the space gray model.

MagSafe technology allows the cable to magnetically attach to a MacBook. If someone trips on the cable, it releases so that the MacBook does not go tumbling. The cable is two meters long and features a woven design for added durability.

The new MacBook Air is now available to order ahead of a July 15 launch. The notebook is powered by Apple's new M2 chip and has been redesigned with a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, and flatter edges. Pricing starts at $1,199, and the previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.

Apple's online store is down ahead of new MacBook Air pre-orders, which are set to begin on Friday at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time in the United States.

The new ‌MacBook Air‌ has been redesigned with a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a camera notch, a flat-edged chassis, and new Starlight and Midnight color options.

The notebook features MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, four speakers, and more.

According to Apple, the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip.

Thanks to the ‌M2‌ chip, the ‌MacBook Air‌ can also be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory, which is 8GB more than the ‌M1‌ chip supports. The notebook is available with up to a 2TB SSD.

Pricing for the new ‌MacBook Air‌ starts at $1,199 in the United States, and deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin on Friday, July 15. The previous-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ with the ‌M1‌ chip remains available for $999.

Shazam, the popular music recognition service, has updated its iPhone and iPad app so that songs identified with the Music Recognition feature in iOS now sync with the Shazam app.

For those unfamiliar with Shazam, the app is designed to listen for music that's playing, providing a song title and artist for identification purposes. Apple's iPhones and iPads feature built-in Shazam integration with or without the app installed, available through the Music Recognition button in Control Center, and by asking Siri to identify a song that's playing.

Previously it was believed that the sync feature between Music Recognition in Control Center and the Shazam app was limited to devices running the iOS 16 developer beta, but Shazam has now rolled out the feature to the current app for devices running iOS 15.

Also new in this update, Shazam history is now synced across devices. Previously, long pressing the Music Recognition button in Control Center only displayed song identification history for the current device. Going forward however it will show all songs identified from any device signed into the same Apple ID, regardless of whether it was done via the app or Control Center.

After years of ‌‌Siri‌‌ integration, Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and since iOS 14.2, Apple's mobile devices have had the system-level song recognition function.

• How to Use Music Recognition in iPhone Control Center

In September 2021, Apple announced that the Music Recognition feature in Control Center had surpassed one billion cumulative recognitions across the iPhone and iPad since launching.

The revamped and improved Apple Maps experience is now live for users in France, New Zealand, and Monaco, according to ‌Apple Maps‌ enthusiast Justin O'Beirne. The new ‌Apple Maps‌ experience brings with it more accurate and faster navigation, improved imagery with three-dimensional landmarks and locations, and detailed views of roads, shopping malls, and more.

On a related note, according to O'Beirne, cycling directions for ‌Apple Maps‌ now covers 49 states. Apple maintains a list of where ‌Apple Maps‌ features are available by location on its website, but the latest locations have yet to be added.

Apple is investigating user reports that the iPad mini 6 may stop charging after being updated to iPadOS 15.5, according to a memo sent to service providers and obtained by MacRumors.

In the memo sent to authorized service providers, Apple said that it's aware that some users may report the latest ‌iPad mini‌ as unable to charge after updating to iPadOS 15.5. Apple is advising that service providers and retail staff inform customers to restart the device as a temporary fix while the investigation is ongoing.

Crucially, Apple explicitly notes that a hardware replacement of the iPad or its battery will not solve the problem, confirming it's purely a software issue. Apple is currently beta testing iPadOS 15.6, which may solve the problem when it's released to the public.

Several ‌iPad mini‌ 6 owners have reported charging issues after updating to the latest iPadOS update on the MacRumors and Apple Support forums (1, 2, 3, 4).

Apple's MacBook Air with the M2 chip comes over a year and a half after its M1-based predecessor and, most recently, the company introduced a 15-inch model. The new ‌MacBook Air‌ features a complete redesign as well as several important under-the-hood improvements that could make it a major upgrade worth considering for many users, even though it may not be worthwhile for some.

The ‌MacBook Air‌ is often chosen by those who require a portable, more affordable Apple laptop, with the device offering a lightweight design at a price well below the high-end MacBook Pro models. The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ sits in the Mac lineup at a $1,099 price point – with the previous M1 model remaining on sale for the same $999 price tag that it debuted with in November 2020.

Whether you are weighing up the upgrade from the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ to the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, or are in the market for a new ‌MacBook Air‌ and are mulling whether it's worth saving $100 by buying the ‌M1‌ model, our buyer's guide helps you to work out which of the ‌MacBook Air‌ models currently on sale is best for you.

Comparing the M1 and M2 MacBook Air Models

Despite their different designs, there are still a large number of important parallels between the two ‌MacBook Air‌ models:

Similarities

• Retina display with P3 wide color and True Tone
• Ambient light sensor
• Touch ID
• Force Touch trackpad
• Fanless design with passive cooling
• Apple silicon chip with 8-core CPU
• Video encode and decode engines for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC video
• 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSD storage configurations
• Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Support for wide stereo sound and Dolby Atmos playback
• Three-mic array with directional beamforming
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
• Up to 18 hours of battery life
• Available in Silver and Space Gray

Beyond their designs, there are crucial differences between the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ and the new, ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌:

Differences

Design

The most noticeable difference between two ‌MacBook Air‌ models is their design. While the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ mirrors the design of previous models with a tapered, "wedge" design, the ‌M2‌ model takes design cues from the latest 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with a uniform thickness and a flat top with rounded bottom edges.

It is ultimately a matter of personal preference which design you prefer, but the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ features the exact same design that the device has been sporting since 2018, which itself carried over the tapered style Apple has used since 2010. The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ uses Apple's latest design language and looks like a much more modern device.

Another design difference worth highlighting is that the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ features a full-height function key row, rather than the ‌M1‌ model's half-height row, and has a different ‌Touch ID‌ scanner design. The Magic Keyboards are otherwise the same. The full-height function row is unlikely to influence any purchasing decisions, but it is still worth highlighting amid bigger improvements.

Dimensions and Weight

The 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is 0.19 inches (4.8 mm) thinner than the thickest point of the previous model. Both designs have the exact same width, but the ‌M2‌ model is slightly longer. Despite not having a tapered design, the new 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ delivers a 25 percent volume reduction over the previous generation and should feel more slight in the hand.

True to its name, the 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is also 0.1 pounds (45 grams) lighter than the previous model.

While the 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ does not deliver a massive change in terms of portability, its reduction in weight and volume are likely to be welcomed by users who often need to carry their device around. The ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is by no means a large or overly heavy device, but the 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is more likely to fit easily into tight bag compartments and be very slightly less cumbersome. The new design may be more striking and visually appealing, but it is generally not worth buying the latest model purely for better portability.

For users who are less concerned about size and weight, and would prefer a larger display, Apple now offers a 15-inch variant of the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌.

Color Options

Like many Apple devices, both models are available in Silver and Space Gray. The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is not available in Gold, but it offers Starlight and Midnight options.

If you have other Apple devices in Starlight and Midnight, such as an iPhone 14, iPad mini or iPad Air, or aluminum Apple Watch Series 8, you may prefer to get the ‌M2‌ model to obtain a matching color. The unique champagne tone of Starlight or the navy-tinted hue of Midnight may also simply be more appealing, but Silver and Space Gray users have no reason to prefer the ‌M2‌ model simply on the basis of color.

Display

Both models feature a high-resolution Retina display with P3 wide color and True Tone, but Apple boasts that the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ features its latest "Liquid Retina display." This allows it to have slimmer borders, fitting a larger display in a similarly sized device, and the edges of the display curve around the top corners of the lid for a more modern appearance.

The 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌'s display provides an additional 0.3 inches of diagonal space, making slightly more space for on-screen content, and the display can get 25 percent brighter than the ‌M1‌ model, making it better for use outdoors, in direct sunlight, or in bright environments.

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ features a "notch" to house the ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera that cuts into the top of the display. While the displays feature different resolutions, they have the same 16:10 aspect ratio below the notch, so it should not be an important consideration for most buyers, especially since macOS's menu bar takes advantage of this additional vertical space on the ‌M2‌ model.

The ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ still has a more than serviceable LCD Retina display that will meet most customers' needs. There are few material differences between the displays in terms of specifications that make it worth buying one device over the other or upgrading, but the larger borders around the ‌M1‌ model's smaller display certainly make it look more dated, which may sway some customers toward the newer model.

For users who require a bigger display or seek to replace a desktop setup with a ‌MacBook Air‌, the 15-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is the perfect choice.

M1 vs. M2

One of the most important differences between the current and previous-generation MacBook Airs is their Apple silicon chip. The ‌M1‌ chip, introduced in November 2020, is based on Apple's A14 Bionic chip. On the other hand, the ‌M2‌ is based on the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13.

While both chips feature an eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, the ‌M2‌'s cores offer moderate performance and efficiency improvements and up to two additional GPU cores. Apple says that with the ‌M2‌ chip "intensive workloads like editing complex timelines in Final Cut Pro are nearly 40 percent faster than the previous generation... Applying filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop is up to 20 percent faster than before."

Like the M1 Pro, the ‌M2‌ features a media engine for hardware-accelerated ProRes and ProRes RAW video encode and decode. On the other hand, the ‌M1‌ chip's dedicated media engine can only accelerate H.264 and HEVC video. Apple says that this dramatically speeds up video workflows on the latest ‌MacBook Air‌, allowing users to play back up more 4K and 8K streams of video and convert video projects to ProRes considerably faster than before.

For casual users, the ‌M2‌ chip is unlikely to make much difference over the ‌M1‌ chip in day-to-day tasks, with improvements being more noticeable in professional workflows. For more information about the specific differences between the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ chips, see our detailed guide:

• M1 vs. M2 Chip Buyer's Guide: How Much Better Really Is M2?

Unified Memory

Both the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ are configurable with 8GB or 16GB of unified memory, but the ‌M2‌ offers an additional 24GB top-tier memory option. Multitasking and memory-hungry workflows, such as working with large assets, benefit from the higher memory option as a result.

In addition, the ‌M2‌ has a 100GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 68.25GB/s with the ‌M1‌, meaning that the latest ‌MacBook Air‌ can access more memory faster.

Camera

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ includes a new 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera with twice the resolution and low-light performance of the previous generation, according to Apple. This is sure to substantially improve the video calling experience compared to the 720p camera of the ‌M1‌ model.

Speakers

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ offers a four-speaker sound system integrated between the keyboard and the display, which Apple says "produce improved stereo separation and vocal clarity." The ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ retains a stereo speaker setup, which is likely to be good enough for most users. Both devices support wide stereo sound and Dolby Atmos playback.

Ports and Charging

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ ups the device's audio credentials further with support for high-impedance headphones like the high-end 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which could be an important upgrade for some audio professionals.

More noticeable is the presence of a MagSafe port on the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, allowing users to connect and release the charging cable from their ‌MacBook Air‌ more easily – especially if the charging cable is accidentally pulled, and see an LED indicator for the device's charging status.

Both models feature two Thunderbolt ports, so there is no outright difference when it comes to connecting accessories, but it is worth noting that the ‌MagSafe‌ port on the ‌M2‌ model effectively frees up a Thunderbolt port for accessories that would otherwise need to be used for charging.

Though the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ comes with a larger lithium-polymer battery, both devices have the same 18-hour battery life, regardless of whether you choose the 13- or the 15-inch ‌M2‌ model. When using a 67W USB-C Power Adapter, the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ supports fast charging.

‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ models configured with the 10-core GPU option come with a 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter, rather than the one-port 30W USB-C Power Adapter that comes with the ‌M1‌ model and base ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ model.

Final Thoughts

In some senses, the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is similar to its predecessor, with the same Magic Keyboard and Force Touch trackpad, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a passive cooling system, and 18-hour battery life. The devices have a similar footprint, Retina display around 13 inches in size, up to 2TB of storage, can hardware-accelerate H.264 and HEVC video, and come with a 30W charger as standard.

That being said, there is no doubt that the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ delivers a major redesign. Its uniform thickness, reduced volume and weight, larger display with slimmer borders, and full-height function row are sure to make for a more modern appearance. Yet there are also practical improvements such as the ‌MagSafe‌ port, fast charging, brighter display, 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera, and four-speaker sound system that meaningfully improve the user experience in many areas.

The new 15-inch model offers a new form-factor that offers the best balance of display area and portability for many users, for only $1,299 – $200 more than the 13-inch ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌. There is no 15-inch variant of the ‌M1‌ model available.

Given that it has only been almost three years since Apple launched the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, it will be worth choosing the ‌M2‌ model from the perspective of future-proofing.

For these reasons, if choosing between buying the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ or the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, it is definitely worth spending the additional $100 for the ‌M2‌ model's new design, better performance, and across-the-board improvements. That being said, if price is an issue, the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is still a very capable machine with plenty of similarities to the latest model. The ‌M1‌ chip remains very capable and should offer sufficient performance for many users.

When considering an upgrade from the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ to the ‌M2‌ model, users should weigh up how much they would utilize specific improvements. The ‌M2‌ chip is unlikely to eclipse the ‌M1‌ for everyday users, but for some workflows, it could offer real enhancements. For example, the ‌M2‌'s ProRes encode and decode engine, 100GB/s memory bandwidth, and 24GB memory option may make it a much more powerful device for professionals.

‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ users who need more than 16GB of memory, make lots of video calls, or even those who are prone to accidentally tugging on their charging cable should consider upgrading. The combined advancements of the new design, ‌M2‌ chip, four-speaker system, larger display, and faster charging make switching the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ for the ‌M2‌ model a more worthwhile action than many other generation-over-generation upgrades. Likewise, upgrading to the 15-inch model is a worthwhile step up simply due to its size.

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ may be best suited to those who are first-time ‌MacBook Air‌ buyers or are upgrading from an older machine, rather than 2020's ‌M1‌ model. Nevertheless, the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is a significantly more appealing overall package with major improvements in almost all areas, making it a justifiable upgrade for almost everyone.