It’s like the “little” MacBook Air, just bigger.
Today at WWDC 2023, Apple officially unveiled its long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air. According to Apple, it should be the “world’s thinnest 15-inch notebook”.
Meanwhile, the same M2 chip that powers the 13.6″ version is at work inside. Under Apple Silicon, the gaming sector seems to have become aware of Apple again. We’ll keep an eye on that. In the meantime, no fan is used in the new MacBook Air. The entire notebook is passively cooled.
Apple seems to use the size primarily for better sound and more battery. Up to 18 hours of battery life should be possible with the 15-inch version of the MacBook Air. On the other hand, Apple has increased the speakers a bit compared to the 13.6″ version. A total of 6 speakers are used in the large model.
The display is larger, but the connections are the same
The 15″ MacBook Air has the same ports as its little brother. Specifically, we’re talking about a MagSafe port for charging, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack. The latter is placed on the right.
Meanwhile, the display of the new MacBook Air is 15.3 inches. The display frames are very slim at just 5mm. The entire MacBook Air is also only 11.5mm thick. According to Apple, it is also “40% thinner and up to 200g lighter” than a standard 15-inch notebook.
15-inch MacBook Air pricing and availability
With the introduction of the 15-inch version, Apple’s official MSRP prices have also changed somewhat. All four colors (midnight, polar star, silver, and space grey) of the large MacBook Air officially start at €1,599 (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 35W power supply). With the maximum configuration (24GB RAM, 2TB SSD, and 70W power supply), the price increases to almost €3,000. Deliveries are scheduled to begin on June 13th.
The RRP of the 13.6″ MacBook Air with M2 Apple Silicon SoC has been reduced from €1,499 to €1,299. The color choices are the same as for the 15-inch version. In both cases, I recommend staying away from “Midnight”. It looks beautiful, but testing has shown that it simply collects too many fingerprints.
The 13″ version (old design with M1 chip) is still available in gold, silver, and space gray from €1,199 RRP. The M1 version in particular is still an insider tip among Mac fans. The performance is good, the design is proven and the real street price is almost “affordable” at less than 1000€.
At WWDC 2023, Apple not only presented a new MacBook Air but also presented M2 Ultra updates for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro and also unveiled its first AR/VR headset “Vision Pro”.