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As expected, Apple announced a brand-new MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023) at WWDC 2023, the first time its thin and light laptop has been available with a 15-inch screen.
It follows the 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022) which launched at last year’s WWDC with a brand-new design, new M2 chip, and a higher price tag than its predecessor.
If you love the MacBook Air because it’s thin and light and easily portable, a larger version may worry you; but fear not, as Apple has worked hard to keep the new MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023) as svelte as possible, despite the larger, dimensions. Instead of the 13-inch MacBook Air’s 2.7lbs/1.25kg, the 15-inch MacBook Air weighs 3.3lbs/1.5kg, a mere half-pound/quarter kilo weight gain.
I was at Apple Park when the new MacBook Air was announced, and was able to get a few minutes with the new device, so read on to find out my early hands-on thoughts on the MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023), which instantly becomes a candidate for one of the best MacBook and Macs.
MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023): Cut to the chase
- What is it? The new 15-inch MacBook Air
- When will it be available? Announced at WWDC 2023
- What will it cost? $1,299 base model ($1,199 for education use) / £1,399 (£1,289 for education use) / AU$2,199 (AU$1,999)
MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023): Release date and price
- Announced on June 5, 2023
- Preorder now
- Ships week of June 11, 2023
The MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023) was officially announced at WWDC on June 5, 2023. It arrives alongside a new Mac Pro with, finally, Apple silicon in the form of the M2 Ultra, and a new Mac Studio with the M2 Max.
MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023): Design
- Larger 15-inch screen
- Same overall design as last year’s model
Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pro features the same design language as the 13-inch MacBook Air. It’s a thin 11.5mm slab of recycled aluminum. The dual USB-C ports, MagSafe charger ports are all in the same places. Even the keyboard is the exact same size.
However, when I flipped open the new laptop, I was greeted by an expansive Liquid Retina display and ample space around the keyboard, and the somewhat larger trackpad.
The 2880×1864 screen (500 nits of brightness) feels like an ocean of workspace and, while the M2-based performance is unlikely to be stronger than that of the M2-class 13-inch MacBook Air, all that space does make it feel like you’ll get more done.
Aside from the screen, which still features that 1080p FaceTime camera notch, the only other component-level difference is that this laptop has two more speakers than the smaller MacBook Air. The extra woofers may result in more bass, though it was not something I could test in my brief time with the laptop.
As I mentioned above, this is a heavier laptop. Held next to the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 (my current everyday system), it’s noticeably heavier but at 3.3lbs/1.5kg it doesn’t actually feel heavy.
I’m honestly torn between this system and upgrading to the larger 15-inch display. Is it worth the extra weight? For some people, it will be.
MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023): Performance and specs
- Expect similar performance to 13-inch 2022 model
As I’ve only had a brief amount of time with the MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023), I wasn’t able to fully test the laptop to see how it performs. You’ll have to wait for our full review for the lowdown.
As it’s based on the same M2 hardware as the MacBook Air from last year, you can expect similar performance, and that’s good news, as the previous 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) was impressive enough to land the top spot in our best laptops list.
While I didn’t run any apps myself, I did see the 15-inch MacBook Air handily run multiple resource-intensive apps at once, including iMovie editing 4K video, and playing a preview of the game Stray.
One thing we loved about last year’s MacBook Air was its battery life, which lasted 16 hours in our tests. The MacBook Air’s (15-inch, 2023) larger chassis accommodates a bigger battery but since it’s powering a larger screen, the battery life between this model and the 13-inch MacBook Air is essentially a wash; both are rated for 18 hours. We’ll have to wait for our final tests to see if it comes in at 16 hours.
As for charging, the base model will ship with the 35W dual USB-C MagSafe charger, though you can upgrade for $59 to the 70W fast charger.
MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023): Early verdict
If you like your laptops big and thin and with a big screen, excellent performance, and potentially really good battery life, Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Air might be the laptop for you.
We haven’t tested it yet, but have every reason to believe that M2 performance and battery life will be on par with its smaller counterpart. Even the price puts it in the range of the smaller laptop. 15-inch laptops tend to sell extremely well with the back to school set and this laptop could shoot to the top of our best laptops for students list.
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