WWDC 2023 — 15-inch MacBook Air hands-on: Just what some folks were asking for Apple hasnt reinvented anything here, but we like options.
Samuel Axon – Jun 7, 2023 2:07 am UTC reader comments 59 with
CUPERTINO, Calif.People have been asking for a 15-inch MacBook Air for about as long as the Air has existed.
The Air was originally conceived as a laptop that was all about extreme portability. But over time it became the default MacBook for most peopleand plenty of users dont need the performance of a MacBook Pro but might like a little more desktop space or a bigger screen on which to watch streaming TV.
Apple has targeted those people here. I spent a few minutes handling and using the 15-inch MacBook Air andsurprise! Its just like the most recent 13-inch Air but wider and taller.
The new laptop has a screen resolution (2,880 x 1,864 pixels) lower than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, though it’s a bit higher than the 13-inch Air, so its not Apples sharpest displaybut its sharp enough for most people.
When I picked the machine up, it felt quite light. You dont expect a 15-inch laptop to weigh this little.
If youve used the 13-inch Air, you know what to expect. Theres the giant trackpad, the Magic Keyboard, Touch ID on said keyboard, two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and MagSafe charging. Its all stuff we talked about in our 13-inch MacBook Air review last year. Advertisement
I loved the look of the midnight finish (thats the color in the pictures), but it was a hilariously aggressive fingerprint magnet. Apples devices have a reputation for that to begin with, but this thing attracted more highly visible fingerprints than any other Apple product Ive used. For that reason, Id personally pick one of the other finishes. Its too bad, though, because untarnished, it looks lovely.
The 15-inch Air was just as thin as its 13-inch cousin (which Apple still sells, of course). Honestly, it seems almost unnecessary for a product to be this thin, but its hard to complain about something so light youd barely notice it in your bag at the airport.
I wasnt able to run any performance tests, but the new Air has the same M2 chip we saw in the smaller Air, and I was told that nothing notable has changed in terms of thermals, so performance should bethe same.
Weve written that the 13-inch Air is the best Mac laptop for most users, since most dont need what the Pro has to offer. I think that statement still stands, but for those who want to sacrifice just a little bit of practicality for much more luxurious screen real estate, this is likely to be a welcome addition to Apples lineup.
Look for our full review in the coming days.
Listing image by Samuel Axon reader comments 59 with Samuel Axon Samuel is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He primarily covers software development, gaming, Apple, consumer technology, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for 15 years, and is a Chicago-based game developer. Advertisement Channel Ars Technica ← Previous story Next story → Related Stories Today on Ars