After years of the MacBook Air series maxing out at 13in, Apple has revealed its first 15in MacBook Air – and it could be the next laptop I buy because of its large-screen mobility.
Aside from the short-lived 11in, the Air only had a 13in display, which is insufficient for folks who wish to comfortably work all week on only one screen.
Even yet, when it came time to buy my final MacBook, I decided with something even smaller than the Air.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that my favorite Mac is the 12in MacBook, namely the second-generation one I purchased in 2016 and which is still doing well seven years later. Since then, I haven’t needed to upgrade.
In my review, I rated it four out of five stars, citing its single USB-C connector and relative lack of power, which irritated many people at the time. But it was the mobility that really drew me in. It had all of the software found on more expensive MacBook models, but in a shape that was genuinely ideal for travel.
Since then, I’ve wished for a MacBook with a significantly bigger display in a slim design. Something like the great LG gram Windows laptops, which have massive 16in displays but weigh just over 1kg.
At 0.92kg, my MacBook falls just short of the 1kg barrier. Despite the fact that its 12in screen is insufficient for comfortable all-day work, I chose to forego display real estate in order to have what was, at the time, the bleeding edge of personal portable computing.
It is still debatable. It’s the tiniest MacBook ever built, and it’s now discontinued.
I’ve avoided upgrading it even as its poor Intel Core m3 has slowed in recent years since I appreciate not notice it in my backpack. It’s significantly lighter and thinner than the 12.9in iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard or even the M1 MacBook Air from 2020, all of which I’ve reviewed.
However, the new 15-inch MacBook Air may be an improvement for me. Apple claims it is the thinnest 15-inch laptop available, measuring 11.5mm thick when closed. I’m a little concerned about my 1.51kg weight, but I can’t deny how slim I am.
It’s actually thinner than the 13.5mm 12in MacBook, which is amazing when you consider it has a 15.3in display, which is a significant advance over my 2016 ‘old’ laptop (Apple’s description, not mine) that can’t receive the newest version of macOS and its fancy new desktop widgets.
The new Air includes two Thunderbolt ports, which doubles my existing count, and retains the headphone jack, which I still use for video conversations when I don’t want to rely on wires. I’m not a fan of the notch at the top of the screen that houses the FaceTime camera but does not feature FaceID technology.
That’s just a design sacrifice I’ll have to accept in order to have a 15in display in such a little Mac. When I became tired of my monitor setup in my spare room, I worked from my dining table at home for several days using my 13in business laptop. It’s freeing, and it reminds me of the lovely mobility of my 12in MacBook in a pre-covid time where I traveled to work every weekday and wrote articles on trains and flights more frequently.
The 15in update I’m currently considering feels like the sweet spot for my needs, and I have no doubt the M2 chipset inside will blow my mind compared to the decrepit old m3 I’ve grown accustomed to.
At $1,299/£1,399, it’s £350 more than I spent for my previous Mac seven years ago, which is a rather acceptable premium given the massive difference in performance and features (I’m a basic model Mac user).
The fact that my small 12in Mac has lasted so long inspires me to continue buying Macs, despite the fact that I am rarely brand loyal when it comes to computer things. The 15in Air could easily last me till the 2030s.
We’ll see if I decide to go for the biggest MacBook Air yet, or if my sputtering 12in Mac has another year in it. For the time being, I’ll mull about whether I should get a more fascinating color than Space Grey the next time.
