Some folks may find this to be a deal-breaker.
June 6 was the date of Apple’s WWDC 2022 presentation, during which company debuted the MacBook Air 2022. Seeing the new MacBook Air at WWDC was a big deal because of the rarity of hardware announcements at the conference.
In our hands-on with the new M2-powered MacBook Air 2022, we were impressed with its thinner and lighter form, brighter and bigger 13.6-inch display, and better 1080p webcam. The MacBook Air 2022 could make our list of the best laptops based on that and the upcoming enhancements to macOS 13 Ventura.
For some users, the MacBook Air 2022 may be a deal-breaker despite its seeming merits.
The MacBook Air 2022, like the MacBook Air with M1 in 2020, only supports one external 6K 60Hz display. MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch models in 2021 will support up to four monitors, however the M1 Pro and M1 Max models will only support two displays.
The MacBook Air 2022’s performance is disappointing, even though we expected it given the new M2 chip’s limitations compared to Apple’s previous M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs.
MacBook Air 2022: New look, same old limits
It’s possible that the MacBook Air 2022 won’t be able to compete with more powerful devices in terms of functionality. Besides, the MacBook Air line isn’t known for having a lot of ports or other features.
In fairness, the Dell XPS 13 and HP Spectre x360 are both capable of supporting two external displays, making them more versatile Windows laptops.
Despite its small size and low weight, Apple’s smallest laptop has gained a cult following for its ability to operate well enough for everyday use without sacrificing its portability or power efficiency. Even if it can only display to one external monitor, Apple’s new Air appears to be a terrific product based on our early impressions.
Starting at $1,199, the MacBook Air 2022 has a 20% smaller footprint than the previous model, making it 20% more compact.
A 67W charger (included in the base model, but not included with this model) is required to support rapid charging, which Apple claims can achieve a 50% charge in 30 minutes.
Apple claims that the 13.6-inch display has a maximum brightness of 500 nits, which is 25% brighter than previously. Additionally, the camera has been upgraded to a 1080p camera with twice the quality and low-light capabilities of its predecessor. In terms of battery life, Apple claims that a single charge would last up to 18 hours of movie viewing.
For everything WWDC-related, make sure to check out our WWDC 2022 report where we outline what’s happening with iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and more.