Watch our M2 MacBook Air tips and tricks video to learn how to set up your new Apple notebook, install apps, pick a power adapter for fast-charging and more.
Video: Setting up and using Apple’s M2 MacBook Air laptop
In this 13-minute video, our videographer Harris Craycraft (@_craycraft) covers the basic things a typical owner would do, like changing settings and installing apps. He also shares several software tricks and goes through the best mouse options for this notebook. The M2 MacBook Air supports fast charging, which takes the battery from zero percent charge to fifty percent juice in less than thirty minutes, but you may need a power adapter that supports this function. Don’t worry, Harris also covers the best chargers for the M2 MacBook Air, as well as available upgrades for this laptop.
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The dirty secrets you should know about
As early reviews discovered, the Midnight color finish is a fingerprint magnet. It may also develop scuffs and dings around the holes for USB-C ports on the sides.
Apple announced the M2 MacBook Air during the June 6 WWDC keynote. The company began taking pre-orders for the M2 MacBook Air on July 7, 2022. Retail availability began on July 15. Apple has discontinued Intel-based MacBook Air models in favor of the M1 and M2-based versions.
The key features of the M2 MacBook Air
Unlike the M1 version which retains the same old wedge-shaped chassis, its M2 counterpart uses a redesigned enclosure that’s uniformly thin. People will instantly notice that you’re using the new Air! Of course, the M2 chip is newer than the M1 and thus faster. If you work with video, Apple’s ProRes encode/decode engine in the M2 chip will let you edit several streams of 4K/8K video.
The display is slightly larger (13.6 inches vs. 13.3 inches), brighter (500 nits vs. 400 nits) and supports a billion colors. There are two USB-C 4 / Thunderbolt ports. MagSafe is back, the web camera is now 1080p and there are four speakers with spatial audio support. The computer supports 50 percent more RAM (24GB vs. 16GB) and you get the same 18 hours of video playback on a single charge as before.
Should you buy the M2 or the M1 version?
If price is the #1 concern and you don’t mind the outdated design, then the M1 MacBook Air is a recommended option. But if you want MagSafe charging, that modern look, a much better display and the new colors, then the M2 version should be your next Apple laptop. Use these links to shop the MacBook Air on Apple.com:
Still on the fence? If so, we recommend watching another iDB video in which we discuss 5 compelling reasons to buy the M2 MacBook Air.
How to purchase an M2 MacBook Air?
You can order your M2 MacBook Air on the online Apple store at apple.com/store, in the official Apple Store app [App Store link] and from authorized resellers.
The base $1199 model includes eight graphics cores, eight gigabytes of unified memory and 256 gigabytes of flash storage. You may want to upgrade flash storage to 512 gigabytes because flat storage in the base model is up to fifty percent slower read and write speeds. You should also consider adding more RAM to your purchase because the RAM is soldered to the logic board and cannot be expanded.