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What with all the breathless hype and hooplah surrounding the Apple Vision Pro last week you could be forgiven for missing the arrival of a new MacBook Air 15-inch alongside it. Unlike that much anticipated "spatial computing” headset, this new ultra-portable laptop won’t allow you to walk in the same room as dinosaurs, take virtual FaceTime calls with a 3D-rendered replicant, or check out your Notes app in augmented reality. It is, however, an undeniably big deal. Having held off on making a plus-sized Air for 15 years, Apple’s computing line-up has finally grown up.
Why is Apple making a MacBook Air 15-inch in 2023? The short answer is money. The slightly longer answer is that 15 inches is the best-selling screen size for laptops and until last week the only truly big laptop Apple made was the MacBook Pro 16-inch, which would set you back a minimum of $2,499. So for those who’d rather not choose between a summer holiday and a new computer, here is what appears to be a perfect compromise. Having used one for the best part of a week now, we can confirm this new Air is a no-brainer for anyone in search of a larger laptop.
Big screen. Small package
Imagine what might happen if you scrambled to the gym for a month of workouts before a beach vacation and you have a pretty good idea of what the MacBook Air 15-inch might look like—it really is just a bigger iteration of last year’s 13-inch model. One that's powered by the same blisteringly fast M2 chip, offers an ample 18 hours of battery life to see you through the working day, and even a half-decent 1080p FaceTime HD camera for Zoom, Microsoft Teams calls, and the like. In a joyous turn of events for those who have sunk so deep into the Apple ecosystem that they’d probably sign up for a Living Plus-style assisted living scheme were it on offer, the 15-inch Air comes with a 35-watt dual port power adapter to boot, an absolute necessity when you want to charge your iPhone and MacBook at the same time.
What has changed is the sheer size of this laptop. As much as it’s a stretch to describe this thing as small, it is remarkably compact. Weighing just 3.3 pounds and at only 0.45 inches in height, the MacBook Air 15-inch pulls off what we’d describe as a “reverse Tardis," in that it looks big but doesn’t feel that way when you chuck it in a rucksack. The first thing we did upon ripping the thing out of its packaging was to wrap our hands around it and toss it in the (literal) air out of misguided enthusiasm. This is not something we’d recommend for most consumer electronics, but feel is key to the Air and this new model still feels deceptively light.
A significant part of this equation is the refreshed design that carries over from last year’s 13-inch MacBook Air. Instead of sticking with the wedge-shaped aesthetic of old, Apple’s design team opted for a flatter, more industrial visage with rounded corners, and four beguiling colorways, including the pearlescent midnight blue. Since they’re no longer reliant on visual trickery to make an impression, these Airs are immediately striking and even more so once you dig into their performance.
A blockbuster affair
Although the 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display on this new MacBook Air might not seem dramatically bigger than the 13.6-inch model on its predecessor, anyone who is making the step up in size will immediately notice the difference. Whether you’re watching Jack Grealish triumph in the Champions League final, the non-stop pyrotechnics of Arnie’s FUBAR, or delving deep into a particularly expansive spreadsheet the sense of immersion is far greater without sacrificing on detail or clarity. Colors really pop on this thing, while a peak brightness of 500 nits ensures you’re never squinting at your laptop screen on a sunny day. As someone who has used the 13-inch Air for the last year or so, this is exactly what you’d want from a 15-inch device.
Those who are new to Macs will find plenty else to revel in. From its MagSafe charging system that magnetically attaches to this laptop to the breathless manner in which its M2 chip flits between apps having switched on in an instant, this device is filled with delightful little touches that’ll endear it to you in the long run. Also, its full-sized keyboard and generous touchpad remain one of the best such pairings you can find on a laptop, even when you’re scrambling towards a deadline with little concern for their future well-being.
Of course, this being an Apple product, the MacBook Air 15-inch does come with a noteworthy price. At $1,299, it costs about half what the 16-inch MacBook Pro does and a decent smidge more than the entry-level MacBook Air 13-inch, which will set you back $1,099. That is reasonably good value as Macs go and even compares well with other premium Windows-powered alternatives from Dell, Microsoft, and HP. Honestly, you likely knew whether the MacBook Air 15-inch was for you from the moment it was announced.
MacBook Air 15-inch verdict
The MacBook Air 15-inch was made to be more of a good thing for people who might not have owned a Mac already. Judged on that crowd-pleasing basis, it’s tricky to argue with what’s on offer here. You get a big screen on a lightweight laptop that’s just as powerful and long-lasting as last year’s 13-inch MacBook Air, and everything works exactly as you’d expect. It might have taken Apple 15 years to come around to the idea of a bumper MacBook Air, but there’s no arguing with this thing now it’s here.
The Apple MacBook Air is available from $1,299 at apple.com
This story was originally published on British GQ with the headline, “Apple’s new MacBook Air 15-inch is kind of a big deal”.
