Do you remember MagSafe? That power cord that magnetically got stuck in the charging port on old MacBooks to prevent it from flying down from the desk when someone tripped over the cord? Apple brought the innovative plug back on its high-end MacBook Pro models last year, but the feature is now on its way down to the most affordable laptop in its series: the MacBook Air. At WWDC 2022, Apple announced this new laptop along with a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, both of which are powered by the also recently announced second-generation M2 processor.
Both the new MacBook Air 2022 and MacBook Pro 2022 go on sale in July. Air costs $ 1,199, and the new Pro starts at $ 1,299. Apple has stopped the older M1-powered MacBook Pro, but you will still be able to buy the 2020 M1 MacBook Air for $ 999. Here’s everything you need to know about the couple.
Air Beats Pro
Quite bizarrely, the new (and cheaper) MacBook Air is the most advanced of the two new laptops. For example, it captures some of the design changes introduced with the more expensive 2021 MacBook Pro models, including thinner edges around the screen and a notch for the webcam, giving a slightly larger 13.6-inch screen unlike the new MacBook Pro’s 13.3-inch screen.
Despite the larger screen, the Air shaves some weight compared to its predecessor. It’s 2.7 pounds and only 0.44 inches thick when fully closed, which puts the “air” back in the MacBook Air as one of Apple’s lightest laptops to date. By comparison, the Pro is 3 pounds and 0.61 inches thick.
It also means that the new MacBook Air can take advantage of an upgraded 1080p webcam for better quality during video calls, whereas the new MacBook Pro is stuck with the same old 720p camera. Air also has a quad speaker setup for better sound compared to the MacBook Pro’s stereo speakers, though Apple suggests that the microphones are in studio quality on the Pro, while Air uses smaller standard microphones.
Both still have the same LCD IPS 2K resolution screen, and the MacBook Air can be a bit brighter than its predecessor, matching the MacBook Pro’s screen brightness of 500 nits. Speaking of screens, the MacBook Pro is the only Mac in Apple’s line with the Touch Bar screen over the Magic Keyboard, a feature that never quite caught on. MacBook Air has physical function keys, though both have Touch ID built-in. (No, it’s there still no Face ID on a Mac.)