Today, to kickoff its WWDC 2023 keynote, Apple announced its first-ever 15-inch MacBook.
Starting at $1,299, the new 15-inch Air pairs Apple’s current-generation M2 processor with a larger screen and the svelte design of the MacBook Air you know and love.
Apple says it’s the thinnest 15-inch laptop on the market measuring just 11.5mm thick and weighing 3 pounds. At the heart of the laptop is a new 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display surrounded by 5mm bezels.
The display is capable of 500 nits of brightness and 1 billion colors.
During the keynote, Apple positioned the 15-inch Air directly against its Windows competition, saying that 15-inch Windows PCs are typically full of trade-offs. Apple says the 15-inch Air strikes the best balance between thinness, lightness, display and battery life, noting that the M2 15-inch Air is twice as fast, has twice the display resolution with 25% more brightness, is 40% thinner, half-a-pound lighter―and all with 50% better battery life than competing 15-inch Windows machines.
In comparison to an Intel MacBook Air, this 15-inch M2 Air is 12x faster and Apple quotes battery life of 18 hours.
In terms of connectivity, Apple has included a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack on this new Air.
Of course even with the benefit of two Thunderbolt ports and a dedicated MagSafe charging port, once you connect a display, or a drive to this laptop―or both―you’re already just about out of ports. That’s why a Thunderbolt 3 dock like the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock or a Thunderbolt 4 dock like the OWC Thunderbolt Go are the perfect companions for getting the most out of the 15-inch Air. You’ll be able to keep your MacBook charged up while having access to all of your drives and displays for ultimate productivity.
For video calls, above the display resides a 1080p front-facing camera and Apple has also included a 3-mic array. It packs six speakers, including force-canceling woofers for Spatial Audio.
You can order the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air starting at $1,299 today. It will be available in stores and will start shipping next week.
