Apple has unveiled its latest M2 chipset at WWDC 2022, along with the first two computers to be powered by the company’s in-house chipset — the MacBook Air (2022), and the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022). The newest models are equipped with the successor to the first-generation Apple Silicon chip that was announced at WWDC 2020. The MacBook Air is the first refresh of the company’s MacBook Air laptop since the M1 powered MacBook Air made its debut in November 2020. It features the biggest redesign to the MacBook Air series in years, and runs silently with a fan-less design, just like its predecessor. Both the new MacBook Air (2022) and MacBook Pro (2022) sport a 13-inch LCD display and come with the same full-sized function keys as the 2021 MacBook Pro lineup. The 2022 MacBook Air model features new chassis, similar to the MacBook Pro models with a more uniform shape.
Apple MacBook Air (2022), MacBook Pro (2022) price, availability
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) price starts at $1,199 (roughly Rs. 93,300). Meanwhile, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2022) starts at $1,299 (roughly Rs. 1,01,000). Apple says that the older MacBook Air with the M1 chip will continue to remain available at $999 (roughly Rs. 77,500). The new MacBook Air model will be available in Midnight, Silver, Space Grey, and Starlight Gold colour options through the Apple Online Store and will also allow users to pick configuration options via its website.
In India, the new MacBook models will be available from next month. The MacBook Air with M2 starts at Rs. 1,19,900 (Rs. 1,09,900 for education), while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 starts at Rs. 1,29,900 (Rs. 1,19,900 for education).
In 2020, Apple launched the last-generation 13-inch MacBook Air model at a starting price of Rs. Rs. 92,900 for the 256GB storage model, while the 512GB variant was priced at Rs. 1,17,900. Pricing in the US was set at $999 (roughly Rs. 77,500) and $1,249 (roughly Rs. 96,900), respectively.
Apple MacBook Air (2022) specifications, features
The newly announced Apple MacBook Air (2022) is equipped with an M2 chipset, which is an improved version of the first generation M1 Apple Silicon chip that debuted on the MacBook Air (2020) model — with 20 billion transistors and a 10-core GPU. To recall, the first generation M1 chip came with four high-performance and four low-performance cores and offered up to eight graphics cores.
Apple says that the new chipset offers 18 percent improved CPU performance and 35 percent GPU performance over its predecessor and is 1.9 times faster (CPU) and 2.3 times faster (GPU) compared to competing 10-core processors. The new chipset also comes with the new Secure Enclave, media engine and neural engine, and users can add an external display with up to 6K resolution.
Apple has equipped the MacBook Air (2022) with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, unlike the mini-LED models that were featured on the 2021 MacBook Pro lineup. The display is claimed to offer an increased display size of 13.6-inches, with thinner bezels compared to the MacBook Air (2020) model. This means that the MacBook Air (2022) will sport a notch, just like the MacBook Pro models launched in 2021.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers up to 2TB of SSD storage and can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory. The laptop features a 1080p camera, which is an improvement over the 720p camera on the 2020 model. The company’s latest MacBook Air model is equipped with two USB Type-C/ Thunderbolt 4 ports and will come with support for MagSafe charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like its predecessor, it is claimed to offer 18 hours of battery backup while watching videos on a single charge. The MacBook Air (2022) comes support for fast charging the device up to 50 percent in 30 minutes with an optional 67W USB Type-C power adapter.
Apple also launched a successor to the M1 MacBook Pro model launched in 2020
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple MacBook Pro (2022) specifications, features
Like the MacBook Air (2022), the newly announced MacBook Pro (2022) is equipped with the new M2 chipset under the hood, and users can opt for up to 24GB of unified memory along with up to 2TB of storage. The MacBook Pro (2022) is equipped with a 13-inch Liquid Retina Display, and offers up to 500 nits of peak brightness with P3 colour support, according to Apple.
Like its predecessor, the MacBook Air is equipped with an active cooling system, and the fans should offer longer sustained performance at high clock speeds. The MacBook Pro will be offer the same 20-hour battery life on a single charge, which is higher than the original M1 MacBook Air and its successor that was announced today.