Apple MacBook Air M2 Review: Best Laptop for Gaming, Streaming, Editing and Creative Excellence Under $1000

 

 Apple MacBook Air M2- Best Laptop for gaming, editing, productivity

The MacBook Air M2 offers an exceptional blend of performance, design, and battery life at an unbeatable price point.

Discover the ultimate performance with the Apple MacBook Air M2. Explore our comprehensive review of this best laptop under $1000, perfect for gaming, streaming, architecture, cyber security, 4K editing, music production, and graphic design. Find out why it's a top choice for engineering students. Don't miss the best buy laptop deals on the world's finest MacBook.

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For those with a slightly higher budget, the MacBook Air M2 stands as the ultimate laptop choice. It boasts top-tier performance, an impressive battery life of over 14 hours, and a vibrant, high-quality display, all wrapped in a delightfully compact and portable design.

   SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 13.6 inches; 2560x1664

CPU: Apple M2

GPU: 8-core or 10-core GPU

RAM: 8GB-24GB

Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD

Weight: 2.7 pounds

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Based on our rigorous testing, the MacBook Air M2 currently stands as the top choice for most users. While the more affordable MacBook Air M1 is perfectly fine, the Air M2 outshines it with its slimmer, lighter build and enhanced speed, including a sharper webcam.

Apple has equipped the new MacBook Air M2 (starting at $1,199, with our tested configuration priced at $1,899) with a more potent M2 chip while maintaining an incredibly sleek design. Carrying this featherweight 2.7-pound notebook and using it evokes memories of the iconic original Air that Steve Jobs unveiled from a manilla envelope years ago.

In my comprehensive MacBook Air M2 review, you'll discover a harmonious blend of portability, performance, display excellence, and overall ergonomic comfort. Notably, it impressively delivers over 14 hours of battery life in our testing. 

Admittedly, the new Air comes at a premium price point (although the $999 MacBook Air M1 remains available). To assist you in making an informed decision, you can delve into our MacBook Air M2 vs. MacBook Air M1 comparison. Despite a few minor drawbacks, I firmly contend that the MacBook Air M2 offers the best overall value for your money, making it a particularly appealing choice for college students if it fits within your budget.

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Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:  Design And Look

The MacBook Air M2's slim profile is so striking that it could easily be mistaken for an iPad when closed, especially if the Apple logo is facing outward. That's how remarkably slender this notebook is. With the lid open, it measures a mere 0.44 inches in thickness, making an everyday Bic pen appear chunky in comparison.

In terms of overall dimensions, the Air M2 is 20% smaller than its predecessor, yet it offers a larger 13.6-inch display. While I'm not personally a fan of the notch at the top of the screen, which disrupts the aesthetics by extending down to the bottom of the Menu bar, I found that it didn't prove overly distracting during my everyday tasks.

Crafted from a 2.7-pound, all-aluminum chassis, this laptop strikes an excellent balance between durability and lightness. I particularly appreciate its sleek rounded corners and pronounced lip, which make it effortless to grip and open with just one hand.

For those who wish to make a style statement, the MacBook Air M2 is available in Starlight (pale gold) or Midnight (dark blue). However, if you prefer a more conservative look, you can opt for Silver or Space Gray. Just be cautious if you choose the Midnight option, as it has been reported to be susceptible to scuffing.

Apple MacBook Air M2 Honest review: Ports

The MacBook Air M2 features a minimalist selection of ports, designed for streamlined connectivity:

Left Side:

1. Two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports
2. MagSafe power adapter port (for magnetic cable attachment)
3. 
   

Right Side:

1. Headphone jack (3.5mm)

This concise port layout emphasizes simplicity and elegance while offering essential connectivity options for most users.

The MacBook Air M2 boasts impressive display and audio features:

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Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2: Display

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• The laptop features a stunning 13.6-inch display, which offers a generous screen real estate for work and entertainment.
• While there is mention of a notch at the top of the screen, it doesn't significantly detract from the overall visual experience.
• The display likely offers excellent color accuracy and brightness, typical of Apple's Retina displays, providing sharp visuals and vibrant colors for various tasks, including content creation and multimedia consumption.

Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:   Audio

• The audio system on the MacBook Air M2 is known for its clear and immersive sound quality.
• Apple's attention to audio detail ensures that you can enjoy a rich listening experience, whether you're using the laptop for music, videos, or video conferencing.
• The MacBook Air M2 likely features high-quality speakers and audio enhancements that contribute to its impressive audio performance.

Both the display and audio components on the MacBook Air M2 are tailored to enhance the overall user experience, making it a compelling choice for a range of tasks, from productivity to entertainment.

Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:

 performance

The MacBook Air M2 demonstrates impressive performance across a range of tasks, with only a minor instance of lag when heavily multitasking with over 100 tabs open in Chrome. In everyday use, it competes favorably with the MacBook Pro 14-inch featuring the M1 Pro chip, which speaks highly of its capabilities.

Here are some performance benchmarks for the MacBook Air M2:

On Geekbench 5.4, the MacBook Air M2 achieved a single-core CPU score of 1,932 and a multi-core score of 8,919. Compared to the previous Air M1 (which scored 1,736 on single core and 7,575 on multi-core in an older 5.3 test), the Air M2 is approximately 11% faster on single-core performance and 17% faster on multi-core performance. The MacBook Pro M2 performed similarly, with scores of 1,898 on single core and 8,911 on multi-core.

In comparison to top Windows laptops, the MacBook Air M2 outperformed models like the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (7,606) and Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 (7,140) but was surpassed by the new Dell XPS 13 Plus with a 12th gen Intel Core i7, which scored 10,621.

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During a Handbrake video editing test, the MacBook Air M2 completed the task in 7 minutes and 52 seconds, a significant improvement over the previous Air M1, which required 9 minutes and 15 seconds. However, the MacBook Pro M2, with its active cooling system, was even faster at 6 minutes and 51 seconds.

In storage speed, the MacBook Air M2's 1TB SSD averaged 2,800 MBps for reads and 2,210 MBps for writes on the Blackmagic Disk Speed test. While this is slightly slower than the MacBook Pro M2's SSD (2,794 MBps for reads and 2,953 MBps for writes), the Dell XPS 13 Plus boasted notably faster speeds (4,879 MBps for writes and 3,638 MBps for reads).

One limitation of the MacBook Air M2 is its support for only a single external monitor, with a maximum resolution of up to 6K. Some users may have preferred the option to connect two monitors simultaneously, a feature available on many Windows laptops in the same price range.

Despite minor variations in benchmark results, the MacBook Air M2 offers impressive overall performance and remains a reliable choice for various computing tasks, from everyday use to content creation. For further insights, you can explore the detailed benchmark comparisons with the MacBook Pro M2 and additional information on thermal throttling issues in the respective reports.

Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:

 Gaming performance

Our MacBook Air M2 unit came equipped with a 10-core GPU rather than the standard 8-core CPU found in the $1,199 model. We are excited to share the performance of this GPU, and we will provide additional insights once we've had the opportunity to test the base-level unit.

In the game Rise of the Tomb Raider, the MacBook Air M2 delivered a reasonably smooth experience, achieving 27 frames per second (fps) at a resolution of 1920 x 1200. However, at a higher resolution of 2940 x 1920, the frame rate dipped to 15.3 fps. Comparatively, the MacBook Pro M2 achieved slightly lower scores with 24.9 fps at 1920 x 1200 and 12.2 fps at 2940 x 1920.

In the case of Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, there was a slight performance difference between the two Apple laptops. The MacBook Air M2 achieved 40.3 fps at a resolution of 1470 x 956, while the Pro M2 reached 51 fps at 1440 x 900. Notably, both laptops posted nearly identical scores on the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark, indicating similar graphics performance in this specific test.

It's worth mentioning that the MacBook Air M2 with a 10-core GPU offers promising graphics capabilities, though the performance may vary depending on the game or application being used. Additionally, we look forward to providing further insights once we test the base-level configuration with the 8-core CPU.

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Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:

 Battery performance

The MacBook Air M2 impresses with its remarkable battery life, offering excellent value for your money. During the Tom's Guide battery test, which entails continuous web surfing at a screen brightness of 150 nits, the new Air averaged an impressive 14 hours and 6 minutes of usage. While it falls slightly behind its predecessor, the Air M1 (which achieved 14 hours and 41 minutes), this level of endurance is still remarkable.

In comparison to other laptops:

• The XPS 13 OLED managed just 8 hours of battery life.
• The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED endured for 11 hours and 2 minutes.
• The Surface Laptop 4 achieved 10 hours and 46 minutes.

However, it's important to note that the MacBook Pro M2 holds the title for the laptop with the longest battery life, boasting an astounding runtime of 18 hours and 20 minutes.

Our MacBook Air M2 was equipped with a 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter, which is included with configurations featuring a 10-core GPU and 512GB storage. This adapter offers the advantage of being able to charge another device simultaneously, such as an iPhone. The standard Air M2 priced at $1,119 comes with a 30W USB-C Power Adapter, but you have the option to upgrade to the dual charger for an additional $20.

For those who desire faster charging, there is a 67W USB-C power adapter available for $20, though it does not utilize MagSafe technology.

Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:

WEBCAM and Video Call

I would describe the MacBook Air M2's 1080p webcam as good but not exceptional. To provide a comparison, I wouldn't replace my dedicated Logitech C920 webcam for video calls.

The overall image quality from the MacBook Air is sharp enough, but I noticed a slight yellowish cast and less detail in my hair, skin, and green T-shirt compared to my usual webcam during a Google Meet call.

Best Laptop: Apple MacBook Air M2:

Mouse | Touchpad

Moving on to the keyboard and touchpad, the MacBook Air M2's Magic Keyboard proved to be swift and responsive in my testing. The keys offer a satisfying snappiness, and the key travel is sufficient for comfortable typing, even during my lengthy bus commutes. On the 10fastfingers typing test, I achieved 69 words per minute with 96% accuracy, which falls within my usual typing speed range.

As always, the Air's spacious touchpad is precise and makes executing various gestures, from pinch-to-zoom to viewing all open apps, effortless. I appreciate the convenience of the embedded Touch ID button in the keyboard, which simplifies the login process. However, it would be a welcomed addition if Apple were to support Face ID for even faster system unlocking.

MacBook Air M2: vs MacBook Pro M2: which one is good for you

In terms of choosing between the MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Pro M2, the former offers comparable performance to the latter, except for resource-intensive tasks, especially video editing. The Pro M2 should excel in providing better sustained performance for heavy workloads. The most significant difference lies in battery life, with the MacBook Pro M2 lasting 18 hours compared to the Air's 14 hours, although both provide impressive runtimes. However, the Air boasts additional advantages, including a larger display with slimmer bezels, a sharper 1080p webcam, and MagSafe charging, all within a lighter design.

In summary, the MacBook Air M2, based on my testing, is unquestionably the best laptop for its price point. It offers exceptional performance, a vibrant display, and outstanding battery life, all wrapped in a delightfully portable design. While the $1,119 price tag may seem steep, I wholeheartedly recommend this system over the $999 MacBook Air M1 that remains in the lineup due to its superior performance, display, sharper webcam, and MagSafe charging.

As an alternative, the Dell XPS 13 is another excellent choice, starting at $999 for a model with a 12th-gen Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The Core i7 variant with 16GB of RAM brings the price to $1,249. If you desire an OLED display, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is available starting at least $1,599. (You can also explore our detailed MacBook Air M2 vs. Dell XPS 13 Plus comparison).

While there are a few aspects of the Air M2 that I'm not particularly fond of, such as the inability to connect multiple external monitors and the presence of the notch at the top of the display, I wholeheartedly recommend the MacBook Air M2. It has set a new standard in the laptop market and is undoubtedly a top contender.

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In conclusion, the Apple MacBook Air M2 is more than just a laptop; it's a powerhouse of innovation and versatility. With its exceptional performance and a wide array of capabilities, it excels as the best choice for a gaming laptop under $2000, a streaming companion, and a creative tool for architecture, music production, graphic design, and more. It caters to the needs of students, professionals, and tech enthusiasts alike. As you embark on your laptop journey, don't overlook the incredible value that the MacBook Air M2 brings to the table. Explore our exclusive laptop deals to make this extraordinary device your own and experience computing excellence like never before."

Feel free to use this concluding paragraph as-is or customize it to fit the tone and style of your blog post. It summarizes the key points and encourages readers to consider the MacBook Air M2 as an exceptional choice for their computing needs.