The new MacBook Air 15 is likely to perform similarly to the smaller MacBook Pro 13, with comparable display quality. So the choice comes down entirely to size.
Apple revamped the MacBook Air with the MacBook Air 13 M2 model, replacing the iconic tapered chassis design with one that more closely mimics the latest MacBook Pros. But it kept true to the “Air” moncker by making the new model the thinnest 13-inch laptop you can buy and keeping it incredibly light.
Now, the MacBook lineup has a new member. The MacBook Air 15 uses the same M2 processor as its smaller sibling and the same IPS Liquid Retina display technology, but the new panel is larger while the chassis remains almost as thin. Given likely equal performance and display quality, it all comes down to size. Do you want a smaller laptop that’s easier to carry around or the extra screen real estate?Specs
Apple dropped the price of the MacBook Air 13 by $100 to make room for the larger model, bringing it to $1,100 for an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU M2, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina IPS display. The most you’ll spend is $2,400 for an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M2, 24GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD.
The MacBook Air 15 is slightly more expensive. You can start with an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M2 (the only option), 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS display for $1,300. Fully configured, the laptop costs $2,500 for 24GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, just $100 more than the 13-inch model.
Note that you can still buy the older MacBook Air M1, and you’ll save $200 at the entry level by sticking with the older technology. Given the improvements in design and performance, though, we don’t consider it a legitimate competitor to the MacBook Air 15, so we’ll leave it out of this comparison.Design
The MacBook Air 15 looks exactly like the 13-inch model, only stretched out in width and depth. It’s almost as thin at 0.45 inches compared to 0.44 inches, making it the thinnest 15-inch laptop around.
