CUPERTINO, California — Apple today unveiled the first major redesign in a long time of its most popular MacBook Air laptop, and after a few minutes of getting to know the device, we can confirm that it looks nothing like its predecessor.
We drove the device for a few minutes at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and found it to be noticeably lighter than other recent Apple laptops (as the name suggests). But because it borrows elements from the iPad, iMac, and MacBook Pro, it also looks and feels familiar, right down to the notch on the MacBook Pro screen and the slightly taller display.
The device comes in several metallic colors, but we spent time with the one that Apple called “Starlight”.
Remember when Apple shipped a charging cable and adapter for the 24-inch iMac with a built-in Ethernet port? The multifunctional charger trend continues here: a tiny charging box that includes not one, but two USB-C ports – one for a MacBook Air and one for any other device you want to charge, like iPhones or AirPods.
Apple plans to release the MacBook Air next month, so we’ll cover it in detail, including testing the M2 when we review it. But first impressions are good: it’s the thinner, lighter and slightly more colorful cousin of the MacBook Pro. This is probably exactly what MacBook Air users want – the extra performance over the M1 is just a treat for most of the target audience.