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Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) Laptop Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Reviewed Oct 13, 2022 at 10:38 am
Latest change: Writing modified Jan 18, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) Picture
8.5
School
6.5
Gaming
7.9
Multimedia
7.8
Workstation
8.0
Business
This laptop was replaced by the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is a premium ultraportable laptop. It's Apple's entry-level laptop and the successor to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020). This 2022 model has many improvements over its predecessor, including a newer M2 SoC (System on Chip), a slightly larger display, a redesigned chassis, a 1080p webcam, and the addition of the MagSafe charging port. It's available in four colors: Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

Our Apple MacBook Air 2022 is the base model with an eight-core GPU M2 SoC, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. You can also get a model with a 10-core GPU M2 SoC, 8GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. Regardless of which model you choose, you can upgrade the memory to 16GB or 24GB and up to 2TB of storage.

Our Verdict

8.5 School

The Apple MacBook Air is excellent for school. It's very portable, and its battery lasts easily through a typical day of light use. It has a sharp and bright display, a comfortable keyboard, and a large and responsive touchpad. Its M2 SoC can easily handle general productivity tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. The SoC's GPU performs reasonably well but loses performance when it gets hot, so it isn't ideal for students in fields like 3D design. Unfortunately, it only has two USB-C ports, and its M2 SoC only supports one external display.

Pros
  • Well-built and portable.
  • Battery lasts through a typical workday of light use.
  • Sharp, bright, and colorful display.
  • M2 SoC can handle fairly demanding workloads.
  • Spacious and tactile keyboard.
  • Large haptic touchpad.
Cons
  • Only two USB-C ports.
  • M2 SoC can only support one external display.
6.5 Gaming

The Apple MacBook Air is mediocre for gaming. Although the M2 SoC's CPU is very capable, its GPU can't handle graphically-intensive games, so you'll have to play at a lower resolution or low settings to achieve playable frame rates. Also, few games have been optimized for the ARM-based SoC, meaning performance can vary a lot from one game to another. The display has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. The memory and storage aren't user-replaceable, meaning you can't upgrade the components later to improve performance or increase storage space.

Pros
  • M2 SoC can handle fairly demanding workloads.
  • Spacious and tactile keyboard.
  • Silent due to fanless design.
Cons
  • Few games optimized for Apple silicon.
  • GPU performance drops when it gets hot.
  • Display has a slow response time and no VRR support.
  • Memory and storage aren't user-replaceable.
  • Only two USB-C ports.
7.9 Multimedia

The Apple MacBook Air is good for media consumption. It's easy to carry around due to its thin and light design, and its battery lasts about seven hours of video playback, enough time to get through a couple of full-length movies. The speakers get reasonably loud and sound full and well-balanced with a good amount of bass. The display is sharp, bright, and color-accurate; however, blacks look gray in dim settings as it's an IPS panel with no local dimming.

Pros
  • Well-built and portable.
  • Long battery life.
  • Sharp, bright, and colorful display.
  • Full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage.
  • Speakers sound well-balanced.
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in dim settings.
  • Image looks washed out from the side.
7.8 Workstation

The Apple MacBook Air's M2 SoC performs well, but it isn't ideal for demanding, professional workloads because its performance drops significantly when it gets too hot. It also has a limited port selection with only two USB 4/Thunderbolt 3 ports and can only support one external display. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and a color-accurate display with full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage.

Pros
  • M2 SoC can handle fairly demanding workloads.
  • Full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage.
  • Spacious and tactile keyboard.
  • Silent due to fanless design.
Cons
  • GPU performance drops when it gets hot.
  • Memory and storage aren't user-replaceable.
  • Only two USB-C ports.
  • M2 SoC can only support one external display.
8.0 Business

The Apple MacBook Air is great for business use. It has a sturdy aluminum chassis and is very portable, thanks to its thin and light design. Its M2 SoC is powerful enough to handle most productivity tasks, like text formatting, spreadsheets, and presentations, and you can even do some occasional photo and video editing. The battery lasts a little more than 10 hours of light use, so you likely won't need to bring the charger. The display is sharp and bright, the keyboard is comfortable to type on, and the touchpad is large and responsive. The webcam's video quality is excellent, and the microphone sounds loud and clear. Sadly, it only has two USB-C ports and can only output a video signal to a single external display.

Pros
  • Well-built and portable.
  • Battery lasts through a typical workday of light use.
  • Sharp, bright, and colorful display.
  • M2 SoC can handle fairly demanding workloads.
  • Spacious and tactile keyboard.
  • Large haptic touchpad.
Cons
  • Memory and storage aren't user-replaceable.
  • Only two USB-C ports.
  • M2 SoC can only support one external display.
  • 8.5 School
  • 6.5 Gaming
  • 7.9 Multimedia
  • 7.8 Workstation
  • 8.0 Business
  1. Updated Jan 18, 2024: Added mention of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) as an alternative with more processing power in the CPU section.
  2. Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
  3. Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
  4. Updated Aug 16, 2023: Added mention of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) as an alternative with a higher contrast display in the Contrast section.
  5. Updated Jul 12, 2023: Added mention of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) as an alternative with a bigger screen in the Screen Specs section.
  6. Updated May 30, 2023: Added mention of the LG gram 14 (2023) as an alternative with a wider port selection in the Ports section.
  7. Updated Nov 02, 2022: Added mention of the Framework Laptop (2022) in the serviceability section as an alternative.
  8. Updated Oct 13, 2022: Review published.
  9. Updated Oct 05, 2022: Early access published.
  10. Updated Sep 19, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  11. Updated Aug 19, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  12. Updated Jul 28, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the base model of the Apple MacBook Air (2022) with an M2 SoC (8-core GPU), 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. The SoC, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below.

Screen
  • 13.6" IPS 2560 x 1664 60Hz
SoC
  • M2 SoC with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU
  • M2 SoC with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU
Memory
  • 8GB LP-DDR5 6400MHz
  • 16GB LP-DDR5 6400MHz
  • 24GB LP-DDR5 6400MHz
Storage
  • 256GB (8-core GPU model only)
  • 512GB
  • 1TB
  • 2TB
Color
  • Midnight
  • Starlight
  • Space Gray
  • Silver 

Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar Apple MacBook Air laptop that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.

You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Laptops

The Apple MacBook Air is among the best ultraportables on the market. It stands out for its premium and sturdy build, outstanding performance, and long battery life.

For other options, see our recommendations for the best laptops, the best laptops for college, and the best business laptops.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is the successor to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020). The 2022 model is a better device overall, with a more powerful SoC, a slightly larger display, and a better 1080p webcam. The M2 MacBook Air has an additional MagSafe charging port, which frees up one of the USB-C ports, but like the M1 MacBook Air, it can only support one external display.

Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)

The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is essentially the same device as the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) but with a larger 15.3-inch screen and better-sounding speakers. The 15-inch model's larger chassis helps with thermals, so the keyboard doesn't get as hot, and the SoC doesn't throttle as much under load. It has a larger battery to compensate for its more power-hungry 15-inch screen, but the battery life is only decent at around eight hours of light use, two hours shorter than its 13-inch sibling.

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is better than the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022). The MacBook Pro 14 has a brighter Mini LED display with a higher refresh rate, a wider port selection, a better webcam, and better-sounding speakers. If you need to perform demanding tasks like video editing or 3D rendering for work, it's best to go with the MacBook Pro 14 because its M1 Pro and Max SoCs perform better and maintain higher performance over time. The MacBook Air's M2 SoC can handle some light photo and video editing, but it throttles significantly under load due to the lack of active cooling.

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023)

While there are lots of similarities between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) and Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022), they're also very different, as the MacBook Pro is a mobile workstation designed for demanding workloads like video editing, while the MacBook Air is an ultraportable designed for light productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing. In addition to more processing power, the MacBook Pro has a nicer 120Hz Mini LED display, better-sounding speakers, and a wider port selection. It also has longer battery life, and unlike the MacBook Air, it supports multiple external displays. The MacBook Air is more portable, though, and unlike the MacBook Pro, it's a fanless device.

ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024)

The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) are both premium ultraportable laptops. The Apple model has a better touchpad, speakers, and webcam, and its battery lasts almost three hours longer in light uses. However, the ASUS has a wider port selection with support for multiple external displays, whereas the Apple laptop is limited to a single external monitor. The ASUS has a slightly sharper OLED display with a faster 120Hz refresh rate and touch/pen input support, but the Apple's IPS panel gets brighter to combat glare.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is better than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) for most uses. The MacBook Air has a brighter display with better reflection handling, making it more suitable for use in well-lit settings or outdoors in broad daylight. While both laptops have an outstanding touchpad, the MacBook Air's is larger, and because it uses haptics to simulate mouse clicks instead of physical buttons, it makes actions like dragging and dropping much easier. If you need to connect more than one external display, the Surface Laptop would be better because the MacBook Air can only output to a single external display.

ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023)

The ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) are both thin and light laptops that provide a premium user experience. However, the ASUS is a 2-in-1 convertible, while the MacBook is a clamshell model with no touch input. The MacBook has a few advantages, like its longer battery life and fanless design. Still, its port selection is significantly more limited because it only has two USB-C ports with support for a single external display. In contrast, the ASUS has a USB-A, an HDMI, and two USB-C/thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing you to connect up to two 4k displays at 60Hz with a single cable. The ASUS also has a nicer 90Hz OLED display, making it a better option for media consumption.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) look alike but have a lot of differences. The MacBook Pro 16 is a much better laptop with a brighter, 120Hz, Mini LED display, a wider port selection, louder and better-sounding speakers, and longer battery life. Although the MacBook Air's M2 SoC can handle some demanding workloads, it's better suited for general productivity tasks due to the lack of active cooling. If you do any video editing, 3D rendering, or other demanding tasks professionally, the MacBook Pro is a better choice because its M1 Pro and Max SoCs are much faster and don't throttle under load.

LG gram 14 (2023)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is marginally better than the LG gram 14 (2023). The Apple has a sturdier build, a sharper, brighter display, and a better webcam. However, the LG has a wider port selection and supports more external displays, whereas the Apple can only output a video signal to a single external display. Also, the LG is lighter, even though it's a larger device overall.

Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is better than the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022) for most uses. The MacBook Air has a sturdier build, a more comfortable keyboard, and a more responsive touchpad. It also has better-sounding speakers and a significantly better webcam. The MacBook Air has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which the XPS 13 Plus lacks, and it also has a proprietary MagSafe charging port, which frees up a USB-C port that you would otherwise use to charge the laptop. The XPS 13 Plus has more display options, including an OLED panel with full Adobe RGB coverage. Additionally, its USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4, whereas the MacBook Air's USB-Cs only support Thunderbolt 3 and can only output a video signal to a single external display.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023)

Both the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) offer a similarly premium user experience. The MacBook Air has a brighter display, a larger touchpad, and longer battery life. However, the ThinkPad X1 has a much wider port selection, and it can output a video signal to multiple displays, whereas the MacBook Air is limited to a single external monitor. The ThinkPad X1 doesn't lose as much performance under load and is more serviceable, as its SSD is user-replaceable. It's also available with LTE support, which you can't get on the MacBook Air.

Dell XPS 13 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the Dell XPS 13 (2021) are both 13-inch ultraportable laptops that offer a premium user experience. The main difference is that the Apple model runs macOS, and the Dell runs Windows. The Apple laptop's M2 performs better than the Dell laptop's Intel 11th Gen processors, meaning you can run more intensive applications with fewer stutters or slowdowns. The Apple laptop's is also fanless, so it doesn't cause as much noise as the Dell under load.

HP ENVY x360 13 (2020)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both ultraportable laptops designed for general productivity. The Apple laptop is a better device overall as it has a sturdier build, a sharper display, a larger and more responsive touchpad, and a much better webcam. The Apple laptop's M2 SoC is faster than the HP laptop's Intel 11th Gen processors, which means you can perform more demanding tasks while experiencing fewer slowdowns and stutters. However, the HP has a wider port selection, and it's a 2-in-1 convertible, meaning you can use it as a tablet. It's also available with some features that the Apple laptop lacks, like a 1000 cd/m² display and a privacy filter to hide the contents of your screen from prying eyes.

Acer Swift 14 (2023)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is better than the Acer Swift 14 (2023) for most uses. The MacBook Air feels more premium and well-made, and its battery lasts longer. It also provides a better user experience overall with a more comfortable keyboard, a larger and more responsive touchpad, and significantly better-sounding speakers. However, the Swift 14's Intel 13th Gen. CPUs are faster than Apple's M2 SoC. Additionally, it doesn't throttle as much as the MacBook Air under load. The Swift 14 has a wider port selection, and unlike the MacBook Air, it can output a video signal to multiple displays.

Acer Swift 3 14 (2022)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is better than the Acer Swift 3 14 (2022) for most uses. The MacBook Air is more portable and feels more premium overall. It also has a brighter display, a more comfortable keyboard, a much larger touchpad, and longer battery life. However, the Swift 3 14 has an OLED display that produces deeper blacks, and its 90Hz refresh rate makes the system feel more responsive and snappy. Port selection is much better on the Swift 3 14, as the MacBook Air is limited to only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 and a MagSafe charging port.

Framework Laptop 13 (2022)

The Framework Laptop 13 (2022) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) are both premium ultraportable laptops. In terms of user experience, the MacBook Air is a little better. It has a keyboard that provides a better typing experience, a larger and more responsive touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. It also has a sturdier build and longer battery life. The most notable difference between these two laptops is their serviceability. The MacBook Air is difficult to repair and isn't upgradeable in any way, as nearly all of its components are soldered onto the motherboard. In contrast, Framework makes it easy to replace nearly every component in the laptop, provides manuals to do so, and uses standard parts that you can get from most PC component retailers. The Framework Laptop also has a modular port system that lets you swap out the ports on the fly, while the MacBook Air only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)

The Apple MacBook Air has a sleek, premium-feeling design similar to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021). It has a flatter chassis and thinner bezels than its M1 predecessor, and like the MacBook Pros, it now has a notch to house the camera at the top of the display. It doesn't have any vents, and it's fanless, so you don't need to worry about dust getting into the device over time. It's available in four colors: Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver. It comes with a color-matched MagSafe power cord.

9.5
Design
Build Quality

The Apple MacBook Air's build quality is outstanding. It has a full aluminum chassis that feels sturdy and premium, with no flex in the display or keyboard deck. The finish is fairly scratch-resistant; however, it picks up fingerprints very quickly, at least for the Midnight color variant. The other color variants don't smudge as easily. The feet feel solid and adhere firmly to the bottom of the laptop.

9.1
Design
Hinge
Range
135°
Stability
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes

The Apple MacBook Air has an outstanding hinge. It feels very smooth when opening and closing the laptop, and it's stable, with just enough resistance to keep the screen in place without feeling overly stiff. The screen wobbles a little when typing aggressively, but it's barely noticeable.

9.1
Design
Portability
Size
13.6"
Thickness
0.5" (1.3 cm)
Width
12.2" (31.0 cm)
Depth
8.5" (21.5 cm)
Volume
52.9 in³ (866.5 cm³)
Weight
2.7 lbs (1.2 kg)
Charger Size
5.0 in³ (81.7 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.3 lbs (0.2 kg)

The Apple MacBook Air is very portable, thanks to its thin and light design. The power adapter is compact and fits easily into most bags.

3.5
Design
Serviceability
Ease Of Access
6.0
RAM Slots
0
Storage Slots
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No

The Apple MacBook Air's serviceability is bad. Accessing the internals is easy; you only need to remove four P5 screws and unclip the bottom panel. Once inside, the only replaceable part is the battery since everything else is soldered onto the motherboard. Putting the bottom panel back is a little more challenging due to the way the panel hooks onto the body. If you want a laptop with better serviceability, check out the Framework Laptop 13 (2022).

Design
In The Box

  • Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020) laptop
  • 30W power adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe charging cord
  • Documentation
  • 2x Apple stickers

Note: Models with a 10-core GPU come with a 35W dual USB-C power adapter. If you get an 8-core GPU model, you can get the 35W dual USB-C or a 67W power adapter at an additional cost. Apple doesn't charge extra for the 67W power adapter if you get the 10-core GPU model.

Display
Display
Screen Specs
Resolution
2560 x 1664
Aspect Ratio
16:10
Pixel Density
225 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
Touch Screen
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
84%

The Apple MacBook Air has a single display option. It's essentially a QHD display with more vertical pixels because it has a 16:10 aspect ratio and extra screen space on each side of the notch. It looks very sharp and provides just enough room for light multitasking. You can hide the notch if it bothers you. Check out the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) if you want a larger screen for better multitasking.

5.9
Display
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No

The Apple MacBook Air is only available with a 60Hz display. It has a slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, so it isn't ideal for gaming or viewing fast-moving content.

7.6
Display
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,490 : 1

The Apple MacBook Air has a good contrast ratio. It's better than its predecessor, the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020), but ultimately, it's still an IPS panel and worse than other display technologies like VA and OLED. It isn't an issue when viewing content in a well-lit room, but in darker environments, blacks look grayish. If you want a MacBook with a higher contrast display, check out the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023).

8.5
Display
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
468 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
2 cd/m²

The Apple MacBook Air's display gets bright enough for use in most settings, even outdoors in broad daylight. It also gets very dim to provide a more comfortable viewing experience in dark environments.

8.9
Display
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.73%
Indirect Reflections
0.39%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.34%

The Apple MacBook Air 2022 has excellent reflection handling. Its glossy finish is very effective at reducing the intensity of direct, mirror-like reflections and indirect reflections from bright ambient lighting. Although you can still see some reflections when viewing bright-color content with the screen at max brightness, it isn't distracting. When viewing dark-color content, direct reflections like a lamp or open window during the day are visible, but unlike matte coatings, they don't cause a hazy effect in other areas of the screen.

8.2
Display
Black Uniformity
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.814%

The Apple MacBook Air's black uniformity is great. There's only a tiny amount of backlight bleed at the top corners and along the bottom edge of the display. Otherwise, the rest of the screen looks very uniform.

6.5
Display
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
27°
Color Washout From Right
27°
Color Shift From Left
31°
Color Shift From Right
34°
Brightness Loss From Left
30°
Brightness Loss From Right
30°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
27°
Gamma Shift From Right
27°

The Apple MacBook Air 2022 has okay horizontal viewing angles. The image washes out fairly quickly when moving to the side. The picture quality is still good enough to share text documents and other casual content, but it isn't ideal for work that requires perfect accuracy.

6.6
Display
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
25°
Color Washout From Above
27°
Color Shift From Below
28°
Color Shift From Above
36°
Brightness Loss From Below
27°
Brightness Loss From Above
30°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
29°
Gamma Shift From Above
31°

The Apple MacBook Air 2022 has okay vertical viewing angles. Again, the image looks washed out when viewed from above or below. You need to look at the screen more or less straight on to see an accurate image.

9.3
Display
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
Avg. White Balance dE
2.02
Avg. Gamma
2.31
Avg. Color dE
1.66
Avg. Color Temperature
6,695.9 K

The Apple MacBook Air's out-of-the-box color accuracy is outstanding. Most color and white balance inaccuracies are minor and hard to spot with the naked eye. The color temperature is only slightly cooler than the standard 6500K target, not enough to make a noticeable difference. The gamma is too high in most scenes, especially at higher brightness levels, making the image appear darker than it should.

9.4
Display
Color Gamut
sRGB xy
99.95%
sRGB uv
99.81%
Adobe RGB xy
88.14%
Adobe RGB uv
92.92%
DCI P3 xy
99.68%
DCI P3 uv
99.15%
Rec. 2020 xy
72.43%
Rec. 2020 uv
73.13%

The Apple MacBook Air has an outstanding color gamut. It has full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage, the color spaces used in most SDR and HDR content, respectively. Its Adobe RGB coverage is excellent, but still not enough for professional photo editing as it's missing the saturated greens that define Adobe RGB.

10
Display
Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
Flicker Active Below
0%

The Apple MacBook Air has a flicker-free backlight, which helps reduce eye strain for people sensitive to screen flickering.

Interface
8.0
Interface
Keyboard
Typing Quality
8.0
Numpad
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Operating Force
63 gf
Actuation Force
39 gf
Pre-Travel
0.78 mm
Total Travel
0.92 mm

The Apple MacBook Air has a great keyboard. It feels spacious and has the same layout as every other MacBook, so if you're already familiar with a MacBook keyboard, it'll be easy to adapt to. The plastic used for the keycaps feels high-quality, and the keys themselves are stable. The keys don't require much force to actuate and provide satisfying tactile feedback; however, they have a very short travel distance, which might cause some fatigue if you're a heavy typer, as it's easy to bottom out. The most notable change from the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) is that the top function row keys are now full-size keys. Typing noise is very low, so you don't need to worry about causing too much noise in a quiet environment like a classroom or office. You can manually adjust the backlight brightness or let the system adjust it automatically according to your ambient lighting.

9.2
Interface
Touchpad
Tracking Quality
9.5
Size
16.0 in² (103.2 cm²)
Material
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No

The Apple MacBook Air has an outstanding touchpad. It's large, smooth, and responsive to all movements and gestures. There aren't any issues with palm rejection or actions like dragging and dropping. It doesn't have physical buttons; instead, it uses haptic feedback to simulate the clicks, allowing you to click anywhere on the touchpad. It also supports Force Touch, meaning it's pressure-sensitive. Depending on the application, a harder press lets you access a secondary function or bring up a contextual menu.

8.1
Interface
Speakers
Max Volume
76 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.5 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
2.5
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
145 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
17 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
1.5 dB

The Apple MacBook Air has great speakers. They get reasonably loud with minimal compression at max volume, and they sound well-balanced, with a good amount of bass and treble extension. Compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020), they have more bass but sound a little boxier, likely because the speaker grills are at the back of the keyboard deck and fire towards the screen, while the M1 MacBook Air has up-firing speakers on each side of the keyboard.

8.7
Interface
Webcam & Microphone
Video Quality
9.0
Resolution
1080p
Position
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
Face Unlock
No

The Apple MacBook Air's webcam video quality is outstanding. The image looks detailed, with good color reproduction and proper exposure. The microphone sounds loud and clear, albeit slightly more nasal than the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).

Connectivity
5.0
Connectivity
Ports
USB-A Ports
0
USB-C Ports
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Charging
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
HDMI
No
DisplayPort
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
Ethernet
No
Proprietary Port
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No

The Apple MacBook Air 2022 has a poor port selection. The two USB-Cs support USB 4/Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speed (up to 40Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps), DisplayPort, and charging. Unfortunately, although both USB-Cs can output a video signal to an external display, the M2 SoC only supports one external at a maximum resolution of 6K at 60Hz. The MagSafe charging port is a new addition that frees up one USB-C port. The MagSafe plug attaches to the laptop magnetically and detaches easily to prevent the laptop from getting pulled off a table if you trip on the cable. If you need a laptop with a better port selection, check out the LG gram 14 (2023).

Connectivity
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.0

We can't confirm which wireless adapter the Apple MacBook Air uses.

Configuration
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Apple
Model
M2
Core Count
8
Thread Count
8

The Apple MacBook Air is only available with an M2 SoC. Although there are two M2 SoC options, the CPU portion of the SoC doesn't change; it's only the GPU core count that changes. The M2's CPU has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, regardless of which one you choose. The most notable changes from the M1 to the M2 SoC are the increased memory bandwidth (up to 100GB/s) and the addition of dedicated video encoders and decoders to help with tasks like video editing. If you shoot videos in ProRes, there are also dedicated ProRes encoders and decoders. If you need more processing power for demanding workloads, check out the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023).

Configuration
GPU
Brand
Apple
Model
M2
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A

For the GPU, you have two options: an 8-core GPU or a 10-core GPU. The performance difference between them isn't significant. For most people with a light workload like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, the 8-core GPU is powerful enough to provide a smooth experience. The 10-core GPU helps a little bit in more demanding tasks like video editing, although for video editing, it's the video encoders and decoders that do most of the heavy lifting.

Configuration
RAM
Capacity
8 GB
Modules
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5
Speed
6,400 MHz

You can configure the Apple MacBook Air with 8, 16, or 24GB of memory. 8GB is enough if you only perform light productivity tasks, but if you plan on editing photos or videos, it's best to go with 16GB or 24GB. The memory isn't user-replaceable, so you have to get the configuration that best suits your needs upfront.

Configuration
Storage
Advertised Capacity
256 GB
Usable Capacity
214 GB
Drive 1
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type No 2nd Drive

You can configure the Apple MacBook Air with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage.

Performance
9.1
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
CPU Single-Thread
1,928 points
CPU Multi-Thread
8,954 points
GPU Compute
26,155 points

The Apple MacBook Air has an outstanding score in the Geekbench 5 benchmark. The M2 SoC has incredible single-thread performance, beating even the M1 Max SoC in the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and all recent Intel and AMD CPUs. Its multi-thread performance is also remarkable, but it falls behind CPUs with more cores, like the Intel Core i7-12800H in the Dell Precision 5570 (2022). The M2's GPU performs reasonably well in GPU compute tasks; it's better than most integrated graphics but slower than discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. In short, the M2 SoC can handle general productivity tasks like web browsing, text formatting, and video playback, and it can even handle some light photo and video editing. However, it isn't a professional device. If you need to perform demanding tasks for work, you're better off getting a laptop with a more powerful CPU/GPU and active cooling, like the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021), the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021), or a Windows mobile workstation with a discrete GPU.

9.4
Performance
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Single-Thread
1,581 points
Multi-Thread
8,003 points

The Apple MacBook Air has an outstanding score in Cinebench R23. It can get the job done, but if you're a professional with deadlines, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are better options as they can complete renders much faster. You can also get a Windows laptop with an H-series Intel or AMD CPU, like the Dell Precision 5570 (2022) and the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED (2021).

8.5
Performance
Blender (3D Rendering)
CPU Render Time
4.2 min
GPU Render Time
2.2 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A

The Apple MacBook Air performs well in Blender. Both the CPU and GPU can complete the render quickly, but again, if you're doing 3D rendering work at a professional level, there are better options that can significantly cut down the rendering time, like the Apple MacBook Pros with Apple silicon or Windows laptops with an NVIDIA GPU that supports NVIDIA Optix hardware acceleration.

6.7
Performance
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Overall Score
34,329

The Apple MacBook Air scores reasonably well in the Basemark GPU benchmark. The performance is very good for integrated graphics, but it's still behind even entry-level discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Gaming performance will also vary a lot depending on the game since most games haven't been optimized for Apple silicon and need to run through Rosetta 2. Even for optimized games, you likely need to play at a lower resolution or low graphics settings to get playable frame rates. The 10-core GPU will perform better, but not significantly.

8.9
Performance
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
2,469.6 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
1,091.6 MB/s
Random Write Speed
45.0 MB/s
Random Read Speed
60.1 MB/s

The Apple MacBook Air's storage drive performance is excellent. The sequential read speed is slower than the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) because the 256 GB storage variant only uses one chip, whereas the M1 MacBook Air uses two in a RAID array. However, it's still fast enough for general productivity tasks like text formatting and web browsing. The slower speed is only noticeable if you perform demanding tasks that require access to large files or in situations where the system runs out of memory and needs to offload data to the SSD. If the sequential read speed is important for your workload, it's best to get a variant with a 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD. The speed of the SSD may vary depending on the size, as larger SSDs tend to perform better.

8.4
Performance
Battery
Capacity
53 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
10.9 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
7.0 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
2.7 hrs
Charge Time
3.0 hrs

The Apple MacBook Air's battery life is great. You can easily get through a typical day of light productivity on a full charge. Video playback consumes more power, but you can still get through a couple of movies and TV show episodes. Gaming, and other demanding tasks like video editing, drain the battery very quickly, so you'll have to use the laptop plugged in most of the time. Battery life varies greatly depending on your usage.

4.1
Performance
Borderlands 3
Avg. FPS
28 fps
1% Low
11 fps
0.1% Low
5 fps
1% Low Delta
59 ms
0.1% Low Delta
173 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
36 fps

Borderlands 3 runs poorly on the Apple MacBook Air. It's unplayable at 1080p with high settings due to low average frame rates and frequent stutters. It doesn't get much better at low settings. The 10-core GPU model will perform a little better, but the game will still be very choppy.

5.7
Performance
Civilization VI
Avg. FPS
45 fps
1% Low
27 fps
0.1% Low
21 fps
1% Low Delta
15 ms
0.1% Low Delta
25 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
76 fps
Avg. Turn Time
10.11 s

The performance in Civilization VI is middling. The game is a little choppy at 1080p with high settings, but it gets much smoother at low settings. You might still experience some stutter here and there, but it's playable since this is a strategy game. The turn time is quite long, though. The 10-core GPU model will push slightly higher frame rates, likely closer to 60 fps at high settings.

8.9
Performance
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Avg. FPS
114 fps
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
175 fps

CS:GO runs very well on the Apple MacBook Air. The 8-core GPU M2 SoC has no problems pushing high frame rates at 1080p with high settings. Motion looks smooth, with almost no stutter at all. The 10-core GPU M2 won't have any issues running this game. Unfortunately, we don't have the 1% and 0.1% data because the software used to capture it doesn't work on macOS.

4.0
Performance
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Avg. FPS
25 fps
1% Low
16 fps
0.1% Low
10 fps
1% Low Delta
22 ms
0.1% Low Delta
65 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
42 fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs poorly on the Apple MacBook Air. It's unplayable at 1080p with high settings, and even with low settings, the game is still choppy. The 10-core GPU M2 SoC will perform better, but you'll still experience stutters.

8.1
Performance
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temp While Idle
30 °C (86 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
49 °C (120 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No

The Apple MacBook Air's keyboard is fairly cool at idle, but it gets hot under load and can be a little uncomfortable as the hottest spot is close to the center of the keyboard. It doesn't make any fan noise because it's a fanless laptop.

6.7
Performance
Performance Over Time
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
N/A
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
4% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
N/A
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
18% loss

The Apple MacBook Air's performance over time is okay. The CPU only throttles slightly under load, but the GPU throttles significantly. The CPU's temperature averages around 87°C (188.6°F) at the end of each benchmark run, but it can get as hot as 108°C (226.4°F) during the run (recorded via TG Pro). The GPU's average temperature is 77°C (170.6°F).

Additional Features And Software
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
macOS
Additional Software
None

The Apple MacBook Air 2022 comes with macOS Monterey. There's no additional software other than the ones that typically come with macOS.

Additional Features And Software
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
Touch Pen
No
Secondary Display
No
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor

There's a fingerprint sensor built into the power button. You can use it to log in quickly, authorize purchases in the Apple App Store, and auto-fill saved passwords on supported websites.