Apple showed updated MacBook Air: new M2 chip, "monobrow", MagSafe and fast charging for $1200

Today at the opening of the WWDC 2022 conference, Apple introduced the new Apple M2 single-chip system and the updated MacBook Air laptop based on it.

M2

M2 launches the second generation of Apple M-series chips and expands the features of M1. With industry-leading energy efficiency, a unified memory architecture, and dedicated technologies, this chip delivers even more performance and power to Apple's most popular Mac notebooks. The M2 features a next-generation 8-core processor with improved cores in both performance and efficiency, as well as a next-generation Apple GPU that now has up to 10 cores - two more than the M1.

The new chip also adds a next-generation media engine and a powerful ProRes video engine for hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding.

According to Apple, the new MacBook Air outperforms the M1-based Air by 38% in video processing performance, and the Air based on the 8th generation Intel Core i5 CPU by 15 times!

Here it is - the new MacBook Air

“Completely redesigned around the M2, the MacBook Air is thinner, lighter and faster, with a bigger display, better camera and all-day battery life in four beautiful finishes. Only with Apple Silicon can you create such a thin and light laptop with a fanless design and such a combination of performance and features,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, during the presentation.

In addition to the M2 processor, the laptop has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that has been extended closer to the sides and around the camera to make room for the menu bar. The result is a larger display with much thinner bezels. At 500 nits, it's also 25% brighter than before. In addition, the new display now supports 1 billion colors. And the FaceTime HD webcam, which is cut like the iPhone, is capable of transmitting Full HD video. The Magic Keyboard features a full-size functional next to Touch ID, as well as a Force Touch trackpad.

Another innovation is support for fast charging. The laptop battery charges to 50% in just 30 minutes. In addition, MagSafe magnetic charging technology is supported. Battery life is up to 18 hours.
MacBook Air also features two Thunderbolt ports for connecting various accessories and a 3.5mm audio jack.

At the same time, the laptop, dressed in an aluminum case, is quite thin - only 11.3 mm. In addition to Silver and Space Gray, MacBook Air is now available in two new colors, Midnight and Starlight.

How?

The MacBook Air will go on sale next month for $1,200.

Source: Apple