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I have a strange love affair with the MacBook Air. It was the first MacBook I owned, which in many ways marked a milestone in my life. It was the machine I did most of my work on for many years before passing it on to my son as a school computer during the lockdown years. Two months later, it was packed after nearly nine years of stellar service. It was two years of pre-teen stress that finally took its toll on the device and not the many falls it had as it served me before my son. And that’s exactly the kind of long life and versatile use cases MacBook Air buyers are looking forward to, especially with the Size 15 debuting in the range.
The 15-inch MacBook Air is a unique product, mainly because it’s a new size to the popular range. While there’s plenty of real estate, Apple also packed a bigger battery and more graphics power into this M2-powered device. But while it was the compact nature of the 13-inch MacBook Air among all the thick and heavy laptops of the time that led me to buy it many years ago, it may be the larger screen size that appeals to those looking to buy this year’s version. The larger screen size means this screen is better for content consumption as well as a lot of work like coding and video editing.
The 15-inch MacBook Air is a unique product, mainly because it’s a new size to the popular range. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Interestingly, as I discovered in a busy week traveling across two continents, the extra size doesn’t make the MacBook Air unwieldy in any way. In fact, it’s almost unnaturally thin for a 15-inch laptop… slim enough to slip into a magazine pocket on a local Indigo flight. It does not mean achievement.
But then, despite the size, I could still use the stairs on the same flight to write part of this review without too much trouble, though I’d plead with the passenger in front not to recline in their seat. I took out my MacBook Air to do some work, inviting the free wi-fi on the German ICE bullet train during a jaunt from Bonn to Frankfurt, too. Luckily, there was more room here between the seats to check out some Google sheets as the green European landscape, swelteringly hot under its new summer, slips past the extra-large windows.
On an international flight back from Germany, I can use the same laptop to scan a lot of mail because it’s charged with a USB-C cable from a power port under the seat – there’s a MagSafe charger too, but that becomes an unnecessary burden when you’re traveling with other chargers that also work to charge a device This MacBook Air.
Despite the size, I could still use the stairs in the same flight to write part of this review without too much trouble. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The point I’m trying to make is that despite the bulkier chassis, this MacBook Air is thin enough to offer all the comforts one would get used to with other versions that came before. This is air in the truest sense, just more air.
However, it is only natural for anyone with a larger laptop to expect more power from it. And that’s something the MacBook Air manages to do well, thanks to M2 Apple silicon. Yes, this is a fanless model, but there’s very little you can do on the device that will make you realize there are no blades to cool your laptop when needed. In fact, I tried editing some cinematic videos I shot with the iPhone during an event in Bonn, and iMovie let me change the autofocus lock and even stabilize grainy low-light videos within a second. I can select multiple 4K clips and use the color palette across all of these, again instantly.
I can select multiple 4K clips and use the color palette across all of these, again instantly. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
I might need a MacBook Pro to do this for larger clips, but then most average users don’t have larger clips that need to be adjusted. But the MacBook Air seems better equipped to meet the needs of the new thriving creative economy that in many ways demands us all. And honestly, what other device gives you the freedom to shut down your computer when editing video as the flight you’re on hits some serious turbulence as it collides with monsoon clouds?
I also tried Photomator which uses artificial intelligence to really edit your photos, again in a matter of seconds. It can change the color of certain targets in the frame, suggest ML crops for your shots and use AI to clean things up in the background. The app works like a dream even with large RAW files, the only letdown being that you can’t save output without a paid subscription.
And it’s not just about editing. With its 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display and six-speaker audio system with Dolby Atmos, the MacBook Air makes it a great device to consume wherever you are. In fact, the laptop is loud enough that you wouldn’t dare use full volume while staying in thin-walled hotels outside of India. But this isn’t just about loud – watching the Foundation series, I felt much of Dolby Atmos’ sense of depth was now clearly available here as well.
Being a 15-inch, this MacBook Air also offers a well-designed keyboard with smooth keys that are perfect for typing on. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Being a 15-inch, this MacBook Air also offers a well-designed keyboard with smooth keys that are perfect for typing on. They’re also almost silent, especially if you’re one of those who type with a flow and don’t like how you learned to type on old Remingtons. The trackpad is large, which is ideal when navigating the extra screen space for creative stuff. The right-angle key houses the TouchID fingerprint scanner that lets you unlock the MacBook Air in a snap, a feature I’m used to from my MacBook Pro. The review unit came in a space gray color, which adds to the attractiveness of the elegant design. There are two USB-C ports on the left along with a MagSafe charger while on the right you only have the 3.5mm audio port. And yes, it comes with a Full HD camera and three microphones so you’ll be seen and heard well during video calls, which is a feature that is now necessary for most of us.
Despite its Rs 1,34,900 price tag, don’t be surprised if the 15-inch MacBook Air suddenly becomes the most popular Mac ever. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
While this one has a larger battery, the battery life is the same 18 hours or so you get with the 13-inch version of the MacBook Air as the larger 15.3-inch screen draws more power. So does the 10-core GPU.
Despite its Rs 1,34,900 price tag, don’t be surprised if the 15-inch MacBook Air suddenly becomes the most popular Mac, perhaps even taking up the share of the MacBook Pro. It has everything, style, power, and functionality along with the extra screen size that many of us still crave. But the innovation here is the fact that this extra real estate doesn’t affect the experience of using the MacBook Air.
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