The Apple Vision Pro was expectedly the biggest news of WWDC 2023, but there were also a few other devices announced, including new Mac computers. Among them is the new MacBook Air 15-inch which is priced at Rs. 1.34.900 in India and will be available in four color options: Midnight, Silver, Space Gray and Starlight. In most specs, it’s very similar to the MacBook Air, which launched in mid-2022 and features the M2 chip and up to 512GB of SSD storage.
I had the opportunity to try out the new MacBook Air at WWDC 2023 and physically this is a significantly larger machine than that MacBook Pro 13 inch (M2, 2022). Still, the unmistakable Air design language is there, and Apple touts this device as the world’s thinnest 15-inch notebook. It is aimed at users who want the portability and ease of use of the form factor but with a slightly larger screen.
The first impression of the MacBook Air 15 inch: big, despite the low weight
While the laptop’s thickness of 11.5mm means that the 15-inch MacBook Air isn’t very heavy, the actual size of the screen and the device itself makes it a bit unwieldy to hold with one hand – which I quite easily do can do with my much older 13-inch MacBook Air (2017). The form factor of the laptop is really convenient when closed. It slips easily into a backpack or purse if you can handle the larger footprint.
Otherwise, the 15-inch MacBook Air is identical to the 13-inch M2 version that launched in 2022, and choosing between the two is primarily based on your size and portability needs.
Of course, this depends on the type of work you want to do with your laptop. In most cases, the 13-inch version is much better suited for everyday use cases and powerful enough for the purpose. The 15-inch version can come in handy if you do a little work with photos or graphics, as it gives you more space to work or multi-task.
I’ve been using an older MacBook Air for a while now, and while I’m adamant about sticking with this lineup when deciding to upgrade, I’m a bit more biased toward the smaller 13.6-inch screen. The 13 inch version is available now priced at Rs. 1.14.900 in India – slightly lower than the launch price – so you might want to consider it for the lower price as well.
MacBook Air 15-inch first impressions: final thoughts
The new MacBook Air’s 15.3-inch screen size is good for one important reason: you no longer have to think about the much more expensive and powerful 16-inch MacBook Pro if you just want a bigger screen. The new MacBook Air is reasonably well equipped for most users’ day-to-day computing needs, and you’ll also likely find that the 256GB of storage is more than adequate.
All in all, the MacBook Air 13-inch with the M2 chip remains my pick as the ideal entry point into the Mac laptop family and the ideal upgrade for old-school MacBook Air users like me. Screen size aside, the new model doesn’t offer much more than the model launched last year. Apple too announced New Mac Studio and Mac Pro variants at WWDC 2023, alongside iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma and the almost unbelievable Apple Vision Pro Mixed reality headset.
