Consumer Tech Forget The New MacBook Air, Apple Has Something Better Ewan Spence Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Storyteller exploring digital worlds, mobile, music and podcasting New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jul 23, 2022, 05:13pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin With the new M2 processor, fast charging, and refreshed design, 2022’s MacBook Air offers more power, potential, and looks than the first Apple Silicon MacBook Air launched in 2022. That’s enough for many of Apple’s fans. But does it offer enough to justify the $300 price increase over the “original” model? After the long wait, does the M1 MacBook Air still need to be considered? CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: Newly redesigned MacBook Air laptops are seen displayed during the . . . [+] WWDC22 at Apple Park on June 06, 2022 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC22 developer conference. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Getty Images The big ticket item for the m2 MacBook Air is right there in the naming convention… the Apple Silicon based M2 chipset. This offers more performance over the M1 chipset seen in the previous MacBook Air. Third-party testing and Apple’s specifications point to a gain of around ten to twenty per cent. That’s welcome, but only those looking to the top end of their laptop’s capabilities will see that reflected in performance. For everyone else, the base level of Apple Silicon is more than sufficient for your needs; one of the benefits of Apple raising that level with the M1 chipset compared to the previous Intel laptops. If that’s the case, do you need the extra performance of the MacBook Air? One of the advantages noted by many of the M1 Air was the increased battery life. Would the M2 build on that? Following testing, Laptop Mag’s Sean Riley found the M1 and M2 MacBook Airs laptops offered a similar battery life . In normal usage, there’s not a huge difference between the two laptops. Where there is a difference is in the design. The M1 MacBook Air continued the look that debuted back in 2016 with the Intel-based MacBook Airs. It provided continuity as the line switched over to the ARM-based Apple Silicon, but that left the Air looking tired and missing out on the new technology seen in the professional-grade MacBook Pro laptops. MORE FOR YOU Google Issues Warning For 2 Billion Chrome Users Forget The MacBook Pro, Apple Has Bigger Plans Google Discounts Pixel 6, Nest & Pixel Buds In Limited-Time Sale Event The new MacBook Air design offers a more angular construction and a thinner design that reduces weight. Many hoped the display would move toward the technology in the larger MacBook Pro. That’s not the case. The ProMotion faster refresh has not moved down the portfolio, and it continues to use an IPS-based screen. The resolution gains 64 pixels in height, essentially the notch sits above the 2560x1600 screen preserving a clean 16:0 ratio, and the 64-pixel high menu bar runs on either side. You also get another 100 nits of brightness, taking it up to 500 nits. Once more, iterative updates on the offering from the M1. CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: An attendee takes a picture of a newly redesigned MacBook Air . . . [+] laptop during the WWDC22 at Apple Park on June 06, 2022 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC22 developer conference. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Getty Images But the most significant indicator that the M1 MacBook Air is still in consideration is perhaps the simplest… Apple is still selling it, and selling it alongside the M2 MacBook Air. Now, just because Apple sells a Mac does not mean that it is a slam-dunk choice. Look at the awkward positioning of the entry-level MacBook Pro that offers just a little bit more power… but power users are going to head to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. It offers enough laptop to do all the day-to-day work you would need… but that’s the role of the MacBook Air. All you are left with is the “Pro” moniker, and that feels more like a marketing move from Apple given the gulf between the consumer 13-inch MacBook Pro and the professional 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. A bit more power that is the equal of the M1 when performing under load. A bit more potential that’s rarely required day to day. And the new design that is turning heads. The average consumer will have to ask themselves if the thinner and lighter redesign is worth $300, because everything else looks to be little more than iterative changes to the M1 MacBook Air. Now read the latest Mac, iPhone, and iPad headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple Loop column. . . Check out my website . Ewan Spence Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.