Apple Just Dropped the Biggest MacBook Air Ever, and We Tried It

Nearly a year after unveiling the redesigned 13-inch MacBook Air, John Ternus—Apple's VP of Hardware—unveiled the 15-inch MacBook Air, which the company says is the best 15-inch laptop around.

It supersizes what we love about the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. Packing in more features and up to 18 hours of battery life, all in a portable design that weighs just over 3 pounds.

The 15-inch MacBook Air with the M2 Chip starts at $1,299 and is currently up for order, with shipments beginning next week. Apple's also lowering the price of the 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 to $1,099 now and keeping M1 Air at $999.

15-inch MacBook Air: What You Need To Know

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air is all about an ultra-portable notebook with an expansive display. That starts with a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display that can battle the sun or environmental light with up to 500 nits of brightness. In my brief hands-on, I noticed that colors pop on the display, creating an immersive experience that makes a 13-inch Air feel much smaller.

That impressive picture is paired with slim bezels all around just 5 millimeters, and a notch centered up top contains the 1080pHD FaceTime camera, which is handy for FaceTime, Zooms, or Google Meet video calls.

Powering the 15-inch MacBook Air is the Apple-made M2 processor, which will deliver a swift and almost instantaneous experience. Coming from an Intel-based MacBook Air, the 15-inch is up to 50% faster, so a serious speed improvement. You won't have to be concerned about closing applications to make way for more intense tasks and won't be able to hear a fan, as it is a fanless machine.

In terms of ports, the 15-inch MacBook Air features two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe port for charging, and a headphone jack. It's well under an inch thick and weighs just over 3 pounds. It's noticeably heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air, but it is pretty light, given its display. The 15-inch MacBook Air comes in Starlight, Midnight, Silver, or Space Gray and is built from aluminum. It keeps the same modern rounded build of the 13-inch that fits with the newer MacBooks.

Related: 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 Review

Just as the M2 chip ups speed and improves overall performance, it stretches battery life further. The 15-inch MacBook Air can easily tackle a full day of work with what Apple says is up to 18 hours of battery life. Considering all the other Apple Silicon Macs constantly last for multiple days, we have no doubts.

All-in-all, Apple's biggest and lightest MacBook yet really checks off all the possible boxes. It also doesn't break the bank at just $1,299 and is easily Apple's most affordable, large-screen laptop.

It's up for order beginning today and starts shipping next week on June 13.

• 15-inch MacBook Air ($1,199 at Amazon or B&H Photo)

The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air Gets a Price Drop

Alongside the new 15-inch MacBook Air, the 13-inch with M1 and 13-inch with M2 remain in the lineup. The M1 Air sticks with a $999 MSRP, though it's frequently discounted for an even better value. Those don't last forever, though.

Apple is lowering the MSRP of the 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 to just $1,099, a full $100 price drop from the original MSRP, which goes into effect today.

Let's Recap the 15-inch MacBook Air

Yes, it's a bigger MacBook but ultimately, the 15-inch Air pairs a more expansive machine in a lightweight build that won't slow you down. If you've been after a larger, lightweight Mac—and folks have wanted that for a while—the 15-inch MacBook Air is the answer. Additionally, at $1,299 (starting), it's relatively affordable for the size. It is also significantly cheaper than the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

We'll be back soon with a first look and then a review, but for now, the 15-inch MacBook Air seems like an excellent option for someone who wants a bigger screen in a more portable build. 

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.