Apple’s 2022 MacBook Air with an updated design, M2 processor, MagSafe charging, and a slightly bigger display will soon be available for preorder, starting at $1,199. Apple says it will open preorders online tomorrow, July 8th, at 8AM ET / 5AM PT, and orders will begin shipping Friday, July 15th. If you have a hard time preordering online for delivery (preorders don’t typically sell out, but ship dates often get pushed back very quickly), here’s a tip: try to order online right at 8AM ET on launch day, July 15th, with your order set as an in-store pickup.
The release of this model follows behind the 2022 MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, which had the honor of being Apple’s first laptop to debut the M2 chip. In terms of how the M2 performs, my colleague Monica Chin’s review concluded that it’s faster than the M1, and battery life under normal use cases (even while running system-intensive apps) remains impeccable.
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But given that the new MacBook Air has the M2 chip, plus some cool features borrowed from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (MagSafe charging, a 1080p webcam, and the notched display, to name a few), it’s possible that this, not the 13-inch MacBook Pro, is the one you may want to buy this year. Here are all of the pricing details you need to know about.
Here’s how much each configuration will cost
The base $1,199 model features an M2 processor (eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. Like the pricier option detailed below, this model features a 13.6-inch display, a 1080p webcam, a magnetic MagSafe 3 charging port, and two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. What’s unique to this model is that it comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter.
The step-up model that costs $1,499 has the M2 processor (eight-core CPU but with a 10-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It has the same ports as the configuration above, but it includes your choice of the 35W dual USB-C port adapter (so you can charge two devices at once) or the faster 67W USB-C power adapter at no additional cost.
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How much do spec upgrades cost?
In the lower-end $1,199 model, you can upgrade to an M2 chip with a larger GPU core count (10 cores versus eight) for $100.
Going up to 16GB RAM will add $200, while 24GB (the maximum upgrade) costs $400 on top of the base price.
In terms of storage, the new MacBook Air supports up to 2TB, though going that far will cost quite a bit. For the base model, doubling the storage to 512GB is $200, 1TB is $400, and the full 2TB is a steep $800 upcharge.
The pricing for the $1,499 model’s storage upgrade is as follows: $200 to double its 512GB of storage to 1TB and $600 to go up to 2TB.
While either the 35W dual USB-C port power adapter or 67W USB-C fast charger is included with the $1,499 MacBook Air, it’s a $20 upsell at the time of purchase if you’re getting the $1,199 MacBook Air. That’s not bad, considering Apple will sell each for $59.
If you want to fully max out a MacBook Air’s specs, it’ll cost you $2,499 before tax.
