The new 2022 MacBook Air is already available for pre-order.
Preorders are live for the M2 model
Preorders for Apple’s 2022 MacBook Air with a new design, M2 CPU, MagSafe charging, and a little larger display will begin at $1,199. Preorders are now open, and sales will begin shipping on Friday, July 15th. If you’re having trouble preordering online for delivery (preorders don’t often sell out, but ship dates are sometimes pushed back), here’s a tip: attempt to purchase online at 8AM ET on launch day, July 15th, with your order configured as an in-store pickup.
This model succeeds the 2022 MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, which held the distinction of being Apple’s first laptop to launch the M2 processor. In terms of performance, my colleague Monica Chin’s evaluation determined that the M2 is speedier than the M1, and battery life under common use situations (even when running system-intensive apps) is excellent.
However, given that the new MacBook Air includes the M2 chip as well as some cool features borrowed from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros (MagSafe charging, a 1080p webcam, and the notched display, to name a few), it’s possible that this, rather than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, will be the one you want to buy this year. Here are all of the price
information you need to know.
HERE’S HOW MUCH EACH CONFIGURATION WILL COST
The $1,199 entry-level model comes with an M2 processor (eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. This variant, like the more expensive option described below, has a 13.6-inch monitor, a 1080p webcam, a magnetic MagSafe 3 charging port, and two Thunderbolt / USB 4 connections. This variant is distinguished by the inclusion of a 30W USB-C power adaptor.
The $1,499 step-up model includes the M2 processor (eight-core CPU with a 10-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It features the same ports as the previous setup, but it includes a free 35W dual USB-C port adapter (so you can charge two devices at once) or a speedier 67W USB-C power adapter.
HOW MUCH DO SPEC UPGRADES COST?
Upgrade for $100 to an M2 processor with a higher GPU core count (10 cores versus eight) in the lower-end $1,199 variant.
Upgrading to 16GB RAM costs $200 more, while 24GB (the maximum increase) costs $400 more.
The new MacBook Air offers up to 2TB of storage, however getting that far will cost quite a little. Doubling the capacity to 512GB costs $200, 1TB costs $400, and the full 2TB costs an exorbitant $800.
The storage increase for the $1,499 model costs as follows: It costs $200 to increase its 512GB storage capacity to 1TB, and $600 to go up to 2TB.
While the $1,499 MacBook Air comes with either the 35W twin USB-C port power adapter or the 67W USB-C fast charger, it’s a $20 upsell at the time of purchase if you acquire the $1,199 MacBook Air. That’s not terrible given each will cost $59.
It will cost you $2,499 before taxes to fully customize a MacBook Air.