4 reasons to buy a 15-inch MacBook Air and just as many reasons to choose. Who will suit?

The most interesting computer from the past WWDC 2023 was Apple’s 15-inch air laptop. This week the model went on sale in many countries, authoritative observers expressed their opinion about the novelty.

To the point: How the new 15-inch MacBook Air differs from the 13-inch MacBook Air

Laptops are starting to appear on the shelves of Russian stores, you can sort through different sites and marketplaces or leave a pre-order.

and think about the rationality of purchases. Let’s start with the positive points and arguments for the purchase Macbook Air 15″.

This is the first 15-inch MacBook Air ever.

Steve Jobs presented the first Macbook Air way back in 2008. For the next 15 years, Cupertino produced only 11- and 13-inch light laptop models. The first at one time became the most compact typing machine, and the second is still the standard for a light and compact laptop.

With possible technologies, modern “trinashki” were practically comparable in size to the old 11-inch templates. Making an even more compact laptop with different iPad models is common. But the demand for a model with an enlarged display has always been.

For those who infrequently move from place to place, but do not want the presence of an external monitor, the 15-inch MacBook Air is great.

Best in class dimensions and weight

Cupertino without hesitation called the new Air the most compact 15-inch laptop. Let’s leave the statement on their conscience, but we will not deny that in terms of weight and dimensions, the laptop is really pleasing.

Case dimensions 34 x 23.8 x 1.15 cm. This is less noticeable than the 16-inch “firmware” and slightly more than the 13-inch Air model.

The weight of the novelty is most valued – 1.51 kg. It’s only 220 grams more 12.9″ iPad Pro with attached Magic keyboard. Those who are used to carrying a large tablet with a keyboard can easily switch to a laptop.

Affordable price for a large laptop

In the case of use, an Apple laptop with a large display was needed, which could be paid extra for the Pro model. Not everyone needs that kind of power and performance. The “proshka” itself is quite large and heavy; for frequent carrying, a bag or backpack is a must.

Not everyone was ready to make all these compromises just for the sake of the increased size of the matrix. I had to opt for the 13-inch Air and put up with a more compact development.

Now everyone is different and 15-inch Apple laptops are available. The same solution suggests itself in the iPad line. Air tablet with a large diagonal instead of an expensive 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Great sound, no speakers needed

Kupertinovtsy did not become greedy and equipped the novelty with an improved audio system compared to the 13-inch model. 6 speakers give a very decent sound with low-frequency radiators and only slightly fall short of the MacBook Pro line.

The only strange solution is the lack of cutouts for sound on the sides of the keyboard. In this case, the emitters are directed towards the screen, and the sound, reflected from it, is up to the user before installation.

With such a system, you can listen to music and watch movies. No one claims to be at the cinema level, but you definitely won’t be ashamed of a laptop either.

That’s all with the use of moments. We turn to the use of the highest quality models.

The Air line has lost its recognizable body shape

With the transition to processors M2 Cupertino changed the design and dimensions of the case Macbook Air. The model has lost its recognizable wedge-shaped shape and began to walk more on the MacBook Pro.

Yes, with the direct detection of “airs” and “pros”, the lines of the Air size line are visible to the naked eye. If you can see a separate Macbook Air 15″ in a shop window or in a cafe, it is easy to confuse it with Macbook Pro 16″.

Hardware in the MacBook Air 15″ is not the best

Even before the start of the WWDC presentation, we were waiting for Apple to announce new ARM processors. I am convinced that with the release of a powerful M2 Ultra more logical evaluation of computers Studio Mac And Mac Profor the release of the 15-inch Air model, a specific generation of the base chip is better suited M3. Then it would be possible to show the updated “trinashka”.

However, Apple decided otherwise. More powerful desktop models received new hardware, so the first 15-inch “Air” got last year’s chip M2. The processor is still top-end and productive, but a small residue remains.

The next unpleasant moment was the slowdown of the SSD drive. Base model with disk capacity 256 GB not the most outstanding speed indicators. It turns out that basic laptops on a chip M1which uses two 128 GB SSDs almost 2 times faster read and write data.

The disadvantage is also not the most critical and in everyday work it will be almost imperceptible, but sooner or later it will reduce the slowdown of the OS.

Another factor associated with the occurrence of increased memory activity. Cupertino back in 2017 began to use the basic setup of the MacBook Air 8 GB RAM, 6 years have passed since then. Operating systems have become more demanding, and the laptop itself has turned from a banal printing press into a mass device for most simple tasks. Why hasn’t the bar of basic operational control been raised to 16 GB?

The problem is solved by ordering a custom model, but the cost of the device is increased by $400 (half for two SSD modules for fast storage speed and half for double the amount of RAM). And there already to the basic Macbook Pro 14″ near.

Strange dynamics at the level of the 13-inch model

The presentation stated that Macbook Air 15″ head live up to 18 hours without recharging. In practice, most likely, it will not be possible to squeeze out more than 11-12 hours. Unless you turn the screen brightness to a minimum and read text documents from the disk.

The same indicators of dynamics show Macbook Air 13″ And Macbook Pro 14″

On the one hand, it is very worthy, but on the other hand, in the MacBook Pro line, the larger model has increased power and shows +4 extra hours of battery life. It is strange that in the enlarged “tag” case it was not possible to find a link to a more capacious battery and squeeze out 20+ hours of autonomy in theory. In practice, this amounted to 15-16 hours under load, and this, in turn, was two full working days.

Price and complexity of analogue imports

The last negative effect is the current conditions for the supply of Apple technology in Russia. Now a new model is returning on different marketplaces at an inadequate price 200k+in a couple of weeks the price should drop to more acceptable 150-160 thousand rubles.

With the choice of a custom model, if you apply to increase the drive or RAM, it will be more difficult. You will have to order and wait about a month. Even order a complete power adapter, replacing the 2-port one with 35 W association on 70 W will be a real challenge.

A more powerful MacBook Fast Charge Power Adapter can be selected instead of the Dual Port Power Adapter for free.

In addition, the new model will have only 1 year warranty. And how this seller will solve issues with after-sales service is unclear. Most likely, the model will be rebuilt in the country of the intended purchase (for example, in the UAE), repaired there and returned back. Under such conditions, repairs can take several months.

Authorized service centers in Russia simply do not receive spare parts for the repair of a new model that is not officially included in our country.

Let’s weigh all the pros and cons

Having weighed all the advantages and benefits, the model can hardly be called uncompromising. Cupertino decided to play on the effect of innovations, and in the next generation they will gradually restore innovations.

Not included with the Air package, which is not equipped with an active cooling system. This means that under heavy load, the device will get very hot and reduce performance.

The set of ports in the air line is very meager. MagSafe for charging, although it occurs, but besides it there are only two connectors Type-C without card reader HDMI. Worst of all, the ports are too close to the magnetic connector and you won’t be able to use the common two-port docking stations.

Certain komuno will come, those named events will be non-critical, and the set of benefits will outweigh. I remain on the side of the skeptics and consider the model passing.

With a probability of 99%, next year the Cupertinians will update the lineup Macbook Airinstalled new chips M3. At the same time, computers definitely get an additional 2-3 hours of battery life, and we can also offer the cherished 16 GB RAM in the database.

That’s when the 15-inch MacBook Air can be safely recommended for purchase.