Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.7/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.8/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good—7.8/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good—8.8/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.5/10
PORTABILITY: Very Good—8.9/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Very Good—8.0/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Very Good—8.0/10
SIZE: 15.3"
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) comes with an appealing combination of features for those who prioritize a blend of performance and portability. It has a larger 15-inch display and a powerful Apple M2 chip with ample memory for smooth multitasking and everyday tasks. However, note that it's priced in the upper midrange spectrum. While it has a very slim design and light weight, enhancing its portability, it may not be the first choice for those seeking the utmost in gaming or intensive engineering due to its display limited to a standard refresh rate and integrated GPU. It offers fanless operation for a silent experience and a backlit keyboard. Although excellent for general use, performance may be fair for more demanding 3D and machine learning applications, and good for engineering tasks. Battery life is solid, allowing for extended use between charges. The MacBook Air has a top-tier build quality, excellent keyboard, and great speakers, making it a strong all-around laptop, but the premium price reflects its status as a high-end Apple product. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Large, high-resolution screen
- Lightweight and thin design
- Long battery life
- Silent, fanless operation
- Excellent build and keyboard quality
Cons
- No touchscreen
- Limited ports availability
- Average 3D performance
- No Ethernet port
Ratings by Category
Build Quality:5.0
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability. Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify. Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Operating Noise:5.0
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Keyboard Quality:5.0
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
Battery Life:4.8
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Portability:4.7
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
General Use:4.6
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in general use due to its powerful Apple M2 processor paired with ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient performance. With its high-quality IPS screen displaying vivid colors and sharp images, combined with excellent portability, long battery life, and silent operation, users enjoy a premium and versatile computing experience whether on the go or at home.
Software Development:4.6
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Content Creation:4.6
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
General Use Screen Quality:4.5
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Engineering & Design:4.4
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design, CAD and 3D work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Gaming & AI:3.8
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with an Apple M2 chip with a 10-core GPU, designed to deliver solid graphics performance for 3D work, and it comes with a screen that offers a standard refresh rate suitable for general 3D graphics tasks. While the CPU also supports these activities, the screen excels in color accuracy and quality rather than high refresh rates, prioritizing visual fidelity over the smoothness of motion that might be more important in gaming scenarios.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | ||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Apple M2 | ||
Graphics | M2 (8C) | ||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | No | ||
RAM | 24 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 15 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | ||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 10/10 | ||
Portability Score | 9/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | ||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | ||
Keyboard Lighting Color | White | ||
Warranty Period | 1 year | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | ||
Webcam | 1080p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | No | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 0 | ||
USB-C ports | 2 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 1 | ||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | ||
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Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
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