MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) vs MacBook Air 13-inch (2022): Apple’s lightweight laptops compared
The MacBook Air 15-inch has been announced at WWDC 2023. The new model is a straightforward increase in size from the 13-inch MacBook Air. Here are all the key details.
The MacBook Air M1 was the first MacBook to adorn Apple Silicon, it was quite a leap forward for the device. The M2 MacBook Air didn’t represent the same jump forward in performance but it received a strong design upgrade, with a boosted display and ports.
All of that came in a 13-inch display-sporting frame. Now, Apple is accommodating those who’d like a larger screen, bringing a 15.3-inch panel to the MacBook Air. Read on for how the new 15-inch compares to the existing 13-inch model.
A larger 15.3-inch display
The main difference between these two laptops is the 15.3-inch display on the new MacBook Air versus the 13.6-inch screen on the smaller MacBook Air.
The MacBook Air 13-inch offers up a 2560 x 1664 resolution display compared with a 2880 x 1864 resolution on the larger 15-inch model.
Expectedly, the 15-inch Air is larger coming in at 340 x 238 x 11.5mm and 1.51kg. The 13-inch dimensions equate to 304 x 215 x 11.3mm and 1.24kg. Apple is touting the new model as “the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop”.
The 15-inch model costs more
The MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) comes with a starting price of $1299/£1399. That’s compared with the 13-inch model, where the base model costs $1099/£1,149. The new 15-inch model is available to order now, shipping from June 13th.
There is a slight difference between the base models, with the starting 13-inch model sporting an M2 with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU compared with the base 15-inch donning a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
512GB Apple Mac Mini with M2 chip
Amazon is offering more than £70 off the uber-compact, uber-powerful 2023 Mac Mini with a very reasonable 512GB storage.
- Amazon
- Was £849
- Now £776
A new six-speaker sound system
The 15-inch model accommodates a larger speaker system, with a set of six speakers onboard. The combination is two tweeters and two sets of force-cancelling woofers. The new six-speaker system should provide twice the base depth and features Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos.
Everything else is the same
And that’s your lot. Before the event, there was some speculation that an M2 Pro could come to the larger MacBook Air, or that it would have a boosted battery life, but none of that was come to pass. It has the same M2 chip options and an up to 18-hour battery life, just like the 13-inch.
The same colour options are available too, those being Space Grey, Silver, Starlight and Midnight.
You might like…
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.