5 Things I’ve Learned About the 15-Inch MacBook Air

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Like everyone else, I’ve peddled the whole “it’s just a bigger version of the 13-inch MacBook Air” thing ever since the 15-inch MacBook Air arrived last month.

However, now that I’ve spent considerable time with it, I’m not so sure that’s fair.

This laptop is far more than just a bigger version of the MacBook Air we’ve come to know and love.

It has also taken a lot of people by surprise and, I’d guess, caused quite a bit of buyer confusion. Apple’s MacBook lineup is still gently expanding, and with a big MacBook Air suddenly thrown into the mix, picking the right one is becoming increasingly tricky.

If you’re struggling, these five discoveries about the new 15-inch MacBook Air might give you something to go on.

1. I probably should have bought a higher spec

I’ve made a bit of a ‘thing’ about buying base spec Macs. There have been exceptions – notably my 16-inch MacBook Pro – but whenever I get a machine in to review, I tend to start from the bottom rung of the ladder.

This is strategic. It gives my audience an idea of what they’ll get if they spend the least amount of money possible. It also aids brand recognition; Mark Ellis is the guy you can count on to buy the cheapest Mac available and see what it’s really like.

The problem is that, sometimes, you buy one of those base spec Macs and you end up wanting more. Don’t get me wrong – the base spec 15-inch M2 MacBook Air is still a brilliant performer, but that voluminous display demands to be pushed beyond multiple window arrangement. It just feels like a far more capable machine than the 13-inch, simply because it’s bigger.

Oops, there’s that phrase again.

2. You get used to the display immediately

This fascinates me.

I adopted the MacBook Air’s 15-inch display immediately and without any hesitation. It was a completely natural switch from the 13-inch version. No fanfare, no “ooh, maybe this is a bit too big”, and no need to adjust the way I worked.

It just felt right – fast. It’s as though the novelty of that larger display wore off almost immediately. Which sounds like a negative, doesn’t it? But it isn’t – for one very good reason.

This is why 15-inch laptops are so popular. It is, quite simply, the right size for most types of work. Equally, the 15-inch MacBook Air hasn’t felt more cumbersome than its smaller brother while out and about. I’ve used it in the same coffee shops, on the same tables at home, and while travelling on planes and trains, and it doesn’t feel any different.

That’s a hell of a feat by Apple, and I think it relates entirely to the ultimate benefit offered by this machine (which I’ll get to later).

3. The notch still doesn’t matter

Thankfully, the number of people who claim that the MacBook notch is something only Satan could have invented is dwindling.

However, there are still one or two people who, whenever I review an Apple laptop featuring that cut-out at the top of the display, immediately inform me that Apple should be paraded through the streets and flogged for committing such an appalling crime.

Let me be ultra clear on this: the notch only becomes an issue if you stare at it rather than undertake any work on your 15-inch MacBook Air.

That’s the last I’ll say on the matter.

4. People want to compare it against EVERYTHING

MacBook comparisons are usually pretty obvious. Which MacBook Pro size is right for you? Should you buy the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro? Which spec best suits <insert use case here>?

The challenge I have now is that people are comparing the 15-inch MacBook Air against everything. Is it a better buy than the 14-inch MacBook Pro? Is it a better choice than a Mac mini as a desktop? Would I be better off buying this than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro? Should I spend loads of money on a 16-inch MacBook Pro or just spect up a 15-inch MacBook Air? Do I need the 13-inch MacBook Air or the 15-inch MacBook Air?

Ironically, the last comparison is probably the least requested, if the comments section of my YouTube channel is anything to go by.

There’s something about this 15-inch MacBook Air which, clearly, suggests that it can compete both well above and below its pay grade.

5. It is RIDICULOUSLY light

This is the ultimate benefit offered by the 15-inch MacBook Air and it’s why Apple really has delivered on its promise.

At 3.3 pounds, it is ridiculously light. Combined with that impossibly thin frame, it really is one of the most portable, unobtrusive, and convenient 15-inch laptops on the market.

You don’t know it’s there. Sling it into any backpack, and that great big display will rest quietly until needed without feeling like a dead slab of metal against your sweaty back.

There have been multiple occasions where I’ve had to double check I’ve actually put the damn thing back into my backpack upon leaving a venue.

I’ve even abandoned the fears I had previously about inadvertently bending it. Like every Apple laptop, this thing is built like a tank. A stupidly thin, light, unobtrusive tank.

How do they do this?

Wrapping up

I hesitate to call the 15-inch MacBook Air the best laptop Apple has made because I don’t think it is. But it comes so close.

Despite Apple nailing the combination of portability and power, it will still be too big for some people. That’s why the 13-inch MacBook Air exists, and why it remains the best all-rounder for anyone who doesn’t want a MacBook Pro. Apple’s decision to reduce the price of its smallest MacBook Air following the introduction of ‘the big one’ further cements that fact.

However, if you’re looking for the perfect combination of display size, portability, and power (providing you spec it up correctly), the 15-inch MacBook Air is a tough one to beat.

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