Price and Specifications

Apple’s MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) is the latest addition to the MacBook Air family, offering a larger display for users who want the portability of the MacBook Air line but with more screen real estate. While the MacBook Air has traditionally been a smaller, lighter option in Apple’s laptop lineup, the 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch takes that formula and enhances it with a bigger display, a more powerful M2 chip, and all the benefits of the MacBook Air’s signature slim design.

Whether you’re a professional who needs more screen space or a casual user looking for a larger, lightweight laptop, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) strikes a balance between performance, portability, and value.

In this review, we’ll explore the price, specifications, and key features of the MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) to help you decide whether this is the right laptop for you.

Price of the MacBook Air 15-inch (2024)

The MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) comes in various configurations based on memory, storage, and chip choice. Here is an overview of the pricing for different models:

• Base Model: ₹1,34,900 (INR) / $1,299 (USD)
• Chip: Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU
• Memory: 8GB Unified Memory
• Storage: 256GB SSD
• Upgraded Model: ₹1,54,900 (INR) / $1,499 (USD)
• Chip: Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU
• Memory: 8GB Unified Memory
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• High-end Model: ₹1,79,900 (INR) / $1,799 (USD)
• Chip: Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU
• Memory: 16GB Unified Memory
• Storage: 1TB SSD

Apple offers the MacBook Air 15-inch with 8GB of unified memory as the base configuration, but you can upgrade to 16GB if you need more memory for demanding tasks. The base model also comes with 256GB of storage, but you can opt for up to 2TB of SSD storage on higher configurations. Prices vary depending on storage and memory upgrades, but even at the highest configurations, the MacBook Air 15-inch remains more affordable than its higher-end MacBook Pro counterparts.

Key Specifications of the MacBook Air 15-inch (2024)

1. Display: Liquid Retina Display

• Size: 15.3 inches
• Resolution: 2880 x 1864 pixels
• Brightness: 500 nits
• Color Gamut: P3 wide color, True Tone
• ProMotion: No (60Hz standard)

The MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) is equipped with a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, making it the largest display ever in the MacBook Air series. With a 2880 x 1864 pixel resolution, it delivers sharp, vibrant visuals, whether you’re working with documents, editing photos, or streaming movies.

The display is bright enough for most conditions, with a peak brightness of 500 nits, which is more than sufficient for typical indoor lighting conditions. The P3 wide color gamut ensures that images and videos appear rich and true to life, making it a great option for creative professionals or those who need a reliable display for color-critical work. The addition of True Tone adjusts the white balance of the display to match the ambient light, making the viewing experience more natural and comfortable.

However, unlike the MacBook Pro models, the MacBook Air lacks ProMotion (120Hz adaptive refresh rate). It has a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which is perfectly adequate for everyday tasks but may feel a bit less fluid for those who are used to higher refresh rates found in Pro models or certain high-end smartphones.

2. Processor: Apple M2 Chip

• CPU: 8-core CPU (4 high-performance cores, 4 efficiency cores)
• GPU: 8-core GPU (base) or 10-core GPU (higher-end models)
• Neural Engine: 16-core Neural Engine
• Unified Memory: 8GB (configurable to 16GB)
• Max Memory Bandwidth: 100GB/s

The MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) is powered by the Apple M2 chip, the same silicon found in other MacBook Air models and some MacBook Pro configurations. The M2 chip features an 8-core CPU with 4 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, allowing for smooth and efficient multitasking. The chip is designed to deliver a 20% faster CPU performance than its predecessor, the M1 chip, making the M2 MacBook Air ideal for everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and casual photo/video editing.

The base model comes with an 8-core GPU, while the higher-end configuration offers a 10-core GPU for more graphics-intensive tasks such as video editing or light gaming. The 16-core Neural Engine accelerates machine learning tasks, making apps that rely on AI, such as photo editing software or data processing tools, run faster and more efficiently.

With 8GB of unified memory in the base model (expandable to 16GB), the MacBook Air 15-inch offers adequate performance for most users, even for tasks that require some level of memory-intensive work. The unified memory architecture allows the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine to share the same memory pool, ensuring that everything from file handling to image rendering runs seamlessly.

3. Memory and Storage

• Memory (RAM): 8GB Unified Memory (base), up to 16GB (configurable)
• Storage: 256GB SSD (base), up to 2TB SSD (configurable)

The MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) comes with 8GB of unified memory in the base configuration, which is sufficient for most users, particularly for web browsing, media consumption, and office tasks. If you plan on running more memory-heavy applications or multitasking extensively, you can upgrade the RAM to 16GB for smoother performance.

In terms of storage, the base configuration starts with 256GB SSD of storage, which is fine for light users, but if you handle large files or want more space for apps and media, you can upgrade to up to 2TB of SSD storage.

The SSD ensures fast data access, quicker boot times, and the ability to handle large files without lag. This fast storage also supports fast read/write speeds, ensuring seamless transitions between tasks and data transfers.

4. Battery Life

• Battery Life: Up to 18 hours of video playback
• Battery: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery

Despite having a larger display, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) maintains excellent battery life thanks to the efficiency of the M2 chip. The device offers up to 18 hours of video playback on a single charge, making it ideal for extended work sessions or long travel days. The 66.5-watt-hour battery works in tandem with the M2 chip’s power efficiency, delivering impressive endurance even with the larger screen.

For light web browsing, office tasks, and media consumption, users can expect even longer battery life. With the added USB-C charging capabilities, you can charge the MacBook Air quickly and get back to work or play.

5. Ports and Connectivity

• Ports: Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0

The MacBook Air 15-inch offers two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, which are versatile and capable of data transfer, charging, and connecting to external displays. While the MacBook Pro models offer more ports, the MacBook Air retains the minimalist approach with just two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio.

For wireless connectivity, the MacBook Air 15-inch supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which offers faster internet speeds and better performance in crowded networks. Bluetooth 5.0 is included, providing reliable connections to wireless devices like keyboards, mice, and headphones.

6. Audio and Webcam

• Audio: Stereo speakers with wide stereo sound
• Webcam: 1080p FaceTime HD camera

The MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) features a stereo speaker system with wide stereo sound, delivering a rich audio experience for such a thin laptop. Whether you’re watching movies, attending virtual meetings, or listening to music, the audio quality is sufficient for casual use. However, if you require studio-quality sound, you may want to use external speakers or headphones.

The 1080p FaceTime HD webcam provides crisp video quality for video calls and conferencing, which is a significant upgrade over the previous