One of the best things about the M1 MacBook Air is how ridiculously fast it is: unless you’re really hammering it, and most apps aren’t really hammering it, there’s very little difference between it and the M1 MacBook Pro. It’s the best laptop for most people, but there’s one small problem: it only comes in one size.
That makes the M1 MacBook Air eminently portable, which is great for mobile working and college. But if you want a bit more screen space without paying double to get the 14-inch MacBook Pro you need to either go for the 24-inch iMac and lose portability altogether, or invest in an extra monitor.
So reports that Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Air for 2023 are very interesting indeed, because I think 15 inches is the sweet spot for laptops. Bigger is just too big for most of us – my much-missed 17-inch PowerBook G4 was wonderful, but I always felt like I was lugging a dining table around – and personally I reckon 13 inches is a bit small for gaming, watching movies or comfortably multitasking, which I do all day long.
If Apple makes a 15-inch MacBook Air I think I just found my next Mac.
Why a 15-inch MacBook Air would be amazing
The current MacBook Air is a flying machine: you no longer have to sacrifice power for portability. And that’s with 2021 Apple Silicon in there. We’ve already seen the speed at which Apple’s M-series processors are evolving, so whatever powers next year’s Air is going to be significantly more powerful than the current model.
It should be considerably cheaper than a similarly sized MacBook Pro too, enabling you to get a bigger screen without also paying for more power than you’ll ever use. I bought my Pro because I thought I needed its power to run Logic Pro X, but having seen Apple’s music app running on the Air (and on the Mac mini too) with more tracks and plugins than I think I’ll ever use it’s clear that any M-powered Mac is already good enough for making music.
And if it also comes in the colours we’re expecting to see in this year’s MacBook Air? Apple might as well take my money now.
