Affordable M2 MacBook Air from Apple now available for $799, just in time for the launch of the M4 model.
The 2022 M2 MacBook Air continues to be a highly sought-after device for everyday computing, light creative work, and casual gaming in 2025. With its impressive performance, bright, colour-accurate display, and long battery life, this laptop offers a compelling package for those seeking a portable and efficient machine.
Key Features of the M2 MacBook Air
The M2 MacBook Air is equipped with Apple’s M2 chip, featuring an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, and up to 512GB SSD storage. Weighing just 2.7 pounds, this sleek device boasts a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that is both bright and colour-accurate, with nearly edge-to-edge design.
The M2 chip delivers excellent everyday performance and multitasking capability, handling tasks like web browsing, office work, light video editing, music production, and coding smoothly. In terms of performance, the M2 chip offers a noticeable improvement over the M1, with higher CPU clock speeds and more GPU cores, translating to around 12% better average benchmark scores compared to the M1.
Comparison with the Latest M3 MacBook Air
While the M3 MacBook Air maintains a similar CPU and GPU core configuration, it improves efficiency and performance slightly thanks to a newer fabrication process and architecture refinements. However, real-world performance gains for everyday use and light video editing are modest, with benchmarks and graphics improvements more incrementally better than the jump from M1 to M2.
Performance for Everyday Tasks, Video Editing, and Casual Gaming
For everyday tasks like web browsing, office productivity, and multitasking, both M2 and M3 MacBook Airs are excellent and more than sufficient. For video editing, the M2 MacBook Air can handle light to moderate workloads well, thanks to its GPU and the colour-accurate Liquid Retina display, but it’s better suited to casual rather than professional video editing; the M3 provides slight performance improvements but remains in the same class.
Regarding casual gaming, the M2 MacBook Air supports casual and less demanding games smoothly due to its efficient GPU, but it is not designed for heavy gaming. The M3 improves GPU efficiency but doesn’t radically change gaming capabilities compared to the M2.
Comparison with Other Laptops
Compared to other laptops, the M2 MacBook Air stands out for its balance of portability, battery life, and smooth performance for general tasks. It compares favourably with rivals in battery longevity (about 14 hours), weight, and user experience but is not aimed at high-end gaming or intensive pro-grade video editing where more powerful GPU options and specialized hardware are preferred.
Summary
In summary, the 2022 M2 MacBook Air remains a highly capable and portable option for everyday computing, light creative work, and casual gaming in 2025. For more intensive video editing or gaming, higher-tier machines with stronger GPUs and CPUs are recommended.
Pricing and Deals
Currently, the 13.6-inch 512GB MacBook Air M2 is available for $799 at Amazon, making it $390 cheaper than the latest 512GB model M3 MacBook Air, which is priced at $1,189. Given its current price, the M2 MacBook Air is a cost-effective alternative to the forthcoming M4 MacBook Air, which is expected to be more expensive.
Reviews and Ratings
The M2 MacBook Air has received critical acclaim, with the Editor’s Choice Award from several technology publications. In our review, we found its elegant redesign, fantastic performance, and bright, 14-hour battery life impressive, earning it a rating of ★★★★1⁄2.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the M2 MacBook Air is a portable powerhouse capable of handling college coursework or everyday workload. With its impressive performance, sleek design, and long battery life, it remains one of the best laptops worth buying in 2025. However, for competitive gaming or graphics-intensive tasks like heavy video editing, the MacBook Pro series or a gaming laptop would be more ideal.
- The 2022 M2 MacBook Air features a bright, colour-accurate display, making it suitable for everyday computing, light creative work, and casual gaming in 2025.
- The M2 MacBook Air is equipped with Apple’s M2 chip, an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, and up to 512GB SSD storage.
- The M2 chip delivers excellent everyday performance, handling tasks like web browsing, office work, light video editing, music production, and coding smoothly.
- The M2 MacBook Air offers long battery life, with nearly 14 hours on a single charge, making it a portable and efficient machine.
- In comparison, the M3 MacBook Air provides slightly better efficiency and performance, but real-world benefits for everyday use are modest.
- For casual gaming, the M2 MacBook Air supports less demanding games smoothly, while the M3 improves GPU efficiency but doesn't radically change gaming capabilities.
- In terms of pricing, the M2 MacBook Air is currently available at $799 on Amazon, making it more cost-effective than the upcoming M4 MacBook Air.
- The M2 MacBook Air has received critical acclaim, including the Editor’s Choice Award from several technology publications, and has been rated ★★★★1⁄2 in our review.
