Performance is on par with the MacBook Pro M2, according to leaked benchmarks.
The MacBook Pro M2 and MacBook Air M2 have now been available for purchase for over a month. Pre-orders for the new Air, which start at $1,199, are now open, and there’s a lot of excitement around it.
Potential purchasers are eager to hear whether the advertised 20 percent speed increase over the previous model is really delivered, even if our M2 MacBook Air hands-on review is already up (and very favorable). And owing to a recent Geekbench listing, we seem to be able to verify Apple’s claims.
The listing(opens in new tab) shows the 3.49GHz Apple M2 CPU earning a single-core score of 1,899 and delivering multi-core performance of 8,965. This was discovered by Mr. Macintosh on Twitter. An 11.3 percent and a 20.8 percent improvement, respectively, above the average M1 MacBook Air scores(opens in new tab) can be shown on this site.
In spite of its name, the processor isn’t Apple’s most powerful, despite its designation as a ‘2’. This award belongs to the M1 Ultra, which scored 1,754 and 23,356 in the two tests conducted by Mac Studio (opens in new tab). Apple’s upcoming M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra CPUs are expected to improve on these results.
However, it’s vital to note that the M1 Ultra processor in the Mac Studio would cost you at least $3,999. The $1,199 2022 MacBook Air, on the other hand, will be fanless like its predecessor.
If you’re still not persuaded, here’s one more piece of evidence. Using the 8-core Intel Xeon W processor in the basic model Mac Pro tower, these results are actually better than the 8-core Intel Xeon W CPU in the 8-core Mac Pro tower. Even said, buying that desktop straight from Apple(opens in new tab) would set you back an additional $5,000, illustrating once again how incredible Apple Silicon is.
MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Pro M2
As previously mentioned, the M2 processor isn’t exclusive to the new MacBook Air. In keeping with their plan for the M1 in 2020, Apple has also introduced a 13-inch MacBook Pro M2. Numbers from Geekbench had been released before, but they couldn’t tell the MacBook Air apart from the aforementioned numbers: 1,919 for single-core and 8,928 for multi-core.
This isn’t a major shock, since benchmarks revealed that the M1 models didn’t vary much either. However, it’s possible that it’s not telling the whole story.
The M2 MacBook Air boasts a fanless, ultra-thin design. While this makes it quiet, it also makes it more prone to overheating if used too vigorously.
Due to its active cooling, the M2 MacBook Pro is more likely to keep up with your demands if you’re doing a lot of work for a long amount of time. The Touch Bar has been reintroduced, but other than that, it’s very much the same. There is a $100 price increase compared to the new Air.
As a result, the Pro is a challenging sell, particularly given the updated Air’s inclusion of a bigger Liquid Retina display, 1080p webcam, and MagSafe charging. Between the less expensive MacBook Air and the more sophisticated 14- and 16-inch Mac Pros with M1 Pro and Max CPUs, it’s a hard middle ground to negotiate. Even the existence of the MacBook Pro M2 has been questioned.
The battery life of the entry-level Pro, on the other hand, should be a significant benefit. The new Air is certified for 15 hours of wireless web browsing, but the new 13-inch Pro is rated for 17 hours. In our battery tests, the new MacBook Pro M2 lasted an incredible 18:20, making it the longest lasting laptop we’ve ever tested.
Look for our own MacBook Air M2 tests and ratings in the near future!