Preorders for Apple's all-new MacBook Air with the M2 processor opened late last week, and the first shipments are now getting into customers' hands. Our review of the M2 MacBook Air went up yesterday, but we didn't dare rip apart our Apple-supplied review sample. However, one YouTuber had no qualms about digging into the chassis to see how the new laptop compared to its M1-based predecessor.
The YouTube Shorts clip provides some quick glimpses at the laptop's PCB pictured next to those found in the iPad Pro and the previous generation MacBook Air. We immediately see the relatively thin EMI shield/heatsink covering the PCB and M2 chip. Remember, the MacBook Air doesn't have a robust cooling system, as it ditched internal fans when the M1 generation launched in late 2020. So for active cooling, you'll need to step up to the M1/M2 13-inch MacBook Pro for sustained performance without thermal throttling.
The teardown also confirmed initial reports that the base M2 MacBook Air only uses a single 256GB NAND chip, while the base M1 MacBook Air used two 128GB NAND chips. Using two NAND chips allows for faster read/write operations than a single NAND chip, which explains the lower SSD performance that reviewers are seeing (even though the entry-level 256GB capacity remains the same). You can even see the silk screen location for a second NAND chip, which is included in higher storage tiers of the MacBook Air.
The YouTube Shorts clip also shows a few other components like the newly positioned speakers, but that's about it. For a more comprehensive teardown analysis, we'll have to wait for the folks over at iFixit to pull out their trusty tools.
Our review of the new MacBook Air praised its all-new design that forgoes the familiar wedge shape. However, despite this design change, the MacBook Air is now thinner and lighter than its predecessor while adding a slightly larger and brighter display. The redesign also sees the return of the MagSafe power connections and a new 1080p webcam to replace the legacy 720p camera that lingered on for far too long in Apple's MacBooks.
Despite the many pluses of Apple's latest entry as one of the best ultrabooks, its starting price is $200 more expensive than the entry-level M1-based MacBook Air, and the display notch (which was brought over from the MacBook Pro family) could be distracting for some users.
