This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about a 15-inch MacBook Air. Ross Young hinted at this potential device earlier this year — as have Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (opens in new tab) and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (opens in new tab). Since these folks are reputable and respected, their claims aren’t easily dismissed. A MacBook Air 15-inch is entirely possible. Apple releasing a MacBook Air 15-inch in 2023 would be a smart move for the company and a big win for consumers. Below, we’ll detail why.
More screen space
This one is obvious, but a MacBook Air with a 15-inch display would give users more room for apps and windows. A larger screen would help workers become more productive, but it would also make watching streaming content more enjoyable. As such, a bigger display would benefit both work and play. A bigger screen would also make it easier to read text or see small details on a website or video. Even if you have perfect 20/20 vision, you can benefit from a larger display as it could potentially minimize eye strain. It’s unclear whether or not this supposed MacBook Air 15-inch would include a notch in its display. But if it does, a larger screen would diminish the notch’s profile and make it less apparent. For example, the MacBook Air M2’s notch is more noticeable than the notch on the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Potentially larger battery
With a larger chassis, the rumored MacBook Air could pack a larger battery, which could result in longer battery life. This is backed up by our experience running the last few years of MacBooks through our battery testing regimen, which is how we verified that the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 has a battery that lasts longer than the smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021. The latest MacBook Air M2 lasted for more than 14 hours and 6 minutes in the Tom’s Guide battery test. With a bigger chassis and thus a bigger battery, the MacBook Air 15-inch could potentially last much longer. The big question here is, could the rumored MacBook Air outlast the MacBook Pro M2? As things stand, the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro has an astonishing 18 hours and 20 minutes. That’s the longest-lasting consumer laptop we’ve ever tested. It would be astonishing if the reported 15-inch MacBook Air lasts even longer than that.
More screen options
The MacBook Air series ranks as one of the most popular laptops in the market. Because of that, it’s somewhat strange that there’s only a single available model. The company offered an 11-inch MacBook Air back in 2015. In recent years, however, we’ve only seen 13.3-inch MacBook Air notebooks. A 15-inch MacBook Air makes a lot of sense. After all, competitors like Dell and Microsoft offer different display options for laptops like the Dell XPS 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, respectively. With 13- and 15-inch variants, those looking for a new MacBook Air would have more options to choose from.
Outlook
If rumors are accurate, then we may get a MacBook Air 15-inch in a few months. With a larger screen, potentially longer battery life and the slim and sleek design the series is known for, the MacBook Air 15-inch seems poised to land on our best laptops and best MacBooks lists. With that said, we should be concerned about this rumored laptop’s cost. The current MacBook Air M2 starts at $1,199, which is $200 more than its predecessor. A larger MacBook Air would naturally command a higher price — though we can’t say how much the laptop will ultimately cost. We can’t say whether or not Apple will actually release a MacBook Air 15-inch in 2023. But if rumors pan out, it’s certainly something to get excited about. Spring will be here before we know it, so we’ll hopefully find out more soon.
