Technologies

Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch Review: Finally, Big for Less

You don’t need a Pro to get a larger screen size. The Air 15 is the big screen you should go for.

Hello, big screen. When I opened the new MacBook Air 15-inch for the first time, it felt weirdly large. I recently bought the MacBook Air 13-inch M2 model, CNET’s pick for the best laptop overall, and I love it. It’s my do-everything computer, and it has the speed and battery life to handle whatever I take on.

No, I don’t need a MacBook Pro, and you probably don’t either. Apple’s M2 processor in the Air already exceeds the requirements of all but the most serious creative pros. And for the first time it’s now available in a roomy 15-inch laptop.

Putting a larger screen on the thinner, lighter and more affordable Air line is a no-brainer. Apple does this with iPhones, iPads and even to some extent the Apple Watch. It’s the same proposition here: pay a little more, get a bigger screen.

What the 15-inch Air doesn’t do is push the envelope further. A year after the M2 13-inch model, this is basically the same computer with a few tweaks. There’s a default 10-core GPU on the M2, which is an upgrade on the 13-inch version. There are better speakers (or at least more of them). And of course, more screen space and pixels.

Watch this: 15-Inch MacBook Air Review: Way Cheaper Than a Pro

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Apple MacBook Air (15-inch)

$1,299 at Best Buy

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Like

Big 15.3-inch screen size
M2 processor still feels fast
Costs far less than the Pro laptops

Don’t like

Very few ports for its size
No performance boost from the 2022 13-inch Air

But the screen tech is the same (good, but not mini-LED like the Pro models), configurations are largely similar, and most notably, there are no extra ports on the Air’s larger body. That’s the biggest bummer here: two Thunderbolt USB-C type ports, a MagSafe charger and a headphone jack feels even more minimal on this long-edged machine. Why not one more port on the other side, at least? Or two?

The 15-inch Air starts at $1,299 compared with $1,099 for the 13-inch; a $200 uptick is exactly the price bump I’d expect. This whole package is way, way less expensive than the MacBook Pro equivalents. If I were buying a larger-screened Mac laptop, I’d start here first every time. But serious 4K video editors and graphics pros will likely find the Pro worth it if they can afford it.

I wrote this review on the 15-inch Air. I appreciate the extra screen space, and it’s great to have on my desk. But I don’t regret getting the 13-inch version, either.

15-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air laptops side by side — The Air 15 (left) next to the Air 13. Definitely bigger, but the same thickness.

Scott Stein/CNET

Design: Thin and big

This 15-inch Air feels notably thin as you use it, just because it’s a normal MacBook Air thinness over a larger footprint. But it almost makes that display seem more surprising. It’s a big thing when it sits on my lap, and I’m not used to an Air having this width.

Owners of a 16-inch MacBook Pro will just shrug, but using it on my lap does give me a «I’m on a big laptop» vibe. Except, of course, for it being silent because of its fanless design, and basically heat-free. It’s been as quiet as my 13-inch version, and I love that I don’t have to panic about venting airflows or a hot lap.

The 15-inch MacBook Air — The 1080p camera is perfectly fine, just like it was on the 13-inch model. It looks good on Zooms.

Scott Stein/CNET

Apple kept a camera notch on the display, just like the 13-inch M2 Air. I’m used to it. It’s fine. Apple puts its top menu bar around the notch and it kind of makes the display feel normal. I wish the notch weren’t quite so big as it is, especially since, unlike the iPhone Pros, there’s no Face ID camera, but so be it.

Ports on the 15-inch MacBook Air — These are the only ports you get, other than a headphone jack. Same as on the 13-inch model.

Scott Stein/CNET

Speakers are hidden, as opposed to lining the sides of the keyboard. That leaves a lot of extra room around the keyboard area, and below Apple has put a positively gigantic trackpad that’s as good as all the other models.

Touch ID is on the keyboard, and all the ports (MagSafe, and two Thunderbolt ports) line the left edge. The right edge has a headphone jack. But why not more ports? I’d expect at least one more on a 15-inch laptop, and it feels awfully ridiculous to have so few. At least offer a port upgrade option.

Screen and audio? More than good enough

The 15.3-inch display isn’t mini-LED like the Pro models, but really, I’m fine with how good it is. Apple’s Liquid Retina screens are still colorful and crisp and bright (and have ambient light color adjustment with True Tone), but they probably won’t blow you away. The new speaker upgrade on the 15-inch model is a punchier bass boost experience than the 13-inch model and delivers better audio overall, if you care about that.

A few years ago I’d have called this whole thing a Pro experience, so to me this is a pretty nice Air package overall.

Price equation: Worth getting the 15 if you’re spending up for extras

It turns out that the step-up 8GB RAM/512GB storage version of the 15-inch Air is $1,499, while the 13-inch Air’s equivalent is $1,399. Only spending an extra $100 for the larger screen seems like a logical bet for anyone wanting more room to work or something easier on the eyes.

The price gap is $200 for the base model, which also isn’t huge, but I do prefer the 13-inch Air for its portability. I love its compact lap feel and good-enough screen size for my needs. But, putting it next to the 15-inch Air, it’s clear that you can put apps side-by-side more easily on the 15-inch model. My wife looked at both on a table and said she’d prefer the 15 if she were at a desk a lot doing work.

But either way, these laptops are over $1,000 less than the 16-inch-screen MacBook Pro. These are the easiest way to get a great larger-screened MacBook now, and they’re worth it. One note: the 15 now has a year-old M2 processor. Apple’s M2 was only a moderate increase in performance over the breakthrough advance of the M1 before it when it arrived last summer. Will a future M3 take another leap? Maybe you shouldn’t worry. Apple’s speed gains on the M-series chips over the Intel models have been so good that they still feel fantastic.

MacBook Air 15 or 13? Take your pick, either’s fine. At this point in 2023, these MacBook Airs feel like the safest bet in Apple’s laptop lineup.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Jan. 29, #1685

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Jan. 29, No. 1,685.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle was a tough one for me. I never seem to guess three of the letters in this word. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel and one sometimes vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with F.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with Y.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a pastry that breaks apart easily.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is FLAKY.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Jan. 28, No. 1684 was CRUEL.

Recent Wordle answers

Jan. 24, No. 1680: CLIFF

Jan. 25, No. 1681: STRUT

Jan. 26, No. 1682: FREAK

Jan. 27, No. 1683: DUSKY

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 29 #697

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 29, No. 697.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a bit of a puzzler until you realize the theme. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Talk of the town.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: What a legend.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

ROIL, CLAIM, RARE, HELP, PEAR, PEARS, MORE, COIN, SPEAR, SPEARS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

HERO, ICON, CELEBRITY, SUPERSTAR, PERSONALITY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CLAIMTOFAME. To find it, start with the C that’s four letters to the right on the very top row, and wind down.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

‘AirTag 2’ vs. ‘AirTag 1’: All the Ways Apple’s New Model Tracks Better

Two AirTag generations enter the ring, only one leaves (but don’t worry, both are easily found later).

When Apple upgrades its hardware, the differences are usually stark: things like better iPhone cameras, more laptop storage or higher-quality screens. But Apple just introduced a new version of its popular AirTag tracker that looks and seems to behave exactly like the ones you likely have in one of your bags right now. However, there are some key differences with this second-generation AirTag (which Apple technically doesn’t call AirTag 2) that we’re here to drill down into.

How much do AirTags cost?

The retail price of an AirTag is $29 or $99 for a pack of four. That has been consistent since the original AirTags were introduced in 2021. However, unless you’re buying directly from Apple, you’re likely to find them at discounted prices, often around $24 for a single AirTag and $75 for a four-pack.

So far, it looks like Apple and retailers will keep the second-generation AirTags at their retail prices. However, first-generation AirTags are being sold for as little as $70 for a pack of four, bringing the per-tag cost down to $17.50.

We don’t know how much existing first-generation AirTag inventory is out there, so that pricing might persist for a while. It’s also likely that once second-generation AirTags hit the market, they too will be discounted by third-party retailers.

Do the new AirTags (2nd generation) look different?

For the most part, a second-gen AirTag looks exactly like the first-gen model, from its white plastic exterior to its shiny aluminum backplate. There is a slight weight difference: 11 grams (original) versus 11.8 grams (2nd-gen).

They’re both powered by a single CR2032 coin cell battery, which is easy to find and affordable. In my experience, the battery lasts about a year before it needs to be replaced.

How can you identify the AirTag generations?

Since both generations of AirTags share the same design, you need to look for other clues to tell them apart. Flip it over and look at the writing inscribed around the edge of the metal disk: if it’s in all capital letters, it’s a new second-generation AirTag. The new models also include «FIND MY» and «NFC» as well as «IP67,» the rating for water and dust-resistance.

The first-gen AirTags text is written in sentence case (initial capital letter and then lowercase) and also has «Designed by Apple in California» and «Assembled in China.»

Precision Finding

The most significant difference between AirTag generations is the presence of a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the newest AirTag models. That locator chip is what signals the tag’s location to nearby devices. It’s also what enables Precision Finding, one of the best AirTag features. Both generations have UWB chips — the second-generation AirTag is the only one with the upgraded version.

Instead of just seeing that an AirTag is somewhere in your house, Precision Finding guides you to the exact spot until you’re literally on top of it. Using the Find My app on your iPhone, searching for the tag points you in its direction and estimates its distance.

However, you still need to be fairly close to any AirTag to find it, which is where the second-generation’s advantage comes in: its upgraded UWB chip extends its detection range by 1.5 times compared to the original AirTag. The practical advantage is that you shouldn’t have to wander around as much trying to lock onto the tag’s signal before homing in on it.

Another benefit is Apple Watch compatibility with Precision Finding. The second-gen UWB in the new AirTags enables Apple Watch Series 9 and later, as well as the Ultra 2 model and later, to use the same pinpoint locator that iPhones have been capable of since the iPhone 11. Make sure you update to WatchOS 26.2.1 to turn on this feature.

Longer Bluetooth range

The AirTags (second generation) have what Apple calls an «upgraded Bluetooth chip» that extends the tag’s Bluetooth network range. It’s not clear which Bluetooth version is in use; Apple lists it only as Bluetooth LE (low energy) on the back of the AirTag.

The longer Bluetooth range helps in a couple of ways. It makes it easier for the tag to securely and privately connect to nearby devices to register its location and status, and then share that with Apple’s Find My network.

For example, the reason you can see that your luggage made it to your airport when you land isn’t because the AirTag’s Bluetooth can reach all the way to the gate where the bags are being unloaded (it can’t). It’s that an iPhone belonging to someone on the plane or an airport employee picked up the AirTag’s signal and passed it along to the Find My network.

It also means an AirTag can be more easily picked up by your iPhone (which is good in case someone attempts to track you without your knowledge).

Louder speaker and new chime

Both AirTag generations have a speaker for those times when it’s easier to find the tag by listening for its locator chime after you’ve instructed it to play. It also chirps when the battery is low and when an unidentified AirTag is nearby. The speaker in the second-gen AirTag is louder than the first generation, which Apple says can be heard twice as far away.

The new AirTag also uses a new identifiable chime that is supposed to be easier to hear in noisy environments.