Best MacBooks In 2022

CPU: Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | Display: 13.6-inch, 2,560 x 1,664 pixels, 500 nits | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.24kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight

Best for: All regular users: this is the most versatile and appealing Apple laptop

This is one of the best looking computers Apple has made and it works brilliantly. The new M2 MacBook Air is amazingly slim and light. The tapered edges of previous Air laptops are replaced with a flat lid and base. The keyboard is comfortable, responsive, and has a full-height row of function keys (the previous models have shorter keys). The display is bigger at 13.6-inches, and brighter too. Performance is very fast, though if you plan to use especially demanding apps for extended periods, you may be better off with a MacBook Pro. There’s no fan in this model, meaning it’s especially quiet in use, but if programs push it too hard, it throttles performance. Still, for most people, this is the Goldilocks laptop—a perfect storm of portability, performance, and price.

The improved webcam makes a noticeable difference and the return of MagSafe, Apple’s cool recharge system with a magnetic connector that detaches safely if someone trips on your cable, is very welcome. Battery life is a full day, so you may not have that cable plugged in all the time anyway. If there’s a downside, it’s that the audio is not as immersive as on recent Apple laptops, though the addition of Spatial Audio capability means some content can still sound great. Finally, the new colors are great, especially Starlight.

Pros:

• Dazzlingly light
• Extensive battery life
• Fast performance

Cons:

• Average audio
• Pricier than the last-gen model

CPU: Apple M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU | Display: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,664 pixels, 400 nits | Memory: 8/16GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.24kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.16-0.63 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray, Gold

Best for: Anyone who wants a great laptop at Apple’s lowest price.

If you’re working on a budget, the earlier version of the MacBook Air is the perfect choice and is the most affordable laptop Apple makes. It lacks the latest design, but it’s still a handsome laptop and it comes in three colors which are subtly different from the new Air. Similarly, though the M2 Air beats it for weight and size, it is still an exceptionally thin and light machine. The display is detailed and attractive, beaten only in size and brightness by the newer Air.

It was when Apple moved from Intel to its own processors that the big performance uptick arrived for this line. It has the first-generation Apple M1 chip, which is not as fast as the new M2 but still highly responsive and efficient enough to deliver great battery life. It beats the new Air in terms of audio quality, with the upward-facing grill speakers delivering great sound. The webcam, however, pales in comparison to the M2’s camera. The lack of connections (just two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 sockets) may mean you’ll need a dongle for extra peripherals, especially as there’s no MagSafe here, so you’ll need one USB-C for charging. While the new Air offers more, it also costs $200 extra—this is far from a consolation prize: It’s a fantastic laptop.

Pros:

• Great price
• Fast and effective
• Thin and lightweight

Cons:

• Only two USB-C ports
• Below-par webcam quality

CPU: Apple M1 Pro with 10 core CPU, 16-core GPU| Display: 16.2-inch, 3,456 x 2,234 pixels, 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits peak for HDR | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery life: Up to 21 hours | Weight: 4.7 pounds (2.1kg) | Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.6 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray

Best for: The most demanding users wanting performance and style

Apple’s MacBook Pro range hosts its fastest, most powerful laptops. Unlike the MacBook Air, the Pro models all have fans built in so that even the most demanding programs can run at speed and at length. The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, some of the most effective silicon Apple has made. As such, even with the laptop going all out with power-hungry programs, it’s rare to hear the fan whirr into life. The design of this big-screened beauty is Apple at its best: Sleek lines, attractive colors and a slim profile. This model has the same Magic Keyboard, as Apple calls it, as the MacBook Air M2 and the 14-inch Pro, with the full-height keys and large Touch ID sensor in the power button. But this means there’s no room for the Touch Bar, the slim touch-sensitive multifunction light strip. If you’re a fan of this, check out the 13-inch MacBook Pro below.

But for performance, this laptop can’t be beaten. It has more RAM as standard than the Air or 13-inch Pro, and battery life that beats the 14-inch Pro by four hours. Like that model, it has what Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR, that is, there are miniLEDs which light up the screen in a particularly punchy way. The display is so big, the webcam is placed in a cut-out at the top. If you’re not a fan of this, the 13-inch Pro or M1 Air are for you. Of all the Mac laptops, this is the powerhouse.

Pros:

• Stunning display
• Outstanding performance
• Apple’s design at its best

Cons:

CPU: Apple M2 with 8 core CPU, 10-core GPU | Display: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 500 nits | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.4kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56 cm) | Colors: Silver, Space Gray

Best for: Road warriors and Touch Bar loyalists

This 2022 laptop is identical to last year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro, so the design, though good, is no longer cutting-edge. It’s identical save for one important feature: The processor. It has a more powerful version of the M2 chip than the one that comes as standard in the new MacBook Air (it has a GPU with 10 cores, where the default Air M2 has seven cores), which improves the performance. Like the other Pro models, a cooling fan means it can run at pace and for longer than the Air.

It is the only MacBook with the Touch Bar, which is a controversial addition for some, but also has many admirers. Essentially, it replaces the row of function keys with a thin touchscreen, whose functions change according to context: Email address suggestions in Mail, previous web pages in Safari and so on. It’s a very effective system but not very widely supported by developers.

Like the Air (old and new), there are two USB-C ports but, this being the older design, there’s no MagSafe on board. Audio sounds good here thanks to a combination of upward-facing grill speakers and Spatial Audio compatibility. The display is not as good as the other Pro laptops but a deal-breaker for some is that there’s no cut-out at the top to house the webcam which sits in the wider bezel. That’s a 720p model, by the way, so not the best.

Pros:

• Searingly fast performance
• Long battery life
• No notch in display

Cons:

• Pricier than the Air
• Older design
• No MagSafe

CPU: Apple M1 Pro with 10 core CPU, 16-core GPU| Display: 16.2-inch, 3,024 x 1,964 pixels, 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits peak for HDR | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery life: Up to 17 hours | Weight: 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) | Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55 cm) | Colors: Silver, Space Gray

Best for: Those wanting a balance of power and portability

If you don’t need the extra real estate of the 16-inch Pro or simply can’t run to the price of that machine, this is a sensational choice. It has the same outstanding high-contrast, super-bright display as its bigger sibling. The miniLED backlighting makes watching a movie a joy, and the speakers ensure it sounds good too. On the other hand, the 14.2-inch size makes this laptop that bit more manageable. It also has the customization options that only this and the bigger Pro do: Storage up to 8TB and RAM up to 64GB.

Performance matches that of the 16-incher, which features the most potent Apple-built chips yet in a MacBook. Choose from the fast M1 Pro and even faster M1 Max. Oh, and it has MagSafe (including an attractive braided cable), plus three USB-C connectors, an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot. Those last two are exclusive to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Battery life here is up to 17 hours—way more than the M1 MacBook Air’s 12 hours but shorter than the others in the range. And, of course, there’s that handsome new look with a bigger Apple logo on the lid and the words “MacBook Pro” stenciled on the base.

Pros:

• Blazing speed
• Latest design
• MagSafe

Cons:

• Notch in display
• Battery life not Apple’s best