Compare the MacBook Air (2020) to the MacBook Air (2022)

The MacBook Air (2020) has almost the same design as the 2018 model. The corners are rounded and the model tapers at the front. The screen has a 13.3-inch Retina display with a 400 nits brightness. There are 2 Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports and a standard mini jack connector on the side. You can have video calls via the 720p HD FaceTime camera and the sound comes from 2 speakers.

This new model is available in the new colors Starlight and Midnight. The design of the MacBook Air (2020) looks similar to the MacBook Pro (2021) models. The design is sleek and angular. With 13.6 inches, the screen is larger than the 2020 model. That's because of the more narrow bezels. The screen is also brighter with 500 nits. You can charge the MacBook (2022) via the MagSafe connector. The 2 Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C are open for external accessories.

In 2020, MacBook Air (2020) was 1 of the first models with the Apple M1 chip. This chip replaced the Intel processors that Apple uses up to then. The M1 chip is a System on a Chip. The processor, RAM, and video memory are all in that 1 chip. This way, you'll get impressive results. The MacBook boots fasts and you can easily use multiple demanding programs at the same time. The M1 chip is also energy-efficient. It uses relatively little energy to perform.

The MacBook Air is the frontrunner in 2022 and it has the M2 chip as 1 of the first models. This chip is faster than the M1 chip in all aspects, with the same energy consumption. An everyday user won't notice this right away, because it's 'very fast' compared to 'even slightly faster'. Mainly video editors will benefit from this. The M2 chip supports videos with a high bandwidth and the ProRes RAW format. This allows you to edit video tracks with a resolution up to 8K.

The 2020 model has a 13.3-inch Retina display with a 720p HD FaceTime camera in the bezel. This camera needs a lot of light to create a nice images. In a dark area, the image can look grainy. The 2 stereo speakers provide the sound. The design has 3 built-in microphones that register your voice.

With the narrow bezels, the 13.6-inch screen size is a bit larger than the 2020 model. To still have space for the 1080p FaceTime HD camera, there's a notch in the screen. This is a cutout where the camera is hidden. The 4 speakers support Dolby Atmos. The sound is richer and it seems to come from all sides. The mini jack connector supports headphones with a high impedance.