M2 MacBook Air release date set for July 15th, preorders start Friday

Rumors said a few days ago that M2 MacBook Air preorders would start on July 8th, with the in-store release date scheduled a week later on July 15th. Apple on Wednesday confirmed the rumors. Preorders for one of the most anticipated MacBooks in recent history will begin on Friday, July 8th. Precisely one week later on July 15th, Apple will ship preorders to buyers and start selling the M2-powered MacBook Air in stores.

M2 MacBook Air preorders and release date

Apple unveiled the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022 a month ago. But the company did not reveal the preorder or release dates for the new laptop during the event.

That timeline wasn’t surprising for an Apple event during the pandemic. Apple usually starts selling new hardware as soon as it’s announced. But it hasn’t been able to do that with every new product since the pandemic hit.

The 2022 lockdowns in China impacted Apple’s MacBook lines. As a result, there were worries that Apple might have to delay the M2 MacBook Air release date.

Apple did start selling a brand new MacBook a few days ago. The M2 MacBook Pro, which hit preorders in the days that followed the WWDC keynote. However, the M2 MacBook Pro is practically identical to the M1 MacBook Pro.

The new MacBook Air, on the other hand, has a complete design makeover, not just a few specs upgrades.

Thankfully, Apple fans can finally plan their M2 MacBook Air preorders. Apple explains that online sales begin on July 8th at 5:00 AM PDT, a time that will feel familiar to Apple buyers who routinely preorder Apple products.

The M2 MacBook Air release date is also not a surprise. Apple usually ships brand new products a week after preorders start. The new Air is no exception.

What’s important to remember, however, is that supply might be constrained. Buyers who want to score a new MacBook Air on July 15th should place their order as soon as preorders open this Friday. The alternative is visiting a store on the release date if you want to try the new form factor before buying.

How much does the M2 MacBook Air costs?

The M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,199 for the M2 version with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. You also get 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage for that price.

If you want to future-proof your M2 MacBook Air, you might want to go for the more expensive $1,499 model. This version has the same amount of memory but ships with double the storage (512GB SSD). More importantly, this version gives you the more powerful M2 chip version from the M2 MacBook Pro. You get a 10-core GPU alongside the 8-core CPU in this one.

As with other MacBook models, you’ll be able to customize the M2 Air further when preorders begin. You can increase the amount of RAM and storage, but prices will go up accordingly. Unified storage can go up to 24GB, and you’ll have SSD options up to 2TB.

It’s unclear whether custom M2 MacBook Air builds will ship on the release date, so you’ll have to wait until Friday for shipping estimates.

Finally, students and teachers can score education savings of $100 on their M2 MacBook Air purchase.

If you’re still undecided, remember that the M2 MacBook Air might sell out quickly, and this shipping date might slip well beyond the in-store release date. The M2 MacBook Pro reviews might come in handy, at least when it comes to the kind of performance and battery life you can expect from the M2 chip in the new Air.

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