Everything about this swanky new device teems with I told you so energy. That it is, indeed, the superior device, in Apple’s formidable lineup of personal models. Prior to this, I had been primarily using the Macbook Pro and iMac for my day to day workflow. In retrospect however, I never really needed a Pro, especially since I’m not doing any heavy-duty video editing nor am I dabbling in huge chunks of code. Throw the M5 chip upgrade into the mix, and we’re losing reasons to be skipping past the Air. My pick of the lot comes in at 15 inches, in a gorgeous Sky Blue. Suffice to say, she’s a pretty little thing and divinely thin…but she sure can pack a punch, for all that she weighs.
Liquid magic
This Liquid Retina display is addictive. As someone who’s always drawn to brighter, enhanced visuals, and constantly porting to external displays for a more vibrant and dramatic output, the 15.3-inch screen is a dream. Everything feels razor-sharp and more crisp—from lengthy video outputs to the copious amounts of text I’m running through each day. Stunning doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Connected on the go
With the demands of the job, I spend a decent amount of office time on the go—so I rely on my hotspot like it’s oxygen. The fact that I can pop open my laptop on the train and have it immediately connect to my personal hotspot is a serious gamechanger. No prompting needed, no switching my hotspot on and off for it to be detected, no spotty internet. This means precious minutes gained, and it’s all thanks to the new Apple N1 chip that supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6—granting not just speed, but serious reliability and a seamless workflow when connecting on the go.
Front and centre
I’ve been having a blast with Centre Stage. As someone who takes 1-1 Korean language classes online on a weekly basis, the 12MP ultra-wide sensor is seriously pulling its weight. I don’t have to lift a single finger to move my frame around to keep the focus on me, even when I want to lean back in my chair or refer to my notes, for example. Instead, the camera tracks me, and keeps me front and centre for my teacher to see me as clear as day, so I can actually focus on the lesson at hand. The best part? I can even direct questions I had written in my notebook straight to my teacher, with the incredible help of Desk View. No retyping, nor trying to weirdly position my notes in front of the camera.
The power of the M5
Everything screams speed. As someone who has low tolerance for slow loading times and any processing lag, the M5 chip is proving why it’s the golden child. Efficiency is the name of the game; I’m switching between apps and tabs with ease, and hardly missing a beat. It’s also become that much easier to employ Apple Intelligence and Siri for simple tasks like playing my curated playlists or scheduling my week ahead.
What I’m really impressed by however, is my experience of the Air outside of working hours. In a single night, I could have concert videos of BigBang blasting on one desktop, before swiping to an open world RPG game I’ve been tinkering with. Courtesy of the high-powered media engine no doubt, but knowing that the architecture of the Air now supports AAA gaming to some extent is definitely a level up I was not expecting—especially after years of being told a Mac simply wouldn’t cut it for most gaming setups.
18 hours, no cap
We’re running a tight ship over here. A full day of work at Vogue Singapore equates to an infinite amount of tabs open, video content running in the background, and message notifications that don’t let up. It’s awfully reassuring to know that I can slip the Air into my tote, head out the door and know that there’s no qualms about my device needing a boost. And if I forgot to charge it one night? I’m still likely to have juice to spare for a whole afternoon out.
The Macbook Air is now available here.
