Questions surface about new M2 MacBook Air performance

June 30, 2022

Two major stories about the brand new, fantastic-looking MacBook Air dropped this morning:

  1. Although there's been no official word from Apple yet when the new Air will go on sale, it'll likely debut in a couple of weeks, on July 15.

  2. The Air's fan-less design may make it susceptible to "severe" thermal throttling when undertaking heavy processing tasks.

YouTuber Vadim Yuryev, who is known for running in-depth tests of Apple hardware, is worried the new machine might be throttled when performing the most demanding computing tasks.

In tests of the M2 MacBook Pro -- which shares the same chip as the upcoming Air -- the Pro underwent "severe" thermal throttling when pushed to the max.

The Air is likely to do the same, and may be susceptible to even more throttling thanks to its fan-less design.

Will it be problem in day-today usage? That's unlikely because Yuryev's tests simulate the most demanding video editing tasks, but it may be an issue in some situations.

We'll see in a few weeks when Yuryev gets his hands on the new laptop and puts it through its paces.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

The just-released MacBook Pro running Apple’s new M2 processor offers generally good performance, but its single fan can’t stop it from experiencing ‘severe’ thermal throttling under certain conditions, according to tests done on the device. The upcoming MacBook Air also uses an M2 chip and doesn’t have a fan at all. How much thermal throttling it will experience is not yet known, but it could be signficant.

Apple’s svelte new M2 MacBook Air will reportedly go on for sale starting July 15. Announced at WWDC22, pre-orders for the redesigned Air should commence on July 8, a week before the retail launch.

Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay at WWDC22, but most of those new features are a ways from becoming reality. However, the arrival of iOS 16 later this year could see new CarPlay apps for “fuel and driving tasks,” including a way to pay for fuel right from the vehicle’s infotainment center.

Evoking nostalgia for 1960s and 1970s motorsports with their distinctive perforations, leather rally watch bands pair beautifully with rugged chronograph watches and smartwatches alike. BluShark’s trio of leather rally Apple Watch bands, for example, make quite the racy statement. Your car may not be all that fast, but if you want to feel like Steve McQueen getting behind the wheel, check out BluShark’s leather rally Apple Watch band collection in the Cult of Mac Store.

MacPaw’s CleanMyMac X now includes five new ways to track the health of Mac computers. They monitor the CPU, RAM, storage, battery and more. The software already blocks malware and ensures other third-party apps are always up to date. MacPaw also announced that its raffle to raise money for Ukrainian aid brought in far more than expected.

The Apple TV has a lot going for it, but the Siri Remote is pretty divisive, to say the least. If you want a traditional TV-watching experience, you may like the Function101 Button Remote. The Function101 was designed as a replacement remote for Apple TV and Apple TV 4K.

Bowers & Wilkins is often cited for the great sound quality of its Px7 noise-canceling over-ear headphones, released in 2019, and a worthy rival to AirPods Max. Now the British audio specialists have overhauled the model with release of the Px7 S2 — but without a price increase. And what’s more, the company said a new flagship model, the “luxurious” Px8, is coming soon.

Apple iPhone turns 15 years old this week. To mark the occasion, YouTuber Luke Miani showed off a handful of iPhone prototypes. They feature pre-release software and somewhat unfamiliar designs. To give you an idea of how rare these handsets are, two of them are valued at $500,000 apiece.

Use an Apple Card at certain online retailers and service providers between now and the end of July to earn 4% cash back. It’s a summertime promotion, and the companies involved offer sunglasses, movie tickets, coolers, hotel rooms, etc.

In a world awash in earbuds, it’s not easy for lower-end products to keep their heads above water. But some manage to do it through solid overall quality and a good feature spread, like the new Ugreen T3 HiTune ANC Wireless Earbuds. They’re not going to compete with many products at mid-to-high price points, like AirPods Pro and competitors. But the T3s offer bass to burn, an OK fit and a range of solid features at $40.

On June 30, 2015, Apple launched its Beats 1 24/7 music radio station as part of Apple Music. Seven years on, it's still going.

Tweet o' the day

One more thing ...

"My philosophy is that everything starts with a great product. So, you know, I obviously believed in listening to customers, but customers can't tell you about the next breakthrough that's going to happen next year that's going to change the whole industry. So you have to listen very carefully. But then you have to go and sort of stow away--you have to go hide away with people that really understand the technology, but also really care about the customers, and dream up this next breakthrough. And that's my perspective, that everything starts with a great product. And that has its flaws. I have certainly been accused of not listening to the customers enough. And I think there is probably a certain amount of that that's valid." -- Steve Jobs.

Reply

or to participate.