M2 MacBook Air release date reportedly set for July 15th, preorders next week

Apple unveiled the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022 a few weeks ago, revealing almost everything about the redesigned laptop. Apple demoed the new design and the notched display, and went through all the specs, including a brand new M2 System-on-Chip (SoC). We also learned prices for the new M2 MacBook Air, but Apple did not reveal the detail many buyers wanted: The release date.

Now, a new report says the next-generation MacBook Air might be just a few weeks away from its release.

Apple said at WWDC that the new MacBook Air would launch in July without specifying preorder and release dates. It did the same thing with the M2 MacBook Pro. But at the time, Apple said the 2022 Pro would be available in June.

More than a week after the June 6th WWDC 2022 keynote, Apple announced preorders for the new MacBook Pro and confirmed the release date. We saw the first round of reviews after that. But Apple still kept quiet on the M2 MacBook Air.

While Apple routinely starts selling products right after their announcements, the shipping delays aren’t surprising. The pandemic impacted Apple’s ability to stick to its product launch playbook. Moreover, this spring’s lockdowns in China primarily affected the supply of MacBooks. This explains the release date delays for both the M2 MacBook Pro and the new Air.

M2 MacBook Air release date leak

MacBook Air fans dying to get their hands on the new design and the new M2 SoC will soon be able to order the laptop. That is, if a new leak is accurate.

A retail source informed MacRumors that the M2 MacBook Air’s release date is Friday, July 15th. Preorders should be available online a week earlier on July 8th.

Apple typically announces the start of new Mac sales via a press release the week before release. If the leak is accurate, we can expect Apple to announce the M2 MacBook Air availability details at some point next week, after the July 4th holiday.

What MacBook Air to buy

As a reminder, the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199 for the M2 version featuring an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 256GB of storage. The $1,499 model delivers a better 10-core CPU and twice the storage space (512GB).

If you need a cheaper option, the older M1 MacBook Air with Apple’s previous design is still available starting at $999.

Also of note, the M2 MacBook Pro that just launched delivers similar performance to the Air. The Pro might feature the old design, but the cheapest model comes with the best possible M2 SoC. For $1,299, you get the 10-core GPU model bundled with 256GB of storage. The $1,499 M2 MacBook Pro matches the specs of the similarly priced M2 MacBook Air.

The new MacBook Pro does have one advantage over the Air. It can sustain peak performance for longer periods of time since it features active cooling. On the other hand, the fanless MacBook Air might offer better battery life. But we’ll have to wait for reviews to see which machine is better.

More Apple coverage: For more Apple news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.