The computer uses a fanless design[7] and adds support for Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3/USB4 and Wide color (P3).

[9] The FaceTime camera remains 720p, drawing some criticism, but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor for higher quality video.

In his review for Engadget, Devindra Hardawar gave the MacBook Air a score of 94/100, praising the performance as "shockingly responsive" and highlighting the lack of fan noise and "excellent" keyboard and trackpad as among some of the pros.

Other than that, he only lightly touched on the notebook's design and feel, citing the fact that it hadn't really changed much since the early 2020 MacBook Air.

[13] Writing for Wired, Julian Chokkattu bemoaned the fact that the Air only came with 2 USB-C ports, but praised the keyboard and battery life.

However, when the same tests were repeated with a lower brightness setting, the MacBook exceeded Apple's claims.

[20] It incorporates several design elements from the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models, such as a flat, slab-shaped design, full-sized function keys, and a Liquid Retina display with rounded corners and a notch for a 1080p webcam.

This model retains the same design as the M2 MacBook Air, but adds support for two external displays when the lid is closed.

Due to a lack of active cooling, the M2 can overheat on high workloads, leading to thermal throttling issues.