Preorders for Apple's 2022 MacBook Air, featuring an updated design, M2 processor, MagSafe charging, and a slightly larger display, will begin at $1,199. Preorders will be available online tomorrow, July 8th, at 8 AM ET / 5 AM PT, and orders will begin shipping on Friday, July 15th.

Here's a tip if you're having trouble preordering online for delivery (preorders don't usually sell out, but ship dates often get pushed back very quickly). Try to order at 8 AM ET on July 15th.

It follows Apple's 2022 MacBook Pro, which debuted the M2 chip in its first laptop with a Touch Bar. My colleague Monica Chin's review of the M2 concluded that it performs faster than the M1, and the battery life remains excellent (even when running system-intensive apps).

Since the new MacBook Air has the M2 chip and some cool features borrowed from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (MagSafe charging, a 1080p webcam, and the notched display, to name a few), it's possible you'll want to buy this over the 13-inch MacBook Pro. You can find all the details about pricing here.

The cost of each configuration is listed below

The base $1,199 model has an M2 processor (eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. Similar to the more expensive option below, this model comes with a 13.6-inch display, a 1080p webcam, a magnetic MagSafe 3 charging port, and two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. The power adapter that comes with this model is 30W USB-C.

For $1,499, you can get the M2 processor (eight-core CPU with 10-core GPU), 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. You can choose between the 35W dual USB-C port adapter (so you can charge two devices simultaneously) or the faster 67W USB-C power adapter at no additional cost.

Spec Upgrades: How Much Do They Cost?

A $100 upgrade to the lower-end $1,199 model will get you a larger GPU core count (10 instead of eight). If you want to upgrade to 16GB RAM, you'll pay $200 more, while 24GB will cost $400 more.

The new MacBook Air supports up to 2TB of storage, though going that far will be quite expensive. It costs $200 to double the storage to 512GB, $400 to double it to 1TB, and $800 to double it to 2TB.

It will cost $200 to double the 512GB of storage to 1TB on the $1,499 model, and $600 to double it to 2TB. With the $1,499 MacBook Air, you get either a 35W dual USB-C port power adapter or a 67W USB-C fast charger, but it's an upsell if you're purchasing the $1,199 MacBook Air.

Considering Apple will sell each for $59, that's not bad. To fully maximize a MacBook Air's specs, you'll have to pay $2,499 before tax.