The Apple MacBook Air MLH72LL/A is a bestselling 2016 13.3-inch laptop that received positive reviews for its thin and light construction, improved processor, faster storage, longer battery life, and solid all-round performance. However, with thick bezels and a lower than Full-HD resolution display, it feels dated compared to the latest Windows ultrabooks. While the MLH72LL/A is not a high performance laptop like the MacBook Pro, it costs far less, runs longer on battery and can handle everything from basic to moderate level applications.
The latest MacBook Air retains the slim and light unibody form featured on the original 2010 model. It still looks genuinely attractive thanks to a solid aluminum shell. Opening the lid, you’ll find a sleek keyboard with black island-style keys which has also remained unchanged since last year. The trackpad is also unchanged so it doesn’t support the Force Touch technology found in the new MacBook Pro. Apple has been criticized for not bumping its 1440 x 900 screen to Full-HD.
However, the screen is sufficiently bright and clear for productivity users who are the primary users of the Air. Photoshop experts and videophiles can benefit more from the MacBook Pro which includes a higher-resolution Retina display, a more powerful processor, a bigger memory and a better graphics card. The Intel Core i5-5250U not only carries out modest tasks with ease but preserves the battery life so that it runs for more than 12 hours. While the 2015 model only featured 4GB of RAM, the 2016 model comes standard with 8GB of RAM for more hardware intensive apps.
The Air also features a faster flash storage and the new Thunderbolt 2 interface. However, despite these upgrades, the performance boost is not very significant over previous models. That said, if you still have the old 2015 MacBook Air, then we recommend hanging onto it until Apple release an updated version with significant changes. However, if you’re in need of an affordable and durable ultrabook, the latest MacBook Air is definitely one of the top options in its category despite lacking a Full-HD display thanks to its paper thin design and exceptional battery life.
Pros
- Ultra thin and light
- Great performance
- Very long battery life
Cons
- Low resolution screen
- None upgradeable
Bottom Line
A super thin and light MacBook with incredibly fast boot and load times. The resolution could have been higher but more modern versions of the Air have better resolutions.
- Weight: 2.96 lbs
- Processor: Intel Core i5-5250U 1.6GHz
- Display Size: 13.3 inch
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR3
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000
Critic Reviews
Full Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i5-5250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks] |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 6000 [View Benchmarks] |
| Graphics Type | Integrated |
| Graphics Memory | Shared |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR3 |
| Operating System | Apple Mac OS X Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan |
| Weight | 2.96 lbs |
| Battery Life | 12 hours |
| Hard Drive 1 | 128 SSD |
| Display Size | 13.3 inch |
| Display Type | TN |
| Display Resolution | 1440 x 900 |
| Display Technology | LED-backlit |
| Connectivity | 2x USB 3.0 | Thunderbolt 2 | WiFi | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Audio | Integrated Speaker |
| Webcam | Yes |
| Additional Features | Backlit keyboard, SDXC card reader |
| Dimension (LxWxH) | 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.6 |
| Warranty | 1 year |
