The MacBook Air M2 was released in July with a completely new design and fresh color solutions, but there are some concerns about the durability and preservation of the Midnight color. Midnight appeared on other Apple products, namely the iPhone and Apple Watch. It’s not really matte black, but rather a dark blue that can appear bluer or blacker depending on the lighting conditions. Although the choice of product color is a personal preference, there are durability factors that should be considered when buying a new device. As a rule, wear is more noticeable on darker colors than on lighter ones. But is there anything to worry about with the MacBook Air M2 in the Midnight color scheme?
Apple’s release of the updated M2 MacBook Air completes a two-year upgrade of the MacBook Air with Apple Silicon. After the company announced the transition to its own systems-on-a-chip (SoC), one of the first products to replace it was the M1 MacBook Air. Although Apple abandoned the Intel processor in favor of the M1 variant, the entire appearance and body remained the same as the Intel MacBook Air. Now the MacBook Air M2 is distinguished only by an additional increase in performance due to the inclusion of a system on an M2 chip, but it has received a completely redesigned design, including two new colors.
The MacBook Air M2 was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which usually focuses on developers and software. However, since the announcement of Apple Silicon was made at WWDC 2020, hardware releases were announced at the main event annually. This year’s conference was the first hybrid event after the COVID-19 pandemic, when authorized media personally attended the event and got direct access to the newly announced products. From the very beginning, messages began to appear about the durability of the Midnight coloring. Almost everyone who had practical access to the M2 MacBook Air in Midnight color noted how noticeable the scratches and fingerprints on the laptop were — and these were models from the showroom.
Should users worry about scratches?
In his video about his first impressions of the M2 MacBook Air in Midnight color, YouTuber Marquez Brownlee demonstrated the new look of the ultraportable laptop and its shortcomings. Fingerprints are more noticeable on midnight color than on any other, and users worried about visible fingerprints are better off buying a MacBook Air Silver or Starlight. However, the more serious problem is related to scratches. The devices in the showroom that Brownlee tested had obvious scratches around the USB-C ports, and because the Midnight color is so dark, these scratches were noticeable.
Regardless of the color and coating of each MacBook Air, they are all made of a solid aluminum case. If the MacBook is scratched deep enough, an aluminum case will be found, which has a silver tint. Since the Midnight color is very dark blue, scratches on the color coating will appear silvery. Compared to the rest of the dark blue laptop, these scratches will be much more noticeable to the user than in other colors. The midnight color of the MacBook Air M2 scratches no easier than other colors, but the probability that scratches will mix with the colors of Space Grey, Silver and Starlight is higher than with the Midnight dark blue. While taking care of the Midnight MacBook Air — especially around the USB-C ports — can allay concerns about scratches, users overly concerned about this problem should purchase one of the other color options.
