TechInsights Teardown: Apple MacBook Air notebook

While many just like Apple’s smartphones, there is no denying the popularity of its laptop computer series that caters to professionals editing media or photography and everything in-between.

The Apple MacBook Air A2661 was unveiled in July 2022 and featured the Apple M2 applications processor to give it a boost in performance.

What’s inside the laptop computer? Find out in this partial deep dive into the Apple MacBook Air from TechInsights.

Summary

• 64-bit octa-core applications processor
• 8 GB mobile LPDDR5 SDRAM
• 256 GB 3D NAND flash

Price: $1,219

Availability: Worldwide

Target market: IT/consumer

Release date: July 2022

The main board features the M2 processor from Apple as well as SK Hynix memory along with numerous other electronic components. Source: TechInsights

Main board

The main board of the Apple MacBook Air laptop contains all the major electronic components needed to operate the mobile computer. This includes the main applications processor from Apple as well as GigaDevice’s serial flash memory, Macronix’s serial flash memory and SK Hynix’s multichip memory.

Other electronic components include:

• Bosch Sensortec’s six-axis MEMS accelerometer and gyroscope
• Texas Instruments’ display power management, audio amplifier, LED backlight driver, USB 2.0 dual repeaters and USB Type-C controller with MOSFET
• Winbond’s serial flash memory
• Nexperia’s bidirectional voltage level transistor, load switch, power switch, voltage level transistor, logic gate and single Schmitt-trigger buffer
• NXP Semiconductors’ NFC and secure element chip
• Analog Devices’ 10 A step-down DC-DC converter

(Learn more about memory semiconductors on Globalspec.com)

The touchpad board of the Apple MacBook Air notebook features the capabilities to use the touchpad of the laptop including MEMS and other sensors. Source: TechInsights

Touchpad board

The touchpad board features the components needed to use the touchpad on the Apple MacBook Air such as Bosch’s three-axis MEMS accelerometer, SiTime’s MEMS oscillator, ST Microelectronics’ Arm 32-bit Cortex M3 microcontroller, Broadcom’s touchpad controller and the serial flash memory from Winbond.

(Learn more about MEMS components on Globalspec.com)

The interconnect board includes the electronic components from Nexperia, Texas Instruments and more. Source: TechInsights

Interconnect board

The interconnect board features many electronic components needed for operation of the Apple MacBook Air laptop, including:

• Nexperia’s single Schmitt-trigger buffer and ESD protection IC
• TI’s 300 mA LDO regulator, two-bit bus transceiver and single-bit bus transceiver
• Onsemi’s 250 mA and 3.0 V LDO regulator and LED driver
• Cirrus Logic’s audio codec
• NXP Semiconductor’s 16-bit I/O expander

(Learn more about LED drivers on Globalspec.com)

The main components found in the Apple MacBook Air notebook. Source: TechInsights

Manufacturing cost breakdown

• $144.53 — Applications processor
• $111.24 — Display/touchscreen
• $47.61 — Non-electronics
• $45.17 — Other components
• $31.05 — Sensors
• $29.71 — Final assembly and test
• $25.92 — Volatile memory
• $24.92 – Non-volatile memory
• $23.41 – Battery
• $22.72 – Connectivity