A MacBook Air alternative? Chuwi CoreBook Air 226V launches with Intel SoC and Thunderbolt

The CoreBook Air will likely be familiar to attentive readers, as we've already reviewed the model. That said, Chuwi has just listed the CoreBook Air 226V, which utilizes an Intel SoC instead of an AMD CPU. Specifically, it houses the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, flanked by 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 512-gigabyte SSD. The SSD is replaceable thanks to a single M.2 2280 slot. The pre-installed SSD is a PCIe 3.0 SSD, and the slot itself supports four PCIe 4.0 lanes. The model is listed in this configuration only and is already available for pre-order at a price of $859. Shipping is expected to begin on May 21.

Measuring 312.9 x 22.5 x 16.8 millimeters, the laptop features a 14-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports are on board, which not only support fast data transfer but also USB PD charging, the connection of monitors, and, in principle, the use of an external graphics card. Further ports include one USB 3.2 Gen 2, one Gen 1 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5-millimeter audio jack. Lastly, Wi-Fi 6E is supported and a 2-megapixel webcam is on board. The listed weight is approximately 1 kg.