I'd love to see a review or comparison between the Blackmagic 6k L-mount and the Lumix S5IIx. &Yes, I'm super interested in the next M3 Air 15"! Thanks💎
Apple finally got bit by their own greed. No amount of fanboy “8 gigs is enough” magic memory, “who needs more than 256GB for web browsing” will work this time. Coupled with the UK scam of only providing 8GB models for retail sale, so no discounting on models with 16GB at all from any big retailer. My old 2014 MBPro has 16GB/512GB configuration.
My reason for not buying is the 8/256 issue. If I upgrade the one, then the other still feels bad, and if I upgrade both, then it's getting too expensive. I just feel manipulated by the whole thing.
You only need to upgrade the RAM as the SSD issue becomes moot if you have enough RAM to avoid swapping. It is very simple, and just use an external SSD if you need more storage. As for sequential writes, the external device is usually the bottleneck so the 256GB speed will be fine for 99% of users. What devices do you use that need more than 1.8Gbps?
@@ahaimes6320this is what my wife does with her base model M1 MBA. But honestly the appeal of the MBA is portability. Working on a train or plane or a coffee shop with tiny tables or on your lap on the couch. Having an SSD dangling off your laptop is not ideal in those situations and my wife’s SSD makes me cringe all the time. I’m so nervous it’s going to get yanked while she’s working on family photos. If you just use your laptop at a desk and so it’s ok to have an SSD dangling all the time then you’ve missed the entire point of apple silicon and you might as well save half your money and get a windows laptop and leave it plugged in at your desk all the time with power and SSD. On a $800 M1 MBA this kind of jank can be excusable, but if you spend $1500 on a laptop for it to be portable why in the world would you compromise and be ok with a dangling SSD…
I agree. If Apple released this model at the base price with the this level of storage and memory and an M3 processor, sure they’d shift far higher volumes. It’s the upgrade costs that totally shaft the whole range beyond the base model.
Apple is selling these 8/256 machines just to increase the profit. Force people to upgrade to the 16/512 specification that Apple could sell for a lower price if that was standard. It's ALL about the money. Money hungry big shareholders at Apple like BlackRock that wanna get those quarterly dividends...
The base model is so underwhelming for the specs you get for the price. And to spend to get to the next level really means one should get the 2021 or 2022 14" mbp, unless one really needs the screen size. I want the screen size but i don't need the extra specs of the mbp, but the base model of the 15 air is just so weak. I'm still torn on what to do
@@csmoran9 you mean MBP14 2021 or 2023. M2 Pro came out in jan 2023 :) But yes, look at Apple's all MacBook models, specs and prices. It's about to avoid "internal/model cannibalism" and to also make you wanna pick a more expensive model. The sweepspot model now is if you can find a brand new or a reburbished MBP14 M1 Pro 16/512 or 16/1000 at a reduced price compared to the launch price. Remember this: MBP14 2021/2023 is a SMALLER laptop than MBP13 Unibody (2009-2012) and still got a larger display. The main downside with MBP14 is that you cannot upgrade it after you've purchased it. When buying any Mac, don't just focus on how much RAM and SSD you need now for today's needs. Also try to look 3-5 years into the future and try to estimate how much RAM and SSD you gonna need. That's why my recommendation is to go for 16 GB RAM at least. I know that more RAM than 16 GB will cost a lot so I understand why users skip that upgrade. But at least make sure that it'a a Mac with 16 GB RAM. Storage is a different thing than RAM. For storage, you can use external solutions. You cannot do that with RAM. So it's more important to make sure that you got enough RAM. For SSD it's important to know what TBW is, and that's the minimum amount of data that you can write to the SSD, then the SSD will "die". The larger SSD the higher TBW. And because MacBooks got soldered SSD you can't replace it if it's dead. Well, maybe you can de-solder the storage chips and solder replacement chips but that's not user friendly. I don't know if that will work. It - might - work, it might not work. So to avoid that the SSD will die "soon", pick a larger SSD that will work for much longer time. Maybe you can boot a MacBook with dead internal SSD with an external SSD but that's not what you want. I hope Apple come up with a good and affordable solution for replacing SSDs in their Macs.
@@csmoran9i feel the same way. Ive been wanting the m1/m2 pro 14” MBP since it launched. And for the price and specs it really is the best value, especially with the deals going on. The best way to go imo is to get the m1 pro 14” from apple refurbished store which is literally 1559 or something like that. But even with that I’m still torn because yea I want the power and screen of the pro along with all the IO but the M2 air is so beautiful and portable. Makes it even harder since the 15” launched. I really wish i could get the base model air. I know it can still do alot. But i want to use it to get into graphic design and video editing/ possibly some 3d animation in the future. But i know that the base model definitely wont be able to handle it all. Yea some light editing and everything. But honestly even the upgrades won’t be enough for all of that. Honestly the base pro can do it all. But even that might struggle if i really do get into 3d rendering. I want a 15” air with and M3 pro that starts of with 16 gb unified memory and 512 ssd. With some sort of next level heat sink or something to keep it cool and light lol
Apple should upgrade all their base units to 16/512. As you pointed out, the cost to them would be comparatively trivial but the upgrade would give their units' performance the "wow" factor from every review and so encourage a lot more buyers. I hope the lackadaisical sales will lead them to do this and maybe teach them to cut down on their penny-pinching as it has turned around to bite them.
And at the same time, the 14"⧸16" MacBook Pro should be upgraded to 32⧸1T. Just look at comparable Windows Laptops for creative pros, 16⧸512 is outrageous.
Agreed. I hate adding another $200 + $200 for these basic add ons. Although I'd rather have 512gb than the extra RAM, which I don't think is actually needed in an M2.
@@dominusdone5023 I genuinely do not understand that argument. People buy new versions for a new design, better performance/faster chips, more features, better display etc. The fact that they would not have to necessarily upgrade to get decent RAM and storage can only bring in more new unit buyers.
@@parjau4554 yes people buy new design for all those features that you are talking about but by having the option of upgrading for Apple as a brand to make money it allows Apple to sell for much more just for these upgrades that are considered standard. Although I hate it you can’t really blame Apple they are a trillion dollar company knowing what they are doing
The upgrade prices is one reason we went with the 16 Pro, found a store which had some old M1 stock in an unopened box for about the same money as we would have spent on a 15 Air with 16/512. and while you sacrifice some portability with the weight (seriously its still not that heavy) you get so much more for your money! Also came with full warranty and got AppleCare+.
The reason I did not go for the 15 inch macbook air even I wanted it so bad is because it does not support more than one external display, which is very funny considering it's 2023 and the M2 is one of the best chips out there.
16 / 512 - doesnt really affect your work. It is just better to have these to cope with this generation. Go with whatever fits your budget and like its design, for massive works we all agree that a desktop would be 10 times better and much productive and cheaper than a laptop. I personally got the base 15in M2. I have used and still use my Macbook pro early 2015 base specs till this day, during college of Aerospace and Rocket Engineering I used that macbook pro for coding, programming, 3D designs, MATLAB, spreadsheets, pdfs, exams, projects, and for all and till now I still take it to work with me for little minor work. So dont fall for the number games and get what you feel like getting, they well all do the same, and in case you are looking for a powerful machine, you wouldn’t be looking here. Enjoy what you have. And get what you want theyll do the job as long as you know how to use a computer.
The reasons why 15” MacBook Air is not selling well: - For lighter users, it’s not as cheap and light as 13” MacBook Air. - For heavier users, it’s not as powerful as 14” MacBook Pro.
The biggest problem was it being released so late in the year when most in the market for a new laptop likely already brought a 14” pro or a 13” air And unless Apple releases a 13” and 15l” M3 air at the same time your going to very likely see poor sales on 13” as many will wait on the M3 15”
MBA 15inch 16+512 version should not cost more than 1500$. This is a huge point for which Apple sales are not coming. If Apple could have provided SSD speeds like M1, then anyone could have easily ramp up the ram from 8 to 16 and get a crazy deal. 1300+200=1500$ I absolutely love this channel.
The problem is Apple has advanced tech way too fast. Anyone with any financial literacy knows buying expensive tech these days is a complete waste. Within 1 YEAR, a high end level Apple device (meaning paying big $ for upgrades) becomes mediocre. And within 3 years, it’s dated. Will it “last”, yes…but NOBODY wants to spend high end $ on devices that are becoming mediocre so quickly.
@@NOT_A_TOP_FAN It happens with every tech. The sooner you purchase one the sooner you enjoy it. I bought a base M1 MBA and I am happy with my device. No gonna replace it at least in the near future.
Agreed. I would LOVE to get this machine. But not at that price. It cost almost as much as my 2020 13" Intel MBP similarly configured. It needs to be at least $500 cheaper. Apple's memory and storage upgrade pricing is just horrible. And of course, has been for years. The cool thing is... Performance is so great, I'm totally fine with waiting until the next model comes out and getting the older version at a nice discount. I'm fine with paying a premium for Apple products. Products and support are super. But there is a limit to that. It's a 3 trillion dollar company. They can afford it.
So glad you put out this video when you did, Max. I agree that the pricing seems really good but I don’t think it was right for Apple to do what they did with the SSDs. I’m in the boat that says “hey Apple, time to switch to 16 GB RAM as the base”, but even if they don’t do that yet, they could have drastically improved sales by making the SSDs start at 512 GB… or even just making the 256 GB the same speed as the M1, duh! Since I exclusively use my 2 TB iCloud for everything, I would totally be fine going with 256 GB… just not at that speed reduction.
Considered buying either the 13" or 15". But the fact that I have to pay so much more to get rid of a tiny slow 256 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM makes it unacceptable to me. A lot of other Windows laptops at half the cost gets you at least a 512/16 GB setup.
I went with a base model 14” MBP last fall for $1,599, which is just a way better value. The display is WAY better too. I think apple missed the mark on this machine. A 16gb/512gb option for $1,499 would have been perfect.
Yeah, definitely agree. Also, If they increase the spec on the base while keeping the price the same, 🤞upgrade will be the same price as well making it a (still expensive but) better value.
I have the MBA M2 13" myself, and the reason why I got it was for portability. The 15" just defeats the entire purpose. I know it's not that much heavier, but the footprint requires a much larger backpack. Heck, the 13" isn't even small enough, as I used to have the old 11" from the early 2010's. That was my favorite, and the form factor is perfect.
I broke out my old 11.6 Air and was shocked to see it is exactly the same size as the 13.3" Galaxy Book 360 2. Those bezels back in 2010 were ridiculous 🤣
Not everyone wants to buy a new laptop every couple years, most people will run theirs to the ground for at least 4-5 years before moving on. My laptop before the M1 lasted 10 years. But once the 15 inch Air came out, I really wanted a bigger screen along with having a thin/light form factor for traveling so I upgraded again after just 2 years. But hey, I really love this thing and it serves its purpose well. I'll probably wait the typical 3-4 years before upgrading again
Went with a brand new leftover Macbook Pro M1 instead of the Macbook Air 15" last week due to torsion rigidity and overall durability. With the larger size of the 15", it felt easier to break than the thicker units including even the 13" Macbook Air. Use case is college freshman that is tough on their equipment. Price was not a factor. I would have preferred larger screen of the 15" for my child. I would have preferred a fan less device too. In the end, the durability of the Macbook Pro and the speakers of the M1 won out.
@@angelvelez139 Portability was a factor ruling the 16" out from the start. That includes airplane use, dorm use, carrying around to class use, etc. I checked the certified refurbished first on Apple and while MBP 16" are available, the MBP 14" are not. Tracked down a leftover at a well known NYC based authorized store that slapped AppleCare on it from day 1. When the MBP 14" and MBA 15" were compared side by side by the soon to be college freshman, the MBP 14" was selected partially because of the trackpad and keyboard layout including spacing. For my own use, it would be a closer call between the MBP 14" and MBA 15" with the MBP 14" being selected for all the above reasons PLUS being a desktop replacement while being docked. As a data point, the soon to be freshman is coming from a 2020 Intel MBA with the unit prior to that being a 2017 MBA. Both of those MBA made generous use out of the AppleCare contracts with the 2020 about to go back in for new repairs before it expires.
I got the 15” MBA 16/512 on launch day and couldn’t be happier! 😊 Best computer I’ve ever owned. I do think they should’ve put the M3 in it though!! 😐 People keep talking about the 14” Pro but honestly, I don’t want a thick and heavy laptop. I hope the 15” will start selling better.
@@calebneko4107 I think it's about hoping that Apple isn't put off by the sales to discontinue the 15" Air form factor with the M3 and beyond. Ideally by then they also give us 16/512 as base but time will tell
@@calebneko4107 exactly, as @mlucasx said, i hope the model will be successful and continued by Apple. I think it‘s a great device and fills a gap in the lineup. 15“ should be the sweet spot for the average consumer, so I expected it to sell well…
Reason #4: Air is the line mostly purchased by social group where they really want to minimize the cost. Harsh truth, but truth. 13" model saves them $200, which is significant percentage in this range. Sure, 15" model has couple of advantages, but these people have better use for those $200. Similar situation, when I purchased a laptop for my 15y old son a year ago, I decided for M1 Air. It does everything he needs and it does it well. I offered him, he could add his own saved money and get M2 13", but he said no. He does have some money saved, so he could do that, but he also decided that M1 Air will do just fine. The same applies today for 15" model. Air is a line for people where they do not want to spend extra.
I agree with your comment on the value proposition. As I type this now, a refurbished 14 inch, M2 MacBook Pro with 16Gb RAM and 512Gb storage is on the Apple Store at exactly the same price as a new 15 inch MacBook Air with the same processor, RAM and storage - both are $1699. The slim and light form factor of the Air is nice but you are giving up a lot to get it.
I love 15” laptops but most people who want an air are probably just going to get the base 13” model. I’ve talked to IT where I work and if our university is anything like other colleges and companies, the overwhelming majority of MacBooks sold are the base Air. Most of our faculty and staff who need more performance than the regular M2 will go for the 14” pro in large part because they are advised to by IT. The performance difference between M2 and M2 Pro is pretty significant.
The problem is the crippled I/O of the 256 GB. I would have happily bought 8/256 @ $1299 if I/O was not crippled. But now I have to spend $1499 for 8/512 just for the disk I/O. And at 512, I might as well up the RAM to 16GB to maximize its potential. That brings it up to $1699. Now I compare it with the M1 8/256 which is going for $749, it makes absolutely no sense to spend $1000 more just to basically get a bigger screen.
I just bought the m2 chip 15 inch Mac book air with 8gb Ram and 512ssd for $1199 from Best Buy. Amazing value, I work with documents/email/web browsing and the computer is MORE THAN ENOUGH. Why is everyone obsessed with specs? I know you all aren’t all doing intensive creative work lol
Absolutely. It is robbery the prices they charge for 8 more GB of ram and and additional 256 gb of SSD. Unbelievable. For 1300 we should get 12GB of ram and 512GB SSD at the bare minimum. And it should be 1500 for 24GB of ram and 512 SSD. I would have bought that in a heartbeat.
Wanted to get a second travel machine for video creation. We struggled between the MBP 14 and this Air15. When loading up the two models to 16GB/1TB the difference was maybe $300. But the use model said lighter weight and max screen resolution. So we ended up going with the Air 15. Thanks for all your videos on this as they helped make the decision. BTW this was an upgrade from a loaded 13 air 2018. Performance testing on a 12 min 4K video FCP was no contest to the new air 15 from the 13 2018 model (like 18 minutes compared with 85!). We also tested against our main video studio (iMac 5k, i9, 10 core, max GHz, 128 GB RAM and 4 TB drive) The Intel iMac did beat the Air 15, 14 minutes vs 18. So still some life in the iMac. But when the M3 iMac or Studio model releases I suspect the 2020 iMac will be retired.
and outside US we are paying sky-rocketing price like 2000 EUR for 15" Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Thats insane - its double price of similar PC notebooks. I wanted one but maybe its time for Framework 16" - only they are all sold until next year. This world is crazy.
glossy display / 500+ nits / 16:10 / 90hz-120hz / qhd-uhd / 16gb ram / 512 rom / thin bezel / no notch / usb c on both sides should be the standard for $1200-1500 laptops
I do plan on waiting until the 15” MBA gets the M3 chip as it got released so close to the M3 lineup getting announced. Apple should have waited until the October/November event later this year so they could release it with an M3 chip over an M2 chip so close to the M3 chip Mac announcements
Bought a brand new one (base 8/256) for $1099 a few days ago on Amazon. It' will give me more than half a decade of great performance and reliability. For being part of the 95% of people that need it for basic use and light work, I feel great about my purchase.
What bothers me with all the new macs is the lack of upgradability. The following can apply to the mac-book too. I have an M1 mac mini and it would have been nothing for Apple to add a door or drawer to put an extra ssd in. Even if slower, it could be used for time machine. That way if the computer fails, you can remove that ssd and restore your system on a replacement mac.
True, it would be nice. But then a USB4/TB external drive is really fast these days anyway, especially when you're adding it to a mac mini that is staying on a desk....
@@Wurlyscope But you don’t have to leave them plugged in after backups. Think about how much less convenient physically opening a Mac mini just to get your backup drive would be. Versus just opening a drawer on your desk and having a full system backup available to use on any future machine you have.
@@ghost-user559 Remember when they introduce the MacPro G5. How the whole community was in awe about upgradability and ease of access in the new cabinet? I cannot be in awe for the complete lack of.
The base 15" Macbook Air needs to start at $999 with the 16GB Ram/512GB SSD trim being the model that is priced at $1299. If they did that, then they would see it fly off shelves.
The problem is pricing. You have to value form factor and weight over the better features in the 14 pro. I have the 14 and do love the weight and form factor of the 15 Air.
The answer is simple... price! it cost too much to have a usable configuration. Apple simply gouges when it comes to RAM and storage. I really want to replace my 2017 MacBook Air (the one I took out the 256 SSD and installed a 1TB SSD for less than $200 and it was way faster than Apples SSD) with something more current and a better screen.
At this price point of 1299, the basics should be minimal 16 gigs of RAM and 512. This is the way Apple operates. I would say they nickel and dime the consumer but with them it’s hundreds and hundreds of dollars. at these prices you will see people hold onto their laptops, and if the iPhone goes up several hundred dollars you will see people holding them for a longer trade cycle. This is just my opinion.
I found a new 2023 16" MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for barely more than a spec'd out 15" MB Air, which I had originally been considering. With the extra ports, speed, and "horsepower," there's no comparison in my opinion.
I would have thought the main negative is: it's not a 15" Macbook Pro. It's almost patronising to be pushing this as the one we want, when it starts becoming expensive as soon as you give it a reasonable spec. This analogy may not work well in the U.S., but it's almost like you going to buy a brand new £25k Audi and the dealer insisting you should look at getting a £19k VW or Skoda instead, but quoting £5k for nice extras to make it more comfortable or usable, thereby bringing the price very close to the similar (but superior in every way) product. Why did they move away from 15" screens on the MBP anyway?
Apple gauging their customers on ram and ssd upgrades and they wonder why people aren't jumping on these machines. I just bought a lightly used 16" M1 Pro MacBook Pro with 16gig RAM and 512SSD for $1600, with Apple Care. It was more cost effective to look at a refurbished or used machine than go with a new M2.
I considered upgrading, but it's not that much better than the 13" M1 MacBook Air that I already have. They knocked that one out of the park: there's no good reason to replace it. I would like the larger screen, but the 13" is plenty good enough for now.
I did not choose MBA 15" primarily issue #2. I don't need an extra inch, 80% of time laptop is connected to the external monitor . But I need 16gb RAM to run VM on Mac. I don't mind using refurbished 14" Pro which comes with 16GB RAM as a baseline. So, instead of thin, slick and 15", I better choose 14"Pro with 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a bonus.
here are the problems on why i went to 13 over 15 mac air. First, I'm not paying extra for a stretched MacBook air but instead I put the money on 512ssd and 16gb ram also I have upgraded to 10core GPU because I had money left in the budget. Second, 15inch is basically the same as 13 in term of ports so what is the point of the extra size aside of screen?. Third, 13 inch is more air than 15 inch I mean duh its smaller and lighter. Basically my point here the 15 inch is a good idea when its getting an actual 15 inch treatment like extra ports and better GPU or heattreatment but no its the same so why I pay extra for it as a student?. I opted with 13 which makes more sense with student discount too.
The fact that they want to charge their customers for additional ram and ssd with those attractions prices is ridiculous. People don't mind paying premium for for premium product, but they don't like feeling like someone is taking advantage of them.
If you don't care about Mac OS, the Acer Swift Edge 16 is the more interesting laptop this summer. The 3.2K OLED 120HZ screen is better, the screen is slightly bigger, the laptop is lighter, it comes with 4X the storage, 2X the RAM, the CPU is slightly faster, and it plays games well because of the Ryzen 7840U with 780M graphics. The MBA 15 is sturdier and the battery life is better. Without a sale at Best Buy, they are the same price but never by a PC without a sale at Best Buy. The list price is for suckers. I have a computer problem, so I happen to have both and I was shocked by how much I prefer the Swift Edge 16. The MBA 15 should have waited for M3.
Modern electronics (phones, computers, tablets) are now in a state like cars. You don’t buy a new car every year just because a new model is out. 1k-2k investments every year are not a light thing to do. Ppl will hold on to their tech devices till they break or on average 3-5 yrs. So why arent we buying because we’re not in the market. Apple and all other tech companies can’t accept that fact and are over producing. There will always be ppl upgrading/buying every year, but not ppl buying in droves like we did in 2020/21
Love the form factor, but only one external screen and max 24GB ram makes it a no go. Would love it if this form factor came with M2 Pro (or later M3 Pro) chip. Yes I know, it will never happen.
The only problem I have with MBA is the number of usb-c ports. I couldn't see a way to connect the external display, microphone and webcam in the same time without using any dongles.
Using this crappy 256GB SSD is something Apple should be ashamed of. And it is so satisfying that their sales bombed - they deserve it for treating users like this. Maybe they will finally stop this insanity and make 16/512 model as a basic one.
I got these (16/512), one for my wife and one for my daughter, for Christmas this year. They love them. The MBAir is a wonderful little laptop. My daughter was concerned that the 15" screen was too big, but after using it for a couple of months, now believes it was a better choice after all.
Perhaps another reason for the poor sales is the new chip names? I.e M1 , M2 , M3 etc. … Yes these chips are amazing. But to the average consumer, maybe it feels less exciting to upgrade? I.e going from 1 to 2 .. or from 3 to 4.. perhaps that doesn’t feel as exciting as the previous years upgrades ( pre-M chip) where each new MacBook release felt like you were getting the newest best laptop w/ exciting upgrades.. rather than just going through an internal chip upgrade with each new release. Just a thought!
I have the 2020 M1 Air, still a sick laptop but I’m emigrating for at least a year and I think I may pick this up before I go, light and a nice big screen for streaming
I had gotten my MBP 16 with 1tbssd and when the MB air 15 came out i was out of my return window and well i bought a 15 air with 512.. only reason why i upgraded is cuz i buy movies from iTunes.. but i also bought the air cuz i carry my laptop everyday for school and when i go to families and the air is much lighter when in my bag with books and other stuff I carry for nursing school and i love the MB Air 15
Apple should of just released the M2 Macbook Air as a 15 inch on the first shot. They did the 15 inch realizing the 13 inch was not selling. Also should of did it as 16 GB and 512 GB storage as the base model.
Maybe people think 8GB and 256 GB storage is too little and expect Apple to upgrade at least the storage to 512gb? Another macro factor is that USD is stronger so for many countries so Apple product is more expensive. I bought a Macbook Air M1 13" in 2021 256/8, the retail price was 11490 NOK, and today the 13" retail price is 15990 NOK; a 39% change in price for two years. The retail price for 15" is 19990 NOK, 73% more. I think I would have only considered it if I was in need of my first computer and it had to be a Mac. All my laptops, even my Macbook Pro Unibody mid-2012 have better memory and storage specs; for Windows, at least 16 GB is a must.
My Galaxy Book Pro 3 360 (16-inch) was list price £2050 for 8GB/256GB/i5! All premium laptops are expensive. There was a 30% plus tech inflation, exchange rates and rising interest rates. A perfect storm for poor value. We have had it good for so many years that many people forget economics is cyclic and when periods like this occur then it is crazy for consumers.
@@ahaimes6320 In Norway there is strong competition on PC and electronics: I think the rest of the PC market is about 15-20% more expensive than it was pre 2021. If I should buy a PC, I would have bought Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon or Yoga. The X1 Yoga 1TB/16GB to 22.250 NOK, about 10% more than the Macbook Air 15". The price would be 28.490 NOK for the Macbook Air with same specs. It is mostly the storage that annoy me, 256 gb is really low. I still regret buying the 2015 MBP 15" with 512 gb and that is 8 years ago (!).
I have a 15 Air: - speakers are the best I've ever experienced in a laptop. - the screen is expansive, brightness is decent; everything is nice and sharp, colours punchy, after calibration. - NO PWM. -Performance is fine, it does everything an Air is expected to do. - silent, no fan, doesn't heat up. - it's really cool having a rediculously gigantic touchpad, It's also really nice to type on. - the battery lasts so long I forget to plug it in ----IMHO, I have a base model; it's not worth it to pay extra for ram/hd upgrade. get the base model and enjoy - the main selling point is the large screen.
I would have bought the base model if they had put two 128gb flash modules. For me, it's not the size of the solid state it's the speed that's where they lost me. What's even more interesting is that I would prefer the M1 base model Mac mini over the M2 base model Mac mini for this reason as well.
Most people won't notice the speed, but will definitely notice the size especially when they have to buy and carry around external drives with higher chances of losing data, paying for extra dingles, etc. The endurance is most important to the drive as well btw as once it goes so doer your laptop completely. 128GB drives have the lowest endurance. It's not even that 255GB is the base for me. It's the price they charge to upgrade it that is the problem. It just isn't worth $200 a upgrade. Especially since to make a more modern laptop that will actually last and be more well rounded you'd have to spend $400 extra. Nope.
Battery King, Easily work 2 days or 16 hours on single charge, I charged the laptop to 100% at 10.00PM, then closed the lid without turning it off, then on next day morning at 11.00AM I started working on website development with 50% brightness [ no music etc. running in background ], then stopped for 2 hours from 4.00PM to 6.00PM again closed the lid didn't turn off, then again worked from 6.00PM to 9.00PM, and closed the lid with 55% battery left, then on next day again started work again at 11.00AM with same schedule and at 7.00PM battery was at 10% plugged the charger by the time I am done working battery was again at 100%
Personally, I think they should pull an iPad 3 moment with this 15" Air, even though it'll have been out for 6 months. The M3 model should come out this year alongside the 13".
I have used M2 MB Air 13 base for about a year and it has no issues. When Max Tech did their tests it was for a workflow no one in their right mind would use on a base model. So this bad take has been misleading and TBH seeing techie people saying the same thing every video makes me wonder if they can see the wood from the trees? There are zero issues with the base model if you use it as you would use a Windows base model with 8GB/256GB. If you have the Max Tech workflow then you would be dumb to buy the base model, and have only yourself to blame.
Look at Windows gaming machines, they have all gone up 25% or more this year. Maybe it is you that does not understand the state of the world inflation and high interest rates?
@@ahaimes6320 yet wages haven't gone up at all. You obviously don't understand what's going on. Middle class has so little spending power right now due to all the bs going on. Just cause ALL the prices are going up doesn't change my argument's validity. The fact that apple is surprised that their machine isn't selling well just shows they really don't understand that the broke people who buy their stuff are not gonna buy a 1200-1400 laptop. especially right now.
It’s not selling because of Apple’s time honoured arrogance of charging a bomb for upgrades from base spec 8/256 knowing the minimum useable config for any reasonable longevity is 16/512 … then again I’m stupid enough to still bang on about wanting an Apple Silicon 12” MacBook and would pay any damn price 😅 for the portability, small form factor, iPad like battery life AND a real desktop OS 👌
If your company has a cap on USD 2500, yes you could go for a base MBP 16 but with minimum RAM and SSD. Instead go for a maxed out MBA 15 with 24GB RAM and 2TB.. because RAM and storage is king.. most Mac users dont do video editing and dont need the "extra" compute power or the 100 nits more liquid retina xdr display
I am still considering it. I really would like the newer, faster, prettier MacBook Air, but I live on a teacher's salary, and the fact is that my M1 MacBook air is still handling my needs just fine...so it's more of a want than a need for me at this time. If they dropped the price a bit more, that might make me inclined to go ahead and pull the trigger and get one.
My biggest concern going into this was it possibly bending or flexing but its built solid. Its thinner then the base of my former laptop which is just mad and they both feel as solid as each other.
I'm someone who by rights should have purchased this device. I keep a powerful desktop and two laptops, one for music and one for work (platform engineering). I've completely skipped the m2 series with a first day acquired m1 air, a studio and 14inch pro. Normally the novel new device profile would get me. I think if they fixed either the 2 display issue or went to 32gb I would have acquired, but instead for the first time in a long time i'll skip the whole m2 series.
8GB of ram in 2023 is a bit of a joke for the price. They just need to have a preconfigured model with 16GB + 512GB they would sell a ton of them. It's just inconvenient not being able to go to the local tech shop and pick it up pre-made, having to do a build to order and wait a week or 2 for it to come from China would be dwindling sales.
You missed the biggest negative: weight. At 3.3 pounds, it's not much lighter than the 14in macbook pro at 3.5 pounds so it's really not much more portable. So now it's being cannibalized from both ends. People who want portability will got for the 13" MBA and people who want power will want the 14" MBP. There's a very small niche for casual users who just want the slightly bigger screen of the 15" MBA but not the added power of the MBP.
@@ahaimes6320 Deals only for a few. If there's any, it's very limited quantity. *When we talk in General,* 512GB & 16GB memory should be the based model for MacBook Air. Even high end Smartphone already started at 250GB. Then for MacBook Pro, 1TB & 16GB should be the based model. *There I provide the answer for this topic in this video.*
Here in Europe, the (sub) base configuration cost 1650 Euro. Upgrading to a more reasonable 512GB disk and 16GB RAM and the price jumps to 2110 Euro. It seems like the only purpose of this machine, is pushing clients to buy the 14" MacBook pro. Buying a new laptop with one year old CPU and spec from 10 years ago doesn't make allot of sense.
I see people talking about the 16/512 sweet spot, but maybe as a base, all apple computers should be 8/512; most users may only need to upgrade ram at a later date when they get into heavy duty work.
"Why is the new 15" Air isn't selling? ... maybe the pathetic 8/250GB base configuration? ... Naaaah must be something else. It's 2023, no matter how efficient your memory is, 8/250GB isn't enough, maybe keep the 8 Unified Memory but at least add 512gb as a base on storage.
I just ordered the 15 in the 16/1tb configuration with apple care plus. As a self employed in field hvac tech this laptop is capable of everything I need and then some. They had a back to school deal on so I was able to get $200 off. For me it is a bit of money but the ease of use as well as the ability to have pictures I take on my iPhone 13 Pro Max automatically uploaded to the laptop makes my life as a busy business owner go much more smoothly. I’m one of the 50% who just got one because it will be enough for my needs. Also the 15 inch is the sweet spot for a work laptop, especially if you have poor eyesight and want something light.
wanted to buy a 15" MBA this week but do you maybe think I should better wait until the next apple event in fall? or do they probably launch only the 13" model with an M3?
I am waiting for m3 mac book air that will come with 12gb ram, so I just have to upgrade ssd to 512gb. I hope it comes at 15 inches tho. Does anybody know the size it‘s going to be released in?
Put a usbc port on the right side (i like it on both sides), and 120hz screen, and i buy it immediately. It sucks that they probably wont do either of those
I went with the 14 inch MBP. Once you spec the Air with 512gb ssd and 16mb ram the MBP becomes much better value. I was replacing my old 2014 MBP and I plan to keep my new one for at least 5 years (hopefully longer)so for me the MBP makes much more sense.
I couldn't afford the ram and storage upgrade. But it's better than my base m1 MacBook Air that did everything I wanted and then some, plus it's bigger which fixes my major gripe with the 13"
Thanks to Opal Camera for sponsoring this video! Get your C1 webcam at opalcamera.com/opal-c1?
I'd love to see a review or comparison between the Blackmagic 6k L-mount and the Lumix S5IIx.
&Yes, I'm super interested in the next M3 Air 15"! Thanks💎
Does anyone buy from the video ad??
16/512 should have been the standard long back
Yeah, 8GB RAM at that price in 2023 is offensive.
2015 MacBook Pros had 16/512 I bet even 2013 had that. Almost ten years no progress wtf
@@eUploads The 14" pro is worse. 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for a $2k+ laptop is laughable
Apple finally got bit by their own greed. No amount of fanboy “8 gigs is enough” magic memory, “who needs more than 256GB for web browsing” will work this time. Coupled with the UK scam of only providing 8GB models for retail sale, so no discounting on models with 16GB at all from any big retailer. My old 2014 MBPro has 16GB/512GB configuration.
Agree. Their ram and SSD prices are ridiculous
My reason for not buying is the 8/256 issue. If I upgrade the one, then the other still feels bad, and if I upgrade both, then it's getting too expensive. I just feel manipulated by the whole thing.
You only need to upgrade the RAM as the SSD issue becomes moot if you have enough RAM to avoid swapping. It is very simple, and just use an external SSD if you need more storage. As for sequential writes, the external device is usually the bottleneck so the 256GB speed will be fine for 99% of users. What devices do you use that need more than 1.8Gbps?
@@ahaimes6320this is what my wife does with her base model M1 MBA. But honestly the appeal of the MBA is portability. Working on a train or plane or a coffee shop with tiny tables or on your lap on the couch. Having an SSD dangling off your laptop is not ideal in those situations and my wife’s SSD makes me cringe all the time. I’m so nervous it’s going to get yanked while she’s working on family photos.
If you just use your laptop at a desk and so it’s ok to have an SSD dangling all the time then you’ve missed the entire point of apple silicon and you might as well save half your money and get a windows laptop and leave it plugged in at your desk all the time with power and SSD.
On a $800 M1 MBA this kind of jank can be excusable, but if you spend $1500 on a laptop for it to be portable why in the world would you compromise and be ok with a dangling SSD…
The MBA 15 is chosen solely for the light thin form factor. 16 GB memory and 512 GB storage is the sweet spot.
I agree. If Apple released this model at the base price with the this level of storage and memory and an M3 processor, sure they’d shift far higher volumes. It’s the upgrade costs that totally shaft the whole range beyond the base model.
Apple is selling these 8/256 machines just to increase the profit. Force people to upgrade to the 16/512 specification that Apple could sell for a lower price if that was standard. It's ALL about the money. Money hungry big shareholders at Apple like BlackRock that wanna get those quarterly dividends...
The base model is so underwhelming for the specs you get for the price. And to spend to get to the next level really means one should get the 2021 or 2022 14" mbp, unless one really needs the screen size. I want the screen size but i don't need the extra specs of the mbp, but the base model of the 15 air is just so weak. I'm still torn on what to do
@@csmoran9 you mean MBP14 2021 or 2023. M2 Pro came out in jan 2023 :)
But yes, look at Apple's all MacBook models, specs and prices. It's about to avoid "internal/model cannibalism" and to also make you wanna pick a more expensive model.
The sweepspot model now is if you can find a brand new or a reburbished MBP14 M1 Pro 16/512 or 16/1000 at a reduced price compared to the launch price.
Remember this: MBP14 2021/2023 is a SMALLER laptop than MBP13 Unibody (2009-2012) and still got a larger display. The main downside with MBP14 is that you cannot upgrade it after you've purchased it.
When buying any Mac, don't just focus on how much RAM and SSD you need now for today's needs. Also try to look 3-5 years into the future and try to estimate how much RAM and SSD you gonna need. That's why my recommendation is to go for 16 GB RAM at least. I know that more RAM than 16 GB will cost a lot so I understand why users skip that upgrade. But at least make sure that it'a a Mac with 16 GB RAM.
Storage is a different thing than RAM. For storage, you can use external solutions. You cannot do that with RAM. So it's more important to make sure that you got enough RAM. For SSD it's important to know what TBW is, and that's the minimum amount of data that you can write to the SSD, then the SSD will "die". The larger SSD the higher TBW. And because MacBooks got soldered SSD you can't replace it if it's dead. Well, maybe you can de-solder the storage chips and solder replacement chips but that's not user friendly. I don't know if that will work. It - might - work, it might not work. So to avoid that the SSD will die "soon", pick a larger SSD that will work for much longer time. Maybe you can boot a MacBook with dead internal SSD with an external SSD but that's not what you want.
I hope Apple come up with a good and affordable solution for replacing SSDs in their Macs.
@@csmoran9i feel the same way. Ive been wanting the m1/m2 pro 14” MBP since it launched. And for the price and specs it really is the best value, especially with the deals going on. The best way to go imo is to get the m1 pro 14” from apple refurbished store which is literally 1559 or something like that. But even with that I’m still torn because yea I want the power and screen of the pro along with all the IO but the M2 air is so beautiful and portable. Makes it even harder since the 15” launched. I really wish i could get the base model air. I know it can still do alot. But i want to use it to get into graphic design and video editing/ possibly some 3d animation in the future. But i know that the base model definitely wont be able to handle it all. Yea some light editing and everything. But honestly even the upgrades won’t be enough for all of that. Honestly the base pro can do it all. But even that might struggle if i really do get into 3d rendering. I want a 15” air with and M3 pro that starts of with 16 gb unified memory and 512 ssd. With some sort of next level heat sink or something to keep it cool and light lol
Apple should upgrade all their base units to 16/512. As you pointed out, the cost to them would be comparatively trivial but the upgrade would give their units' performance the "wow" factor from every review and so encourage a lot more buyers.
I hope the lackadaisical sales will lead them to do this and maybe teach them to cut down on their penny-pinching as it has turned around to bite them.
And at the same time, the 14"⧸16" MacBook Pro should be upgraded to 32⧸1T. Just look at comparable Windows Laptops for creative pros, 16⧸512 is outrageous.
I would disagree. Objectively for the business if they provide 16/512 as a base unit less people will buy new versions in the future
Agreed. I hate adding another $200 + $200 for these basic add ons. Although I'd rather have 512gb than the extra RAM, which I don't think is actually needed in an M2.
@@dominusdone5023 I genuinely do not understand that argument. People buy new versions for a new design, better performance/faster chips, more features, better display etc. The fact that they would not have to necessarily upgrade to get decent RAM and storage can only bring in more new unit buyers.
@@parjau4554 yes people buy new design for all those features that you are talking about but by having the option of upgrading for Apple as a brand to make money it allows Apple to sell for much more just for these upgrades that are considered standard. Although I hate it you can’t really blame Apple they are a trillion dollar company knowing what they are doing
The upgrade prices is one reason we went with the 16 Pro, found a store which had some old M1 stock in an unopened box for about the same money as we would have spent on a 15 Air with 16/512. and while you sacrifice some portability with the weight (seriously its still not that heavy) you get so much more for your money! Also came with full warranty and got AppleCare+.
Sooo much more!
The reason I did not go for the 15 inch macbook air even I wanted it so bad is because it does not support more than one external display, which is very funny considering it's 2023 and the M2 is one of the best chips out there.
that really does seem silly doesn't it? Seems like they could make it capable of handling more than one display.
Honestly I think I'd apple didn't choose to gimp their base hardware it would be godly.
Agreed, the lack of two displays is the deal breaker for me.
They do it on purpose to push people to higher priced models
16 / 512 - doesnt really affect your work. It is just better to have these to cope with this generation. Go with whatever fits your budget and like its design, for massive works we all agree that a desktop would be 10 times better and much productive and cheaper than a laptop.
I personally got the base 15in M2.
I have used and still use my Macbook pro early 2015 base specs till this day, during college of Aerospace and Rocket Engineering I used that macbook pro for coding, programming, 3D designs, MATLAB, spreadsheets, pdfs, exams, projects, and for all and till now I still take it to work with me for little minor work. So dont fall for the number games and get what you feel like getting, they well all do the same, and in case you are looking for a powerful machine, you wouldn’t be looking here. Enjoy what you have. And get what you want theyll do the job as long as you know how to use a computer.
The reasons why 15” MacBook Air is not selling well:
- For lighter users, it’s not as cheap and light as 13” MacBook Air.
- For heavier users, it’s not as powerful as 14” MacBook Pro.
The biggest problem was it being released so late in the year when most in the market for a new laptop likely already brought a 14” pro or a 13” air
And unless Apple releases a 13” and 15l” M3 air at the same time your going to very likely see poor sales on 13” as many will wait on the M3 15”
MBA 15inch 16+512 version should not cost more than 1500$. This is a huge point for which Apple sales are not coming.
If Apple could have provided SSD speeds like M1, then anyone could have easily ramp up the ram from 8 to 16 and get a crazy deal. 1300+200=1500$
I absolutely love this channel.
The problem is Apple has advanced tech way too fast. Anyone with any financial literacy knows buying expensive tech these days is a complete waste. Within 1 YEAR, a high end level Apple device (meaning paying big $ for upgrades) becomes mediocre. And within 3 years, it’s dated. Will it “last”, yes…but NOBODY wants to spend high end $ on devices that are becoming mediocre so quickly.
@@NOT_A_TOP_FAN It happens with every tech. The sooner you purchase one the sooner you enjoy it. I bought a base M1 MBA and I am happy with my device. No gonna replace it at least in the near future.
Agreed. I would LOVE to get this machine. But not at that price. It cost almost as much as my 2020 13" Intel MBP similarly configured. It needs to be at least $500 cheaper. Apple's memory and storage upgrade pricing is just horrible. And of course, has been for years. The cool thing is... Performance is so great, I'm totally fine with waiting until the next model comes out and getting the older version at a nice discount. I'm fine with paying a premium for Apple products. Products and support are super. But there is a limit to that. It's a 3 trillion dollar company. They can afford it.
The problem is that 8GB of RAM is garbage at that price range, 16GB is acceptable for many but, then you have to pay a $200 USD upgrade.
So glad you put out this video when you did, Max. I agree that the pricing seems really good but I don’t think it was right for Apple to do what they did with the SSDs. I’m in the boat that says “hey Apple, time to switch to 16 GB RAM as the base”, but even if they don’t do that yet, they could have drastically improved sales by making the SSDs start at 512 GB… or even just making the 256 GB the same speed as the M1, duh! Since I exclusively use my 2 TB iCloud for everything, I would totally be fine going with 256 GB… just not at that speed reduction.
Considered buying either the 13" or 15". But the fact that I have to pay so much more to get rid of a tiny slow 256 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM makes it unacceptable to me.
A lot of other Windows laptops at half the cost gets you at least a 512/16 GB setup.
I went with a base model 14” MBP last fall for $1,599, which is just a way better value. The display is WAY better too. I think apple missed the mark on this machine. A 16gb/512gb option for $1,499 would have been perfect.
Yeah, definitely agree. Also, If they increase the spec on the base while keeping the price the same, 🤞upgrade will be the same price as well making it a (still expensive but) better value.
Best Buy has the 16gb/1TB right now for $1499
@@lambertj.2892I'm only seeing that for the 13".
I have the MBA M2 13" myself, and the reason why I got it was for portability. The 15" just defeats the entire purpose. I know it's not that much heavier, but the footprint requires a much larger backpack.
Heck, the 13" isn't even small enough, as I used to have the old 11" from the early 2010's. That was my favorite, and the form factor is perfect.
I broke out my old 11.6 Air and was shocked to see it is exactly the same size as the 13.3" Galaxy Book 360 2. Those bezels back in 2010 were ridiculous 🤣
@@ruzaroos I agree. I loved my 11" MBA back in the day, but from day one my thoughts about the bezels were the same.
it is simple why Apple notebooks are not selling... everyone is waiting for M3
I think only very few people know anything about an M3 chip. The vast majority people don´t care about chips.
I can tell you that, for me, the only reason I don’t have a 15” MBA is that I’m waiting to see about the M3 chip. It’s 100% my biggest issue.
Not everyone wants to buy a new laptop every couple years, most people will run theirs to the ground for at least 4-5 years before moving on. My laptop before the M1 lasted 10 years. But once the 15 inch Air came out, I really wanted a bigger screen along with having a thin/light form factor for traveling so I upgraded again after just 2 years. But hey, I really love this thing and it serves its purpose well. I'll probably wait the typical 3-4 years before upgrading again
Went with a brand new leftover Macbook Pro M1 instead of the Macbook Air 15" last week due to torsion rigidity and overall durability. With the larger size of the 15", it felt easier to break than the thicker units including even the 13" Macbook Air. Use case is college freshman that is tough on their equipment. Price was not a factor. I would have preferred larger screen of the 15" for my child. I would have preferred a fan less device too. In the end, the durability of the Macbook Pro and the speakers of the M1 won out.
M1 Pro is infinitely better than M2 base model.. it's WAY faster, better battery, more screen size, cheaper.. etc.
why do you recommend bad laptop?
@@petrm2234you aren’t cute by the way
@therealprofessorp6237 If price was not a factor and you would have preferred the larger screen, then why not just go for the 16" M1 MBP?
@@angelvelez139 Portability was a factor ruling the 16" out from the start. That includes airplane use, dorm use, carrying around to class use, etc. I checked the certified refurbished first on Apple and while MBP 16" are available, the MBP 14" are not. Tracked down a leftover at a well known NYC based authorized store that slapped AppleCare on it from day 1. When the MBP 14" and MBA 15" were compared side by side by the soon to be college freshman, the MBP 14" was selected partially because of the trackpad and keyboard layout including spacing. For my own use, it would be a closer call between the MBP 14" and MBA 15" with the MBP 14" being selected for all the above reasons PLUS being a desktop replacement while being docked. As a data point, the soon to be freshman is coming from a 2020 Intel MBA with the unit prior to that being a 2017 MBA. Both of those MBA made generous use out of the AppleCare contracts with the 2020 about to go back in for new repairs before it expires.
I got the 15” MBA 16/512 on launch day and couldn’t be happier! 😊 Best computer I’ve ever owned. I do think they should’ve put the M3 in it though!! 😐
People keep talking about the 14” Pro but honestly, I don’t want a thick and heavy laptop. I hope the 15” will start selling better.
why do you hope it start selling better if you couldn’t be happier with your choice?
@@calebneko4107 I think it's about hoping that Apple isn't put off by the sales to discontinue the 15" Air form factor with the M3 and beyond. Ideally by then they also give us 16/512 as base but time will tell
@@calebneko4107 exactly, as @mlucasx said, i hope the model will be successful and continued by Apple. I think it‘s a great device and fills a gap in the lineup. 15“ should be the sweet spot for the average consumer, so I expected it to sell well…
Wait for his next video "I was wrong about 15 inch"
Reason #4: Air is the line mostly purchased by social group where they really want to minimize the cost. Harsh truth, but truth. 13" model saves them $200, which is significant percentage in this range. Sure, 15" model has couple of advantages, but these people have better use for those $200.
Similar situation, when I purchased a laptop for my 15y old son a year ago, I decided for M1 Air. It does everything he needs and it does it well. I offered him, he could add his own saved money and get M2 13", but he said no. He does have some money saved, so he could do that, but he also decided that M1 Air will do just fine. The same applies today for 15" model. Air is a line for people where they do not want to spend extra.
Agree that much of this simply comes down to price.
I agree with your comment on the value proposition. As I type this now, a refurbished 14 inch, M2 MacBook Pro with 16Gb RAM and 512Gb storage is on the Apple Store at exactly the same price as a new 15 inch MacBook Air with the same processor, RAM and storage - both are $1699. The slim and light form factor of the Air is nice but you are giving up a lot to get it.
I love 15” laptops but most people who want an air are probably just going to get the base 13” model. I’ve talked to IT where I work and if our university is anything like other colleges and companies, the overwhelming majority of MacBooks sold are the base Air.
Most of our faculty and staff who need more performance than the regular M2 will go for the 14” pro in large part because they are advised to by IT. The performance difference between M2 and M2 Pro is pretty significant.
it's a $700 difference too.
The problem is the crippled I/O of the 256 GB. I would have happily bought 8/256 @ $1299 if I/O was not crippled. But now I have to spend $1499 for 8/512 just for the disk I/O. And at 512, I might as well up the RAM to 16GB to maximize its potential. That brings it up to $1699. Now I compare it with the M1 8/256 which is going for $749, it makes absolutely no sense to spend $1000 more just to basically get a bigger screen.
I just bought the m2 chip 15 inch Mac book air with 8gb Ram and 512ssd for $1199 from Best Buy. Amazing value, I work with documents/email/web browsing and the computer is MORE THAN ENOUGH. Why is everyone obsessed with specs? I know you all aren’t all doing intensive creative work lol
8GB of RAM is ridiculous! And I am not paying $200 to upgrade it…
Could it be the joke of a 256GB SSD?!? That’s definitely keeping me away.
Please, I want you to do a video of the samsung Galaxy tab s9 ultra vs. ipad pro, please
The 512/16 version of the MBA15 should be 1400 max not 1700! At 1700 the you might as well just buy the 14Pro
In my country (in europe), the basic mba, so 256/8 is already like 1500€😭
Yeah 60hz is trash
Ehh the 14in is thicker and heavier. Plus you can could even go further with upgrades
Absolutely. It is robbery the prices they charge for 8 more GB of ram and and additional 256 gb of SSD. Unbelievable. For 1300 we should get 12GB of ram and 512GB SSD at the bare minimum. And it should be 1500 for 24GB of ram and 512 SSD. I would have bought that in a heartbeat.
@@dasdos002 I don’t know any laptops that utilize LPDDR5X RAM priced that low with that much capacity
Wanted to get a second travel machine for video creation. We struggled between the MBP 14 and this Air15. When loading up the two models to 16GB/1TB the difference was maybe $300. But the use model said lighter weight and max screen resolution. So we ended up going with the Air 15. Thanks for all your videos on this as they helped make the decision. BTW this was an upgrade from a loaded 13 air 2018. Performance testing on a 12 min 4K video FCP was no contest to the new air 15 from the 13 2018 model (like 18 minutes compared with 85!). We also tested against our main video studio (iMac 5k, i9, 10 core, max GHz, 128 GB RAM and 4 TB drive) The Intel iMac did beat the Air 15, 14 minutes vs 18. So still some life in the iMac. But when the M3 iMac or Studio model releases I suspect the 2020 iMac will be retired.
and outside US we are paying sky-rocketing price like 2000 EUR for 15" Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Thats insane - its double price of similar PC notebooks. I wanted one but maybe its time for Framework 16" - only they are all sold until next year. This world is crazy.
glossy display / 500+ nits / 16:10 / 90hz-120hz / qhd-uhd / 16gb ram / 512 rom / thin bezel / no notch / usb c on both sides
should be the standard for $1200-1500 laptops
I do plan on waiting until the 15” MBA gets the M3 chip as it got released so close to the M3 lineup getting announced. Apple should have waited until the October/November event later this year so they could release it with an M3 chip over an M2 chip so close to the M3 chip Mac announcements
Pricing scheme is what keeps me away. Too expensive for 16gb-512ssd.
Bought a brand new one (base 8/256) for $1099 a few days ago on Amazon. It' will give me more than half a decade of great performance and reliability. For being part of the 95% of people that need it for basic use and light work, I feel great about my purchase.
What bothers me with all the new macs is the lack of upgradability. The following can apply to the mac-book too. I have an M1 mac mini and it would have been nothing for Apple to add a door or drawer to put an extra ssd in. Even if slower, it could be used for time machine. That way if the computer fails, you can remove that ssd and restore your system on a replacement mac.
True, it would be nice. But then a USB4/TB external drive is really fast these days anyway, especially when you're adding it to a mac mini that is staying on a desk....
@@MichaelGGarry i agree but what’s the point of doing small computer if you need to add cables and additional boxes on top of it.
@@Wurlyscope But you don’t have to leave them plugged in after backups. Think about how much less convenient physically opening a Mac mini just to get your backup drive would be. Versus just opening a drawer on your desk and having a full system backup available to use on any future machine you have.
Why they would to do that when they can sell you storage at a ridiculous price .
@@ghost-user559 Remember when they introduce the MacPro G5. How the whole community was in awe about upgradability and ease of access in the new cabinet? I cannot be in awe for the complete lack of.
The base 15" Macbook Air needs to start at $999 with the 16GB Ram/512GB SSD trim being the model that is priced at $1299. If they did that, then they would see it fly off shelves.
The problem is pricing. You have to value form factor and weight over the better features in the 14 pro. I have the 14 and do love the weight and form factor of the 15 Air.
The answer is simple... price! it cost too much to have a usable configuration. Apple simply gouges when it comes to RAM and storage. I really want to replace my 2017 MacBook Air (the one I took out the 256 SSD and installed a 1TB SSD for less than $200 and it was way faster than Apples SSD) with something more current and a better screen.
At this price point of 1299, the basics should be minimal 16 gigs of RAM and 512. This is the way Apple operates. I would say they nickel and dime the consumer but with them it’s hundreds and hundreds of dollars. at these prices you will see people hold onto their laptops, and if the iPhone goes up several hundred dollars you will see people holding them for a longer trade cycle. This is just my opinion.
Ehh I don’t know of any laptops that has 16gb of lpddr5x and 512gb of storage for that price
@@chidorirasenganz HP Envy 16 inch, Core i5 13500H, 16 GB DDR-5 5200, 512 GB SSD. $949 from Hp web site today.
Even $1500 would've been fine. But $1700? That also for an LCD display?
If this came out after October with a new chip this would’ve probably been an instant buy.
Exactly
Me too... but long for term that pro motion screen is my sticking point!
I found a new 2023 16" MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for barely more than a spec'd out 15" MB Air, which I had originally been considering. With the extra ports, speed, and "horsepower," there's no comparison in my opinion.
If you can tolerate the heavier weight, and your works require more power, then get the 16". It's just about preference for those two
I would have thought the main negative is: it's not a 15" Macbook Pro. It's almost patronising to be pushing this as the one we want, when it starts becoming expensive as soon as you give it a reasonable spec. This analogy may not work well in the U.S., but it's almost like you going to buy a brand new £25k Audi and the dealer insisting you should look at getting a £19k VW or Skoda instead, but quoting £5k for nice extras to make it more comfortable or usable, thereby bringing the price very close to the similar (but superior in every way) product. Why did they move away from 15" screens on the MBP anyway?
8gb ram and 256gb storage for $1300 is why. Pure greed, Apple deserves bad sales.
Apple gauging their customers on ram and ssd upgrades and they wonder why people aren't jumping on these machines. I just bought a lightly used 16" M1 Pro MacBook Pro with 16gig RAM and 512SSD for $1600, with Apple Care. It was more cost effective to look at a refurbished or used machine than go with a new M2.
I’m not familiar with computer I have a MacBook Pro 16 inch 2019 intel i9 2.3ghz 8 core should I change to the MacBook Air 15 in please help me choose
I considered upgrading, but it's not that much better than the 13" M1 MacBook Air that I already have. They knocked that one out of the park: there's no good reason to replace it. I would like the larger screen, but the 13" is plenty good enough for now.
I have a 13" M1 Air and I agree. The larger screen, skinnier bezel, and minor tech upgrades are tempting but I will hold onto the 13 for a bit.
I considered buying one, but considering today’s economy. My 2013 15 MBP still works just fine. I’ll wait for M3.
I did not choose MBA 15" primarily issue #2. I don't need an extra inch, 80% of time laptop is connected to the external monitor . But I need 16gb RAM to run VM on Mac. I don't mind using refurbished 14" Pro which comes with 16GB RAM as a baseline. So, instead of thin, slick and 15", I better choose 14"Pro with 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a bonus.
Its really simple. Food costs more than it used to.
Agreed. I would had bought a 15" MacBook air for $1,300. But I wasn't willing to pay $1,700 after the needed RAM and Storage.
here are the problems on why i went to 13 over 15 mac air. First, I'm not paying extra for a stretched MacBook air but instead I put the money on 512ssd and 16gb ram also I have upgraded to 10core GPU because I had money left in the budget. Second, 15inch is basically the same as 13 in term of ports so what is the point of the extra size aside of screen?. Third, 13 inch is more air than 15 inch I mean duh its smaller and lighter. Basically my point here the 15 inch is a good idea when its getting an actual 15 inch treatment like extra ports and better GPU or heattreatment but no its the same so why I pay extra for it as a student?. I opted with 13 which makes more sense with student discount too.
0:52 Is this a benchmark against a nearly half-decade old machine? Is this real-life 😂
The fact that they want to charge their customers for additional ram and ssd with those attractions prices is ridiculous. People don't mind paying premium for for premium product, but they don't like feeling like someone is taking advantage of them.
If you don't care about Mac OS, the Acer Swift Edge 16 is the more interesting laptop this summer. The 3.2K OLED 120HZ screen is better, the screen is slightly bigger, the laptop is lighter, it comes with 4X the storage, 2X the RAM, the CPU is slightly faster, and it plays games well because of the Ryzen 7840U with 780M graphics. The MBA 15 is sturdier and the battery life is better. Without a sale at Best Buy, they are the same price but never by a PC without a sale at Best Buy. The list price is for suckers. I have a computer problem, so I happen to have both and I was shocked by how much I prefer the Swift Edge 16. The MBA 15 should have waited for M3.
Modern electronics (phones, computers, tablets) are now in a state like cars. You don’t buy a new car every year just because a new model is out. 1k-2k investments every year are not a light thing to do.
Ppl will hold on to their tech devices till they break or on average 3-5 yrs. So why arent we buying because we’re not in the market. Apple and all other tech companies can’t accept that fact and are over producing. There will always be ppl upgrading/buying every year, but not ppl buying in droves like we did in 2020/21
Love the form factor, but only one external screen and max 24GB ram makes it a no go. Would love it if this form factor came with M2 Pro (or later M3 Pro) chip. Yes I know, it will never happen.
The only problem I have with MBA is the number of usb-c ports. I couldn't see a way to connect the external display, microphone and webcam in the same time without using any dongles.
Now you're talking.
Using this crappy 256GB SSD is something Apple should be ashamed of. And it is so satisfying that their sales bombed - they deserve it for treating users like this. Maybe they will finally stop this insanity and make 16/512 model as a basic one.
I got these (16/512), one for my wife and one for my daughter, for Christmas this year. They love them. The MBAir is a wonderful little laptop. My daughter was concerned that the 15" screen was too big, but after using it for a couple of months, now believes it was a better choice after all.
Perhaps another reason for the poor sales is the new chip names? I.e M1 , M2 , M3 etc. … Yes these chips are amazing. But to the average consumer, maybe it feels less exciting to upgrade? I.e going from 1 to 2 .. or from 3 to 4.. perhaps that doesn’t feel as exciting as the previous years upgrades ( pre-M chip) where each new MacBook release felt like you were getting the newest best laptop w/ exciting upgrades.. rather than just going through an internal chip upgrade with each new release. Just a thought!
Ordered a 15” MBA 16gb/2TB last week. Figured why wait for the M3.
the sales are low because the 14in mbp is way better value
M1 Macbook Air still does everything I need a laptop to do. The Studio covers intensive desk oriented things.
I have the 2020 M1 Air, still a sick laptop but I’m emigrating for at least a year and I think I may pick this up before I go, light and a nice big screen for streaming
I had gotten my MBP 16 with 1tbssd and when the MB air 15 came out i was out of my return window and well i bought a 15 air with 512.. only reason why i upgraded is cuz i buy movies from iTunes.. but i also bought the air cuz i carry my laptop everyday for school and when i go to families and the air is much lighter when in my bag with books and other stuff I carry for nursing school and i love the MB Air 15
Just upgrade from my 2019 16’ mbp, the 15’ mba is my favorite MacBook ever
Apple should of just released the M2 Macbook Air as a 15 inch on the first shot. They did the 15 inch realizing the 13 inch was not selling. Also should of did it as 16 GB and 512 GB storage as the base model.
Maybe people think 8GB and 256 GB storage is too little and expect Apple to upgrade at least the storage to 512gb?
Another macro factor is that USD is stronger so for many countries so Apple product is more expensive. I bought a Macbook Air M1 13" in 2021 256/8, the retail price was 11490 NOK, and today the 13" retail price is 15990 NOK; a 39% change in price for two years. The retail price for 15" is 19990 NOK, 73% more. I think I would have only considered it if I was in need of my first computer and it had to be a Mac. All my laptops, even my Macbook Pro Unibody mid-2012 have better memory and storage specs; for Windows, at least 16 GB is a must.
My Galaxy Book Pro 3 360 (16-inch) was list price £2050 for 8GB/256GB/i5! All premium laptops are expensive. There was a 30% plus tech inflation, exchange rates and rising interest rates. A perfect storm for poor value. We have had it good for so many years that many people forget economics is cyclic and when periods like this occur then it is crazy for consumers.
@@ahaimes6320 In Norway there is strong competition on PC and electronics: I think the rest of the PC market is about 15-20% more expensive than it was pre 2021.
If I should buy a PC, I would have bought Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon or Yoga. The X1 Yoga 1TB/16GB to 22.250 NOK, about 10% more than the Macbook Air 15". The price would be 28.490 NOK for the Macbook Air with same specs. It is mostly the storage that annoy me, 256 gb is really low. I still regret buying the 2015 MBP 15" with 512 gb and that is 8 years ago (!).
I have a 15 Air:
- speakers are the best I've ever experienced in a laptop.
- the screen is expansive, brightness is decent; everything is nice and sharp, colours punchy, after calibration.
- NO PWM.
-Performance is fine, it does everything an Air is expected to do.
- silent, no fan, doesn't heat up.
- it's really cool having a rediculously gigantic touchpad, It's also really nice to type on.
- the battery lasts so long I forget to plug it in
----IMHO, I have a base model; it's not worth it to pay extra for ram/hd upgrade. get the base model and enjoy
- the main selling point is the large screen.
They priced it wrong and limited the performance for no reason. I went with the 13 inch MBA
I would have bought the base model if they had put two 128gb flash modules. For me, it's not the size of the solid state it's the speed that's where they lost me. What's even more interesting is that I would prefer the M1 base model Mac mini over the M2 base model Mac mini for this reason as well.
Most people won't notice the speed, but will definitely notice the size especially when they have to buy and carry around external drives with higher chances of losing data, paying for extra dingles, etc. The endurance is most important to the drive as well btw as once it goes so doer your laptop completely. 128GB drives have the lowest endurance.
It's not even that 255GB is the base for me. It's the price they charge to upgrade it that is the problem. It just isn't worth $200 a upgrade. Especially since to make a more modern laptop that will actually last and be more well rounded you'd have to spend $400 extra. Nope.
Battery King, Easily work 2 days or 16 hours on single charge, I charged the laptop to 100% at 10.00PM, then closed the lid without turning it off, then on next day morning at 11.00AM I started working on website development with 50% brightness [ no music etc. running in background ], then stopped for 2 hours from 4.00PM to 6.00PM again closed the lid didn't turn off, then again worked from 6.00PM to 9.00PM, and closed the lid with 55% battery left, then on next day again started work again at 11.00AM with same schedule and at 7.00PM battery was at 10% plugged the charger by the time I am done working battery was again at 100%
Personally, I think they should pull an iPad 3 moment with this 15" Air, even though it'll have been out for 6 months. The M3 model should come out this year alongside the 13".
I’d say it’s the RAM/SSD reason.
As you’ve said, it should be 16/512 and Apple is being Apple crippling performance for no reason.
I have used M2 MB Air 13 base for about a year and it has no issues. When Max Tech did their tests it was for a workflow no one in their right mind would use on a base model. So this bad take has been misleading and TBH seeing techie people saying the same thing every video makes me wonder if they can see the wood from the trees?
There are zero issues with the base model if you use it as you would use a Windows base model with 8GB/256GB. If you have the Max Tech workflow then you would be dumb to buy the base model, and have only yourself to blame.
I can explain in one sentence. Apple doesn’t understand the state of the economy right now.
Look at Windows gaming machines, they have all gone up 25% or more this year. Maybe it is you that does not understand the state of the world inflation and high interest rates?
@@ahaimes6320 yet wages haven't gone up at all. You obviously don't understand what's going on. Middle class has so little spending power right now due to all the bs going on. Just cause ALL the prices are going up doesn't change my argument's validity. The fact that apple is surprised that their machine isn't selling well just shows they really don't understand that the broke people who buy their stuff are not gonna buy a 1200-1400 laptop. especially right now.
It’s not selling because of Apple’s time honoured arrogance of charging a bomb for upgrades from base spec 8/256 knowing the minimum useable config for any reasonable longevity is 16/512 … then again I’m stupid enough to still bang on about wanting an Apple Silicon 12” MacBook and would pay any damn price 😅 for the portability, small form factor, iPad like battery life AND a real desktop OS 👌
If your company has a cap on USD 2500, yes you could go for a base MBP 16 but with minimum RAM and SSD. Instead go for a maxed out MBA 15 with 24GB RAM and 2TB.. because RAM and storage is king.. most Mac users dont do video editing and dont need the "extra" compute power or the 100 nits more liquid retina xdr display
I am still considering it. I really would like the newer, faster, prettier MacBook Air, but I live on a teacher's salary, and the fact is that my M1 MacBook air is still handling my needs just fine...so it's more of a want than a need for me at this time. If they dropped the price a bit more, that might make me inclined to go ahead and pull the trigger and get one.
you are crazy if you ever think i'm going to use an external webcam on a laptop
My biggest concern going into this was it possibly bending or flexing but its built solid. Its thinner then the base of my former laptop which is just mad and they both feel as solid as each other.
I'm someone who by rights should have purchased this device. I keep a powerful desktop and two laptops, one for music and one for work (platform engineering). I've completely skipped the m2 series with a first day acquired m1 air, a studio and 14inch pro. Normally the novel new device profile would get me. I think if they fixed either the 2 display issue or went to 32gb I would have acquired, but instead for the first time in a long time i'll skip the whole m2 series.
8GB of ram in 2023 is a bit of a joke for the price. They just need to have a preconfigured model with 16GB + 512GB they would sell a ton of them. It's just inconvenient not being able to go to the local tech shop and pick it up pre-made, having to do a build to order and wait a week or 2 for it to come from China would be dwindling sales.
You missed the biggest negative: weight. At 3.3 pounds, it's not much lighter than the 14in macbook pro at 3.5 pounds so it's really not much more portable. So now it's being cannibalized from both ends. People who want portability will got for the 13" MBA and people who want power will want the 14" MBP. There's a very small niche for casual users who just want the slightly bigger screen of the 15" MBA but not the added power of the MBP.
Apple should give us *NO more* 8GB memory and 256GB storage. That's a rip off.
Just buy it if you need it. FWIW I bought a three-month-old MB Air M2 13-inch with 512GB/24GB for £1200! So there are deals out there!
@@ahaimes6320 Deals only for a few. If there's any, it's very limited quantity.
*When we talk in General,* 512GB & 16GB memory should be the based model for MacBook Air. Even high end Smartphone already started at 250GB. Then for MacBook Pro, 1TB & 16GB should be the based model.
*There I provide the answer for this topic in this video.*
I love mine. It’s just I’ve been waiting for, but if Apple would have made it a 512gb ssd base it would be the best selling laptop by a mile.
Here in Europe, the (sub) base configuration cost 1650 Euro. Upgrading to a more reasonable 512GB disk and 16GB RAM and the price jumps to 2110 Euro. It seems like the only purpose of this machine, is pushing clients to buy the 14" MacBook pro. Buying a new laptop with one year old CPU and spec from 10 years ago doesn't make allot of sense.
I see people talking about the 16/512 sweet spot, but maybe as a base, all apple computers should be 8/512; most users may only need to upgrade ram at a later date when they get into heavy duty work.
Thing is tho you can’t upgrade ram at a later date lol with Apple computers
Buying an M1 Pro 14 or 16 for ~$1700 after taxes makes so much more sense than buying a speced up air
"Why is the new 15" Air isn't selling? ... maybe the pathetic 8/250GB base configuration? ... Naaaah must be something else.
It's 2023, no matter how efficient your memory is, 8/250GB isn't enough, maybe keep the 8 Unified Memory but at least add 512gb as a base on storage.
I’m waiting for the M3 MBP although the M2 MBA could end up replacing my wife’s old 2014 MBA
Just ordered one. As a developer I don’t always like hauling my 16” M2 Pro around and with 16Gb it has plenty of horsepower.
I just ordered the 15 in the 16/1tb configuration with apple care plus. As a self employed in field hvac tech this laptop is capable of everything I need and then some. They had a back to school deal on so I was able to get $200 off. For me it is a bit of money but the ease of use as well as the ability to have pictures I take on my iPhone 13 Pro Max automatically uploaded to the laptop makes my life as a busy business owner go much more smoothly. I’m one of the 50% who just got one because it will be enough for my needs. Also the 15 inch is the sweet spot for a work laptop, especially if you have poor eyesight and want something light.
wanted to buy a 15" MBA this week but do you maybe think I should better wait until the next apple event in fall? or do they probably launch only the 13" model with an M3?
I am waiting for m3 mac book air that will come with 12gb ram, so I just have to upgrade ssd to 512gb. I hope it comes at 15 inches tho. Does anybody know the size it‘s going to be released in?
Put a usbc port on the right side (i like it on both sides), and 120hz screen, and i buy it immediately. It sucks that they probably wont do either of those
I went with the 14 inch MBP. Once you spec the Air with 512gb ssd and 16mb ram the MBP becomes much better value. I was replacing my old 2014 MBP and I plan to keep my new one for at least 5 years (hopefully longer)so for me the MBP makes much more sense.
It's gonna look like a brick in 2-3 yrs time
Wise choice
@@TOShortsit does now!
I couldn't afford the ram and storage upgrade. But it's better than my base m1 MacBook Air that did everything I wanted and then some, plus it's bigger which fixes my major gripe with the 13"