The 15” MacBook Air Is Perfect. Maybe Don’t Buy It.
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- The 15" MacBook Air is nearly perfect-but that doesn't mean it's my recommendation for many-perhaps even most...
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I’ve been using the 15” MacBook Air as my every-day laptop for over a month and I think this is the closest Apple has ever gotten to the perfect laptop-but that doesn’t mean I'm going to keep using it; nor should you should rush out to buy one. Lemme cook here. Since the MacBook Air debuted 15-years-ago, it hasn't been offered in a size greater than 13". For a few years there, we had an even smaller version available at 11.6", but never larger than 13 and it... never made sense. The simple reality is that a lot of people want big screens: be it aging eyesight, larger workspace requirements, laptop-only workflows, whatever... and until last month, the only way to get an Apple laptop larger than 14" in size was to spend at least $2,500 for a 16" MacBook Pro that is hulkingly overkill for many that merely seek more display real estate. The option is great for those that need it, but I think more people believe themselves to need it than those that actually do. 
Наука
apple ALMOST made the perfect laptop. Same tech, same price, but starting at 16gb of ram and 512gb of storage would have been the best laptop made in the last couple years.
That would've outsold every single laptop in that dollar range. Heck they can still do it if they slash the cost of ram and storage upgrades by half, because that's ridiculous right now.
@@Phil-qe6tg you'd be surprised what a small percentage of people actually care about the niche technicalities of each OS. Most are just okay using either as long as it does the basic work, which both Windows and Mac are able to do in 2023. Support for the software you use is probably the biggest decided factor. I'm often surprised how many just don't care when I point them out the things windows can do/does better than Macs or vice versa.
I would’ve ran out and bought this.
The Pros start at 16/512 and they are the perfect laptop 🙃
@@Andreas-iv8ym also at 2k
Here is my take: If you’re ok with a base-model 15” MBA, it’s going to be fine due to the $700 difference between the Air and Pro, start on upgrading RAM and SSD, you’ll be better off with a 14” MacBook Pro.
Honestly, 8gb is not that bad if you are just using this as a internet browsing machine. I have the base model m1 air, I haven't had a single problem with it.
I agree. But if Apple started making the Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD they might make less on upgrades, but they would sell a hell of a lot of machines, like when the M1 first came out. Mac sales have been sagging, it’s time for Apple to wake up to the cost of memory.
@@easysneezy ye but you can browse the internet with a $300 windows laptop
@ikuma8291 well of course, I'm talking about those who only want it because of macos
@@easysneezythere's no reason to need macOS if you're effectively using the machine as a Chromebook, browser works the same everywhere.
8GB base model at $1K is an evil joke in 2023 to make pretty much everyone pay $190 premium on $10 of additional hardware.
I decided on MBA15 512GB 16GB over MBP14 M2 Pro for several reasons:
- more screen real state (important for my web dev outside of work)
- larger and lower palm rest for more comfortable typing
- cleaner design without speaker grills, easier to clean too
- fanless, so 0 noise, and less dust inside long term, and you can put it in bed or anywhere without worrying that much about covering intake/exhaust air parts
- it was still around 400€ cheaper, 2058€ compared to the 2448€ MBP14 M2 base model. Almost 25% more expensive!
- lighter in a backpack if you consider the weight of the laptop+charger
MBP14 has more pros, but for me those pros weren't as important as MBA15 pros, at least for my usage.
@@hydrolifetech7911 thanks for the correction, you are right
Confirmation bias
for developing, using docker etc do you feel like the air does what you need ? or the pro would be nicer ?
don’t know if I buy the air m2 max out or the pro
I'm a fellow web dev and after much consideration, I'm holding out for the 15" M3 MBA next year. 14" Pro would be a nice compact laptop but I agree with you on the chunkiness, it's hard to type on that thick chassis. Besides, no intensive graphics stuff to take advantage of the GPU cores.
@@sweealamak628 yep. I would do the same now that the M3 MBA should be here in a few months
I recently bought one (walked in for a surfacelaptop 5, walked out with this) and I love it. I don’t do much, mostly docs and web browsing, but it feels amazing.
I have a base M1 14” and I don’t see myself replacing it until it falls apart. Thing is crazy good
Me too .Best notebook I ever used .
Yeah, the 14" is amazing. I sometimes watch these videos and think I might get an Air next, but I can't give up this screen on the 14", it is just too good. And the size of the machine is perfect for me.
@@TheArtisticFlavor not really the size tbh it’s more the display quality plus the performance for the battery life
how is the battery life? heard that with chrome, youtube etc. it really reduces how long it lasts
@@qw9 put it in this way, it won't be as good as brand new but after all the years, it still better than most windows laptop on the market, m1pro is a great great chip
I own a Macbook Pro 16 Max. Great technology. Despite this, I hardly ever used it because it lies in my backpack like a stone. The 14 inch is just a smaller brick. I also own an M2 13 inch Air. Much more comfortable to type and always have with you. There are always 2 remote desktops and at least 1 virtual machine running under Parallels. I never noticed a difference from the Pro 16. And with the display, I only see differences when watching HDR films.
And I'm a professional software engineer. That's why nobody needs to come to me with the pro discussion.
I will buy the Air 15 too. The 2 inches will make my job easier.
Of course with 24 GB and 1 TB.
Exactly what I’ll be getting as a dev.
$2,799 in Australia for the 16GB/512GB SSD version. Bullshit.
got mine for 1K USD or 1650 AUD
Perhaps it is just me but when I bought the 14 inch MBP, I ended up returning it because it dug into my wrists when typing from the couch or laying in bed. I found the 16 inch was heavier but it didn't do that so I went with that laptop instead for my work needs. I have since picked up a 13 inch M2 MBA (to replace my M1 MBA) and it also doesn't have this issue. I figure the 15 inch MBA won't have this issue as well because of its thinness and size. I would gladly choose it over the MBP to avoid that issue which I noticed literally every time I used that laptop not on a desk. Something to consider.
Its good to see youtubers like you and LTT starting to call out Apple on their bullshit pricing of ram and storage upgrades. If ppl just stop gushing over anything Apple and maybe start offering some fair critisism then just maybe Apple will stop getting away with this! I hope more youtubers follow your example. Edited: my point was not clear on the first comment!
LTT actually did that a few weeks ago
Did…. did you not watch the video…?
@@snazzy sorry english is not my first language. I meant it as a positive, like more youtubers should follow your example and like LTT make more people aware of the absurd apple pricing on upgrades.
Totally agree. The pricing schema for upgrading is so steep and seems so unfair that is worth considering leaving the Apple universe at least for computers.
@@DimitrisChr It's not your English. Your English is great! I'm just dumb and didn't read it very well. Haha. Sorry, and thanks so much for watching!
This review is extremely helpful as I've been waffling between the Macbook 15, Pro 14 and Pro 16. The price apple charges for storage is bonkers. It's hard to buy it because you know just how bad they are raking you for it.
Yeah, its a bit mean and adds a bit of sadness to the overall vibe with Apple. Doesn’t have to be that expensive for storage in ‘23.
As a heavy user (game dev, music and video production, 3d modelling) I couldn't imagine going below the awesome machine that the Pro 16 is. But YMMV.
It aggravates me something terrible...the only thing I can think of is they have a lot of this storage around and want to get rid of it...and yes screwing the consumer.
You just buy the maximum you can afford because you can never upgrade. My 2020 MBP has 32GB and 4TB SSD -- No regrets.
@@cybergwen I don't do any of that on a laptop. That's why I like my m1 macbook air still. It's small, runs efficiently for most tasks besides heavier ones like you describe. I'm OK with minor downgrades like a lesser screen and speakers. I do heavy stuff on the windows pc I built for gaming.
Here’s an interesting twist - here in the UK the upgraded 15” Air comes in at £1799, the 14” Pro starts at £2149.
I can beat your twist, I always wait to buy my Apple products when I do a family visit with my partner to either Tokyo or Seoul, my iPhone mini 13 was £165 cheaper than in the UK, my iPad mini 6 cellular was £217 cheaper than in the UK, on my next trip I will be getting the 15inch MBA, over there the base model is 16/512 but will cost the same as the base model 8/256 in the UK a saving of approximately £400!.
@@danielblackwell4361 I imagine most of those savings are down to the fact you’re not paying any import duty on them! 🤣
@@davecheetham1578 no the savings are a lower sales tax of 10% in the far east v 21% in the UK, Apple also has different purchase prices based on the demographic of any given country, Japan is just shy of twice the UK population but both countries are suffering from the same syndrome, an aging population & lowering birth rates.
As a 14" MBP owner, I wholeheartedly agree. The screen feels noticeably bigger than 13" laptops without the whole laptop feeling big, but somehow not far off from 15" ones when it comes to the screen size. It's definitely a better option than the 15" MBA imo. MBA would've been saved if the base models weren't configured like crap. 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD should be a minimum in 2022. Anything less feels extremely limiting, and I don't recommend it.
I prefer having a 15inch MBA than a small 14 inch pro
Thermal mass doesn't do more to help cooling - it just delays the dissipation of heat.
It can help moderate sudden spikes in heat - that is all - the heat is still "stuck" in the mass and needs to get out.
What is needed is surface area and airflow (or other fluid).
"What is needed is surface area" which the 15 inch has significantly more of, to the degree of like 20-30%
I picked up a 16" Apple refurbished M1 MBP about 6 months ago. Love it!
How much did you save
That's what I have for work. The thing is a heavy tank. Much prefer the thin mba
@@uuuuuusssseeerrrrrrr think i saved about $500 off the list price.
@@chadwickwood9843 I'm coming from an early 2008 15" MBP so this laptop is much thinner and a little lighter than my previous one. lol
are you used to the heavy weight and size?
Exactly what I would say, Quinn! On point and the right advice to someone considering either. The 15" does have a nicer screen size, but I don't think I can go back from XDR and Promotion.
You can. I did and never looked back. Traded in my 14 Pro M1 for a 13 Air M2 and it’s so much better lugging a much lighter device around, with longer battery life. Don’t miss the Pro at all.
Bought a 15" MBA and returned it in 2 days. Purchased a 14" MBP M2 with 16gb/1tb ssd refurbished for $2200. I love it for all the reasons you stated in the video. Had I stayed with the MBA it would have cost that much, or even a tad more, to get those same specs. 14" MBP M2 was the sweet spot for me.
thats not a sweet spot lol. 1000 extra dollars?
You don't have the same specs... Your screen is significantly smaller 😂
I have a suspicion that most MBA buyers would rather have a little bit of extra portability than a little bit of extra screen space. A good case in point is the University department I work in. Most of our faculty travel extensively for research in the terms they are not teaching. Our IT department has been buying them the 13" Apple Silicon Air for the past few years and I don't expect that to change now that there is a 15" version. If someone needs more performance than the Air, they will get the MacBook Pro. A 13" Air fits in most bags better, fits on most airplane trays better, and is just a little bit lighter.
The beauty of the 11" MBA was its size. It was a super-thin wedge that fit where no other laptop could, and was actually better than an iPad Pro. I still use mine because of its portability, and full-on usefulness. Yeah, it can't run my new Adobe CC apps as well, but browsing, word processing, etc. is just fine, and mine has the stock 4GB of RAM, and it's running, I think, the latest OS. In fact the last two OS upgrades made it faster. Go figure.
If you want real portability without much sacrifice 11" was perfect. Sadly they don't make those any more
@@skirnir393 I yearn every day for a rehash of the 12" MacBook.
@@snazzy a macbook with M1/M2 with scissor keyboard and 12 inch display would be a must have for me.
@@snazzySame. The 12" MacBook at 2lbs was lighter than the 11" iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard at 2.4lbs. With a bigger screen. 8 years ago...
I agree with this statement.
I liked the miniature design of that little laptop.
Oh well! That’s what an iPad is for. (:
Some of us still miss that 11.6 version.
i would love an m1/m2 12" macbook...
Dosdude1 put a whopper of a CPU and 16Gb RAM into one. I still have an i7 model I use for writing and traveling. Fantastic machines, all things considered. And yes, sorely missed. An M3 12" MacBook reissue would make many of us very happy, and very spendy. 24GB/2TB? Sure. I'm in. Price gouge me, daddy! Not to mention the board profile of the Apple Silicon would allow the Macbook chassis to adopt a better keyboard without requiring size changes.
🤢🤮
The thing about the 11.6 is that it can be comfortably used in coach when flying or catching a train. Keep the width of the 13, but reduce the screen height so it matches the case height of the old 11.6 and get the weight down to 1kg (2.2 freedom units).
I guess the real issue is that Apple’s design team never travels in the back of the plane.
I would love a 5" MacBook pro
I moved from a 13" Macbook Air M1 to the new 15" Macbook Air M2, both with the base config. I'm just a cusual user, having 20 opened Chrome windows or tabs at the same time while shopping, (like 90% of Mac & PC users ) and I updated just for the screen size. I'm really happy with my purchase, having a silent laptop instead of a PC laptop that sounds like a jet taking off is just a bonus.
I’ve been using a maxed out 13" M2 Air and haven’t needed my MBP since. I connect an external monitor occasionally as needed. The 13" is so light and lasts so long I always leave the charger at home. It’s a dream. 13" all the way ✅
I bought a maxed out 15" M2 air for software development and photo editing and couldn't be happier. The 14" pro crosses a line re weight and is too chunky and the screen too small for me, despite the improvements. I don't want a fan - just pure silence. The speakers on the Air 15" are phenomenal when you hear them in person, RUclips doesn't do them justice.
Do more laptop reviews please !... and keep the same tone and easy going style.
This review covered alot of things but above all it provided a valuable insight.
Keep it up man 👍. First video I saw in this channel. Subscribed right away
Thanks!! And welcome!
My take on the current Air lineup as a whole is it only makes sense in the base config. The more you go up the more it just falls apart. Because the difference in price starts diminishing fast. But with the 14 inch Pro you will get a significantly more powerful chip and that amazing screen at the very least. So if you are OK with base configs, get the Air, be it 13 or 15. But as soon as you upgrade the SSD and the RAM, just look at the 14 inch Pro instead.
I would make this summary:
MBP14 16/512 (M1Pro/M2Pro) - the sweetspot model. Perfect for a majority of people, not for all people
MBA13/15 8/256 - the best deal for users that only gonna do easier tasks
MBA13/15 at ANY config - the perfect buy for any user that must have a MacBook with no fan, it doesn't matter what it cost because it's worth it thanks to no fan
So yeah, if you really want a MacBook with no fan, then go for MBA. I know a few people that love this so much. MBP14 at any spec is NOT an option because of the fan/fans for these customers.
@@cjeelde The fan is a must in a computer.
@@zoltanzanaactually it's really not for a lot of people. For my desktop that I do heavy work on? Sure. Everything I want to do on a laptop, I do on my MacBook air m1 with no issues. In fact one of the issues is it remains literally cold to the touch. Like very cold. Even after using it for a little. You dont buy a macbook air if you want to like... edit 4k video. You need a fan for that.
Earlier this year I bought an M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14in (16gb RAM, 1TB) for $1700 on Amazon Renewed. It’s such a beast of a machine. I use it for music production and DJ software. I’ve had multiple 12hr off wall sessions with it, producing music, web browsing, and messaging. I know the M2 Pro has some spec bump increases, but I’d say, if you can find an M1 Pro renewed or apple refurbished, definitely put it on your short list. I don’t see myself hitting the limit or needing to upgrade this for 5-7 years, easily.
The biggest reason I never want to get a MacBook pro is the XDR displays cause the software animation of swiping between screens to be twice as long and most of the animation is you sitting there looking at it coast to a stop. It'll make 5-10% of my work time just waiting for the dang animation to end. Am I the only one??
Thanks for the excellent input. I've got the M1 14" MacBook Pro, and the larger size of the 15" Air was tempting, but I'd be giving up way too much.
totally agree, i would either want the super portablilty and lightness of the 13" air or the power and screen of the 16" pro....and i guess the 14" is also pretty good, but I think the 16" is so worth it, the screen is just night and day difference between the air and the pro
I bought one yesterday for the purpose of the a bigger screen. I have have the m1 MacBook Pro. 13 inch. But I NEEEEEED more screen real estate. I use that everyday. Heck just still use my 2012 MacBook Pro everyday too lol. But I am IN LOVE WITH THIS M2 15 inch already!!! This computer is awesome!!!! I have edited a few videos and done some flyers from it! It does pretty good. I’ll use my m1 MacBook Pro for heavy lifting things if I need to but this 15inch m2 Air is my daily driver now! Buy it!!!! It’s awesome!!!!
Which is why I am still rocking a macbook 12 retina. I want to see the Apple SOC on a 12 inch form factor.
A small correction about Cinebench that I’ve seen in other places too. It’s NOT a synthetic test. It’s a real world test. If you’re a Cinema 4D user and you run the tests you know exactly how your machine will perform.
I'm really glad you talked about the upgrade pricing and the fact that the base model is absolutely ridiculous. Reasonable configs are way more expensive and this should be talked about more.
I think we are at a point with MacBooks where you have to consider 2 different things, usage, size. If you are a heavy user get the pro, if you are a light user get the air. Then depending on your choice, do you want a small screen get the 13/14, do you want the big screen get the 15/16. If you treat the entire lineup as one cohesive group, you will start at $999 and end up at $3000 very easily.
Exactly my thoughts. I simply don’t need the performance of the MacBook Pro, even though the hdmi 2.1 and nice screen looks appealing. I’m going to hold off getting XDR for as long as possible because otherwise I’ll regret not having it in my other devices lol. I’ll probably end up getting a MacBook Air; plus it’s lighter and slightly cheaper compared to the pro and, as a hidden bonus, can run for longer on battery at 100% load. The question is; will the 15 inch fit in my bag? or should I get the 13 inch?…
@@raypav if you have to ask that question probably get the 13.
I choose air for the same reasons@@raypav
Cannot wait to get one!!! Definitely rushing out to get the 15” one. Cannot wait!!!!
I'd honestly would love a powerful 11 inch laptop. All 11 inch laptops these days pretty much runs the same chip. Intel N200.
Having an M1 or M2 chip inside of an 11 inch laptop would be insane. (And no, a tablet with an attachable keyboard is NOT The same thing.)
😅
M2's thermal output and power consumption under load are too high for anything smaller than 13 inches. An A16 Bionic chip modified with more ram is what is required.
@@TheStopwatchGodyes, you’re right. That’s why I’m writing this from an M2 equipped iPad Pro…oh wait!
@@AlejandroLZuvic m2 in Ipads don't run at full power. it would drain the battery too quickly and might also cause overheating.
@@AlejandroLZuvic Under light to medium loads, it’s fine. I have an M2 11” iPad Pro as well and it doesn’t overheat under most situations. Hell, I can run Roblox and Minecraft at the same time at 60fps max settings and max brightness without overheating.
Compared to my MacBook Air M1, this iPad screams past my Mac in short workloads. Under heavy, extended workloads however, this iPad starts to lag behind my Mac despite having a supposedly more powerful chip inside. A hypothetical 11” MacBook Air would suffer from the same problem. A gap in performance so great that the M2 chip barely makes a difference from an A16 chip.
The Gap in performance compared to the 13” Air would be many times greater than the 13 vs 15” Airs.
I'm a little confused. People keep talking about real estate on the screens of the 15" MBA and the 14" MBP. I thought the resolution of the 14" screen was higher. Yes, you can have larger things on the larger monitor, but there are fewer dots. Did I read that wrong?
I legitimately don't even understand why 256GB laptops are still sold.
Completly agree, I think with Apple very steep prices for upgrading they should start at 512GB.
Cause plenty of us still fit in that size.
@@CalebPerez You carry around an external hard drive with you too?
Well at something like under $700 it's fine but for a laptop that is 1K+ there is no reason for anything less than 512gb with 1tb being ideal. SSDs are dirt cheap. My guess is it has to do with apple soldering the NAND onto the Mac itself instead of on the drive itself
@@trash_in_a_box Nope! All my apps and files fit within 200gb, including my Photos Library.
My son got one on release week for upcoming college. We did the 16gb ram, 256gb drive. We love it. Super thin and super fast.
Recently sold my M1 Pro 14 inch and bought a M1 Air 13” 16 GB RAM instead. It was half the price of the M1 Pro 14 inch 😳 I found out I never needed all that power for my light use.
The MBA 15 is chosen over the MBP for the lighter/thinner form factor. Go with the 16GB memory and 512GB storage for the best performance. A fantastic travel laptop.
unfortunately, by that point, the award went to MacBook Pro M2 14 inch, same configuration, same price, and windows side has the Asus TUF Dash with RTX 3070 for like 1500$.
for a travel laptop - an SD card reader sure is nice to have. i bought the 14" to travel with & the 16" for other times.
@@baoquoc3710 "Asus TUF Dash with RTX 3070 " for a travel laptop? Your going to get like 3 hours of battery if your lucky and its going to sound like a jet engine. Gaming laptops in general are a dumb idea, its always a huge compromise with terrible battery life, gigantic charging bricks, massive throttling on battery, obnoxiously loud fans, and you look like a tool with the RGB and gigantic chassis.
Great video as always. My only comment is re the 8Gb ram and 256 ssd. I used to be of the mindset that larger hard drives and more RAM were critical to increase the longevity of a laptop. I’m not so sure that’s the case anymore. The reason I say that is due to cloud storage and fast ssd speeds that the OS can use for additional RAM when needed. I bought a used but basically new M1 Air in 2021 at the base configuration (8Gb/256ssd) to use as my go to work laptop. I do have an M1 mini with 512ssd as my core home system (with multiple drives attached for storage.) The Air’s small ssd means I don’t keep duplicates of everything from my home system on it and has required me to adjust my mindset about what I really ‘need’ on the laptop. But with all my files available in the cloud I find I don’t have to worry about the size of the ssd. I’ve been using it for 1.5yrs this way and still have 100gb available on the Air. If your are doing video editing or working with large files then 256 would be too small, but then again, you’d probably want more processing power than the air has to offer. If the Air is your only computer then I’d agree that 256 could be too small, though I think the case could still be made for cloud storage. The small RAM and ssd kinda reminds me of the old network or ‘dumb’ terminals, but I’m finding this solution to work great for me and probably many others. I would like a larger screen but am not willing to trade the compact and lightweight factor for a bit of extra screen real estate. The point I’m trying to make is that the base configuration can totally work for most general office-type applications as long as you marry it with cloud storage (which offers all sorts of other benefits.) Just my 2 cents.
For 90% of users in 2022 and beyond, 256 gb is a bit too less. I'm someone who does not game at all on laptops and only uses it for normal documentation, web browsing, office work, and very rarely some youtube. I own a budget laptop from 2020 with Intel 8th Gen processor lol, and I have already filled up quite a bit of storage. My gripe with Apple is that it would cost them next to nothing to launch the base model at 512 gigs, and yet the choose not to, just because of their rampant corporate greed. Say whatever about Windows laptops, but they dont skimp on storage at the very least. Or even if they do, they make it upgradable.
@@darthtaurusvontotenkopf6659 Good points but I am not suggesting you 'work' on files across the cloud. Just download when needed and work locally. That has worked great for me. Also keeps my ssd mostly clean of extraneous files. As far as not being available without a network connection I moved past that long ago. The world runs on the internet and pretty much all of my work is shared with others via cloud services. It is rare that I (and I would argue most users) would be without a network. How often do you not have internet? As for the ssd swap speeds, I've found that the MBA manages memory deftly, and that on the occasions when swap is needed, I doubt the average user would notice. Again, if someone does intensive cpu/gpu work, then the MBA wouldn't even be on their list. If the MBA is your sole computer, then I agree larger RAM and SSDs would be needed, but as a travel/work companion the base model is just fine.
@@mihirojha4475 Agreed. Apple has always skimped on the base model and upcharged for what you can get very cheaply on Windows machines!
The issue here is just this: Memory prices have gotten very low. Apple could and should double the base configurations. There‘s just no excuse whatsoever for those ridiculous upgrade prices.
Base Air 512/8 at least (512/16 would be the best of course). For the pro just double everything as well.
Hot take: for most people 256 gigs is fine. This isn’t a gaming machine, so you won’t be downloading 100 gig games. Also the average person will be using this for email, RUclips, word processing, maybe excel, and if they are a student also to do homework. How many word files will it take to fill up 256 gigs?
If I'm not mistaken can't the Air only output to 1 external display? That makes it a not so great "business" computer. Apple nerfed this intentionally to get anyone wanting to dock their machines to buy a Pro or Windows machine.
Just got the pro 16inch for work and i am having a blast. This thing is a mondter compared with every windows laptop ive used so far
I love my M1air but one major draw back it has is the screen size, a number of programs hate the aspect ratio and dont rescale the Gui and even chop important buttons off the screen. I had no problem going from a 15 inch to a 13 inch display but 13 to the slightly smaller Air was much harder.
to anyone who’s worried about the base model not being “future proof”: don’t stress over it. base model, either 13 or 15 is more than enough for most users. i don’t do sustained workload, i don’t transfer large files, i don’t keep 20 chrome tabs and four more apps open at once, i don’t archive lots of files. i just watch video streaming, manage taxes and other life things, occasionally do some coding (mostly java back end) when i can’t or don’t want to use my work pc. base model is plenty. i could’ve even saved a couple hundred bucks by getting an m1 and i’d be completely fine.
Problem is not the 8 gb here for a normal user, its the 256 gb SSD. In this day and age, 256 GB SSD on a thousand dollar device is a shame.
@@mihirojha4475 you got a point on the pricing ok but I've never had an issue with my old MacBook with 128 so now 256 feels like e lot to me
Wishing for a 11.6 inch m1 air with touchscreen
I wanted to upgrade from my m1 air 13", I was between the 15" and a 16" for the bigger screen and more power. And everyone recommended me the m1 pro over the m2 so I went for the m1 pro and couldn't be happier. It's sad the 15" is priced the same to a 14" and 16" when you upgrade the specs.
Good point! Base m2 15" or 14" MacBook Pro.
I have both the 14" MBP and 16" MBP and they're both just a little too small and big respectively. I feel like 15" would be perfect lol.
What a great guy and a very real review of this Macbook !
Thank you for taking the time to make this!
Thank you so much. Looking to replace my 2013 13-inch MBA. Will look into the 14-inch MBP
I've ordered the MBA 15" with the 24gb ram for coding because the cheapest macbook pro with >16gb ram is the 32gb version which costs anotehr 640usd more where I live (both with the same storage)
Gotta agree on storage costs - the Mac mini almost doubles in price if you add a 2TB SSD! Much cheaper to just get an external drive!
I am using MBP16 on work and MBP14 at home - and I don't feel any downgrade going from 16 to 14 and back. Nearly the same experience. I don't know how it happens, but for me MBP14 is the best
Maybe the screen being closer to you when using the 14?
Help me consider. do I better buy base 14" m1pro or upgraded m2 with similar ssd/ram?
I like m1pro sdcard slot tho, i could permanently install secondary storage there.
I still have the 17” mac. From around 2011.
Been using it for a while. Far prefer it to the Air 13 and the 14 pro just feels a tad small. Also depends where you are if u get a pro or air. a 256gb 16gb 15" is 350 cheaper then the 14 pro on the UK. Not worth it for me
I got a Apple refurbished M1 14 for $1420.. Had a hard time between the new Air and a M1/M2 pro. I got a heck of a deal in my opinion. Like you said it out does the Air in so many ways it just doesn’t make sense to go with the Air over the Pro.
I got the 14” MBP M2 refurb months ago. You’re damn right it’s the best. I can’t find anything I would change about it.
I'd agree with your conclusion if I needed something more powerful and did things like video editing, but for me, who mostly works with docs, pdfs and browsing, the MBA 15 being lighter and having a larger display makes it the better choice. Someone else said that it's quiet because it's fanless and less prone to dust, so they can use it in bed without worrying about dust - that was an excellent point too!
If you haven’t settled on storage options, you should really wonder if you actually need more storage. With everything saved on icloud, and other clouds the only files taking up space on my macbook are the apps. I’ve settled for a 512 version, I’m two months down, using it for work, school, and privately. I have installed 90% of what I”ll need for the next 3 years, but I don’t think I even crossed the first 50 gigs. If you come from windows and making the switch, you will definitely underestimate how integrated icloud is, and how smart and clean the os manages the storage, like I did.
That base 14 inch pro translates to 2700 usd where I live. Bought my air 15 for less than 2000 and I’m glad I did.
I got the 11 inch macbook air when was in grade 7. I loved it so much it wasn't the best computer but it pulled me into Macs forever
Excellent points. My solution to all of this was to buy a refurbished M1 MBP 14 (16GB/1TB). It's the best of all worlds for me.
Much money off?
@@destrozarYes. It's the Pro with the unbinned chips and 96W charger and I got it for $1464 + tax from an established eBay seller, and it arrived in perfect condition.
“This is a great video. Maybe don’t subscribe.” See how stupid some of these RUclips titles are?
Fanless is its pros and cons at the same time. I love the idea that there wont be any dust inside the machine.
Sometimes you need to give up temporarily to clear your head in preparation for round 2
Fantastic review. Well done on how to the point you are!
I'm still using a mid 2012 15 inch MacBook Pro with highres display even with 16gb ram and 1tb ssd it's start to slow down on me a lot. I can't wait to upgrade maybe to an M1 or an M2 MacBook Air.
I never got this, honestly. The base model M2 air 15 inch is perfect for most people who consider buying an Air. I have no idea what RUclipsrs think the average Joe does with his machine. I use this thing for work and in private, however, work means for me Pages, Safari and some other doc editing. Private means just some Streaming. Why would I ever, even in the future, need more than 8GB of RAM? And storage - not getting that one either, dog. Considering how much day to day stuff is in the cloud nowadays, I only have photos, few videos and light docs on my local drive. I'll probably never in the future even fill the 256 GB, even with clutter, considering I just backed up on my machine from a 128 GB MacBook Pro from late 2015. Hence, the Pro 14 inch was never an option for me, considering its price difference of 600$ over the base M2 air 15 inch (a third of its price).
Indeed. Perhaps Apple knows what its users actually need better than nerds projecting their own requirements onto everyone else. (No disrespect to Quinn. I’m one of those nerds who tells people to get upgrades they probably won’t actually need.)
@@redscreentrombone4685 Yeah, but things like 8 GBs of RAM are the default configuration since like a decade for a reason, aren’t they? I feel like we‘re getting to a point where computing resources are getting outsourced to the cloud so much that you really only need enough RAM to run the most basic cloud interfaces and I also think that that‘s a great direction. Don’t even need to start about how that applies to storage space…
@@st0rmchild While I agree, I also think the tech nerds are more offended by the price Apple charges for the specs you get.
@@The92Waffles That I can agree with. The prices for upgrading storage are bonkers, and RAM upgrades being tied to entire package upgrades is annoying too.
I stopped going to RUclips for reviews.. Every single RUclipsr tells you it’s great but to wait for next years model lol
Great video thanks!! I actually am trying both right now and having a difficult time selecting one. I picked up a 14" MBP M2 Pro - 16gb ram / 512gb storage for 1599, and a 15" MBA M2 - 16gb / 512gb for 1399 on Black Friday deals. The MBP excels in every aspect that you mentioned except that screen size. I find 14" just a tad small or cramp, and its oddly quite a noticeable size difference.
The only benefit I see with the MBA is the 15" display which is great real estate and feels more comfortable, but at the same time the resolution makes some font very tiny. Increasing the resolution fixes it but then makes the real estate less. So I've been alternating between default rez and bigger depending on whether im using productivity software or editing photos. Tough decision, at the price I picked it up the MBP might be the better buy? Will see!
your teleprompter skills are amazing
i was definitely thinking about getting the 15 inch MBA, but I ended up finding a refurbished 16 inch MBP M1Pro in excellent condition for 1500$. I went to the store to check it out and it basically looked new and had the limited warranty very recently activated. Ultimately, I went with the 16MBP. If notI would have probably gone for the 15 MBA. It's an excellent looking machine and I really appreciate the extra screen real estate.
are you used to the 16 inch weight size?
@@nick-vq1ef Yeah I mean im not gonna lie, it is a little heavy, but its not crazy heavy. Im very happy with it. There are some tradeoffs of course.
@@jayg339 yeah im between this and the 15 inch. I will use it mainly at work and home working. So not much carrying it around it will always be on a desk. I got the 16inch yesterday, an i love it but damn it is heavy like u said. And im also afraid if i drop it even from a small height its gonna break cuz of the weight
@@nick-vq1ef I think if you drop the 15 or 16 inch macbooks its not gonna end well. The 16 inch is worth it (for me). The screen is much nicer(miniLed/120hz), webcam is better, the speakers are better, the ability to have 2/3 external displays, better battery, sd card reader, and hdmi port(plus 16gb of ram if you dont upgrade the MBA, which is important for me).
I think it's worth that extra heft. Then again, if you are bringing it around on the daily, maybe the MBA is worth it for you. Like if I was a student right now, the 15MBA or the 14MBP might be more appealing.
@@jayg339 yeah the thing is i really wouldnt be moving it alot. And i got a 16 mbp m3 pro refurb for 2,050 on apples website so like it was really a good deal , the extra few hundred from 15 inch mac air is not crazy
Considering switching from my 2020 MBP intel version to this one. I am a PhD student who teaches as a side hustle so I find myself having to use many programs at the same time, so while I do love my MBP I just find that the screen size feels too small sometimes. I end up having to carry my iPad with me wherever I go to use as a secondary screen. Thanks for the review as always.
And yet, you should NOT buy an Apple laptop until they stop soldering the SSD to the motherboard.
It's a design flaw that kills the macbook to easily.
Loved the new Air, but can't give up my m1 pro speakers, screen, trackpad, and overall experience. My ideal laptop would be thin and light air, but with all the bells and whistles of a Pro machine.
Agree, I was about to sell my Macbook Pro M1 and buy the new MBA 15 but I changed my mind,. the MBP M1 feels more robust, the power and portability are a no-brainer for me
Right when all other so called tech gurus are embarrassing themselves being repetitive and boring, here you are with altogether a new perspective, pointing out something that’s very basic yet still unnoticed by most of us including myself. I was almost sure that i am going for 15inch macbook air. But the points you have raised make so much sense. Macbook pro 14 is the way to go !
Thanks!
The upgrade pricing really annoys me. The 15’ MBA is a very good laptop that I *want* to buy, but the value proposition of a 16/ 512 GB version against the 14’MBP isn’t convincing
I have an mba 15" 16g 512ssd yes it's fast and has a loud sound but it has a poor camera quality, and I can't connect to Bluetooth when using the iPhone using another account id, iMovie only gives 720p to export files. I feel disappointed. I'm going to send this back
Objectively, it’s not the best MacBook you can buy for the price. But for someone like me who needs the big screen for work in a lighter package that gets all day battery, it’s perfect.
Also, due to the Apple edu discount it’s effectively $300 off.
Exactly the same boat
Do you know when there will be a glowing logo on the back of the laptop lid?
I was actually considering buying the 15" macbook air and went out to try it but saw the price for the 16gb config. i then saw the price for the m3 pro 18gb model on the apple refurb store and it was $100 difference. i then realized how good of a value the 14" macbook pro was
I was lucky to find the M2 MBA 15” with 16GB and 1TB for $1499. Great deal
The wedge design on the first M1 air was the perfect form for a laptop.
Wait! The 15”air is HEAVIER than the 13”?! How dare they! Let’s see, 27% larger and 22% heavier. Sounds to me like it is proportionally lighter given the size. The screen size is also 22% larger. Add BTW. If you spec the Air to match the stock MBP 16/512, the MBP is $300 more and is still only a 14”. The warning here should be to consumers who need to beware of RUclipsrs struggling to develop content out of thin air.
I have been waiting for the MBA 15 (I need a larger screen due to my eyes) to come out for awhile. I have never owned an Apple computer before, so I have been weighing my options. The biggest issue I have found is the absolutely ridiculous cost of upgrading when configuring. The amount Apple want's to charge for increased storage alone is criminal. So now, still wanting a MB, I am torn on what I should do. Didn't expect this...
I also have bad eyesight that's why I went for the MBA 15, picked the 512gb variant coz I needed more space for my documents and I also heard the 512gb SSD was much faster than the base model. I came from windows 11 so it took me a couple of days to adjust to MAC OS coz the commands and installing and uninstalling everything was so different but I got the hang of it after watching several YT videos lol. The excellent battery life, the bigger screen, great audio and the thinness are the strengths of this machine.
I returned my MBP 14 M2 a couple of days ago. I actually was really disappointed with the thickness and weight of it. I like using my laptop all around the house, on my couch, lap or in bed even, and for that its ‘bulkiness’ didn’t fit my needs. I also barely use the power of the M2 Pro since I’m a casual+ user at best. The 15” Air seems like a good option, but it just sucks I got used to the 14’s promotion display lol. 60Hz feels so choppy and unresponsive now so I’m not too sure what I’ll do next.
This. This is why I'd rather get the 15. I'm using a 5K monitor and don't want to have it feel deprecated because my eyes got used to new shiny stuff
@@josselincol yeah it’s a real thing I didn’t expect to effect me this much. It’s been like 4 days since I used the promotion screen on the 14 and still today when I tried the 15 inch Air in the store it was extremely noticable.
They need to make the 16 GB standard... MacOS uses around 4 GB without doing anything, and even the most basic app is around 1/4 GB, and browsers eat a lot of it. It's impossible to use my 8 GB MBA without at least 1-2 GB of swap, and not for heavy stuff, just plain browsing and something else open in background.
Perfect laptop is having 2 laptops: air m2 for traveling or sofa position and MBP 16 at home connected to monitor or used as laptop when you want to be more relaxed but still keep doing your work for 1-2 hours.
the comparison of 16/512 MBA to 14" MBP is not very useful. The MBA is new, the MBP is refurbished. And HDR, even mini-LED, who of the MBA users need that? I personally prefer the slightly larger 15" screen. At least for now I don't even really need the faster processor. Working with Lightroom is essentially the same and after a Lightroom session I don't mind if the final export takes 10 or 15 minutes. Compared to the overall Lightroom work, a few minutes more is close to nothing.
I do not know where you are getting your price but the BASE 14" MacBook Pro is $1,999. It is NOT $1,799.
You will find them discounted EVERYWHERE. Hence the statement.
The 11 was my favorite laptop so far. Imagine it now with thin bezels (and the touchscreen all MacBooks are still missing)
The most realistic tech review
Thanks!
I just bought a base M2 pro and I am wondering if I am going to miss the SOC + the 1tb from the more expensive model
I want one to replace my 2015 mba, but the base spec is pathetic (my mba has same ram and more storage), it’s like planned obsolescence. I refuse to pay their ridiculous upgrade prices too as it’s almost offensive how much they charge. I have Apple products because i like having everything on one system, however, if they continue with this pricing I will just get windows, once that happens I’ll start looking at androids too. They are pushing me away. My AirPods are unreliable after two years and my homepods are very buggy, so the walls on their garden are looking shorter than ever right now.
So I went to check up the price of 14" MacBook Pro thinking that would resolve my problem between Apple MacBook or another Windows laptop...and where I live starting price is 2399€.
did you say you find the keyboard of the macbook air better than the one of the macbook pro? thanks!
A comparison to the Dell XPS line would be nice
I have a base 15 MBA. Just FYI - I was getting about 10 - 11 hours screen on time on normal usage (and lots of RUclips videos). I put it in low power mode and from a full charge, and I already got nearly 5.5 hours of screen on time from just 25% battery! I can easily go 3 to 4 days now with 18 - 24 hours of battery life.
That's almost 4x jump. I notice no slow down but if you are using your Mac for other heavier work loads it may affect you.