I bought an open box M1 MacBook Pro 8gb 512 excellent condition from Best Buy for $1100 during the 4th of July sale over the weekend and don't regret it at all its everything I wanted my iPad Pro to be.
This is a useful video, Mark. I ordered my first MacBook Air (M1 with upgraded 16g RAM/256g) in January 2021…after watching all the various reviews. It’s still looks new and it’s still quick and responsive. A new M2 Air would be great, but I think I’ll stick with my M1 Air for the time being.
I just bought a M1 MacBook Air…I think the price for the M2 is too high, in Germany it is even higher than in the US. I don‘t like the color options and there is not so much improvement. The displays only 100 nits brighter than the old one, no Mini-LED and I thought the WebCam would be nicer. I think also with the new option that you can use your phone as a WebCam I don’t need the new one and I’m actually having not that many video calls with my private Laptop. I waited so long for the new one to realize it is no option for me 😂.
I just bought the M1 MacBook Air after considering the M2 for a few weeks. B and H Photo had the base 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage space gray M1 (just the color I wanted) on sale for $899 brand new sealed in the box. THAT was an incredible price. I got it right away, it's been out in the wild for well over a year so is proven, and the wedge design is still to my liking. $899 for one of the best laptops available? Couldn't pass it up. The $300 savings over the base MB Air M2 was hard to turn down too. With what I saved over retail, I got the wonderful black leather Andar case for it too!
I have the 14-inch M1 Pro with 16GB RAM and it's enough, but barely enough. I run Docker containers, MongoDB compass, Brave & Chrome (with avg 10 tabs each), VS code, Postman, Slack, etc.. and it usually doesn't run with any stutters. It will typically write about 1GB to swap. I would have liked to have gone for 32GB RAM upgrade, but I didn't want dish out an extra $400. The unified memory is really fast and snappy.
It's hard to resist the slightly upgraded display / performance etc, but really like the wedge design of the MBA M1. Actually returned a MBP 14 yesterday prefering the MBA M1 over it for design alone. It's almost the perfect laptop.
How is it possible? 14-inch MPB has much better display, screen real estate, camera, performance, ports, same battery life, ability to run real AAA games via Parallels and compile video flawlessly, etc... How can you even use the small 13” MBA screen with huge bezels after 14” MBP, with small fonts which make you squint every time, lol?
@@alex.maxwell everyone has different priorities. seems smaller size is more important to him than all the other stuff you stated. to me, bigger size is most important. if apple makes m1 but 16 inch then im getting it. i dont care much about the other specs. m1 big display, deal.
M2 Air for me - I held off getting the M1 for the specific reason that it was a very old design. The M2 chip over the M1 is neither here nor there for me. It’s the new design, display, speakers, mag safe, 1080p FaceTime camera. Getting the base spec as it has all the power, memory & storage I need. The perfect replacement for my 8yr old MacBook Pro i5 8gb 128gb which has served me well. The bigger question I think for people spec’ ing up their M2 Air is at what point does the M1 Pro 14” come into play 🤔
I on the other hand like the M1 design more, especially the edge for typing. Just want to wait if the M2 air is built as good, because there are some issues with the SSD in the M2 pro, and the overheat too.
I agree with your way of thinking! In 2022 M2 Air is much better than a M1 Air. Regarding speccing up your M2 Air I suppose M1 Pro 14” comes into play when you start speccing up your MBA M2 to 10 core, 16 GB RAM, 1 SSD configuration. And if you are looking at M1 Pro 14”, just go with it, don’t look at Air, because MBP 14” is a significantly better device overall.
I've never had an out-of-memory message, but I've often run out of memory. The system just slows to a crawl and many times requires a restart. I'm not complaining, it is tons more stable than MS Windows. I do, however, look forward to more memory.
Thanks Mark. I found a MacBook Air M1 for $799 at Best Buy. I was going to get a refurb MB Air M2 from Apple directly for $1079 but can’t justify the extra cost. I’m coming from a 2009 MacBook that recently stopped working. I mainly have all Apple products and wanted to stay within the same ecosystem.
If you already owned an M1 MacBook Air, there is no point to upgrade to the M2 MacBook Air. However, if you are looking for a portable laptop and/or a new macOS user, I would advise to get the M2 MacBook Air (if you can afford it)
@@emmiiirrr yeah you can and look up m1 air thermal pad hack if you do heavy workloads. But also consider the M2 air you can buy it in education store because you are a student of life and apple has 150 gift card promo so then it's a tough choice. Honestly I doubt the new air performs better in a way you could tell but if you want a 16gb air with 512 yeah your at like 1400 easy
May I ask wether you use the 8 GB or 16 GB version? Besides uni work, I do some light photo and video editing and can’t quite decide if the 8 GB will be enough on the long term.
@@elenab.5337 I have the base model so its equipped with the 7 core GPU, 8gbs of ram and 256gbs of storage. I’ve only had premiere crash because of the 8gbs of ram once in the 7 months I’ve been using it for editing both my own projects and client projects. The 8gbs of unified ram in the MacBook Air acts more like 16gbs would in an x86 based MacBook
My Air is 10 yrs old so i’m needing to upgrade i’m going for the M2 version in lowest spec it will do all i want and is right for me and future proofed if it lasts 10 years i will be happy.
I'm in the same boat, but thinking of extra working memory... for the same reason. My current MBP became unusable for want of memory. But then... purchasers like us don't really follow tech channels. Good Luck.
M2 MacBook Air. I just sold off my M1 air to get the M2. The screen size, 4 speakers and the lesser weight in the new design is by itself an upgrade in my opinion. The new midnight colour will also make a difference as this is the first time we get to use the mac in a dark colour. Plus I sold the M1 for 650£! 😬
Going with the M1 MBA. Don't care about the camera much, prefer the tapered look, don't like notches, and I just love the gold color available on the M1. But I'll be jealous of the M2's Magsafe charging. I love that feature.
I guess I got lucky. I purchased an M1, with 8 cores, 16 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage. I do a lot of video editing, and this little Mac has never let me down. I can't say it's ever even gotten particularly warm. Its a sealed unit which means gunk never gets in it, and it doesn't have the horrid sharp edges that other macs have. Its crazy fast. Not crazy fast 'for its price', crazy fast period. I'd get an M1 used with an 8 core if I could. I'm surprised Mark doesn't mention the joy of using this machine. Cause joyful it is.
i just bought an m1 air for streaming and video editing. with the education discount & (included) gift card, i got final cut/motion/logic for 65 usd. that's around 1000 usd altogether. 10/10 would recommend.
Tomorrow I collect my M1 Mini, 16gb/1tb, it will take over photo editing duties from my MacBook Pro circa 2014 build, the MBP will remain as the house email/browsing computer, as you can see I don’t rush into new tech so by the time I’m ready for a laptop upgrade any issues with M2 chips should be well sorted. :)
Hi, Mark….. as mentioned before … I will wait your latest review on M2 MacBook Air before deciding go for M2 MBA or going for M1 MacBook Air…….. This will be my first MacBook ever…… of course I do owned other Apple devices…… Your review will be my deciding factor…….
Awesome video!! The challenge I have in getting the tried,tested and true 2020 m1 MacBook Air in 2022 is that it will be obsolete faster when it comes to software updates as it’s already 2 years old and average use case is 5-8 years? Or…am I totally wrong?! I currently have a mint 2017 15” MacBook Pro and would be moving to the M2 Air for regular use. I’d love to see a video on how long old MacBooks last and what to consider before upgrading. Cheers!
I went with the tried and true MBA M1 with 16Gig RAM, 512 Gig SSD. It's replacing a 2011 MBP that was long overdue for replacement. To save more I went the Apple refurbished route.
I didn’t even know how great the M1 processor was until I heard about the M2. I’m also a really big fan of that midnight (almost blackish color) and I simply want the latest and greatest. But then also I’ve kind of been on the fence, not because of price but because I’ve been hearing the Mac mini outperformed it a little bit, in some areas. I really listened to what you said in one videos, you mentioned were, you said if you’re really yearning, and don’t know if you should get something, and if it’s really weighing heavy on your mind. That probably means that you should get it, if it feels a little bit uncertain. So I’m gonna listen to what you said, and stick to my guns and getting the M2 MacBook Air 💻 👍🏻
The lengths I have gone to tell you THANK YOU! For your review of the MagSafe wallet for the iPhone 13 mini 😂 I spent way too long trying to find exactly what would be right for my new phone. I was looking for protection, but not a case and also a wallet that I can remove to charge. You covered all of it! Thank you!
Eventually, I will likely snag an M2 Air with 512 GB storage to replace my 2015 MacBook Pro for mobile computing. That old MacBook marches on like a trooper, but it won’t be able to update to Ventura. But I’m not in a hurry, yet. Waiting on your review 😉
I got the M1 early last year and I'm totally happy with its performance. Your video at the time was one of the main reasons why I got it. Hopefully, it will last many years longer. I guess that then there will be a M6 on the market.
Another stellar video, mate! I've been using an M1 iPad Pro 12.9" + Magic Keyboard as a laptop replacement for almost a year. It's worked quite well and I've especially gotten used to having a touch screen "laptop" as my mobile/secondary computer. The M2 Air is very tempting. I'm sure I'd miss the touch screen and miniLED display of my iPad, however. I'll still order the M2 Air just to give it a shot at winning me over. I did the same with the M1 14" MBP, but it was just too thick/heavy and I didn't need such a powerful laptop. I'm also intrigued by the rumored 14" M2 iPad Pro which may be launched in the first half of 2023. UGH, decisions, decisions... First world problems, indeed.
Just ordered an M1 MacbookAir from Apple. Cheaper, tried & tested, and available sooner. For my use, should be perfect. But the M2 Air looks amazing! Maybe by the time the 15” comes out (if it’s real), I’ll upgrade. Moving from a 2015 iMac to this M1 Air, which should arrive before the end of July. Appreciate your video on this!
For me, I prefer the shape of the M1 air, literally everyone says how nice it is to type on with the wedge shape over the square edges of the pro/‘new’ form factor. I think the M2 Air is too expensive (personally) but it makes the M2 13 Pro redundant (apart from a fan and Touch Bar it’s got nothing to offer for the money). I like the new display, and clearly m2 will offer improvements, but they have slowed down SSD speeds on the M2 Pro, so I expect similar on the air (need to actually see one of course). In short, the new colours and display with the improvement in processor would not entice me when I’m just looking for what an Air does best, highly portable everyday machine with great battery life. M1 does all that, and is available at resellers for almost £400 less than the M2 Air. That’s almost half a tank of petrol these days
Alan, I think I have to agree with you on the square edge is something that Apple has been ignoring that is a problem when you are typing, I have the MBP 16" and many times I just have to stop typing because of the edge getting on my wrist , said that , I like better the display of the new MBA M2 and the extra power port , I did check the M1 MBA and the display was a bit of a disappointment for photo editing
@@erg1450 agree on the display change being significant (and provides even more of a question mark around the 13”MBPro M2 and why it’s there at all) I know the M1 made the air much more capable in terms of video and photo editing, but I think that it’s more likely to be used as everyday machine with only casual creative work? Certainly that would be my use case, but I agree that the performance (SSD performance TBC) and screen changes are definitely worth an additional cost and if the use case is photo editing and the cost is a number that people are happy to pay then of course M2 is probably the best choice. For me, I am going to wait until the MBA M2 is available to experience in the local Apple store and watch some reviews of it before I make a final decision.
M2 Air. Given I'm still just about managing to make my 2009 Pro work as a daily I'd say I'm due an upgrade. Order's in for a midnight one with 16mb, 512 SSD and the GPU upgrade. Works out the same price here in South Korea as the base model in the UK/US
Here is my watchalong :) 1) A lot. Price is barely a factor for me if I perceive that I get something out of it. This case a really powerful ultraportable. 2) I do like shiny new things :) 3) In 2020 I had somewhat recently gotten a top spec 2019 Intel 16” MBP from work and 16GB seemed like it could bottleneck my use cases. Performance of that laptop is fine actually (I did the vrm cooling mod for better sustained performance). Done some real life Resolve tests compared to M1 Mac mini and they were neck in neck. It’s just that it’s big and chonky. 4) 24GB oh yeaaaah. 5) I’m a davinci resolve colorist so I’m gonna go for the best gpu available that fits the footprint. 6) Hmm when you put it like that maybe I’ll get Apple care.. 7) Starlight is seemingly way under-appreciated wait what you didn’t ask :):)
Hi Mark. I bought M1 MacBook Air and it's been 1 year 2 months now, thanks because of your video. I really loved the performance. But now, with 312 cycle count and 10 to 100 fully charged method I daily use, my battery health down to 88 percent. What can I do to increase its battery life? Thank you, Mark. Please help me.
I just gave my old 16" i9 MBP to a family member and I don't currently have a laptop other than my work MBP. So I'd look at what I use a laptop for, and that's largely media consumption and commentary (like this!), and occasional network testing over a wired ethernet connection. So I have to ask myself whether it's worth replacing it at all, and I'm now thinking that maybe I shouldn't unless I see a clear need. I'm at home most of the time and have desktop PCs, and I have my new iPad Mini that I absolutely adore and use every day. An M1 Air, if I need a laptop at all, would be perfectly sufficient likely for years.
I wanna get a MacBook Air for school but I am worried that if I got the M1 version that apple will stop updates for it after like a year or even a few months knowing apple and how they sell stuff.
Unlikely Apple will end support for M1 machines any time soon, especially since they are still being sold. You're safe on that concern. Just don't get the base model, go one step above (512/16) as the minimum.
Maybe it's simple of me, but I want to buy the M2 just because it's prettier. The midnight color and the new square design are beautiful. I don't need the added power; I could do everything I need to on a $20 raspberry pi plugged into a monitor from 2006. I can't justify it from a utility perspective--but, hey, who cares? I don't need to justify buying myself nice things when I have the room in my budget.
Went with the M1 air 16gigs and 512ssd as it was way cheaper plus want my laptop to last 10 years like my 2012 MacBook Pro 8gb 500gb did. Also was able to get a good employee discount on M1 models through my company. Yay!
I am going for M2 air. It is not cheap, not that I need or will use its full potential, because I will do coding, excel spreadsheets mostly and other common works. However, since I’m using an old laptop, and will be using my new one for at least 5/6 years, I think I should go for the best one right now.
This is the machine I’ve been waiting for to replace my 2016 MBP with Touch Bar. I’m a fan of the Touch Bar, by the way. If nothing had been announced at WWDC in June I would have bought the M1 13-inch pro over the M1 MBA, mainly due to the touch bar. But the new design of the M2, MagSafe, extra usable port, better webcam for all conferencing, and, of course, the slightly larger and better display appeal to me. This will be my first MBA since ditching my 2013 model. Thanks for the great videos, Mark!
Ok, i answered positively to 5 of 6 of your questions, and to be sure, $1699.00 is a lot for a MBA as i am looking at the up-spec with 16gb ram. My main concern is for that money, are there thermal issues that will plague the MacBook Air with the M2? Perhaps i need to wait, i was planning on ordering Friday.
im testing out an MacBook Air m1 now, I have about a week left for my 30 day returns and I think I'm just going to spend a few hundred quid more an go for the M2. Just to have the freed up ports, more colours and brighter screen. btw Mark, can you do British Pounds in your price guides. Dollars don't mean anything to us when you add vat/income fees. Thanks a lot
For me it’s gonna be the M2. In Australia there is only a $400 difference between a 16BG ram and 512 SSD M1 and the same spec for the M2. For me $400 is worth the design upgrade IMO
Great video and opinion again, Mr Ellis, meaning that not only am I in 2 minds, both are convinced they are right. What IS interesting is reading the comments from others, which is slowing swinging it for the M2 MBA, but can and will hold for real world reviews before I press the button. Love interesting discussion, especially when it is (mostly) well-expressed informed.
this is a no brainer, I'll get the M2 and test it for two weeks , and based on results decide to keep it or return it, all that it would be lost is some of my time to do the test
Have the base M1 Air, and it's wonderful. If we were to acquire a second one, I would just look to the Apple refurb shop for another M1 MBA, close to maxed out with 8 GPU cores, 16GB memory, 1TB SSD...that is mostly subjective based on the aesthetics (and possibly ergonomics) of the wedge shape + tapered edges + sloped keyboard. About the only drawback is the likelihood that support will end a year or two before the M2.
I hope newly manufactured M1 Macbook Air does not come with single NAND drives just as like M2 Mac Pros.. Rest for me for the price M1 Air still makes more sense, M2 would have bene lucrative if it had come with either 512gb ssd as base or 16gb ram.
@@ArthropodSpidey Yes but that's due to pricing profits concerns. And secondly that's not bullishit- it's a fact. If it's not affecting you doesn't mean it's a bullshit.
@@shivamkrishn Can you post proof that it is profiteering? I heard it was due to 128GB NAND no longer being made and Apple switching to higher density NAND that generally is slower. It is also only 256GB which is indeed a fact, so you cannot smear the whole line over one config, and if you order 16GB of RAM that slower storage makes little difference.
@@shivamkrishn The fact that it's being generalized is where the bullshit comes from. I'm not saying it's entirely bullshit. The issue is only for the 256 GB variant. If it's a real issue for you, save and spend a little extra on the 512 GB and you'll also be able to future proof your device.
I have a Mid-2014 13-inch Macbook Pro, that is starting to show signs of its age, it maybe makes sense to pick the M2 MacBook Air. I hopefully should see a considerable improvement in performance, I would have picked the M1 but Apple has upped the price.
I am most concerned with how well the M1 will last over the 5 year refresh cycle at my job. It seems fast now, but will that last? My 2016 MBP 13 has not aged well. It is very laggy with its 16GB of RAM and Dual Core, 2.4GHz Core i7. It is very ready to be replaced. I am tempted by the M2 just because I don't want to be wishing for more performance 3-5 years from now like happened with my current work laptop.
M2 us basically renamed and overclocked M1 - still built on the same 5nm process. Also i7 was dualcore, M1/M2 has 8 cores. The longevity looks great but it depends on Apple when they cut the support.
Thanks Mark, another great video! I’ve had an iMac 27inch 16gb 1TB (with the 2.9GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5) since 2012 😲 and have loved using it, but the time has come to have a device that is portable. I consider myself to be a “normal user” and I look after my devices. So I’m opting this time for the M2 Air with 1TB and 16gb. I like having that extra “wiggle room/future proofing” because I won’t be changing/upgrading it for another 10yrs!😉
Hi Mark - I have just bought myself a near new M1 Base Model MacBook Air for £660! I solely made my decision based off of all your M1 and M2 related MacBook Air content. Would love to see a ‘How to set up a new Mac’ vid from yourself if you are into that type of content. Cheers Mark ! 😎
Yeah. The fact that Costco has the base-model M1 Air on sale for $849 makes the decision even harder. (Plus you get Costco's extra year of warranty.) I am upgrading from a 2015 MacBook Pro (already sold it) and need a new laptop within the next 30 days. My gut tells me "just get the M2," but that early adapter issue is also a concern.
Still have my MBP 15” 2015 in front of me, and been all over the place with the upgrade idea. Thinking more just stick with this one more year till the M3, but I don’t think you can go wrong base model MBA, and if you need something more later, just do the upgrade. Any M1 is cost effective at this point, and I don’t hear any complaints, only happy experiences
Really wanted to get an m1, but at the end of the video,and after ansvering all questions, i've lost all desire to buy any of these. How did that even happen?
Hello sir I had a query I wanted to buy new M2 air What should I configure 10c 512gb 8gb ram Or 10c 256 gb 16gb ram What's the fastest and the best for me.? M into higher edition and Stuf so what's best for me???
Was panning to go in for the 16GB M2 256 (medium video editing), but got to know that the SDD might, with all probability, be like the current already released M2pro. And reviews say that the SSD is much worse than the SSD on the M1. About half the speed. And this would also effect swap memory speed. The only solution to this issue would be to go in for the 512GB version which doubles the speed as well. But then its working out way too expensive. Guess I will just wait for the reviews on the M2 Air and then decide.
I am bit confused here. I only have budget to buy the base m2 varient because upgrading the ram and storage is way too expensive. Should I buy the base mba m2 even with that ssd issue. My work includes all basic tasks not much heavy, may do video editing in future and want a machine that can last me for 5-6 years without any issues. I want the latest thing but also wanna check that the new machine meet the expectations. Can you please suggest me what to do
If u can only get the 256gb version than just take a step back and go for an m1 MacBook Pro or air, they will feel just as fast and they will be cheaper than the m2 MacBooks rn
I have an M1 MacBook Air 16GB RAM 256GB SSD. I have my brother who’s willing to buy it for $1,100 CAD. Should I upgrade? It will cost me an extra $500. Need advice asap.
I like the look of the M2 MBA (if I could afford it) but the question now is will it get very hot with no fan (possible thermal throttle after the M2 MBP) and how fast will the SSD be? I'd like the Midnight blue but hear it really shows finger marks. Typical Apple: Brilliant product with a fatal flaw. But better than any PC IMO.
Very thoughtful observations. Given some of the analyses of the M2 Macbook Pro, I would wait on the reviews of the M2 Macbook Air before making a purchase. If I really needed a new laptop right now I would probably go for the M1 Macbook Air for its proven performance and reliability.
16gb 512Gb is the proper spec for most users and to be future proof, I'd say. For me it is the webcam that stopped me using the M1 and the fact I had a Macbook but now that is gone I need a new one. So screen size and webcam is the thing. And it has to run cool when on my legs. I don't want to always hunt for a surface to put it on when in the house or traveling.
It makes no sense. 16gb+512gb ($1699) places M2 MBA just $100~200 cheaper than discounted/refurbished 14" M1 Pro. There are only two feasible configurations: The base 8+256 ($1199) & second base 8+512 ($1499). Anything above that, one should go to 14" for better display/ports etc because form factor differences are minimal between those two. One can consider 16+256 ($1399) too but a custom order like this may take weeks or months before you will be able to get your hands on your MBA due to current global logistics constrains.
Might get some good input. My degree is in Network Engineering, but I also really enjoy programming and plan to learn more in the near future, possibly doing some as a side job if I think I'm good enough. I already have a powerful gaming laptop, but I want to have a computer that is specifically geared for years to come where I use it both for school in the near future and working once I get my degree. I'm set on a MacBook because I've seen what others in the field I'm gearing for are using and their reasons for doing so, so here's my question: Would getting the M2 MacBook Air suffice for my current track (whether that be 8GB or 16GB unified memory), or would it be better to get the MacBook Pro M1 Pro? Or waiting out the MacBook Pro M2 Pro *possibly* being released towards the beginning of next year?
I found myself leaving a comment in greater detail on one of your other videos, but a new question just occurred to me. In summary, I need a secondary, lightweight, on-the-go computer to accompany my decked-out Custo-Mac desktop, built for creative production. I need it to comfortably operate Logic Pro, Adobe Illustrator, After Effects & Premiere Pro. I'm now sitting between the 13" M2 Air (8/8/16, 16gb, 1Tb) and the 14" M1-Pro (8/14/16, 16gb, 1Tb), but the need for it to be lightweight, and only in use as a secondary computer, is leaning me towards the Air. Do you think the M2 Air is worth it if I go with the smaller 8-CPU, 8‑GPU & 16-NE, or would it only be worth it to get the $200-more 8-CPU, 10-GPU & 16-NE? I'm thinking that if I were to do that, I may as well just get the $300-more M1-Pro, but not sure if I want something that heavy to lug around with me. I adored my 2009 15" Pro till its sad death in 2017, but I do recall it being quite a brick to carry around with me, hehe. ;(^﹁^) Thoughts? Do you think the 8/8/16 would meet my needs?
Great review! I’m wondering… is anyone debating between the M2 MBA and the 14 inch M1 pro MBP? After speccing up the former, it’s really close in price. Would love to see a comparison video!
For me it is the MBA only because of the weight, I already have a MBP 16" M1 PRO that is the best laptop I've ever had, but, it is too heavy to take it on the road with a bag full of photo gear , If I would be using only at home, then the MBP 14" is a great alternative
@@erg1450 I seeee… I don’t currently have a MacBook, except the Mac mini as a desktop. Looking to use the MBA or MBP for studies ! Worried about the weight of the MBP for travel tho :(
I'm getting the new M2 MacBook Air. I have a early 2015 base MacBook Pro. It's running a 5th gen Intel CPU which shocked me into upgrading. The M2 has the new design, i never liked the wedge shape. The return of Mag Safe and the midnight color sealed it for me.
Cheers mate! Your reviews are great and carry a lot of weight with me. I have a 2019 Intel MBA and will wait 12 months before upgrading that, so I'm sure what the status quo is at that stage.
I have just bought an M1 - and the decision came down to the $1500AUD Paypal Pay in 4 cutoff. It was much less painful paying for the M1, as I just have to pay back $350 per fortnight, instead of paying $1900 upfront for an M2.
If I could have used Pay in 4 to get the M2 Macbook then I would have done so for all of the cumulative small upgrades. I quite like the M1 wedge design though. Despite its light weight, it feels like it has been built like a rock.
I am leaning towards the M2 as I love that new design! But I want to see what the reviews are like once people actually get their hands on it. Regardless, I'm coming from a 2016 mbp that can barely survive longer than an hour off the charger, has a messed up hinge, and a keyboard that has been typing multiple letters for over a year now, so I feel like either will be a welcome upgrade!
Same bro except mines from mid 2012 and have burn marks from how hot it used to get. Idk why it stopped acting like a jet engine but it doesn't burn my legs anymore, it's just a warm radiator now lol.
Mark I love your reviews but seriously I want a complete 100% honest answer. I got a scholarship budget to buy a new laptop between the M2 Air and M2 Pro, I like the Touch Bar and don't really care about any of the new fancy stuff like the camera. I'm concerned with the chip overheating and I'm wondering if that is really going to make the MacBook Air hot.... Please let me know which device I should purchase for the long run, and I can only get the base model of both.
@@ethanstechworld207 just like minor gaming and stuff nothing too crazy, also only 8GB of ram, i honestly just feel like the reviewers are making it seem like the regular users need more than they need
@@mikeb3292 Well I think you should take a step back for a second, the first thing you said was minor gaming. Be honest, are you really going to be annoyed that the M2 MacBook Air heats up while playing games considering it's a Mac and you probably should find a different device for that. Also, for the 8GB of RAM, for a while I've been thinking about 8 vs 16GB and I've come to the conclusion, I may not need 16GB but if I find myself doing more intense tasks I can't go back and 8 more to make it 16. If you have the option, I think if anything go with 16gb of RAM. Lastly with the touchbar, I don't know if you've used it before, but I have a feeling it will be cool to use at first, and then from there you'll find yourself never using it for anything besides volume and brightness. Mark has raved about the previous M1 Air and video editing without any overheating at all. In other words, I think you would have to try really hard to heat up the M2 Air. That's the one I would go with, plus you'll get magsafe and a better display. If you can get 16GB I think it'll pay off. A reason to rule out the M2 pro base model is it has slower storage, and I'm waiting for reviews for the Air to make sure it doesn't have that. I'm going to be starting college and I have a feeling I'll end up getting the M2 Air (16gb ram). Should be a great computer for the next 4 years. Hope this helps. If 8gb of ram is the only option you'll still be getting a great machine. That shouldn't be a deal breaker.
Sounds like you prefer the Pro (you've pretty much answered your own question ;) ). And unless you're doing incredibly heavy video editing work (i.e. working with 8K RAW footage), it will be a beast of a machine. Go for it.
@@MarkEllisReviews Haha looks like between you and I, we made Mike's decision more difficult 😅 but maybe not. Performance wise, either way he goes, he shouldn't be disappointed. It's the little differences that will be the deciding factor.
Great video Mark! :-) The power of these laptops is sublime. The "average" user :-) The typical user that consumes webpages, email, with maybe some photography on the side, office. The M1 is a sweet choice. However, from a longevity software update perspective, the M2 might be a better choice? take care.
I have a new M1 MBP 14in that I use in clamshell mode at my desk. It's connected to a nice monitor everything is nice and tidy. I got a good price (not Apple's price) on a 10 core CPU, 16 GPU, 16gb memory model. It's way more than I need but - I don't 'run out of' memory, but I do get video stuttering and some other 'you've pushed it too far' results at times. Mostly within my browser, which is Opera. I've tried Safari and ran into issues using it and Chrome is even more of a problem. I do a lot of work on the web and yes I have a few (10) tabs on it but not all are open and Opera doesn't load them unless I go to that tab. My other apps are Todist and Spark for email. My CPU is always quite low but the memory pressure can get up to 25% or so. I don't understand how all of this works, but It annoys heck out of me that I still run into issues. I do have several loved little apps that run from the menubar though. Maybe I should look at those. If I were buying an M-something Air right now, I think I'd go with the M2 and max out the memory to 24gb. I'd sure love to know what I'm doing 'wrong' that I run into video playback stuttering and other wild stuff on occasion. Ugh! Sorry I'm not as cheerful on this topic!
Go on then... which one are you going for? M1 or M2 MacBook Air (and why)?
I will wait for you to give it the once over and so long as its all positive I’ll be getting the M2 MBA to replace my current 2014 MBA 🤐
@@ibrahimh7982 good idea 👍
M2 air the new design is fire
The M2 looks cool, but if it is built in the same manner with the M2 pro then I am happy to stick with my M1.
Still can’t decide, waiting for another video
Getting the M1 today. I do not care for the looks. For me the M1 is just enough. I always buy things that are just enough. It keeps me humble.
I bought an open box M1 MacBook Pro 8gb 512 excellent condition from Best Buy for $1100 during the 4th of July sale over the weekend and don't regret it at all its everything I wanted my iPad Pro to be.
This is a useful video, Mark. I ordered my first MacBook Air (M1 with upgraded 16g RAM/256g) in January 2021…after watching all the various reviews. It’s still looks new and it’s still quick and responsive. A new M2 Air would be great, but I think I’ll stick with my M1 Air for the time being.
Got the M1 Air, (16gigs of ram) and I'm more than satisfied. This little machine will last me a long time!
I just bought a M1 MacBook Air…I think the price for the M2 is too high, in Germany it is even higher than in the US. I don‘t like the color options and there is not so much improvement. The displays only 100 nits brighter than the old one, no Mini-LED and I thought the WebCam would be nicer. I think also with the new option that you can use your phone as a WebCam I don’t need the new one and I’m actually having not that many video calls with my private Laptop. I waited so long for the new one to realize it is no option for me 😂.
I just bought the M1 MacBook Air after considering the M2 for a few weeks. B and H Photo had the base 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage space gray M1 (just the color I wanted) on sale for $899 brand new sealed in the box. THAT was an incredible price. I got it right away, it's been out in the wild for well over a year so is proven, and the wedge design is still to my liking. $899 for one of the best laptops available? Couldn't pass it up. The $300 savings over the base MB Air M2 was hard to turn down too. With what I saved over retail, I got the wonderful black leather Andar case for it too!
I have the 14-inch M1 Pro with 16GB RAM and it's enough, but barely enough. I run Docker containers, MongoDB compass, Brave & Chrome (with avg 10 tabs each), VS code, Postman, Slack, etc.. and it usually doesn't run with any stutters. It will typically write about 1GB to swap. I would have liked to have gone for 32GB RAM upgrade, but I didn't want dish out an extra $400.
The unified memory is really fast and snappy.
Good to know since I too do some Dev work. I’m going with the same specs for a 13.3” MBP. Hope it works fine :)
It's hard to resist the slightly upgraded display / performance etc, but really like the wedge design of the MBA M1. Actually returned a MBP 14 yesterday prefering the MBA M1 over it for design alone. It's almost the perfect laptop.
How is it possible? 14-inch MPB has much better display, screen real estate, camera, performance, ports, same battery life, ability to run real AAA games via Parallels and compile video flawlessly, etc... How can you even use the small 13” MBA screen with huge bezels after 14” MBP, with small fonts which make you squint every time, lol?
@@alex.maxwell everyone has different priorities. seems smaller size is more important to him than all the other stuff you stated. to me, bigger size is most important. if apple makes m1 but 16 inch then im getting it. i dont care much about the other specs. m1 big display, deal.
I bought an M1 MBA a few days ago because i love this design better than the new M2 as well, but maybe i change my mind when i try an M2 MBA.
Do you find the wedge shape more comfortable to type on? The new MB Air looks great but I heard the older one was super comfortable
@@yashbalaji3262 i find it confortable enough to type!
M2 Air for me - I held off getting the M1 for the specific reason that it was a very old design. The M2 chip over the M1 is neither here nor there for me. It’s the new design, display, speakers, mag safe, 1080p FaceTime camera. Getting the base spec as it has all the power, memory & storage I need. The perfect replacement for my 8yr old MacBook Pro i5 8gb 128gb which has served me well.
The bigger question I think for people spec’ ing up their M2 Air is at what point does the M1 Pro 14” come into play 🤔
I on the other hand like the M1 design more, especially the edge for typing. Just want to wait if the M2 air is built as good, because there are some issues with the SSD in the M2 pro, and the overheat too.
I agree with your way of thinking! In 2022 M2 Air is much better than a M1 Air. Regarding speccing up your M2 Air I suppose M1 Pro 14” comes into play when you start speccing up your MBA M2 to 10 core, 16 GB RAM, 1 SSD configuration. And if you are looking at M1 Pro 14”, just go with it, don’t look at Air, because MBP 14” is a significantly better device overall.
@@plasticdope don’t wait and hesitate. Just add extra 200 GBP and buy the device from 2022, not from 2020. Otherwise, you will regret it later!
I've never had an out-of-memory message, but I've often run out of memory. The system just slows to a crawl and many times requires a restart. I'm not complaining, it is tons more stable than MS Windows. I do, however, look forward to more memory.
you werent using any recent windows laptop
@@truthseeker6804 lol
Thanks Mark. I found a MacBook Air M1 for $799 at Best Buy. I was going to get a refurb MB Air M2 from Apple directly for $1079 but can’t justify the extra cost. I’m coming from a 2009 MacBook that recently stopped working. I mainly have all Apple products and wanted to stay within the same ecosystem.
If you already owned an M1 MacBook Air, there is no point to upgrade to the M2 MacBook Air. However, if you are looking for a portable laptop and/or a new macOS user, I would advise to get the M2 MacBook Air (if you can afford it)
Good advice!
I'm upgrading from a MacBook Pro early 2015. Was looking it up and felt nuts i was using a 5th gen Intel CPU and that sealed it for me
But I can get an Macbook air M1 with 16gb Ram and 512gb SSD for the price of an M2 air
@@emmiiirrr yeah you can and look up m1 air thermal pad hack if you do heavy workloads. But also consider the M2 air you can buy it in education store because you are a student of life and apple has 150 gift card promo so then it's a tough choice. Honestly I doubt the new air performs better in a way you could tell but if you want a 16gb air with 512 yeah your at like 1400 easy
@@emmiiirrr how from where ?
I use an M1 MacBook Air for video editing and it’s performed great! I don’t see myself upgrading any time soon
May I ask wether you use the 8 GB or 16 GB version? Besides uni work, I do some light photo and video editing and can’t quite decide if the 8 GB will be enough on the long term.
@@elenab.5337 I have the base model so its equipped with the 7 core GPU, 8gbs of ram and 256gbs of storage. I’ve only had premiere crash because of the 8gbs of ram once in the 7 months I’ve been using it for editing both my own projects and client projects. The 8gbs of unified ram in the MacBook Air acts more like 16gbs would in an x86 based MacBook
Love that.
@@ConorORegan Okay thank you! And you feel like 256 SSD are enough?
@@elenab.5337 I edit off external drives so I feel that it is enough but 512gb is definitely the safe option if you can afford to get that model
I've got a good few years' use of my M1 Air ahead of me, and it does everything I need. I'll stick with that for now.
Sensible.
My Air is 10 yrs old so i’m needing to upgrade i’m going for the M2 version in lowest spec it will do all i want and is right for me and future proofed if it lasts 10 years i will be happy.
I'm in the same boat, but thinking of extra working memory... for the same reason. My current MBP became unusable for want of memory. But then... purchasers like us don't really follow tech channels. Good Luck.
M2 MacBook Air. I just sold off my M1 air to get the M2. The screen size, 4 speakers and the lesser weight in the new design is by itself an upgrade in my opinion. The new midnight colour will also make a difference as this is the first time we get to use the mac in a dark colour. Plus I sold the M1 for 650£! 😬
Going with the M1 MBA. Don't care about the camera much, prefer the tapered look, don't like notches, and I just love the gold color available on the M1. But I'll be jealous of the M2's Magsafe charging. I love that feature.
I guess I got lucky. I purchased an M1, with 8 cores, 16 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage. I do a lot of video editing, and this little Mac has never let me down. I can't say it's ever even gotten particularly warm. Its a sealed unit which means gunk never gets in it, and it doesn't have the horrid sharp edges that other macs have. Its crazy fast. Not crazy fast 'for its price', crazy fast period. I'd get an M1 used with an 8 core if I could. I'm surprised Mark doesn't mention the joy of using this machine. Cause joyful it is.
i just bought an m1 air for streaming and video editing. with the education discount & (included) gift card, i got final cut/motion/logic for 65 usd. that's around 1000 usd altogether. 10/10 would recommend.
Tomorrow I collect my M1 Mini, 16gb/1tb, it will take over photo editing duties from my MacBook Pro circa 2014 build, the MBP will remain as the house email/browsing computer, as you can see I don’t rush into new tech so by the time I’m ready for a laptop upgrade any issues with M2 chips should be well sorted. :)
Hi, Mark….. as mentioned before … I will wait your latest review on M2 MacBook Air before deciding go for M2 MBA or going for M1 MacBook Air…….. This will be my first MacBook ever…… of course I do owned other Apple devices…… Your review will be my deciding factor…….
Awesome video!! The challenge I have in getting the tried,tested and true 2020 m1 MacBook Air in 2022 is that it will be obsolete faster when it comes to software updates as it’s already 2 years old and average use case is 5-8 years? Or…am I totally wrong?!
I currently have a mint 2017 15” MacBook Pro and would be moving to the M2 Air for regular use. I’d love to see a video on how long old MacBooks last and what to consider before upgrading. Cheers!
I went with the tried and true MBA M1 with 16Gig RAM, 512 Gig SSD. It's replacing a 2011 MBP that was long overdue for replacement. To save more I went the Apple refurbished route.
How’re you liking it so far?
@@sunitjoshi3573 it’s perfect for my needs
I didn’t even know how great the M1 processor was until I heard about the M2. I’m also a really big fan of that midnight (almost blackish color) and I simply want the latest and greatest. But then also I’ve kind of been on the fence, not because of price but because I’ve been hearing the Mac mini outperformed it a little bit, in some areas. I really listened to what you said in one videos, you mentioned were, you said if you’re really yearning, and don’t know if you should get something, and if it’s really weighing heavy on your mind. That probably means that you should get it, if it feels a little bit uncertain. So I’m gonna listen to what you said, and stick to my guns and getting the M2 MacBook Air 💻 👍🏻
I have the baseline 2016 macbook pro 13 inch which is getting quite slow now so I think ill go for the m2 MBA
The lengths I have gone to tell you THANK YOU! For your review of the MagSafe wallet for the iPhone 13 mini 😂 I spent way too long trying to find exactly what would be right for my new phone. I was looking for protection, but not a case and also a wallet that I can remove to charge. You covered all of it! Thank you!
Eventually, I will likely snag an M2 Air with 512 GB storage to replace my 2015 MacBook Pro for mobile computing. That old MacBook marches on like a trooper, but it won’t be able to update to Ventura. But I’m not in a hurry, yet. Waiting on your review 😉
I got the M1 early last year and I'm totally happy with its performance. Your video at the time was one of the main reasons why I got it. Hopefully, it will last many years longer. I guess that then there will be a M6 on the market.
I'd go MBA M2 or M1pro MBP 14". Both the same price give or take £100
Another stellar video, mate! I've been using an M1 iPad Pro 12.9" + Magic Keyboard as a laptop replacement for almost a year. It's worked quite well and I've especially gotten used to having a touch screen "laptop" as my mobile/secondary computer. The M2 Air is very tempting. I'm sure I'd miss the touch screen and miniLED display of my iPad, however. I'll still order the M2 Air just to give it a shot at winning me over. I did the same with the M1 14" MBP, but it was just too thick/heavy and I didn't need such a powerful laptop. I'm also intrigued by the rumored 14" M2 iPad Pro which may be launched in the first half of 2023. UGH, decisions, decisions... First world problems, indeed.
Just ordered an M1 MacbookAir from Apple. Cheaper, tried & tested, and available sooner. For my use, should be perfect. But the M2 Air looks amazing! Maybe by the time the 15” comes out (if it’s real), I’ll upgrade. Moving from a 2015 iMac to this M1 Air, which should arrive before the end of July. Appreciate your video on this!
For me, I prefer the shape of the M1 air, literally everyone says how nice it is to type on with the wedge shape over the square edges of the pro/‘new’ form factor. I think the M2 Air is too expensive (personally) but it makes the M2 13 Pro redundant (apart from a fan and Touch Bar it’s got nothing to offer for the money). I like the new display, and clearly m2 will offer improvements, but they have slowed down SSD speeds on the M2 Pro, so I expect similar on the air (need to actually see one of course). In short, the new colours and display with the improvement in processor would not entice me when I’m just looking for what an Air does best, highly portable everyday machine with great battery life. M1 does all that, and is available at resellers for almost £400 less than the M2 Air. That’s almost half a tank of petrol these days
Alan, I think I have to agree with you on the square edge is something that Apple has been ignoring that is a problem when you are typing, I have the MBP 16" and many times I just have to stop typing because of the edge getting on my wrist , said that , I like better the display of the new MBA M2 and the extra power port , I did check the M1 MBA and the display was a bit of a disappointment for photo editing
@@erg1450 agree on the display change being significant (and provides even more of a question mark around the 13”MBPro M2 and why it’s there at all) I know the M1 made the air much more capable in terms of video and photo editing, but I think that it’s more likely to be used as everyday machine with only casual creative work? Certainly that would be my use case, but I agree that the performance (SSD performance TBC) and screen changes are definitely worth an additional cost and if the use case is photo editing and the cost is a number that people are happy to pay then of course M2 is probably the best choice. For me, I am going to wait until the MBA M2 is available to experience in the local Apple store and watch some reviews of it before I make a final decision.
I decided to go with Macbook Air M1 apple refurbished 8 CPU 8 GPU 16 GB ram 512 SSD for $ 1106 hopefully will last a long time
Hi, last Saturday I Got an M1 MBA and I am really happy with it. It is Fantastic.
Best value and balanced performance would be MBA M1 512gb, 16gb IMO.
M2 Air. Given I'm still just about managing to make my 2009 Pro work as a daily I'd say I'm due an upgrade. Order's in for a midnight one with 16mb, 512 SSD and the GPU upgrade. Works out the same price here in South Korea as the base model in the UK/US
Here is my watchalong :)
1) A lot. Price is barely a factor for me if I perceive that I get something out of it. This case a really powerful ultraportable.
2) I do like shiny new things :)
3) In 2020 I had somewhat recently gotten a top spec 2019 Intel 16” MBP from work and 16GB seemed like it could bottleneck my use cases. Performance of that laptop is fine actually (I did the vrm cooling mod for better sustained performance). Done some real life Resolve tests compared to M1 Mac mini and they were neck in neck. It’s just that it’s big and chonky.
4) 24GB oh yeaaaah.
5) I’m a davinci resolve colorist so I’m gonna go for the best gpu available that fits the footprint.
6) Hmm when you put it like that maybe I’ll get Apple care..
7) Starlight is seemingly way under-appreciated wait what you didn’t ask :):)
Hi Mark. I bought M1 MacBook Air and it's been 1 year 2 months now, thanks because of your video. I really loved the performance. But now, with 312 cycle count and 10 to 100 fully charged method I daily use, my battery health down to 88 percent. What can I do to increase its battery life? Thank you, Mark. Please help me.
I love Mark's content! Great stuff Mark! I just ordered a M1 Macbook Air even though the M2 Macbook Air is being released on the 15th of July.
Thank you! Enjoy your new toy!
I just gave my old 16" i9 MBP to a family member and I don't currently have a laptop other than my work MBP. So I'd look at what I use a laptop for, and that's largely media consumption and commentary (like this!), and occasional network testing over a wired ethernet connection. So I have to ask myself whether it's worth replacing it at all, and I'm now thinking that maybe I shouldn't unless I see a clear need. I'm at home most of the time and have desktop PCs, and I have my new iPad Mini that I absolutely adore and use every day. An M1 Air, if I need a laptop at all, would be perfectly sufficient likely for years.
I wanna get a MacBook Air for school but I am worried that if I got the M1 version that apple will stop updates for it after like a year or even a few months knowing apple and how they sell stuff.
You'll be ok - go for it!
Unlikely Apple will end support for M1 machines any time soon, especially since they are still being sold. You're safe on that concern. Just don't get the base model, go one step above (512/16) as the minimum.
You have between 5 and 7 years worth of updates minimum. Don't worry about it.
Maybe it's simple of me, but I want to buy the M2 just because it's prettier. The midnight color and the new square design are beautiful. I don't need the added power; I could do everything I need to on a $20 raspberry pi plugged into a monitor from 2006. I can't justify it from a utility perspective--but, hey, who cares? I don't need to justify buying myself nice things when I have the room in my budget.
You don't have to justify yourself at all, Daniel. That's as good a reason as any.
Went with the M1 air 16gigs and 512ssd as it was way cheaper plus want my laptop to last 10 years like my 2012 MacBook Pro 8gb 500gb did. Also was able to get a good employee discount on M1 models through my company. Yay!
I am going for M2 air. It is not cheap, not that I need or will use its full potential, because I will do coding, excel spreadsheets mostly and other common works. However, since I’m using an old laptop, and will be using my new one for at least 5/6 years, I think I should go for the best one right now.
This is the machine I’ve been waiting for to replace my 2016 MBP with Touch Bar. I’m a fan of the Touch Bar, by the way. If nothing had been announced at WWDC in June I would have bought the M1 13-inch pro over the M1 MBA, mainly due to the touch bar. But the new design of the M2, MagSafe, extra usable port, better webcam for all conferencing, and, of course, the slightly larger and better display appeal to me. This will be my first MBA since ditching my 2013 model. Thanks for the great videos, Mark!
I have had the M1 for some time now. I wrote my dissertation with the M1, and don’t really see a need to make any changes. :) thank you
The 7 core and 8 core GPU'S are basically identical in graphics. In some cases the M1 MacBook Air beat out the M2 MacBook Air.
Ok, i answered positively to 5 of 6 of your questions, and to be sure, $1699.00 is a lot for a MBA as i am looking at the up-spec with 16gb ram. My main concern is for that money, are there thermal issues that will plague the MacBook Air with the M2? Perhaps i need to wait, i was planning on ordering Friday.
im testing out an MacBook Air m1 now, I have about a week left for my 30 day returns and I think I'm just going to spend a few hundred quid more an go for the M2. Just to have the freed up ports, more colours and brighter screen. btw Mark, can you do British Pounds in your price guides. Dollars don't mean anything to us when you add vat/income fees. Thanks a lot
You have earned my subcription…… from Malaysia…..
For me it’s gonna be the M2. In Australia there is only a $400 difference between a 16BG ram and 512 SSD M1 and the same spec for the M2. For me $400 is worth the design upgrade IMO
Just bought my refurbished Gold M1 Air from Apple....very happy:)
Great video and opinion again, Mr Ellis, meaning that not only am I in 2 minds, both are convinced they are right.
What IS interesting is reading the comments from others, which is slowing swinging it for the M2 MBA, but can and will hold for real world reviews before I press the button. Love interesting discussion, especially when it is (mostly) well-expressed informed.
this is a no brainer, I'll get the M2 and test it for two weeks , and based on results decide to keep it or return it, all that it would be lost is some of my time to do the test
Have the base M1 Air, and it's wonderful. If we were to acquire a second one, I would just look to the Apple refurb shop for another M1 MBA, close to maxed out with 8 GPU cores, 16GB memory, 1TB SSD...that is mostly subjective based on the aesthetics (and possibly ergonomics) of the wedge shape + tapered edges + sloped keyboard. About the only drawback is the likelihood that support will end a year or two before the M2.
I can't fault my M1 Air it's never skipped a beat so no need to upgrade for me. That Midnight M2 does look a beauty though 💙
Nice thoughts Mark.
Strongly considering the M2 as I’m starting to do more video work on my 2019 intel MBA and it just isn’t cuttin it anymore.
I hope newly manufactured M1 Macbook Air does not come with single NAND drives just as like M2 Mac Pros..
Rest for me for the price M1 Air still makes more sense, M2 would have bene lucrative if it had come with either 512gb ssd as base or 16gb ram.
Dude, that's ONLY for the 256 GB variant. Don't believe the bullshit from Max Tech
@@ArthropodSpidey Yes but that's due to pricing profits concerns.
And secondly that's not bullishit- it's a fact.
If it's not affecting you doesn't mean it's a bullshit.
@@shivamkrishn Can you post proof that it is profiteering? I heard it was due to 128GB NAND no longer being made and Apple switching to higher density NAND that generally is slower.
It is also only 256GB which is indeed a fact, so you cannot smear the whole line over one config, and if you order 16GB of RAM that slower storage makes little difference.
@@shivamkrishn The fact that it's being generalized is where the bullshit comes from. I'm not saying it's entirely bullshit. The issue is only for the 256 GB variant. If it's a real issue for you, save and spend a little extra on the 512 GB and you'll also be able to future proof your device.
I have a Mid-2014 13-inch Macbook Pro, that is starting to show signs of its age, it maybe makes sense to pick the M2 MacBook Air. I hopefully should see a considerable improvement in performance, I would have picked the M1 but Apple has upped the price.
I’m still i7 and it works great. My iPhone edits and posts my RUclips videos I’m sure the M2 air will be just fine if you get the 2200$ version.
Hi Mark, when you say your M1 MacBook Air is the base scpec, does that mean you have the 256GB SSD?
I am most concerned with how well the M1 will last over the 5 year refresh cycle at my job. It seems fast now, but will that last? My 2016 MBP 13 has not aged well. It is very laggy with its 16GB of RAM and Dual Core, 2.4GHz Core i7. It is very ready to be replaced. I am tempted by the M2 just because I don't want to be wishing for more performance 3-5 years from now like happened with my current work laptop.
M2 us basically renamed and overclocked M1 - still built on the same 5nm process.
Also i7 was dualcore, M1/M2 has 8 cores. The longevity looks great but it depends on Apple when they cut the support.
Well the m2 is having issues rn but an m1 laptop or desktop will easily get 5 years of use with good care
@@macin12872 The issues are overblown BS.
Thanks Mark, another great video! I’ve had an iMac 27inch 16gb 1TB (with the 2.9GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5) since 2012 😲 and have loved using it, but the time has come to have a device that is portable. I consider myself to be a “normal user” and I look after my devices. So I’m opting this time for the M2 Air with 1TB and 16gb. I like having that extra “wiggle room/future proofing” because I won’t be changing/upgrading it for another 10yrs!😉
Hi Mark - I have just bought myself a near new M1 Base Model MacBook Air for £660! I solely made my decision based off of all your M1 and M2 related MacBook Air content. Would love to see a ‘How to set up a new Mac’ vid from yourself if you are into that type of content. Cheers Mark ! 😎
Yeah. The fact that Costco has the base-model M1 Air on sale for $849 makes the decision even harder. (Plus you get Costco's extra year of warranty.) I am upgrading from a 2015 MacBook Pro (already sold it) and need a new laptop within the next 30 days. My gut tells me "just get the M2," but that early adapter issue is also a concern.
Still have my MBP 15” 2015 in front of me, and been all over the place with the upgrade idea. Thinking more just stick with this one more year till the M3, but I don’t think you can go wrong base model MBA, and if you need something more later, just do the upgrade. Any M1 is cost effective at this point, and I don’t hear any complaints, only happy experiences
Be nice to know how they work for audio and Logic Pro…..is the basic m1 air enough….
Nice!
Thank you for this comparison, Very detailed and easy to understand
No hassles!
Really wanted to get an m1, but at the end of the video,and after ansvering all questions, i've lost all desire to buy any of these. How did that even happen?
Hello sir I had a query
I wanted to buy new M2 air
What should I configure
10c 512gb 8gb ram
Or 10c 256 gb 16gb ram
What's the fastest and the best for me.? M into higher edition and Stuf so what's best for me???
Was panning to go in for the 16GB M2 256 (medium video editing), but got to know that the SDD might, with all probability, be like the current already released M2pro. And reviews say that the SSD is much worse than the SSD on the M1. About half the speed. And this would also effect swap memory speed. The only solution to this issue would be to go in for the 512GB version which doubles the speed as well. But then its working out way too expensive.
Guess I will just wait for the reviews on the M2 Air and then decide.
just ordered a MBP 14” . not sure how i feel choosing this over the m2 MBA.
I'll be doing some stuff on this soon.
I get out of memory errors all the time if I'm using Safari. If I use any other browser I almost never have a problem.
I have the m1 MacBook Air. I do not need the new m2 . but I still might get the m2 because its the latest .
I am bit confused here. I only have budget to buy the base m2 varient because upgrading the ram and storage is way too expensive. Should I buy the base mba m2 even with that ssd issue. My work includes all basic tasks not much heavy, may do video editing in future and want a machine that can last me for 5-6 years without any issues. I want the latest thing but also wanna check that the new machine meet the expectations. Can you please suggest me what to do
If u can only get the 256gb version than just take a step back and go for an m1 MacBook Pro or air, they will feel just as fast and they will be cheaper than the m2 MacBooks rn
I have an M1 MacBook Air 16GB RAM 256GB SSD. I have my brother who’s willing to buy it for $1,100 CAD. Should I upgrade? It will cost me an extra $500. Need advice asap.
I like the look of the M2 MBA (if I could afford it) but the question now is will it get very hot with no fan (possible thermal throttle after the M2 MBP) and how fast will the SSD be? I'd like the Midnight blue but hear it really shows finger marks. Typical Apple: Brilliant product with a fatal flaw. But better than any PC IMO.
Very thoughtful observations. Given some of the analyses of the M2 Macbook Pro, I would wait on the reviews of the M2 Macbook Air before making a purchase. If I really needed a new laptop right now I would probably go for the M1 Macbook Air for its proven performance and reliability.
16gb 512Gb is the proper spec for most users and to be future proof, I'd say. For me it is the webcam that stopped me using the M1 and the fact I had a Macbook but now that is gone I need a new one. So screen size and webcam is the thing. And it has to run cool when on my legs. I don't want to always hunt for a surface to put it on when in the house or traveling.
It makes no sense. 16gb+512gb ($1699) places M2 MBA just $100~200 cheaper than discounted/refurbished 14" M1 Pro. There are only two feasible configurations: The base 8+256 ($1199) & second base 8+512 ($1499). Anything above that, one should go to 14" for better display/ports etc because form factor differences are minimal between those two. One can consider 16+256 ($1399) too but a custom order like this may take weeks or months before you will be able to get your hands on your MBA due to current global logistics constrains.
it be my 1st ever apple laptop and I go with the m2 - will wait couple of months tho to see what the reviews are like :)
It’s so nice that your video doesn’t have dumb music playing in the background 🙏🏼
Haha - glad the style works for you!
Might get some good input. My degree is in Network Engineering, but I also really enjoy programming and plan to learn more in the near future, possibly doing some as a side job if I think I'm good enough. I already have a powerful gaming laptop, but I want to have a computer that is specifically geared for years to come where I use it both for school in the near future and working once I get my degree. I'm set on a MacBook because I've seen what others in the field I'm gearing for are using and their reasons for doing so, so here's my question: Would getting the M2 MacBook Air suffice for my current track (whether that be 8GB or 16GB unified memory), or would it be better to get the MacBook Pro M1 Pro? Or waiting out the MacBook Pro M2 Pro *possibly* being released towards the beginning of next year?
Just get the m1 pro now
I found myself leaving a comment in greater detail on one of your other videos, but a new question just occurred to me.
In summary, I need a secondary, lightweight, on-the-go computer to accompany my decked-out Custo-Mac desktop, built for creative production. I need it to comfortably operate Logic Pro, Adobe Illustrator, After Effects & Premiere Pro. I'm now sitting between the 13" M2 Air (8/8/16, 16gb, 1Tb) and the 14" M1-Pro (8/14/16, 16gb, 1Tb), but the need for it to be lightweight, and only in use as a secondary computer, is leaning me towards the Air.
Do you think the M2 Air is worth it if I go with the smaller 8-CPU, 8‑GPU & 16-NE, or would it only be worth it to get the $200-more 8-CPU, 10-GPU & 16-NE? I'm thinking that if I were to do that, I may as well just get the $300-more M1-Pro, but not sure if I want something that heavy to lug around with me. I adored my 2009 15" Pro till its sad death in 2017, but I do recall it being quite a brick to carry around with me, hehe. ;(^﹁^)
Thoughts? Do you think the 8/8/16 would meet my needs?
Great review! I’m wondering… is anyone debating between the M2 MBA and the 14 inch M1 pro MBP? After speccing up the former, it’s really close in price. Would love to see a comparison video!
For me it is the MBA only because of the weight, I already have a MBP 16" M1 PRO that is the best laptop I've ever had, but, it is too heavy to take it on the road with a bag full of photo gear , If I would be using only at home, then the MBP 14" is a great alternative
@@erg1450 I seeee… I don’t currently have a MacBook, except the Mac mini as a desktop. Looking to use the MBA or MBP for studies ! Worried about the weight of the MBP for travel tho :(
both
I'm getting the new M2 MacBook Air. I have a early 2015 base MacBook Pro. It's running a 5th gen Intel CPU which shocked me into upgrading. The M2 has the new design, i never liked the wedge shape. The return of Mag Safe and the midnight color sealed it for me.
Cheers mate! Your reviews are great and carry a lot of weight with me. I have a 2019 Intel MBA and will wait 12 months before upgrading that, so I'm sure what the status quo is at that stage.
Awesome to hear - thank you!
But as considered the price tag there’s must be 1Tb and 16Gb of storage with RAM on every entry models of all mac’s 😊
I have just bought an M1 - and the decision came down to the $1500AUD Paypal Pay in 4 cutoff. It was much less painful paying for the M1, as I just have to pay back $350 per fortnight, instead of paying $1900 upfront for an M2.
If I could have used Pay in 4 to get the M2 Macbook then I would have done so for all of the cumulative small upgrades.
I quite like the M1 wedge design though. Despite its light weight, it feels like it has been built like a rock.
I am leaning towards the M2 as I love that new design! But I want to see what the reviews are like once people actually get their hands on it. Regardless, I'm coming from a 2016 mbp that can barely survive longer than an hour off the charger, has a messed up hinge, and a keyboard that has been typing multiple letters for over a year now, so I feel like either will be a welcome upgrade!
Same bro except mines from mid 2012 and have burn marks from how hot it used to get. Idk why it stopped acting like a jet engine but it doesn't burn my legs anymore, it's just a warm radiator now lol.
Is either able to be upgraded manually later on?
Nope.
Great video, thanks!
Mark I love your reviews but seriously I want a complete 100% honest answer. I got a scholarship budget to buy a new laptop between the M2 Air and M2 Pro, I like the Touch Bar and don't really care about any of the new fancy stuff like the camera. I'm concerned with the chip overheating and I'm wondering if that is really going to make the MacBook Air hot.... Please let me know which device I should purchase for the long run, and I can only get the base model of both.
What tasks are making you concerned about overheating?
@@ethanstechworld207 just like minor gaming and stuff nothing too crazy, also only 8GB of ram, i honestly just feel like the reviewers are making it seem like the regular users need more than they need
@@mikeb3292 Well I think you should take a step back for a second, the first thing you said was minor gaming. Be honest, are you really going to be annoyed that the M2 MacBook Air heats up while playing games considering it's a Mac and you probably should find a different device for that. Also, for the 8GB of RAM, for a while I've been thinking about 8 vs 16GB and I've come to the conclusion, I may not need 16GB but if I find myself doing more intense tasks I can't go back and 8 more to make it 16. If you have the option, I think if anything go with 16gb of RAM. Lastly with the touchbar, I don't know if you've used it before, but I have a feeling it will be cool to use at first, and then from there you'll find yourself never using it for anything besides volume and brightness. Mark has raved about the previous M1 Air and video editing without any overheating at all. In other words, I think you would have to try really hard to heat up the M2 Air. That's the one I would go with, plus you'll get magsafe and a better display. If you can get 16GB I think it'll pay off.
A reason to rule out the M2 pro base model is it has slower storage, and I'm waiting for reviews for the Air to make sure it doesn't have that. I'm going to be starting college and I have a feeling I'll end up getting the M2 Air (16gb ram). Should be a great computer for the next 4 years.
Hope this helps.
If 8gb of ram is the only option you'll still be getting a great machine. That shouldn't be a deal breaker.
Sounds like you prefer the Pro (you've pretty much answered your own question ;) ). And unless you're doing incredibly heavy video editing work (i.e. working with 8K RAW footage), it will be a beast of a machine. Go for it.
@@MarkEllisReviews Haha looks like between you and I, we made Mike's decision more difficult 😅
but maybe not. Performance wise, either way he goes, he shouldn't be disappointed. It's the little differences that will be the deciding factor.
Hi Mark! What do you recommend for data analysis software like python, R. Should i go for 8 gb ram or 16 gb to play safe for m2 macbook air?
Great video Mark! :-)
The power of these laptops is sublime. The "average" user :-) The typical user that consumes webpages, email, with maybe some photography on the side, office. The M1 is a sweet choice. However, from a longevity software update perspective, the M2 might be a better choice?
take care.
Thanks, Benjamin - and you make a good point!
What are your thoughts on software update longevity ? I’m struggling to decide between M1 or M2…am I losing 2 years with an M1 at this point?
I can't wait until Apple releases a XDR OLED display with 120Hz for the MacBook. That would be perfect.
I have a new M1 MBP 14in that I use in clamshell mode at my desk. It's connected to a nice monitor everything is nice and tidy. I got a good price (not Apple's price) on a 10 core CPU, 16 GPU, 16gb memory model. It's way more than I need but - I don't 'run out of' memory, but I do get video stuttering and some other 'you've pushed it too far' results at times. Mostly within my browser, which is Opera. I've tried Safari and ran into issues using it and Chrome is even more of a problem. I do a lot of work on the web and yes I have a few (10) tabs on it but not all are open and Opera doesn't load them unless I go to that tab. My other apps are Todist and Spark for email. My CPU is always quite low but the memory pressure can get up to 25% or so. I don't understand how all of this works, but It annoys heck out of me that I still run into issues. I do have several loved little apps that run from the menubar though. Maybe I should look at those. If I were buying an M-something Air right now, I think I'd go with the M2 and max out the memory to 24gb. I'd sure love to know what I'm doing 'wrong' that I run into video playback stuttering and other wild stuff on occasion. Ugh! Sorry I'm not as cheerful on this topic!
The M1 Air looks a lot better… but I don’t like the new MacBook Pro design either.
if you are going to pay full price either way, there is no reason to not go for the m2.
but if you buy used, the m1 is more than fine