15” M2 MacBook Air Review - FINALLY!
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- My review of the Apple 15-inch M2 MacBook Air compared against the 13" M2 MacBook Air and 14" MacBook Pro
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Finally, a Big Screen MacBook that doesn't cost $2k lol
1:41 amazing subversive diss right here
Felt the same way for the iPhone 14 plus, no longer have to play pro max price for just a larger phone screen
For a usable 16GB 500GB version, it does cost $2000 in everywhere but USA
Just bought a ThinkPad instead with 32GB RAM for like $1300
Still costs $1699 for 16 GB Memory and 512 GB Storage and you know what... it sucks... No Windows laptop of this price range offers 256 GB Storage and very rare of them have 8 GB RAM... This is just Apple's Marketing Fooling You. But still if you're trapped in Apple's Walled Garden, it might be a good deal for you...
In Europe it's around $1800 for the base model and $2200 for a usable configuration...
I'll stick to my ThinkPad.
I love how dozens of CZcams videos talk for 10 minutes each about whether to choose 8 or 16 GB of RAM and what the difference is between the different SSDs, and Dave manages to squeeze it into two sentences. Amazing
free palestine
I’m so happy Dave is real. Other channels are like omg the ssd is slower it’s slower it’s bad don’t get it. When in reality most consumers would never notice the difference
Love Dave!
@@FactFlix3 nope
He’s wrong though, max tech showed it is very easy to use up the memory and start hitting ssd swap; with just like 10 tabs and music going the performance tanks. Meanwhile an upgraded ssd swap is so fast there’s very little benefit to more ram in their extensive tests.
Some people would like to actually know whether to buy an 8 GB or a 16 GB for their use case. They would like to have a detailed discussion. Other people just listen to famous CZcamsrs for 5 minutes and make up their mind. Don't be S**p to dave.
Crazy how you literally solved the Ram vs SSD dilemma in a two sentence. Thank you
Love Dave but lovingly disagree. With upgraded SSDs, performance remains shockingly high even once you run out of RAM and start swapping, I think people don’t realize this because swap was VERY slow before apple silicon SOC. Real world tests show things are different now. And using up even 16GB RAM is easier than he describes imo
@@jmunt How's it easy to use 16GB RAM?
@@jmunt no lol
@@jmunt this is a joke right? Best ssd today is almost 10 times slower than a ram module. And that is sequential raw performance, in real world it is like 100 timers slower. Inluding apple silicon
I know right
That sound comparison segment was crazy good
song name
@@kthmtchll Thanks. I always check the comments when I'm searching for a featured song
Given the extra room they should've added maybe at least one extra usb port for value add over the 13 inch Air. Also would be nice if the 14" had a Uniqfind skin on it. I see them everywhere now in coffee shops.
Nah, they're eating into the pro sales too much adding ports. This will already translate to fewer sales of the 16" by virtue of the screen size. I agree, it would be nice, but that's not what Apple does.
@@brokeneggshells good point, their Pro line would give them more margin. I do believe though 16" Pro are power users and demand the most so the 15-inch Air wouldn't cut their performance needs.
@@simonmurray3992 That has never been the case... 99% of all MacBook Pro users have absolutely no need for the power. They buy it just for either the screen size or the clout.
I don’t think the base M2 has the lanes for another port. It’d have to be slower. Then they’d need a way to communicate the differences between the ports to consumers. A user plugging in an external display into one of the identical looking ports on the machine and having the display run at lower resolution or framerate for seemingly no reason is not a user experience Apple wants.
What three devices will 95% of users have plugged in? I can only think of a camera and maybe an external storage device. What am I missing that most users need a third port 100% of the time?
I was watching MKBHD's review and Dave's back to back, the amount of detail Dave put in this 6min video is outstanding and clarified clear differences between two MBA models.
yes, but it was so super packed..i had to concentrate hard so i dont miss anything!
Kudos for the RAM vs Storage advice, other reviewers are suggesting a storage upgrade if you need to choose, RAM upgrade does make more sense in the long run
Other reviewers are idiots lol. They are happy paying the Apple tax or really don't anything about tech.
Also more RAM capacity reduces the stress to storage chips, because with bigger RAM, the system doesn't have to continuously dump the background process cache to storage (swap file) so it could help increase storage lifespan
Hitting ssd swap is way easier than Dave mentioned, swap can hit with 8GB with like 10 chrome tabs and apple music running. I have 16GB ram and my machine still swaps shockingly early. And extensive tests show the ssd swap on the upgraded ssd is almost just as fast as ram now because of SOC. And ssd lifespan is technically shorter, agree there, but these last way longer than old ssd tech, it’s still very likely to last the lifespan of your computer which you’ll probably replace after 4-6 years anyway
@@jmunt my old computer with hdd in it is over 10yo. If ssd die before an hdd do then I don't want it
@@jmunt So you're saying get the upgraded SSD? Nah dude. Get the RAM
I'm a windows user & I've always known MacBooks have outstanding speakers but still, I have to admit I was blown away by the bass coming out of a device that slim. My gaming laptop that's probably double the thickness doesn't have anywhere near that audio capability.
the moment u open a new macbook and are blown away by the tone this thing emits
It's because Apple buys entire small companies just for MacBook components everything from speakers, wireless chip, displays etc. Their audio department is basically equavalent to big name speaker brands.
@@lars2894 you are wrong, nobody knows how Apple makes so good speakers, there aren't any 3rd party companies behind this, Apple makes themselves the Macbook speakers, I believe their sound engineers are just too good and Apple really invests money into this.
I've played with a fair share of Windows laptops...end to end in terms of price....none of them are able to compete with a MacBook speaker...heck even some older laptops with dedicated subwoofers do not produce that much bass
@@christhedoc8689 only thing I knew they outsourced was the displays from Samsung & the chipsets back in the day before they started manufacturing their own SOC.
The editing in the sound comparison segment was flawless.
Still the best reviews on CZcams: concise, customer friendly/not overly techy, to the point. Thanks for doing it!
That's the reason why I like this channel.
The reason that the sound is so much better on the 15" Air versus the 13" Air is that the 15" model has 6 speakers, which the 13" has only 4. So they are making use of the larger chassis to provide more speakers, therefore you get better sound.
This is the device that I have been waiting for years to get. I just need to see it in the store and pick it up and handle it before I decide 100% to pull the trigger.
I just checked it out in the store, it's a thing of beauty with the thinness and that screen size. The 13 inch doesn't interest me now even if cheaper and lighter.
And they redesigned the speakers I thought? Or at least the housing.
So glad for you! I'd be looking forward to a 15" MBA for so many years!!
Those SSDs man... 200$ for 256GB upgrade is NUTS in 2023.
512 should be the base, and for a 200$ I'm expecting a 2TB upgrade
if the base config would be 16/512 i'd be fine with the price, but 8/256 in a 1600€ notebook, and these absolutely daylight robbery upgrade prices just make me go "fuck you too apple, never ever am i gonna buy a fkin macbook"
@@MKR3238I’m not going to go that far, they still have the most powerful/efficient laptops for the money. I’d just never give them extra money for storage. I’ll just spend $100 for a 1TB external SSD or a flash drive
@@MKR3238 also 8GB of RAM is barely enough for multitasking in 2023
16GB + 1TB costs $70 to Apple. They are charging $800 extra replacing your 8+256. It is beyond stupid
@@sihamhamda47hat everyone seems to be missing is that ssd swap on the upgraded ssd is insanely fast now that we have SOC with apple silicon. This isn’t like the intel days. Real world tests with tons of different apps cannot tell a performance difference of more than a couple percent once ram is full. This is why I strongly disagree with Dave about upgrading the ssd. If this was intel days I’d agree but things are different now
I waited long for this but this again starting at 8 GB / 256 ist just not right anymore and just kills of so many buyers. For a good config you are basically again in the pro range. :(
Ya. Might as well go for the 14 pro at that price
also one can buy two windows gaming laptops pretty much in the base model price of 8/256 so one now and the other after 2 years with better technology and better specs :) I was confuse whether I should go with macbook or thinkpad but went with thinkpad with 32 gb of ddr5 ram and 512 gb ssd, keyboard better than macbook, ryzen 6650u processor and slapped linux on it and that too price still lower than this new macbook base model and 3 year onsite warranty is a plus with thinkpad.
I've pointed out in other reviews, but the problem is that once you upgrade the RAM and SSD, it's very close to the 14 inch Macbook Pro where you give up an inch to have a superior display, better performance, and better i/o which can save you further cash. The older generation 14 / 16 inch pros are even better deals.
Pro also has mini LED display with proMotion. Which is awesome
I think for students $100 or 2 do add up and also my 14inch M1 MBP feels a bit heavy to me as a student walking around with textbooks and stuff.
@@jasonpoler the 15 inches MBA and the 14 inch M1 MBP weight are very similar.
I own MBP 14, definitely worth it, I can never go back to 60hz or 8GB ram on a macbook
This is the consequence of Apple making its RAM and storage upgrades so expensive. I don't think they mind for a sec that the price for the 16gb/512gb MBA15 makes people tempted to get the MBP14. Personally I'd still go for screen real estate. That's why I got an LG Gram - you can't get more screen real estate than 16 inches at 1.2kg!
Besides raw power and nice to have features, portability/lightweight is also a big consideration for a lot of people. 15 inch MBA fills that gap nicely.
for those interested - the testing song is: I Am Fowler - Push Back
Love the Apollo shoutout at 2:22
Amazing straight to the point review. I'm still rocking the mid-2012 13" i5/8GB Air!
It still makes a great Zoom conferencing laptop. Use it for documents, emails and Zoom. Replaced the 10 year old battery myself and it's still going strong!
those era macbooks were bulletproof. have two which are still completely adequately functional, crazy!
My 13" Pro just got run over by a car and it's still alive, I watched this video from it
The elephant in the room is MacBook Pro 14. You get an in-the-middle display size, but much better display quality and performance. If you spec this new Air 15 to 16/512 to match the Pro 14, it's really close in price - especially considering the fact that M1 Pro models have been selling for ~$1600 for quite a while, so you might even get a better deal on those compared to Air 15. I would honestly just go for the Pro 14.
Over 60% buy the base models so the MB Air 15-inch for them is better choice as it is much cheaper than a new MB Pro 14 m2. If they need 15-inch then 16-inch would more likely be their second choice not downsizing to 14-inches.
The 14 inch is heavy and a lot thicker though. I bought the M1 Max variant when it first came out and it was uncomfortable to use because the sharp edge on the deck dug into my wrists. So I returned it and got the 16 inch and a 13 inch air and between the two all my needs are covered. If they’d have had the 15 back then I’d probably be rocking one laptop.
14 inch is a lot thicker people. Unless you need the Pro, don’t get it.
The thinness and the lightness of Air’s are under appreciated.
Choose between the base models or upgrade the RAM as Dave said..
@@kane3681 But honestly having more than one port is not really a downside? Like it’s heavier but at least you can actually use the pro in a real workflow. Once you bring hubs and dongles with your Air, is it actually lighter in the long run?
@@ghost-user559 unless you need to be a pro, you don’t need it..
I’m an iOS dev, I bought M1 Pro 14 inch MacBook but it has a substantial weight.
Whenever I use my sister’s MacBook Air, I kind of wish I bought that but the ProMotion and MiniLed display spoiled me enough that I can’t go back.
So I am just saying if people don’t need to be a pro, don’t get the pro..
I just got the M1 Air and it's still a speedy little device. I love the portability of it. The 15 might be a bit too big for my needs. Nice video as always Dave!
But how much longer will it be supported, it's 3 years old now.
@@bri1085 minimum 4 more years imo
I bought my M1 Air they same day Apple announced it, and I love it!
@Bri10 considering there's still people rocking 2012 macbooks, a long time
@@cemops8660 4-5 years for new OS update.
An issue no one really mentions about the hard drive size is how a 256 just fills up simply because of the size of photos and videos these days. And even regular work apps like Office and a few others help to fill up a 256 quickly. If you are someone that does NOT want to plug in storage devices ever, even an average non-pro user is going to have trouble with a 256 in the end i think. And when you put that idea together with needing to get 16gigs of Ram, the 14 inch pro starts to look good as a longer-term option.
Not to mention that just OS updates can end up eating up 20 GB of Storage. Then you are also supposed to leave 10% of an ssd free for over provisioning. So the OS plus that 25GB, and you basically are already down to 200GB before you even install anything.
Yea I feel like the storage upgrade is more important than RAM. From what im seeing on forums the 8gb ram is doing pretty well for most cases anyways
@@CharanKR That definitely depends on what you do. For me I got 16 GB and as long as I do one thing at a time it’s perfect. But the second I opened too many tabs in my browser while I open notes and a few apps to multitask I’m hitting the limits fast. So if you are the type of person who has lots of apps open at the same time get 16GB.
If you are neat and organized and close each app when you are done with it, you can definitely get by with 8GB as long as you are not video editing or making music with lots of plugins.
Personally next time I’m going for 32, because for my multitasking that’s definitely the sweet spot. Especially because some of my apps have to run in the background all the time, and I didn’t think of that before.
256 is absurdly low storage for a laptop. 512 should be minimum
I work with huge files. They are always on the cloud. 256gb can be dealt with.
Great video. Straightforward, to the point and gave genuinely good advice on the RAM vs SSD debate, rather than just explaining the debate as I've seen many other tech CZcamsrs do.
Sometimes Dave2D is so concise I wish the video is longer. He’s too straight to the point! I could listen to him all day, man.
I love your "cut to the chase" approach without beating around the bush like most CZcamsrs
cool shoutout to apollo
he's the goat
3:25 jesus that speaker different is just insane
@Dave2D - great content as always - a tiny observation on the units for the screen comparison @2:08, I believe it should be centimetres/cm rather than millimetres, otherwise the screens would be comparable to an Apple Watch.
Imagine wearing a macbook around your wrist
Oops lol. Ya it’s cm
Ive had a MacBook Air 15" for two months now. Its 8GB/512GB is excellent - you dont notice the RAM, as its so fast. Really love it.
Song is Push Back by I Am Fowler. You're welcome.
Props for the quick nod to Apollo
Thanks for the speaker testing. That was a key issue for me. Judging by the matching frequency graphs, they are using the Pro speaker system in the Air, or EQing them to be the same.
Still no external grills. You won't get the surround sound effect.
Definitely liking there is a 15" option for the new Air models as I have really liked the new air models. I have to say though it's a crime at this price point to start RAM at anything less than 16GB these days (and frankly for the past 5 years).
3:55 I don't get 'M2 MBP' and '14" MBP', like what's the difference? Can't you just use full forms with the complete configuration? We don't have a problem with having smaller graphs...
Really needed a reliable opinion on what to choose between extra storage vs extra ram for 200 bucks! Thanks Dave for this, always look forward to your videos.
The baseline is 16gb for RAM and 1TB for storage in 2023. If you can't afford getting more storage at the very least upgrade the RAM as storage can be expanded via external drives, whereas you need to buy a completely new Mac to get more ram since RAM is no longer swappable.
If you stick with 8gb of RAM, don't be surprised if you face system slowdown with certain programs either today or in the near future.
Battery King, Easily work 2 days or 16 hours on single charge, I charged the laptop to 100% at 10.00PM, then closed the lid without turning it off, then on next day morning at 11.00AM I started working on website development with 50% brightness [ no music etc. running in background ], then stopped for 2 hours from 4.00PM to 6.00PM again closed the lid didn't turn off, then again worked from 6.00PM to 9.00PM, and closed the lid with 55% battery left, then on next day again started work again at 11.00AM with same schedule and at 7.00PM battery was at 10% plugged the charger by the time I am done working battery was again at 100%
The pricing is competitive . I like how they priced the m2 air 13 , 15 and m2 13 pro . Wished they'd chill out on that ram pricing . $200 for 8 extra gigs ? really apple . I am guessing it doesn't even cost them 20 . Also wish the price of m1 air to come down . It's already an excellent deal but it's been 2 years man . Cut us broke students some slack
The worst is u can't upgrade anything
Complete blasphemy for 1300 u can get a pc laptop that will destroy this macbook with better specs
@@snow-uq4gx With 18 hours of battery life, running cool as a cucumber, and the reliability and level of polish of Mac laptops?
@@snow-uq4gx You really can't get a 1300 PC laptop that destroys this MacBook. I agree with the upgradable aspect, but I own both windows and MacBooks, and the experience with a MacBook at this price point is much better than a Windows product. You must be biased towards gaming.. which is okay.. but many people don't care about that.
@@snow-uq4gx battery life is just better on macs, screens too, speakers too (mbpros). i could go for a windows thin and light, they have poor battery , heating issues, and performance issues. I could go for more of the bang for buck approach with gaming laptops but they are too heavy for a uni student, have fan noise issues, and bad battery life. I guess its really up to your usage . for me i am buying the 13 " MB pro m2 16 gb for 1400$ (student discount) and anything i see in the windows space just doesn't have it all
Look around a little harder-- m1 Air’s can be found for $799 fairly often
Honestly Dave just love your videos! They're always so packed with info and respectful of our time! Plenty of other 10+min videos don't give anywhere nearly as much insight as this 6min vid. Particularly for what I was looking for, no one was comparing the 14" MBP speakers to the 15" Air speakers somehow! But that's the dilemma I was in. Thanks for comparing them and glad to hear they're roughly similar.
Getting a second-hand M1 Pro 14" MBP tomorrow to replace my 2018 MBP 15" which, as you reviewed in the past, has excellent speakers, so curious to see how they compare!
Dave2D and MKBHD menstrual cycles are in sync😂
Love that all your videos are on point, no BS. Please never change
Apple should revive the 12" Macbook but with M series chips. Price it at the entry level Macbook Air ($999) and it'll be a good sell. Will definitely buy one if they bring it back.
It’s basically the new air 13
Why would you want small screen if 13 inch is still very compact and portable , trust me super small screen on laptop is painfull to use , unless it is like gpd win device which is a handheld laptop
Love the videos man
Thanks for all you do 🎉
Thanks for the pragmatic view on the SSD situation, people act like the slower SSD is unusable. Been needing to pick up a mac for a while to do some IOS development, I think the 15" air is exactly what I need.
I’ll just warn in my experience I think hitting swap even on 16GB RAM is way easier than Dave realizes, I strongly believe more storage has significantly more real world benefit for almost everyone.
Wow! That speaker test was a game changer for me! Been really debating on what to get because I'm upgrading from a 2019 iMac and I'm tired of not being able to carry any computer with me when I'm out. Been watching lots of reviews for the 15" MBA but now I'm 100% convinced because of this video. 🎉 Thanks a lot!! You make great content that's very helpful to general users who doesn't really care nor understand the more technical jargons.
If apple ever fixes their pricing (the cost for RAM and storage upgrades) then they might have the most perfect computer lineup of any company.
it's not a bug, it's a (profit maximization) feature! 😁
@@francoisbouchet9907 You misspelled Greed
Yes super greedy pricing. when you start configuring a mac book on their site then you are at that point like okay its just 200$ more for the pro lets get that and then you are like okay buying this expensive machine let me make it future proof by adding more ram and then people fall in their pricing trap. I am happy that I went with thinkpad.
I thought like you for the past 8 years. Just got a M1 Air (also own a Lenovo with Ryzen 7 & 3070m)
Here are some things (when we can game) that will make me dump my windows devices:
- Old to new laptop is 5 clicks
- iCloud works perfectly (I do video edit, sound, PS, AF, etc)
- easy to carry around
- battery last over 1 day and you don’t carry a gigantic charger
- AirDrop (I use an app on Windows and it’s just not the same fast workflow)
- iPhone + Mac combo is really the best one
@@JVCKAZZ until M1 the mac lineup was literal garbage though. Macs being good is a very recent thing.
I was also 'conned' into getting the M1 Pro 16" MacBook Pro. I only wanted the display size. My previous 13" M1 MacBook Air was more than fast enough.
I personally always thought that the 13inch MBP should have been the MBA , without the touch bar and price hike of 200-300usd ofc but including the extra thunderbolt port. Macbook fans are very quiet so it wouldn't ruin the quiet experience MBA users might like and the fan increases the longevity of by keeping the components cooler while giving slightly better performance.
Wow, i really love how concise your reviews are. Thanks.
Ya know what I’m just gonna say it. Dave2D is the best tech reviewer on CZcams.
Side note: I love the waveform that shows how the speakers perform across the frequency spectrum. ❤
@Person Don’t get me wrong, MKBHD is great. But he doesn’t cover laptops (other than Apple). Dave covers just about anything tech and does a great job on all of them.
Before I bought my M1 MBA I worried so much about whether I should pay for the extra ram or get the base model on discount. I can say 2 years later that I have never even one time noticed a lack of ram and I'm very happy I didn't shell out the $ for it. I'm a software engineer tho, not a video editor.
I wanted the larger screen and so I got the MBP 16 for about $3,100. I don't need the CPU, GPU horsepower though I do like the 32 GB of RAM. The 16 is a chungus for traveling too. 2 USB-C ports are enough for me. The speakers on the 16 are great but I came from the 2015 MacBook Pro 15 so I could live without it. Now I'm not going to sell my 16 and go out to buy a 15 but I think that I would have gone with the 15 Air if they were out at the same time.
They really should’ve just put M2 Pro and a fan in this thing… raise the price by a couple hundred bucks… you would’ve had so much better of a machine.
@@abubakrakram6208 I think that they want a demarcation between the Air and the Pro. Things will get more interesting when M3 comes out as it should have better thermals and may well not need a fan. I wouldn't mind a 15 inch air with something like 6 efficiency cores and 2 performance cores. Battery life would be insane.
11" or similar please, small 16x10 laptop. Perfect time to bring it back with Apple Silicon and improved displays. I love my iPad Pro but would like a portable Mac as well.
I've got a 1TB 16inch MBP with M1 Pro and 16GB RAM. I've had it since the fall of 2022 and to this day, I hammer myself over the head for not going with 32GB RAM. It was a 400€ option though. And I already paid 3150€ for it.. At the time it seemed to much. But since I do a lot of windows VMing, I really struggle sometimes. Thank god that first gen 1TB disc is like.. 6.8GB/s to keep up with all the page-ins..
Yes for prosumers, 32GB is the minimum. The 16GB option is best for those buying it for the added luxuries rather than for heavy workloads. Hopefully others reading this comment will take your wise advice and buy 32GB. That $400 is well spent.
I’ve seen a lot of real world tests that couldn’t really find a performance difference when the machine started using ssd swap for memory because the SOC design makes it so efficient. Maybe you found a use case the testers didn’t find but maybe extra memory wouldn’t have helped you
I think the “buy more RAM” common sense advice was 100% true in the intel days but a lot of people don’t realize how different things are nowadays with Apple Silicon
@@jmunt True, for sensible average users 8GB of RAM for ultrabooks is fine. Obviously MaxTech tests were extreme to the point of being irrelevant and people seem to fail to understand that.
dave your audio engineering is so good it sounds like you're sitting in my ear talking. keep doing what you're doing, bravo.
What sucks about the 8GB / 256 GB base config, with the outrageous upgrade costs, is that they're kind of forcing themselves into offering the same exact thing for the M3 series.
I am sure if all Windows OEMs started at 16GB (they have >90% of the market) then Apple would have to change. But checking out all premium Windows ultrabooks (XPS 13 Plus, Galaxy Book3 Pro, etc) they all start at 8GB. You are banging your head against the wrong wall. Windows has a monopoly and at the moment they have no interest in base 16GB RAM on their ultrabooks; why would Apple change?
@@andyH_England Hell, it was Apple that went to 256gb base storage before Microsoft did. Which is surprising to be honest.
@@andyH_England dude none of the book3 series start with 8gb... and XPS 13 PLUS at 8gb is only the last 12th gen intel model, they don't make 8gb anymore
@@jesusbarrera6916 You need to do better research. I have an 8GB/256GB Galaxy Book3 Pro, so I know. Just checked the latest gen XPS 13 & XPS 13 Plus, and both start at 8GB for the base in the UK. So I do not know that you are making fake claims. I also checked the MS Surface Pro and a few others; they all start with 8GB. It would help if you were honest with yourself.
@@andyH_England look dude I don't live in the UK with barely 67 million other people
I checked the US sites
as always, great review, thx for doing this 🙂
It is lovely. Too big for me personally (I think 13" is the perfect laptop size) but amazing for those who want it.
Also for a non-pro device, my M2 base-model Air handles 'Pro' tasks shockingly well, crank up the RAM and you have a device that is professional enough for many.
I guess the bigger screen makes the notch look smaller..., so that's something....
I'm probably going to be in the minority here but I prefer the smaller M2 MBA 13, it's just so crazy portable. When I need big I've got my Mac desktop and 27" monitor. For me that's the best of all worlds.
I'm a pro user because I think my laptop should have ports on the right side besides a headphone jack. I happily bought a MacBook Pro 16" in late 2021 for DJing. I don't even use it that often, but when I do, I want all three of those USB-C ports, and I want at least one on the right. Two would be better. I also think HDMI is really helpful to have built-in. I would have loved to carry a lighter computer. I don't need the extra horsepower of the M2 Pro for DJing, but I don't feel comfortable replacing my machine with one missing ports. Apple psychology at play!
Now, what about other people? Well, this machine is $100-$200 less than I thought it would cost, an answer to recession, and that takes it from not recommended to meh. If you'd benefit from the nicer screen, the ports, or the performance, you should still buy the Pro machines, and I think anyone buying this should skip the base RAM and storage configurations. That means you're looking at a $1700 Air versus M1 Pro 14" computers for as little as $1150 on eBay used (easy to find at $1350). I mean, come on! Those machines are better in every way except the weigh a bit more, don't quite last as long, and the screen is ever-so-slightly smaller, but so is the footprint! M1 Pro remains the machine to beat for Apple's Air offerings. I like the Air. It's not a terrible choice, but the M1 Pro is underpriced by comparison.
I love that you actually do sound comparison, it’s really awesome
I love how your shirt matches the colors of the fish tank sitting behind you
How do you manage such good objective analysis reviews in such short form videos?!?
great review but what would really be the best for business and photography needs?
- The 15-inch MacBook Air has been highly anticipated and is expected to be Apple's best-selling laptop.
- Many people have been wanting a bigger screen on Apple computers without having to pay for the Pro devices.
- The 15-inch MacBook Air has similarities to the 13-inch model, including the keyboard, key spacing, and color options.
- Performance between the two models is surprisingly similar, with both having thermal limitations under heavy workload.
- The port configurations, headphone jacks, and color-matched MagSafe cables are the same for both models.
- The 15-inch device is slightly thicker but the difference is barely noticeable.
- The main difference is the screen size, with the 15-inch having significantly more surface area and providing a better experience for those who prefer big screens.
- The resolution is higher on the 15-inch model, but it lacks the Mini-LED backlighting and 120Hz promotion of the MacBook Pro displays.
- Dave2D praises the speaker system on the 15-inch MacBook Air, considering it surprisingly good for such a thin device, comparable to the 14 and 16-inch models.
- The trackpad on the 15-inch model is slightly bigger to maintain proper size and proportion.
- Battery life is similar between the two models, with a minor difference.
- The base price for the 15-inch model starts at $1300, $100 more than the 13-inch model, but it offers the full M2 Chip.
- RAM and storage upgrades are expensive, with $200 extra for each upgrade. RAM upgrades are recommended over storage upgrades.
- The slower speed of the base model storage (256GB) is not a significant issue for regular computing needs.
- The real size of the 15-inch MacBook Air is best experienced in person, as it has a larger footprint than the 13-inch model and may not fit in smaller bags.
- For those seeking a compact and portable device, the 13-inch MacBook Air is still the better option.
I was going to go for the 14 inch pro, for the larger screen, but wasn't jazzed about the price, this will probably be everything I need in a laptop without too much modification.
I have found some 16 inch M1 Max / Pro and 14 inch ones on the second hand market that are VERY good deals. I recommend checking those out. You're starting with more RAM and storage.
Thanks so much for addressing the slow ssd performance with your chart at 5:09. So many written reviews just ignored the slow ass ssd problem in the 13" MBA with their reviews that got posted today.
I liked how you compared the audio to PC’s as well. Very nice.
Goddamn, this is the most concise and informational review I’ve seen in a while, props to you Dave!
Not sure about picking the ram vs storage, like in M1 Mac Mini, it should tap the storage as ram. But then again, it depends what you are using it for. I would def not get 32 GB ram if you are not running video editing apps. I would go with 16 GB (200 dollar) and 1TB.
In a taredown Miani showed that the speakers wrap around in an L in these and have a bigger driver. Pretty cool, cause logic board is almost identical to the 13”.
Only (potential) issue I saw was they added internal extensions for the Thunderbolt ports which could fail.. but you could argue with MagSafe they won’t be getting half the wear and tare my M1 MacBook Air does.
I’d trade up for one in a heartbeat tbh.. I’m almost blind without my glasses on and my MacBook is my home entertainment I don't even have a smart tv anymore. So watching it at night falling asleep can be tough.. more or less a bunch of colors moving around lol.
you and Luke always get the best video and b-roll thanks for that extra effort. most of the small channels want you to stare at tue person and not the computer, and those blow.
Picked up mine today. Love it!!!!
Hey Dave, when are you reviewing the Legion Slim 7i and also the new Asus devices?
If a Windows laptop had this port selection, thermal throttling, inability to play games and pricing structure all of you would hate it.
People in the US are so insanely lucky. This releases as he said in the video in the US for 1300 dollars, but in my country, Norway, the price STARTS at 19490 kr, which is the equivalent to 1804 dollars. 500 dollars difference on the base model is out of this world.
Dave looks younger with that hairstyle lol and i am probably gonna pick up m3 macbook air 15 when it comes out next year
great video. so what is your advice for daily use not heavy user : buy 13 and upgrade ram to 16 gb or buy 15 with the default spec? as they are same price
100% Agree - I have the base got the MacBook Air with 16GB of Ram.... I have been using my Macbook for over a year now - SSD speed is not noticeable. It really is not. I dont know why that issue got so much traction. Anyone looking for MacOS - Consider the Base model - if you can upgrade go for the RAM - Storage dont worry... you can even plug in a USB drive with 512 GB and instantly you will get 50% more storage. Battery is not magical - Depend on what you do - For me I use Teams (for long calls) multiple spreadsheets, Safari and Edge then Mail, what's app, notes, and FaceTime and messages. Mine taste most days about 8- 10 hours - Some days it will die lot quicker... Thats my experience. I moved from M1 MacBook Air - ( if I had to do this again - I would not go for new M2) Simply there is not much difference.
@Dave2D
It’s 32.6 cm x 21.2 cm 😉 not mm at 2:07
25% greater surface area will make a massive difference when splitting screens 🙌. Great advice for going for more RAM! Definitely makes more sense to prioritize this.
It really does. It's my main now. The footprint doesn't feel that much bigger, but the screen does. It's kinda weird
Large-screen Mac I TRULY wanted when I got the chunky, heavy 2021 M1 MBP 16”. Don’t need the extra power 🤷🏽♀️
Omfg the review was so short, to the point, and practical. Thank you!
Concise and to the point.. My boy D2D hits another home run! 👏🏽
Great video as always ❤
slow storage difference will become apparent over time.
can any apple user actually tell me what intensive work do they do on their macbooks?
I appreciate that your videos value my time.
@Dave2D the macs have woofers that face down and use the surface you place the mb on to amplify bass and enhance the "spatial audio" or stereo image.
the slits on the sides of the macs are for sound ;)
Compact and informative comparison/review. Thanks Dave :)
One little note: I'd love it if you could look at the way you calculate percentages when comparing the two screen sizes. Theres an argument to be made that one could have said that the 13" Air is ~ 21% smaller than the 15" model. (2:18)
is it really thin? is it? I still remember previous MacBook, it was thinner and it was on intel with coolers. I don't get it, maybe I should go to store to see it, but it doesn't look thin to me
yooo i didnt know Astro Boy was reviewing laptop on your channel too....dooopee🔥🔥
I've watched lots of videos regarding RAM vs SSD and the base model SSD. None really answered my questions, Dave did it in 10 seconds. Best reviewer on CZcams.
Loved the Apollo mention
Quick and simple review. Well delivered.
Still weird to have a 15 inch laptop with only two ports.
Now we wait for the long-coveted 19 inch Macbook Pros
Man, nobody ever properly showed why they were amazed by the speakers until you compared it to the competition. Like, holy lol, no wonder everyone says Apple dominates the market in that section.
Great, concise review.. thank you! 👏🏻👍🏻
Great unbiased and fair review as always! 👍
great review except for one kind of major flaw: that app you use to increase the brightness of the screen on MBP, look at the video yourself, it's just blowing out the contrast really badly; it isn't actually taking the screen brightness higher. Could you do an accurate comparison?
Hey Dave, looking to buy a base model mac air for high school. Not gonna be using it for anything super stressful but just wondering if the m2 13 is worth it over the m1. Would very much appreciate a reply, love your stuff man!