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M2 MacBook Air VS M1 MacBook Air! SILVER!

10:15 video

It’s Apple computer release day, and the brand new M2 MacBook Air is $200 more than the M1 MacBook Air I also have here. I compare the base models of both.

Specs

  • M1 Air (2020): 7-core GPU, 8-core CPU, 8 GB of memory, 256 GB SSD, 13.3-inch display, $999.
  • M2 Air (2022): 8-core GPU, 8-core CPU, 8 GB, 256 GB, 13.6-inch display, $1,199.

Display

Both are 2560 pixels wide; the M2 gets a little more height because of the notch. Love it or hate it, the notch is here to stay on iPhones and Macs. The M1 reaches up to 400 nits, the M2 up to 500 nits. Side by side at full brightness with the same wallpaper, it’s hard for me to see a difference (I didn’t use my Spyder X Elite to measure), and both look incredibly bright and are fine in most lighting. The 13.6-inch looks like a noticeably bigger display, closer to the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Design

The M2 has Apple’s newest, mostly flat and more symmetrical design language; the M1 has the iconic wedge. They feel about the same in the hand (about 2.8 vs. 2.7 pounds), but the wedge creates an imbalance, while the M2 feels balanced. I love the look and feel of the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and this is basically the same but thinner, lighter and more compact.

Keyboard and trackpad

The M2 has full-height function row keys and a Touch ID button, while the M1 has half-height keys and a smaller squared-off Touch ID. Typing feels exactly the same on both, which I love, since I switch devices all the time and Apple’s scissor-switch keyboards are consistent. The M2 trackpad is slightly larger, matching the 14-inch Pro’s (just over five inches wide vs. just under). It’s noticeable at first and doesn’t matter after a few minutes.

Speakers

The M2 has a new four-speaker system. With no speaker grilles on the front, I worried the sound bounced through the chassis, but it has much better overall clarity. As a drummer who listens to rock, I found the M1 might be slightly louder but loses high and low end: hi-hats, bass drums and bass notes get lost, while the M2 fills those in. I really enjoyed the M2’s sound, even at slightly lower volume.

Ports

Both have two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, but the M2 adds MagSafe, freeing a port for a hard drive, adapter or dongle while charging.

Performance

The M2’s 8-core GPU and CPU test faster in my initial Geekbench runs:

  • Single-core: about 10% faster, 1911 vs. 1732.
  • Multi-core: almost 20% faster (the digits in my notes are garbled, so I won’t quote them).
  • Metal (GPU): nearly 42% faster, mostly from the extra GPU core.

Most people know the storage speed differs between the base 256 GB M2 and M1: there is a difference, and it will take time to see if I notice it day to day. Right now I’m not concerned, but I know about it. Both should get up to 18 hours of battery life.

Is it worth $200?

For me, yes. You pay for design: the updated look, plus the extra port, slightly larger trackpad, 1080p camera, slightly taller screen, potentially brighter display, M2 performance and a far better-sounding speaker system add up to a $200 premium. The design alone probably isn’t worth $200, but it has value.

The M1 Air is still amazing, and with a strict $1,000-plus-tax budget there’s no reason not to recommend it. If you can stretch $200, the M2 is a fantastic update. If you don’t care about the camera, MagSafe or the extra pixels, put the $200 toward the 16 GB memory upgrade, to run multiple apps and take load off the SSD. Is the M2 worth it over the M1 for you?

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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