Hi everyone, in this article we will show you the comparison between the two amazing laptops MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Air M1. Apple introduced a redesigned version of MacBook Air last week, which is equipped with a next-generation M2 chip. If you own the original MacBook Air M1 and have been thinking about upgrading, or if you’re new to the MacBook Air and are trying to decide between the two, we’ve created a handy comparison video that pits the MacBook Air M2 against the previous-generation MacBook Air M1. You can even use cool cases for MacBook Air
Apple’s MacBook Air is the company’s lightest, thinnest, and most affordable notebook. The Air is regularly our top recommendation for anyone who needs a solid, reliable everyday notebook. And when Apple launched the 2020 MacBook Air with its first-generation M1 system-on-chip, the performance was as impressive as the design at the $999 price point. Now the new MacBook Air with Apple’s new M2 SoC is here. The M2-based Air looks better in every respect, but is also more expensive with a starting price of $1,199.
MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Air M1
Design
This time, the MacBook Air has received a completely new design. The M2 Air borrows heavily from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and now has a square design instead of the previous wedge shape – it’s a bit thinner than the M1 Air at its thickest point. we like the design, with my only complaint being that it’s a bit harder to grip than the M1 Air.
The curved wedge shape of the M1 MacBook Air made it really easy to grip on the front edge, while the front of the M2 Air is a bit too flat for me to get my fingers under easily.
Keyboard and trackpad
The M2 Air’s keyboard feels a little different to me than the M1 Air’s, but the change isn’t significant, and we can’t say we prefer one side or the other. The main improvement to the M2 keyboard is that the function bar, which were previously half-height keys, are now all the way up. The larger top row of keys is what we notice most when we want to use the Touch ID sensor.
It has the same round, recessed sensor as on the larger 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The M2 Air’s trackpad is also slightly wider than the M1 Air’s and has a different feel. We prefer the feel of the M1 trackpad, but the M2’s trackpad is still fantastic.
Display
First, the notch is there and seems to stay, at least on MacBooks. But the display of the MacBook Air M2 is now better than before. It’s a slightly larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2560×1664 pixels. And the brightness is now on par with the MacBook Pro 13’s 500 nits.
There’s more screen real estate to look at as the edges have been reduced. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air with the M1 model doesn’t have a bad display. The M1 model has a 13.3-inch Retina display that isn’t as bright as the new one. It has a peak brightness of 400 nits.
Performance
Everything depends on the performance. The newly introduced M2 chip is not a big upgrade over the M2, but it brings a 10-core GPU, and the standard variant has an 8-core GPU, while the M1 has a 7-core GPU. In addition, the M2 supports up to 24 GB of LPDDR5 unified memory. There’s also a ProRes video engine, 1.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and support for external monitors with up to 6K resolution. As such, the M2 is a great option for anyone involved in video editing.
Even Apple says that the MacBook Air M2 offers 1.2 times better graphics performance than the MacBook Air with M1. Compared to the Intel Core i5 model, the M2 offers 15 times better performance. So if you already own a MacBook Air M1, the new model may not be an enticing choice. But if you are still stuck with an Intel model, then the MacBook Air with M2 processor is the best choice for you to get the most out of your money. The webcam on the MacBook Air M2 has also been upgraded to a 1080P camera. It also has a quad speaker system and a beamforming microphone.
Price
Let’s talk about the price first, because it could be that your budget reaches its limit at a certain point and the decision depends on it.
The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) starts at $999 in the US and £999 in the UK. It is available in three color variants. The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) starts at 1199 US dollars in the US and 1249 pounds in the UK. It is available in four color variants.
Battery and speakers
Both the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Air promise 18 hours of battery life when watching videos and 15 hours when browsing the web. Of course, it depends on the user how long this is actually in use, but we came up with about 11 hours of productivity with the MacBook Air M1 and about 12 hours with the MacBook Air M2, so we’d say there was a slight improvement for us with the newer model.
We would say that overall speaker performance is better on the MacBook Air M1, even though the M2 Air offers four speakers. The 2020 model offers a wider soundstage, while the M2 MacBook Air sounds a bit muffled at higher volumes which is probably due to the positioning of the speakers. However, the M2 MacBook Air offers Spatial Audio support for the built-in speakers when playing music or videos with Dolby Atmos, and that works well.
Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is also supported when using AirPods 3, AirPods Max, and AirPods Pro, and that works great as well. The M1 MacBook Air does not support this, but you can still use AirPods with it, of course. However, the M1 MacBook Air does support Dolby Atmos playback and offers good overall sound through its stereo speakers. You can easily connect AirPods to Mac
Final Words
Having said all that, it’s obvious that the M2 MacBook Air is better than the M1 model in almost every way, but is it worth the higher price? The M1 MacBook Air starts at $999 with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, while the M2 model starts at $1,199 with its 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. Both models start with the same RAM and storage, but you can upgrade from there.
Whether the $200 upgrades are worth it is up to you to decide, but the M2 model offers many improvements: a brighter display, a better webcam, a more powerful audio system, a thinner and lighter design, a MagSafe port, and of course, more power. If you want to get the most performance possible, you’ll have to spend even more, since the 10-core GPU and 24GB of unified memory cost extra, but even without that, the M2 model will certainly perform better, and it has other benefits as well.
If you can comfortably spend the extra money on the MacBook Air with the M2 chip, the upgrade is worth it, but if you’re trying to buy something at a slightly lower price, you’ll still have a great experience with the M1 model. If you’re interested in a MacBook Pro or Air, just find out which model is best for you.
I hope you understand this article, MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Air M1: Which MacBook should you buy?.
