MBA shelf life - how old dare I go?

[Merveilleux]

Hi!

I’m used to replacing my Macs every 3-4 years, going back 20+ years now. However, come May this year my trusty old MBA (2012 model, purchased 2013) is celebrating 11 years. It’s kept up well and I mainly use it for music production with Ableton Live 10. I’ve replaced its batteries twice and it’s kept it going well.

It’s time to purchase something new and I’ve been eyeing the M1 range of Airs. There’s a local deal ending tomorrow on an MBA M1 base with 16g ram, discounted approx €250 which is good for where I’m located. Total price approx €1200. The MBP is €900 more and I’m reluctant to stretch that far.

To the question: is it likely that an M1 MBA sold through a large electronics chain has got >2 years shelf life already? I’m concerned about battery performance. Would the M2 MBA be a wiser choice? The M2 retails with 8gb RAM for €100 more than the M1 deal.

TL;DR - is it unwise to consider an M1 or even M2 MBA given possible shelf life in the era of M2/M3 Macs? Performance wise they have equal performance cores in the base model. Use cases suggest it’ll do fine for my needs with 8 cores in total.

Thanks!

 

[JPack]

If the M1 MBA has been sitting for two years, the battery will be damaged and you'll know. MacOS will tell you service is required as the battery cannot hold a normal charge. I would not worry about that issue unless the reseller has a very poor return policy.

I'd choose the M1 given the high prices you're reporting. My only concern would be the base storage. If you intend to keep M1 MBA for another 5-10 years, is 256GB storage enough?

 

[Merveilleux]

If the M1 MBA has been sitting for two years, the battery will be damaged and you'll know. MacOS will tell you service is required as the battery cannot hold a normal charge. I would not worry about that issue unless the reseller has a very poor return policy.

I'd choose the M1 given the high prices you're reporting. My only concern would be the base storage. If you intend to keep M1 MBA for another 5-10 years, is 256GB storage enough?

Thanks, good point. I live in Sweden where we have protective consumer rights. I suppose a warranty or refund issue can be resolved reasonably well if I’m unlucky.

Good point re storage. I’m on 128g now which is limiting, I used an external SD in the card slot of the old air to extend the storage capability but to be honest I don’t plan on using very large sample libraries and such. I’m also using some outboard kit so that keeps it less draining in terms of storage. I’d definitely want to keep the next one going for 5-6 years.

 

[AJB1971]

You can check when a device was manufactured on the following site if you know the serial number. Try it with your current Air.

Wat is dit serienummer?

The serial number will be visible on the back of the box without breaking the seals. Maybe you could explain the situation to the retailer and ask them if they will let you check it?

The M1 Air with the 7-Core GPU is still being sold by Apple, so the chances are it isn't that old if it's one of those. The 8-Core GPU model was discontinued when the M2 Air launched.

 

[HuNay]

Hi!

I’m used to replacing my Macs every 3-4 years, going back 20+ years now. However, come May this year my trusty old MBA (2012 model, purchased 2013) is celebrating 11 years. It’s kept up well and I mainly use it for music production with Ableton Live 10. I’ve replaced its batteries twice and it’s kept it going well.

It’s time to purchase something new and I’ve been eyeing the M1 range of Airs. There’s a local deal ending tomorrow on an MBA M1 base with 16g ram, discounted approx €250 which is good for where I’m located. Total price approx €1200. The MBP is €900 more and I’m reluctant to stretch that far.

To the question: is it likely that an M1 MBA sold through a large electronics chain has got >2 years shelf life already? I’m concerned about battery performance. Would the M2 MBA be a wiser choice? The M2 retails with 8gb RAM for €100 more than the M1 deal.

TL;DR - is it unwise to consider an M1 or even M2 MBA given possible shelf life in the era of M2/M3 Macs? Performance wise they have equal performance cores in the base model. Use cases suggest it’ll do fine for my needs with 8 cores in total.

Thanks!

If there’s a return window then you’ve got a chance at setting it up just to see when the battery was manufactured (like with coconutBattery, a free app), so you can judge it based on that date and the capacity listed

 

[Merveilleux]

You can check when a device was manufactured on the following site if you know the serial number. Try it with your current Air.

Wat is dit serienummer?

The serial number will be visible on the back of the box without breaking the seals. Maybe you could explain the situation to the retailer and ask them if they will let you check it?

The M1 Air with the 7-Core GPU is still being sold by Apple, so the chances are it isn't that old if it's one of those. The 8-Core GPU model was discontinued when the M2 Air launched.

Thanks for the tip, it’s a good idea. Is that site legit?

Yes it’s 7-Core GPU according to the PDP of the resellers website so should be ok in that sense. How “old” of a product would you find acceptable?

 

[Merveilleux]

If there’s a return window then you’ve got a chance at setting it up just to see when the battery was manufactured (like with coconutBattery, a free app), so you can judge it based on that date and the capacity listed

Also a great tip. Thank you!
If I understand it correctly, coconutBattery is installed and post installation able to discern the batteries production age? Incredible

 

[AJB1971]

Thanks for the tip, it’s a good idea. Is that site legit?

Yes it’s 7-Core GPU according to the PDP of the resellers website so should be ok in that sense. How “old” of a product would you find acceptable?

Yes, it’s a legitimate website. It decodes the information contained in the serial number. Other sites provide the same information, but this was the first one that I remembered.

Sorry, I’m not in a position to offer advice on battery degradation in an unused device. All I would be doing is repeating information from elsewhere.

Based on what you’ve said, I wouldn’t be concerned. You’re contemplating buying a ‘new’ product from a retailer, not an individual, and that product is still being sold by the manufacturer. If there are any issues with the battery, I suspect they will be noticeable during the warranty period.

CoconutBattery shows the following information:

 

[HuNay]

Also a great tip. Thank you!
If I understand it correctly, coconutBattery is installed and post installation able to discern the batteries production age? Incredible

No problem, yes if you click on “Battery Info...” there’s a manufacturing date field, then another one saying how many days it’s been since then. It gets some date code from the battery’s serial number, as those aren’t random

 

[Merveilleux]

Yes, it’s a legitimate website. It decodes the information contained in the serial number. Other sites provide the same information, but this was the first one that I remembered.

Sorry, I’m not in a position to offer advice on battery degradation in an unused device. All I would be doing is repeating information from elsewhere.

Based on what you’ve said, I wouldn’t be concerned. You’re contemplating buying a ‘new’ product from a retailer, not an individual, and that product is still being sold by the manufacturer. If there are any issues with the battery, I suspect they will be noticeable during the warranty period.

CoconutBattery shows the following information:
View attachment 2341857

Hugely helpful reply, thanks again for taking your time. I'll try to get the M1 Air tomorrow then!

 

[Merveilleux]

No problem, yes if you click on “Battery Info...” there’s a manufacturing date field, then another one saying how many days it’s been since then. It gets some date code from the battery’s serial number, as those aren’t random

Fantastic info! thanks again!

 

[AJB1971]

Hugely helpful reply, thanks again for taking your time. I'll try to get the M1 Air tomorrow then!

Not to put a dampener on your decision, but the M3 Airs are likely to appear in a couple of months, and the M1 Airs will probably be discontinued (Apple could put the M2 chip in the old chassis). That could mean there are deals on the M2 Airs.

There are a lot of factors to consider, such as how long you can wait before upgrading, the availability of 16GB M2 Airs, how good the deal is on the M1 Air, how much you want to spend, etc. I certainly think you're sensible in going for 16GB of RAM as it sounds like you will be keeping the machine for a long time.

I'm just making sure it's a fully informed decision. I still think the M1 Air is a good device, and it will be a huge upgrade on your existing Air.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Some advice from experience: if you keep the laptop, try not to get obsessed with checking coconut battery, though 😅

It’s easy to fall into that trap and the readout will likely vary depending on what you give your laptop to do etc.

Mine sometimes shows 99%, other times 98.2% design capacity and the next day it’s back to 99%

Other than that, enjoy the laptop. It’s a great machine

 

[MacProFCP]

Hi!

I’m used to replacing my Macs every 3-4 years, going back 20+ years now. However, come May this year my trusty old MBA (2012 model, purchased 2013) is celebrating 11 years. It’s kept up well and I mainly use it for music production with Ableton Live 10. I’ve replaced its batteries twice and it’s kept it going well.

It’s time to purchase something new and I’ve been eyeing the M1 range of Airs. There’s a local deal ending tomorrow on an MBA M1 base with 16g ram, discounted approx €250 which is good for where I’m located. Total price approx €1200. The MBP is €900 more and I’m reluctant to stretch that far.

To the question: is it likely that an M1 MBA sold through a large electronics chain has got >2 years shelf life already? I’m concerned about battery performance. Would the M2 MBA be a wiser choice? The M2 retails with 8gb RAM for €100 more than the M1 deal.

TL;DR - is it unwise to consider an M1 or even M2 MBA given possible shelf life in the era of M2/M3 Macs? Performance wise they have equal performance cores in the base model. Use cases suggest it’ll do fine for my needs with 8 cores in total.

Thanks!

If you’re looking to keep a computer for more than five years, you should always buy the newest.

If you’re looking to replace this computer in less than five years an M1 is just fine. However, I would not buy anything that is used and especially not a demo unit as they typically are abused.

 

[Merveilleux]

Not to put a dampener on your decision, but the M3 Airs are likely to appear in a couple of months, and the M1 Airs will probably be discontinued (Apple could put the M2 chip in the old chassis). That could mean there are deals on the M2 Airs.

There are a lot of factors to consider, such as how long you can wait before upgrading, the availability of 16GB M2 Airs, how good the deal is on the M1 Air, how much you want to spend, etc. I certainly think you're sensible in going for 16GB of RAM as it sounds like you will be keeping the machine for a long time.

I'm just making sure it's a fully informed decision. I still think the M1 Air is a good device, and it will be a huge upgrade on your existing Air.

Thanks for your input. It's all fair points. I did end up buying the M1 Air today, but the store has a 60 day return policy (if unopened) so i'll just keep it for some time and see what happens in March. In case of other deals i could return it for something else. I'm not in a rush to start using it either.

Below is the current price comparison, to the left the deal I got on the M1 MBA. To the right the current M2 pricing for an equivalent spec in terms of RAM and HD space, with a discount applied at the Apple store which i'm entitled to. Not sure the 40% uplift in price is warranted. Currency using current spot rates, so might fluctuate slightly - which shows that my original post above overestimated the prices in EUR.

	MBA, M1 16/256	MBA, M2 16/256	Delta
SEK	12495	17367	38,99%
EUR	1100	1528
GBP	937	1302
USD	1200	1667

 

[Merveilleux]

Some advice from experience: if you keep the laptop, try not to get obsessed with checking coconut battery, though 😅

It’s easy to fall into that trap and the readout will likely vary depending on what you give your laptop to do etc.

Mine sometimes shows 99%, other times 98.2% design capacity and the next day it’s back to 99%

Other than that, enjoy the laptop. It’s a great machine

Oh, that's good advice - i could see myself getting obsessive over it 🙃

What laptop do you use?

 

[Merveilleux]

If you’re looking to keep a computer for more than five years, you should always buy the newest.

If you’re looking to replace this computer in less than five years an M1 is just fine. However, I would not buy anything that is used and especially not a demo unit as they typically are abused.

It's a fair point and with my previous macs i've always gotten the newest. I remember getting the first intel iMac in 2006! Those computers are supported longer etc, and i've been tempted to get the M2 but i don't see the value given a 40% uplift in price for comparable RAM and HD space.

Current music production software isn't very heavy any longer vs. contemporary computer performance. My current 2013 air handles my DAW called Ableton Live really well, but there are occasional issues with crashes or CPU limits. According to some pretty credible testers such as James Zhan there are diminishing benefits with M3, albeit i'm not getting the PRO version. Have a look at his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JamesZhan

 

[Merveilleux]

If there’s a return window then you’ve got a chance at setting it up just to see when the battery was manufactured (like with coconutBattery, a free app), so you can judge it based on that date and the capacity listed

Ps. I ended up getting the M1 today, and the store has a 60 day return policy no questions asked (as long as the box is unopened), so I'll keep it closed and bide my time until the rumored M3 Air launch in March.... Thanks again for your help

 

[AJB1971]

Thanks for your input. It's all fair points. I did end up buying the M1 Air today, but the store has a 60 day return policy (if unopened) so i'll just keep it for some time and see what happens in March. In case of other deals i could return it for something else. I'm not in a rush to start using it either.

Below is the current price comparison, to the left the deal I got on the M1 MBA. To the right the current M2 pricing for an equivalent spec in terms of RAM and HD space, with a discount applied at the Apple store which i'm entitled to. Not sure the 40% uplift in price is warranted. Currency using current spot rates, so might fluctuate slightly - which shows that my original post above overestimated the prices in EUR.

	MBA, M1 16/256	MBA, M2 16/256	Delta
SEK	12495	17367	38,99%
EUR	1100	1528
GBP	937	1302
USD	1200	1667

It’s a good idea to keep your options open, and I agree that it’s difficult to justify that sort of premium for the M2 Air.

By the way, did you check the serial number to find out when the M1 Air was manufactured? It should be on the back of the box.

Coincidentally, I was listing a smartphone for sale today and noticed that the battery was manufactured on the 17th of June 2023, and the phone was not activated until the 10th of November 2023. Even on newly introduced devices, the batteries can be a few months old.

Anyway, congratulations on your purchase, if you decide to keep it.

 

[Merveilleux]

It’s a good idea to keep your options open, and I agree that it’s difficult to justify that sort of premium for the M2 Air.

By the way, did you check the serial number to find out when the M1 Air was manufactured? It should be on the back of the box.

Coincidentally, I was listing a smartphone for sale today and noticed that the battery was manufactured on the 17th of June 2023, and the phone was not activated until the 10th of November 2023. Even on newly introduced devices, the batteries can be a few months old.

Anyway, congratulations on your purchase, if you decide to keep it.

I actually ran it in the store via chipmunk but didn’t get a hit, oddly enough. Or rather, the site loaded results but nothing happened. Perhaps there are alternative sites?

Five months doesn’t sound too bad, but it’s an interesting finding.

Thanks again for your advice!

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Oh, that's good advice - i could see myself getting obsessive over it 🙃

What laptop do you use?

For personal use (writing, photography, music etc.) I have an M1 MBA with 8 GB RAM. I absolutely love that computer. I’ve always been a fan of the MBA, but since the introduction of Apple Silicon it’s really become THE laptop for me.

I used it for work up until recently as well, but I started a new job and now I have to use a Windows laptop for work 🥲

 

[JPack]

I actually ran it in the store via chipmunk but didn’t get a hit, oddly enough. Or rather, the site loaded results but nothing happened. Perhaps there are alternative sites?

Five months doesn’t sound too bad, but it’s an interesting finding.

Thanks again for your advice!

Serial numbers have been randomized for over two years now. You won't be able to determine the manufacturing date any more. The date format stored on the battery pack chip has been changed. This means third party software can no longer tell you the date. Even the date printed on the battery pack itself has been removed.

Apple Planning Switch to Randomized Serial Numbers for Future Products Starting in 'Early 2021'

Apple will soon be making a significant change to its serial number format for future products that will see some key information stripped out. In...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Merveilleux]

Serial numbers have been randomized for over two years now. You won't be able to determine the manufacturing date any more. The date format stored on the battery pack chip has been changed. This means third party software can no longer tell you the date. Even the date printed on the battery pack itself has been removed.

Apple Planning Switch to Randomized Serial Numbers for Future Products Starting in 'Early 2021'

Apple will soon be making a significant change to its serial number format for future products that will see some key information stripped out. In...

www.macrumors.com

Cheeky move by Apple. Thanks for letting me know!

On to finding a Thunderbolt hub… this was a fun read https://overengineer.dev/blog/2021/04/25/usb-c-hub-madness.html

 

[HuNay]

Ps. I ended up getting the M1 today, and the store has a 60 day return policy no questions asked (as long as the box is unopened), so I'll keep it closed and bide my time until the rumored M3 Air launch in March.... Thanks again for your help

Good to hear, & no problem!