15-Inch MacBook Air Demand Reportedly 'Weaker Than Expected' So Far

[scrapesleon]

that's a lie have you not seen the tiktok videos about this device

 

[corinthos]

You’re not wrong. I’m a very technical user, yet even I am completely satisfied with my $750 (open box for $540) Windows machine. And then I upgraded the SSD to 1TB for a little over $100. Not to mention I have a 90Hz OLED screen. Leaves me scratching my head when I look at the Mac lineup.

Battery life and mac polish and ecosystem is the draw for some.

 

[lewchenko]

I might have got one of these if they had been available at the time but the limitation of 1 monitor and no pro motion screen was the rumour at the time so I got a 16” MBP instead on sale which probably works out at about the same price as a specced up 15” air for the same memory/SSD.
And so many benefits from the MBP - like a bigger 120hz screen for starters and no problem driving my 2 displays. Only downside is weight of the 16” but I hear the 15” Air isn’t exactly light weight either.

 

[lewchenko]

I honestly disagree and I’m a huge critic of Apple in this regard. The base 8gb/256gb is fine for probably most people who want a laptop nowadays in 99% of scenarios.

The issue is upgrade pricing. The M1 Air often goes on sale for $799 or $750, but if you want to upgrade to 16gb RAM and 1tb of storage, the MSRP is literally double the price, when in reality, those parts cost well less than $100 total.

I think the issue is whether that machine will last say 5years with just 8GB/256. I wouldn’t bet on it. And I agree the upgrade pricing is a massive turn off buying one.

My last MBP in 2013 was specced with 16GB/512. Back in 2013!

It lasted well. I only changed this year as the deal I got on a MBP 16” M1 Pro was decent. No way would I have paid new retail pricing of the current MBP 16” M2. It’s ridiculous in the UK.

 

[applesed]

Battery life and mac polish and ecosystem is the draw for some.

The OS user experience is better on the Mac. Some things are slow and clunky for no particular reason on Windows.

 

[Tagbert]

I think the issue is whether that machine will last say 5years with just 8GB/256. I wouldn’t bet on it. And I agree the upgrade pricing is a massive turn off buying one.

My last MBP in 2013 was specced with 16GB/512. Back in 2013!

It lasted well. I only changed this year as the deal I got on a MBP 16” M1 Pro was decent. No way would I have paid new retail pricing of the current MBP 16” M2. It’s ridiculous in the UK.

The amount of RAM used by the OS and apps has not significantly increased in the last 10 years.

 

[maxdefcon]

Crazy expensive for what it is. Was going to replace my Mid 2015 15" MacBook Pro till I found out it can only handle 1 external display. 😂

It can as I have an M1 connected to multiple displays. Check out DisplayLink.

 

[JunBringer]

I'd have gotten one if they came with more storage.

 

[Wokis]

Not surprised. Like I said, 15” is popular with PC laptops because it’s usually the cheapest option and cheapest is what sells.

On the Mac side, the 13’’ is still cheaper. And I also bet most people still find the 13” footprint preferable in many situations.

 

[platinumaqua]

MacBook Air 15.3 was designed with big profits in mind:
1. a ridiculous 8 GB/256GB RAM/SSD;
2. over $600 for a decent 16GB/1TB;
3. minimal ports;
4. LCD display at AMOLED price.
5. zero expandability;
6. zero repairability;
7. For “just” $1,900...
Grate job, Mr Cook.

Let's be real, the whole Apple Silicon lineup has the same problem

 

[ccsicecoke]

Let's be real, the whole Apple Silicon lineup has the same problem

And I thought switching to Apple Silicon would make Mac cheaper back in 2020 since it's cutting out a middle profit layer from Intel.

Boy I was wrong. It has to be more expensive to cover in house R&D

 

[drewaz]

I traded my 2 year old M1 MBA for the 15 inch MBA. My use is pretty basic ... media consumption, email, occasional video conferencing ... things of that nature. I'm lucky to have a Studio for more resource intensive uses. the 13 inch screen was small though and the 15 inch is much easier for me to use. I qualify for the educational price and received a $150 Apple gift card ... and got $510 for the M1 trade in. Not bad.

 

[Sweet_Caroline]

doesnt surprise me . 15 just is not portable. Totally ridiculous product. The Air name should be reserved for 10-13 inch devices. Not 15.

Not portable? I carry a 16 inch MacBook Pro daily, and no issues carrying it. It fits in my backpack with some other stuff.

 

[v0lume4]

The OS user experience is better on the Mac. Some things are slow and clunky for no particular reason on Windows.

Different strokes for different folks. I switched back to Windows after 12 years on Mac and Windows helps me to get so much more work done, so much more easily. I regret not switching back sooner.

I do recommend giving Windows a go if it’s been a while. Just make sure it’s on a nice machine. A $300 laptop running Windows will always appear inferior to a Mac.

 

[d4cloo]

Can’t justify the price. When configuring, I get in MacBook Pro territory. With a $200 reduction this product becomes a much better positioned device.
Also the M2 seemed like an modest upgraded chip VS M1.

 

[mannyvel]

My wife replaced her 15" Retina on launch day. Anecdotal reports are that businesses are buying it because the screen is bigger. We'll see on the call.

 

[platinumaqua]

And I thought switching to Apple Silicon would make Mac cheaper back in 2020 since it's cutting out a middle profit layer from Intel.

Boy I was wrong. It has to be more expensive to cover in house R&D

It's possible that they're cheaper for Apple and they're not passing the savings to consumers

 

[segfaultdotorg]

It's a branding issue. It should have been called the MacBook Air Pro.

 

[burgman]

256Gb SSD is overkill for me. Even with a Windows virtual machine, 200+ gb photo library and probably less than 10 Gb of documents, I still have 133 Gb available on my MacBook Air.

Uhh, math??

 

[cheesygrin]

I don't find this surprising, for one good reason: the price.

For years, I've wanted Apple to release a MacBook for those of us that simply wanted a bigger screen, but didn't need (or couldn't afford) the performance (or price) of a £2,500+ MBP 16". I had hoped this would be it.

It isn't. It starts at £1,400 GBP ($1,800 USD) - and that gives you a paltry 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Spec it up to a useable 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, and it is now £2,000 GBP ($2,600 USD). For the "more affordable" option, instead of a Pro.

Disappointed, I hit eBay and picked up a mint condition 2015 15" MBP with 16GB RAM and easily upgradeable SSD for £200 ($260 USD). It might only have software support for another year or two, but it still runs great for what I need, and at 1/10th the price, I'm happy.

 

[4odomi]

Honestly I think people get too hung up on processors in 2023. Even Apple’s lowest end processor is more than capable for 99% of the things a majority of users want to do on their machines. My 15 inch M2 Air is a terrific machine that does everything I want with room to spare, and all without a fan, which is pretty incredible. If your 2020 Intel machine is working for you there’s no good reason to upgrade, and that’s being a smart consumer.

I'm pleased you're happy with it 😊
Putting aside the much better screens, pro motion, much better speakers & IO's, more powerful processor for $300 more (16gb &512gb config) on the 14" Pro.....You can't use the Air outside sitting in a garden, when it's sunny 😊

 

[thmsnt]

Can’t wait for all the tech reviewer units to be sold at a nice discount in the refurbished store.

 

[4odomi]

Don't know if I can agree with that. Yes, the 13'' MBP doesn't belong, but otherwise, I think the lineup makes the most sense since a long time ago (ever since the 15 MBP got more and more expensive, leaving a large hole)

You have a small consumer device, and a big consumer device.
You have a small pro device, and a big pro device.
Consumer devices are much cheaper than the pro devices.
The cheap devices are not crippled by cost savings (although SSD space might be pushing that) and perfectly usable for most.
The pro devices aren't crippled to achieve mainstream appeal and can actually handle pro workloads.

So (again, besides the antiquated 13 inch MBP), this lineup makes total sense to me, and I don't know what I would want changed about it (other than prices lower, naturally 😁)

Agree with you to a certain extent, the Touch Bar should be offered as an option for every lap top and the 13" pro should then be dropped, other wise it has a huge place in the line up!

 

[thmsnt]

I think it is simply price compression. I picked up from Apple a refurb M2 MBP 14 with 1tb SSD for $1869. The MBA 15 with 16gb/1tb is $1899. For a $30 saving I got the superior 120hz miniLED screen, three TB4 ports, headphone jack, HDMI, SD card slot, and dual external monitor support. All for accepting 0.2# more weight, and a slightly thicker but narrower and shorter form factor.

You also got Wi-Fi 6E too, instead of the Wi-Fi 6 in the 15 MBA.

 

[4odomi]

I think it wouldn't have been weaker if Apple had included a 120hz Display. Apple needs to stop taking shortcuts around.

and the mini LED with up to 1000 nits, with speakers as good as on the Pros and a Touch Bar as an option, I'd have bought one in a flash 🤣