Apple needs to release a 11 to 12” MBA, not another large screen option.
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15-Inch MacBook Air Demand Reportedly 'Weaker Than Expected' So Far
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I think most people that buy airs are looking more for portability and casual use. Not really surprised by this tbh.
This is a really excellent assessment of the issue. I was hyped for the 15" MacBook Air initially, but when building to the configuration I want, I'd rather spend a little more for the 16" MBP.
I thought about upgrading my M2 MacBook Air. Then I realized I'd need a bigger messenger bag to have it with me daily. I realized that the 13" M2 is perfect for me in size, portability & performance.
I don't understand why everyone is claiming M3 will boost sales when the M1 chip performs superbly for almost all Macbook Air kinds of use cases
I agree. What would have been better, if Apple had released the 15” MBA with the M3 to give potential buyers more reason to buy the larger MBA. As it stands if you own an M2 13” Air, there’s not enough to justify buying the larger MBA unless you absolutely need a larger display.
This is exactly me. I bought an M2 13" MBA in Fall 2022. It is, without a doubt, the best laptop I have ever owned.
I would have bought the 15" version had it been available at the time, but it wasn't. Indeed, for the last decade or so I was very vocal that I very much wanted a 15" MBA and it would be an insta-buy for me. But my prior laptop was too slow and the 15" MBA rumor has been swirling for literally a decade--it made no sense to keep waiting.
And as much as I would prefer the 15" version, it is not worth the hassle to upgrade so soon. There is objectively nothing wrong by my current MBA - it is great. I don't want to hassle with selling it, porting all my apps and settings over, etc. At this point, I'm in the 13" MBA for the next few years at least.
So, sorry Apple, you got a sale out of me either way, but sequencing the release of the 13" apart from 15" was not a good move.
It's too little, too late. People have been clamoring for a 15" MacBook Air for years now and when we finally get it it's a bare bones laptop with outdated hardware because Apple is afraid to undercut their ridiculously expensive MacBook Pros. Not to mention it's ugly when you see it up close, I don't know if it's the wedge-less design or the lack of speaker grills but it's a pretty boring design.
U forgot
The 13.6 inch MacBook Air m2 2022
Along with the 13.3 inch MacBook Air m1 2020 still selling
So it is a mess
I think most people who buy MacBook Airs don't keep tabs on the latest Apple Silicone rumors. These laptops are designed for non-techies who don't bring their laptops to their knees with demanding applications. Many probably don't even know (or care about) the difference between M2 and M3. More important are screen size, storage, and how many tabs they can have open in their browser.
I bought it (and it’s my first Mac as well :3)
A smaller MBA would sell worse than the 15" MBA.
The 11" MBA was removed from the Air line-up because it didn't sell as well. The 12" MacBook was discontinued because it didn't sell well either. Just like the iPhone mini.
Generally people are pulling back on expenses. Car dealers are sitting on 100 plus day inventory now. Outside of macrurmors unless people need a laptop they won’t just buy it out of the blue. No when groceries are more expensive and interest rates are high. I’m sure the air will bounce back it’s a great product. Over time when people need a laptop they will buy this very compelling product.
To be slightly fair, the $100 2tb nvme will not be directly comparable, but it is still easily 4-5x as much, 2x would be 'reasonable', maybe.
I bought the Space Gray (8gb Ram/512gb) and am very happy with it. The machine does not get warm, I love the size of the 15 inch screen, the keyboard feels right for me. I have the MacBook Pro 16 M1 Pro but that is a bit too heavy for me to lug around. Overall, I think both machines complement one another.
We may never know why the 15-inch M2 MBA was not released at the same time as the 13-inch. Obviously Apple does not want to cannibalize its own sales, yet they have ended up with customers who would have gladly bought a 15-inch MBA a year ago, stuck on a 13-inch.
I'm not sure who the target market is for the 15-inch, but I agree with some of the posters on this thread that when you begin to add memory and storage, the value proposition decreases rapidly. I would imagine that many Windows users who might have considered an MBA priced it out with upgrades, and decided a Dell/HP/Lenovo was a better value. Most people are not going to understand how MacOS manages memory and can generally get away with less.
I'm not sure who the target market is for the 15-inch, but I agree with some of the posters on this thread that when you begin to add memory and storage, the value proposition decreases rapidly. I would imagine that many Windows users who might have considered an MBA priced it out with upgrades, and decided a Dell/HP/Lenovo was a better value. Most people are not going to understand how MacOS manages memory and can generally get away with less.
IMO, most people who want the ‘MacBook Air’ want smaller computers, not larger. I used an 11 inch MacBook Air throughout most of my college years very happily. A 15 inch MacBook Air just isn’t appealing to me.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Consider holding out for at least the M5/6 and enjoy a debt-free couple of years. That M1 MBP will be plenty powerful for 6 years instead of quitting it in only 3. It should get all macOS upgrades over that period of time. Being able to process 32 streams of 8K instead of 8 at the same time (or whatever the spin says) is probably about 30-31 too many in real world usage.
Crosby, Stills & Nash: "Love the one you're with"
The 15 Air has a BEAUTIFUL SCREEN; PWM Free; great build-quality; fantastic speakers. The weight and proportions of the laptop are just perfect.
It's great Apple has choices for everyone.
It's great Apple has choices for everyone.