AT $1850 a 15” Air would be $650 cheaper than the 16” MBP which starts at $2499 so its an even larger gap.
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15-Inch MacBook Air Stockpiled by Suppliers Ahead of Rumored WWDC Launch
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They might have planned on an M3 SOC at one point but TSMC seems to be struggling to get 3nm process production up to the levels that they need.
An M2 Pro seems unlikely. It sounds like the 15” MBA is just a scaled up 13” and would not include a fan which would be needed for an M2 Pro. It might be than an eventual M3 Pro might run cooler and be able to run in a passively cooled case.
You're really diggin' on the M2 chip! I'm not sure if even the biggest Apple fanboy site has said the M2 rocks, but it is a very good chip. 20 percent across the board better than the M1. But, it does run hotter than the M1.
As for your claim the value add of the M3 will be negligible, I think that's unknown at this point, but from what we do know about the M3 it will be a far larger jump than the M1 to M2 due the fact it will be a 3nm chip as opposed to 5nm. The efficiency and battery advantages should be significant. Which means longer battery and runs cooler. Both pretty important features for a MacBook Air.
It's fine to like the computer you have, and the M2 Air is a great computer. One of Apple's best, but the M3 should blow away the M2. Unlike the M2 to the M1.
I'm not waiting for a giant MacBook Air like this, I'm waiting for a new 12-inch MacBook with M2 or M3. THAT would be an amazing machine.
It also would not be duplicating another size with just a cheaper build, so would better fit with the current Apple laptop selection.
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Raise the current model by 250 to 300 and the more ram and SSD will be probably an extra 200 for 16GB Ram. Go from there.
I've been considering switching to a 15" MBA (And back to a Winamd tower) since my experiment with using a 16" MBP for media creation has not gone well. While I'd use the tower for video and photo, I would still love an SD card slot on the 15" for the on-the-go quick edit.
I want one already...but it will really depend upon the RAM and SSD options offered and how they price those. I like to buy computers that I know will be comfortable to use for a good while, and the RAM limitation on the standard M2 seems to me to be the only real drawback (in terms of longevity). But I may just buy a 24GB RAM model if that is the top available (and the pricing isn’t crazy—otherwise, why not a 16” MBP with 32 or 64).Who's going to be placing an order for a 15" Macbook Air in Midnight with me?
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Makes sense! I will definitely be ordering one with a higher RAM as well. However, I’m sure the specs will be insane. I just hope it carries the 120HZ Pro-Motion display.
If you were in the market for MacBook Pro 14”, 16” model. Better to wait until next year. The first quarter of 2024. It will most likely carry the M3 by then.
Apple is TOO CHEAP and GREEDY to add the 120hz in the New 15" Macbook Air as it will take away their precious sales from the "14 Macbook Pro. Let's be real now we all know how they run business!!
The M2 only came out last summer. That is not "years old".
You don't have to be stuck with it. you can choose to wait until the perfect SOC is released on an Air. You just have to wait.
Honestly, given how long PC upgrade cycles are, the costly nature of processor design and that Macs sell in way lower quantities than iPhones, I would be fine with the M-series chips having a 2-year refresh cycle.
The only thing is that Apple’s upgrade cycle seems to all over the place, and I am not sure how much of it was caused by the pandemic. The imac is still stuck on the M1 chip, for instance.
But otherwise, it doesn’t seem like Apple needs to announce a new M chip or a new refreshed version of its Mac every year like clockwork (not even the ipad for that). The M1 MBA was released in 2020 Nov, the M2 MBA in 2022 July (less than 2 years), and I personally wouldn’t expect to see M3 until end 2024 earliest.
As much as I'd love a bigger screen, it isn't really worth for me to upgrade my 13" M2 to a bigger screen
Trust me, I'm well aware. Was just trying to manage your expectations and let you know that it ain't happening.
It’s literally going to be a larger version of the 13” Air and while there might be a few minor differences I’m not sure why anyone would expect a major difference like a different screen type. Imagine all the complaints from the 13” MBA owners if the 15” got Promotion.
#smallscreengate
I don't think they care about complaints at all, what they care about is sales and profits. If the Air were to get promotion there would be fewer (more expensive) Pro's sold. That's all it boils down to, plain and simple.
I'm currently using a 13" M1 (base spec). Depending on pricing I can see a 15" 16GB/1TB model in my not too distant future. I'm particularly interested to see if Apple will have a £200 difference between the models like they do between the 14"/16" Pros here in the UK. Hopefully all will be revealed in a month's time.
I do agree about waiting for a new MacBook Pro 14 or 16, if that were possible. But I do need to replace my current iMac, which (while still functioning quite well) I feel is probably nearing its end (it’s a 2014 model). I’m afraid that the hard drive is going to die soon, and I don’t want to invest anything in a computer this old (like replacing the hd). I had really hoped for a new 27” iMac, but for this round, I’ll need to go with a MBP or Air + Studio Display. I can’t be happy without a large display.
But the 15” Air might be just the item! Though I really don’t think they’ll use mini-LED in this screen—at least not until the MBP’s are switched over to OLED.
They need to price this strategically. People won't pay, let's say, $1499 for a laptop with 256gb of ssd and 8gb or RAM when they can get a refurb M1 Pro for $1300, or a maxed out 13" Air for under $1100.
Refurbed and used are not really a valid competing product though a discounted 14” MBP might be. It depends on if you are looking for a powerful processor or a light laptop with a larger screen. The latter is the appeal of the Air.
It will be $100-200 more than a similarly specced 13" M2 Air.
I think 256/8RAM are ridiculous specs anyway for 2023. They need to ditch that configuration.
Why not? Bet it's not going to have the ports and the screen quality of the m1 14" MPB. No fans either. I think it's a very fair comparison. Again, it comes down to the price. If they're asking anything above $1500 I'm grabbing an M1 pro.
Sure, but thats a different conversation. Then it would be 150-200 more than a 16/512 13" Air.
Sure, that is a valid choice for an individual, but it is not a good price comparison as it is not really available to large numbers of people. It's like complaining about the price of a new car because a used car is cheaper. Used is always cheaper than new.