15" M2 MacBook Air is too heavy

[Zest28]

There is only a 90 gram difference in weight between the 15" M2 MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro. What's the point of calling it an Air if it weighs the same as a MacBook Pro.

Apple needs to add more high quality materials such as carbon and magnesium to get the weight down more.

 

[Shirasaki]

You want a MacBook thats perceived as value for money for people loving bigger screen to incorporate carbon and magnesium in order to honor long obsolete “MacBook Air“ market catchphrase? Do you have any idea how expensive that kind of material would drive MacBook Air price to, given Apple’s track records?
Never believe any marketing from Apple, Apple customer 101.

 

[Nicole1980]

There is only a 90 gram difference in weight between the 15" M2 MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro. What's the point of calling it an Air if it weighs the same as a MacBook Pro.

Apple needs to add more high quality materials such as carbon and magnesium to get the weight down more.

You know, when somebody says an incredibly powerful 15 inch laptop that's barely more than 3 pounds is "too heavy" it starts to get a little ridiculous. All I can say is that 'somebody' should stop WAITING for Apple to make it even lighter, and instead hit the WEIGHTS.

🤷‍♀️

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Didn’t we just go through this in the Jony Ive era? Too light and you ruin the structural integrity. Use better materials to increase this and you raise prices.

People on these forums acting like they have enough money to have a carbon fiber phone who would then complain it doesn’t ‘feel’ premium enough or it shattered when dropped from a building because they don’t understand how CF works.

 

[Shirasaki]

Didn’t we just go through this in the Jony Ive era

Talking about short attention span. Thats why re-release of software feature is a viable strategy today.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Do you own a 15” MBA or are you swatting at gnats because the sun wasn’t close enough?

 

[CalMin]

I actually agree with OP.

I just sold my 13” M2 Air based on all the reviews of the 15“ version. I then went to the Apple Store with every intention of getting the 15” to bring home, only to find that I didn’t really love it. I left empty handed.

The larger screen is every bit as good as I’d hoped, but the form factor has an unexpected density to it. Whilst the 13” is thin and light, the 15” feels thin and not light. I say “not light” vs. heavy because it’s really not heavy, but it feels well engineered and there’s a surprising heft to it.

I’m deliberating whether I should get the 15” over another 13”. Fortunately I can take my time thinking about it as it’s really just a second machine for my den and around the house.

 

[Tenashus1]

There is only a 90 gram difference in weight between the 15" M2 MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro. What's the point of calling it an Air if it weighs the same as a MacBook Pro.

Apple needs to add more high quality materials such as carbon and magnesium to get the weight down more.

I think this actually speaks to the fact that the MBP Pro 14" is a light weighing computer. it's almost as light as an MBA. That's pretty cool.

 

[Fozziebear71]

I would be embarrased to admit that I thought the 15" was too heavy.

 

[masotime]

There is only a 90 gram difference in weight between the 15" M2 MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro. What's the point of calling it an Air if it weighs the same as a MacBook Pro.

Apple needs to add more high quality materials such as carbon and magnesium to get the weight down more.

	14" MacBook Pro	15" Macbook Air
Screen Size	14.2"	15.3"
Resolution / Aspect Ratio	3024 x 1964 (~1.54:1)	2880 x 1864 (~1.54:1)
Area	92.11 sq in	106.78 sq in
Weight	3.5 lb	3.3 lb
Area / lb	26.3 sq in / lb	32.4 sq in/lb

You get around 9.3% more screen real estate per pound with the 15" MBA. That's actually pretty decent I think.

EDIT: Made a mistake earlier, so it's actually 23% more real estate per pound with the 15" MBA, that's actually really good!

Got ChatGPT to run the same checks, mostly the same percentage although it uses a different aspect ratio - https://chat.openai.com/share/bcd487eb-67cc-49dd-a05c-a8ee22e2e09e

 

[masotime]

there’s a surprising heft to it.

This shouldn't come as a surprise for a larger laptop. The center of mass for such a laptop is naturally going to be further from your hands - this means when holding it, the torque exerted by gravity will increased by both the greater mass and greater distance from the fulcrum (center of mass to your hands).

The "heft" is pretty much unavoidable due to the laws of physics.

 

[DHagan4755]

Saying that the 15" MacBook Air is too heavy is quite the first world problem.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Consumers: "Want bigger MBA!"
Apple: "Okay, 15" MBA."
Consumers: "No, no, too much MBA. This too heavy."
Apple: "We literally just scaled the 13" up to 15". Beyond the larger display and battery for the 15" MBA, they're basically identical."
Consumers: "Whatever. MBA should be like MBP."
Apple: "But you can just get a MBP?"
Consumers: "No, too expensive."
_ user @Apple has left the chat_

 

[CalMin]

This shouldn't come as a surprise for a larger laptop. The center of mass for such a laptop is naturally going to be further from your hands - this means when holding it, the torque exerted by gravity will increased by both the greater mass and greater distance from the fulcrum (center of mass to your hands).

The "heft" is pretty much unavoidable due to the laws of physics.

Perhaps the word surprise was too strong, I expected it to be heavier, but I did expect that it overall it would have the same thin and light feeling as the 13 inch, which it does not.

I suppose what is the most unexpected, is how dense the 15 inch feels. It’s as if it’s carved directly out of a solid block of aluminum, where is the 13 inch feels like it’s hollowed out of a block of aluminum. Apple has gone on record, saying that they had to add extra strengthening to the 15 inch MacBook Air, and it is correspondingly heavier as a result.

Now to everyone who’s laughing at this thread, I think the point that OP is making is that this laptop has the moniker “air“ which set an expectation that this thing is going to weigh nothing. When I handed a good friend of mine, my 13 inch M2 air, his first comment was “why does it feel so heavy?!” Apple’s marketing has people thinking that this computer weighs nothing at all.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I find typing on the 14' MBP to be far more enjoyable than the 16' MBP. There's something about having a smaller laptop to play with. I've had a 15' and now a 16' for my primary laptop - and while they're AMAZING laptops - the 14' is far more enjoyable on the lap and to type on.

If I was choosing a laptop to go out and about, it would be the 13' MBA, or if I had to the 14' MBP.

If I was choosing a laptop to be my desktop and sometimes laptop? 15' MBA or 16' MBP.

 

[jlnr]

I have been waiting for the 15" MBA for so long, especially after looking at the tech specs of the LG Gram over the last years. LG somehow delivers a 17" inch screen in a 1,350g laptop, with more ports than a MacBook Pro. I have never seen a Gram in person, and I am not in the market for a laptop with Windows or a numpad. But I was hoping for Apple to outdo LG here, given the efficiency of Apple Silicon.

Will probably still get the 15" MBA because I dislike the design of the 16" MBP even more.

 

[Queen6]

Lifted up the new 15" Air two days ago, by the corner. First thing that stuck me is this a light notebook. If I was in the market for a new Mac the 15" Air would be a solid contender.

Q-6

 

[3166792]

👶

"I want it to be thin, light, durable, fast, powerful, well cooled, not thermal throttle, look and feel premium and be cheap."

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

I have been waiting for the 15" MBA for so long, especially after looking at the tech specs of the LG Gram over the last years. LG somehow delivers a 17" inch screen in a 1,350g laptop, with more ports than a MacBook Pro. I have never seen a Gram in person, and I am not in the market for a laptop with Windows or a numpad. But I was hoping for Apple to outdo LG here, given the efficiency of Apple Silicon.

Will probably still get the 15" MBA because I dislike the design of the 16" MBP even more.

The LG Gram is basically all plastic that’s why.

 

[john123]

Perhaps the word surprise was too strong, I expected it to be heavier, but I did expect that it overall it would have the same thin and light feeling as the 13 inch, which it does not.

I suppose what is the most unexpected, is how dense the 15 inch feels. It’s as if it’s carved directly out of a solid block of aluminum, where is the 13 inch feels like it’s hollowed out of a block of aluminum. Apple has gone on record, saying that they had to add extra strengthening to the 15 inch MacBook Air, and it is correspondingly heavier as a result.

Now to everyone who’s laughing at this thread, I think the point that OP is making is that this laptop has the moniker “air“ which set an expectation that this thing is going to weigh nothing. When I handed a good friend of mine, my 13 inch M2 air, his first comment was “why does it feel so heavy?!” Apple’s marketing has people thinking that this computer weighs nothing at all.

As masotime said, you're basically blaming Apple for your perception of the laws of physics (torque). Apple's marketing that you cited is factually correct. Weight is an objective measurement, not a perception.

As it turns out, if you calculate the ratio of screen area to pounds, the 15" Air beats out every other Apple laptop. That includes the 13" Air. (Screen area per pound of weight is 32.3 on the 15" Air whereas it's 31.3 on the 13" Air).

 

[h.gilbert]

I have been waiting for the 15" MBA for so long, especially after looking at the tech specs of the LG Gram over the last years. LG somehow delivers a 17" inch screen in a 1,350g laptop, with more ports than a MacBook Pro. I have never seen a Gram in person, and I am not in the market for a laptop with Windows or a numpad. But I was hoping for Apple to outdo LG here, given the efficiency of Apple Silicon.

I'd encourage you to see a few reviews of the LG Gram.

I want a light laptop but I don't want a springboard. The Airs strike a good balance.

 

[h.gilbert]

Saying that the 15" MacBook Air is too heavy is quite the first world problem.

Can we stop posting this comment please. The entirety of this forum is about first world problems.

 

[TinaBelcher]

What I would like to know how lighter the 15 inch Air is compared to a MBP 15 inch from 2018...

 

[Mike Boreham]

Why only compare the 15” MBA with the 14” MBP….why not the 16” MBP

The 15” MBA is 1.4 lbs lighter that the 16” MBP.

Many (most?) people who know they need an MBA (not an MBP), but who feel the 13” MBA is too small, would find the 14” MBP not a big enough increase ….so the 16” MBP would be the one to consider.

14” MBP then 15” MBA then 16” MBP on chart:

 

[haruhiko]

I have been waiting for the 15" MBA for so long, especially after looking at the tech specs of the LG Gram over the last years. LG somehow delivers a 17" inch screen in a 1,350g laptop, with more ports than a MacBook Pro. I have never seen a Gram in person, and I am not in the market for a laptop with Windows or a numpad. But I was hoping for Apple to outdo LG here, given the efficiency of Apple Silicon.

Will probably still get the 15" MBA because I dislike the design of the 16" MBP even more.

Just watch Max Tech’s comparison of the LG Gram vs MBA. You won’t want to buy the LG.