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Just purchased a MacBook Air M4 should I have waited?

stevej26uk said:
Thanks for the replies l got it for £879 so a reasonable saving over the normal asking price I was actually thinking of waiting and getting the rumoured cheap MacBook so if anything I have more power that I need. Im in two minds over whether I've made the right choice.
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You got it for a good price, and it's a very good machine. Don't lay awake wondering about this — use and enjoy your Mac. In a few years you will buy another one and it will blow the M5 away.

Had you not bought the M4 at a discount, I might have said to return it. But you did. Be pleased with yourself.
 
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I would keep it if you got it for a good discount. But if you paid full retail, I would refund it and use that money for the latest and greatest. However, the M4 Air is a great little computer; I'm typing on one right now and couldn't be happier.
 
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Given a choice between a brand-new M5 MacBook Air at full price and an M4 MBA at the recent sale price of $749, there’s no question that I’d go with the M4 version. If the OP paid full retail for his MBA and it’s still within the return window, maybe that’s something to consider. But it’s not like the M4 machine isn’t going to work really well anyway.
 
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Astuces iOS said:
RETURN THE MACBOOK NOW !! New MacBook Air m5 is going to release in 4-6 days ! M5 is worth and also just for the resell value of longer macOS support !
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I’d wait to see what’s released next week and then decide whether to return or not.

What you have now may be the best deal. Or it might not. But if you return it now you might not be able to get it back next week. And if it winds-up on clearance next week and you still want to keep it, then ask for a price adjustment.
 
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stevej26uk said:
Ive just purchased a MacBook Air M4 but im starting to wonder if I should have waited until next week when they might launch a new Air with the m5 chip. Im thinking im okay if it's only the processor they update as I only really use the MacBook for light tasks and probably never even push it to its full capability. im just paranoid I've rushed into the wrong purchase
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Yes you should have waited to see the new laptops likely to be announced next week. After seeing the newest devices you still might prefer the Mac you purchased, but it usually makes sense to see what the latest choices are. You do have 14 days no-questions-asked to return to Apple; and other retail sources like Costco have allowed returns for up to as long as 90 days.

I would not worry about having missed the latest chip upgrade. The MBA you bought was a great value, and if performance was critical you would not be in what is for now Apple's lowest end laptop. Plus most folks buying an MBA will be RAM-limited long before they are chip-limited.
 
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stevej26uk said:
Thanks for the replies l got it for £879 so a reasonable saving over the normal asking price I was actually thinking of waiting and getting the rumoured cheap MacBook so if anything I have more power that I need. Im in two minds over whether I've made the right choice.
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pnoozi said:
I was considering upgrading to the M4 but this is why I’m holding off. It’s bizarre. Didn’t the M4 MBA come out less than a year ago? This would be a very rapid upgrade...
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Apple is mostly on an ~annual chip upgrade cycle.
 
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stevej26uk said:
Ive just purchased a MacBook Air M4 but im starting to wonder if I should have waited until next week when they might launch a new Air with the m5 chip. Im thinking im okay if it's only the processor they update as I only really use the MacBook for light tasks and probably never even push it to its full capability. im just paranoid I've rushed into the wrong purchase
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No, you made a fine purchase. I'm assuming you got the 16/256 configuration with the 10 core cpu and 8 core gpu. This is the same machine I've been running since last july and I've thrown all kinds of things at it with no problem. The M4 is a strong chip that won't let you down. Enjoy your new Macbook!
 
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Personally I have been waiting until the M5 is out, but it's really because I try to buy a new laptop every 4 years or so, keeping the old one as a backup (and trading in the old backup later - a 7+ year old laptop generally can still run the current OS, though of course not always - my current 8 year old intel MBA cannot), and I'm currently using an M2 I bought in 2022. For me I can wait until the M5 is out, which seems pretty clear is happening next week. I could wait a few more weeks/months even if I wanted to.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
That is terrible advice. First of all, resell should not be a part of the buying decision. And the reason for that is 1) If buying a new Mac requires money from a resell, that means you shouldn’t be buying a Mac you can’t afford 2) Resell is nothing more than losing money. Far too many people on MR (like you) like to use the resell rhetoric to try and justify spending too much on a Mac.

The M4 the OP bought will serve him well for many years. There is no need to return it just so he can claim to have an M5. That the mindset of kids of the playground. We are supposed to be adults here.
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Mate not only resell but LONGER macOS support if you are not going to resell it, also the m5 is going to be the same price as m4 so why not get m5????
 
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Astuces iOS said:
Mate not only resell but LONGER macOS support if you are not going to resell it, also the m5 is going to be the same price as m4 so why not get m5????
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I feel like that'll be a bit too much effort for OP for what will literally be 1 additional macOS version. cmon, it's a 1 year difference. doesn't matter that much.
 
I wouldn’t worry. You are only getting buyers remorse because you are on these forums. If you were an average consumer you probably wouldn’t know new airs are coming.

With that being said, I would be very surprised if they change anything hardware related. This is most likely going to be a spec bump with potentially a slightly higher price. I’d be happy with a saving (which I think you got) and an extra £50 probably won’t be a deal breaker if the M4s get discounted after the M5 release
 
honestly, if you have the option to return it, please do. Its not that its bad computer, its just you could get something better for same price. On the other case, maybe a new air will not be announced.
 
Never read so much justification buying old stuff. With suckers customers like these, what retailer needs to mark down old inventory?
 
There is zero guarantee of any new product coming. Whether any product. We know Apple has a big event planned next week. And we know products will be announced. If they announce an M5 Air, then if you are in your 14 day return period, you can return and get the new model instead which I would do. But the difference between M4 & M5 depends on what you do daily on your Mac. Or your needs.
For all we know maybe because of the RAM crisis and everything else, the M4 MBA sticks around for a while and next week only the M5 Pro & Max MBP and budget macBook get announced outside of iPhone 17e and new iPads. Maybe no iPads. We don't know. You buy for now not worrying about what is to come. And again if you are in that 14 days return period and something does come out then you are covered. And Apple does work with people at the stores also, I have seen very nice employees and managers help people.
All we can do is see what is announced this week, people assume this this or that but Apple has surprised people in the past and I personally don't see 5+ Macs being released next week between the budget macBook (pretty much guaranteed), a 13" and 15" MBA M5 and and 14 inch & 16" MBP M5 Pro & M5 Max models. Plus new iPhone, plus iPads. Just seems too much for one week based on past patterns.
 
vbctv said:
There is zero guarantee of any new product coming. Whether any product. We know Apple has a big event planned next week. And we know products will be announced. If they announce an M5 Air, then if you are in your 14 day return period, you can return and get the new model instead which I would do. But the difference between M4 & M5 depends on what you do daily on your Mac. Or your needs.
For all we know maybe because of the RAM crisis and everything else, the M4 MBA sticks around for a while and next week only the M5 Pro & Max MBP and budget macBook get announced outside of iPhone 17e and new iPads. Maybe no iPads. We don't know. You buy for now not worrying about what is to come. And again if you are in that 14 days return period and something does come out then you are covered. And Apple does work with people at the stores also, I have seen very nice employees and managers help people.
All we can do is see what is announced this week, people assume this this or that but Apple has surprised people in the past and I personally don't see 5+ Macs being released next week between the budget macBook (pretty much guaranteed), a 13" and 15" MBA M5 and and 14 inch & 16" MBP M5 Pro & M5 Max models. Plus new iPhone, plus iPads. Just seems too much for one week based on past patterns.
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We know. Some people might not know, but people with experience know.

You can’t pick up a bone stock silver M4 MBA from any Apple Store across the country, whether it’s Apple Park Cupertino, NY, LA, or Chicago. Everyone single store is OOS and have a one month wait. You think it’s because M4 sticks around?
 
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JPack said:
We know. Some people might not know, but people with experience know.

You can’t pick up a bone stock silver M4 MBA from any Apple Store across the country, whether it’s Apple Park Cupertino, NY, LA, or Chicago. Everyone single store is OOS and have a one month wait. You think it’s because M4 sticks around?
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who is going to wait one month for M4 MBA when new ones are going to be released? they will just return them.
 
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