M1 to M2 MacBook Air Upgraders - Thoughts a Few Months Out

[Adelphos33]

I am loving the performance of my M1 MBA, 16GB, 8 core GPU, etc. However every time I go to the Apple Store, I appreciate the "cosmetic" upgrades to the M2, including larger and brighter screen, new camera, etc. With the new design, I feel like an M2 MBA with 16GB RAM, 1 TB storage would last me five years or more. Also, based on what I see with iPads, I am not seeing much in the terms of upgrades to the MBA (screen, speakers, etc) for the next few years either.

To those that upgraded - is it worth it? Apple will give me about $500 for my current MBA...

 

[ilikewhey]

I am loving the performance of my M1 MBA, 16GB, 8 core GPU, etc. However every time I go to the Apple Store, I appreciate the "cosmetic" upgrades to the M2, including larger and brighter screen, new camera, etc. With the new design, I feel like an M2 MBA with 16GB RAM, 1 TB storage would last me five years or more. Also, based on what I see with iPads, I am not seeing much in the terms of upgrades to the MBA (screen, speakers, etc) for the next few years either.

To those that upgraded - is it worth it? Apple will give me about $500 for my current MBA...

500 for a 16gb m1 mba? wow thats a long way off from the 2ndary market.

as for possible upgrades go, apple could throw in mini led into the air, the traditional ips in the current air has a big issue with uniformity and light bleeds, there is a thread on here you can read into it. as for speakers, the m2 air speakers are ok, but lacks range and bass.

 

[Likeaboss7]

However every time I go to the Apple Store, I appreciate the "cosmetic" upgrades to the M2, including larger and brighter screen, new camera, etc. With the new design,

I would go for it! Obviously you have thought about it for a while as "every time you go to the Apple store" your mind toys with the idea of upgrading. Its not a whim and you will notice and appreciate the larger brighter screen and new design language. it is really that good outside of the Apple store environment. Sitting and working in front of the latest design does put a smile on ones face knowing it will not change for a few years and it has an M2 chip which is not 1st gen. If the budget allows seriously consider it as you will always find the money for a luxury if it justified in your mind. Mac and cheese for dinner a few times is not so bad lol. Apple does allow you 14 days to return it. One way or another you will know if is for you.
As for the speakers I love the output. A setting I like that makes it amazing is launch Music - preferences - playback tab - and click Sound Check.

 

[Gawaine]

I've upgraded from the intel Mac just before the M1 release so I can't really compare to the M1, but I can tell you that as nice as it is, there are still some things about my old intel model that I liked better and I think the M1 had these as well, which is the speaker grid up and at you on the sides as opposed to hidden. Not a bad sound on M2 but just surprised that it isn't really better than my intel, just different. If it were me and if I had gotten an M1 I would not change, and am still debating whether to go back to my old intel and wait a little while longer yet before I jump to the M chips.
But then again, Im typing on the M2 and it is a joy, and the speed is noticeably faster.
Battery is really good. In fact never had a Mac that good in battery.
So maybe I'll stay in the M chip family after all.

 

[TSE]

I went from an M1 to an M2 because my wife got accepted into nursing school and needed a computer.

There are significant quality of life improvements in the new model - magsafe, slightly better and bigger screen, better webcam, full-size function keys, and updated design.

But the essentials - performance, battery life, size & weight, are all pretty much the same, more or less.

If it's still eating at you and you have money burning a hole in your pocket, sure, go ahead and upgrade, but that money you are spending could probably be spent better elsewhere in your life.

 

[ignatius345]

I went from an M1 to an M2 because my wife got accepted into nursing school and needed a computer.

There are significant quality of life improvements in the new model - magsafe, slightly better and bigger screen, better webcam, full-size function keys, and updated design.

But the essentials - performance, battery life, size & weight, are all pretty much the same, more or less.

If it's still eating at you and you have money burning a hole in your pocket, sure, go ahead and upgrade, but that money you are spending could probably be spent better elsewhere in your life.

As someone who's fallen for "new and shiny" many times, I concur. I have the M1 Air and keep thinking it would somehow make my life better to have the M2 Air... but if I'm being super honest with myself it's probably more or less the same thing.

 

[tomstone74]

Apple will give me about $500 for my current MBA...

Purchased my refurbished MBA M1 Air 8c/8c/16G/1TB ~ one year ago in Apple's Online (Austria) Refurbished store at 1590 EUR and sold it at 1390 EUR around one month ago after X months light usage. Apple Trade-In seems to be a really bad deal.

Still looked like new though, but the 200 EUR was worth an "investment" to play around with my first MacOS device, getting used to MacOS etc ... and to figure out, I want/need more (especially in the RAM department), thus leaning towards a 14" MBP 32GB. M1 Pro (Refurbished again) or waiting for M2 Pro is, where I'm undecided. 14" M1 Pro Refurbished in Apple Online Store is ~ 400 EUR off for a (8 or 10c)/14c/32GB/1TB config. Would like to keep the 14" for many years to come.

 

[1BadManVan]

The new design of the m2 air was the reason why I finally took the plunge on the MacBook and im very happy I did. I love the design and overall quality of life improvements on the M2. If you like it, go for it, we only live once

 

[harleymhs]

Same thing here. Wife just got a new Imac and gave me her M1 air.. Never left the house .. Like new.. On the fence today to trade it in for the M2 MBA.. Apple only offering $370.00 on a trade when they are still selling it for $1199 . After hearing the M1 has faster SSD's and this M1 is like NEW ... Im thinking of just keeping this M1 MBA ...

 

[callihan_44]

I like the looks of the air over the pro, I wish the air was a full 14" laptop though

 

[Technerd108]

If you are looking at return on your investment and you have an M1 MBA I would suggest keeping it another couple of years.

I love the M2 MBA and the redesign. I had a M1 16" MBP with M1 Max. I just couldn't justify keeping it as I didn't use a 1/3rd of its potential. It was too heavy for me to use comfortably for how I used it and the battery life was nowhere near as good as my previous 13" M1 MBP. So I had buyers remorse. Luckily I bought it at a discount and was able to sell it not too far off for what I initially paid for it. I then used that money to buy a decent spec M2 MBA.

Now I am happy again. However if I would have kept my m1 13" MBP it would have been the smarter move. I was tempted by magsafe, ports and speed. I also liked a larger screen. But the trade off in weight and no real difference in performance in my use case was not worth it.

If you have an M1 MBA I am sure you will like the new MBA M2 but it might not be a jaw dropping change and it really depends on the cost and if it is worth it for you. If you wait a couple years the changes might be significant enough to wow you and your trade in value might go down a couple hundred.

If you had an Intel MBA then my opinion would be completely different.

I will say the design changes to the mba are pretty significant in my opinion and coupled with a better processor would be enough for me to upgrade. Only you can decide what is best for you and what you are willing to spend to get it.

No matter what you choose you will have a great laptop. Apple silicon is really a game changer.

 

[GMShadow]

If you had a base model I'd say okay, but you've got a BTO unit. Apple doesn't really give extra for all that, which is why your trade in is so poor compared to selling it to someone else.

I'd say just keep your M1, honestly, but if you want to upgrade, definitely don't trade it in.

 

[1BadManVan]

Is selling this privately not an option? $500 is way too low for those specs

 

[dizzbuster]

I am throughly enjoying the M2 MBA. Mine is decked out with max memory and 1 TB of storage. I figure this is going to last me a while. I am close to retirement and while I can afford "things"..... you guessed it. I also have a 16" M1 MBP with bunches of memory and 2tb of storage. But truth be told I prefer the MBA over the MBP. The battery life is awesome and the form factor works on air plane rides. It is also lighter than the MBP.. My wife and I share them and each has a use case. YMMV

 

[HarryPot]

I had the M1 and now have the M2. The reason I changed was that 8GB of RAM wasn't cutting it anymore in the M1.
So for me it has been a huge difference, but I'm sure the M1 16GB would have been the same.

Besides this, I'm not really excited about anything else. Yes, the M2 is an improvement in almost all areas, but it is not that big of an improvement tu justify updating IMO.

 

[lezmace]

How does the upgraders find the difference between the wedge shaped Design and the new M2 Design? Especially for the comfort of typing.

 

[MacBookpro2011]

I just went from a 2010/11 MBP 13 inch to a 2022 MacBook Air M1 and have just been using it a few days. So far excellent battery life; speakers blow my older rig out of the water; much better screen viewing and brightness; fast & high quality video viewing. Only con so far is if I don't turn on the wireless mouse before starting it doesn't pick it up unless I manually go into the mouse setting and connect it. (Not a big deal).

 

[HarryPot]

How does the upgraders find the difference between the wedge shaped Design and the new M2 Design? Especially for the comfort of typing.

I've found no real difference, both are comfortable.
It is a tad more difficult picking up the M2 from a flat surface, since the wedge made it easier to have somewhere to grab the laptop.

 

[RRC]

I was in the market for a MacBook just as the M2 was launched, but in the end after much debating I bought myself the M1 instead. Personally I prefer the design, and for my usage the M2 wasn't required, nor will it be for years to come, again for my usage. I've had extended periods of usage in work on the M2 versions but I'm yet to notice any real difference other than the keyboard is a little nicer to use and the screen is a touch bigger.

 

[brandoman]

I am loving the performance of my M1 MBA, 16GB, 8 core GPU, etc. However every time I go to the Apple Store, I appreciate the "cosmetic" upgrades to the M2, including larger and brighter screen, new camera, etc. With the new design, I feel like an M2 MBA with 16GB RAM, 1 TB storage would last me five years or more. Also, based on what I see with iPads, I am not seeing much in the terms of upgrades to the MBA (screen, speakers, etc) for the next few years either.

To those that upgraded - is it worth it? Apple will give me about $500 for my current MBA...

You might get more for your MBA M1 on eBay, FB Marketplace, or some similar outlet. I had the M1, loved it, then upgraded to the M2 during the college student promo... it's even better. The feel, aesthetic, color, and speed. The M2 on low power mode is about as fast as the M1 on "standard" mode, so the battery can last a ridiculous amount of time. The MBA M2 has, in my opinion, a better, larger screen, a better keyboard, and I'm a big fan of the MagSafe (hearkening back to my MBP from years ago).

What I really don't like is the notch and the way it interacts with the meubar. Thankfully there are apps like Bartender that aid greatly with this issue, but it's still very annoying when menubar items disappear behind the notch. Really Apple? That's your solution? You can do better.

 

[jdb8167]

I am loving the performance of my M1 MBA, 16GB, 8 core GPU, etc. However every time I go to the Apple Store, I appreciate the "cosmetic" upgrades to the M2, including larger and brighter screen, new camera, etc. With the new design, I feel like an M2 MBA with 16GB RAM, 1 TB storage would last me five years or more. Also, based on what I see with iPads, I am not seeing much in the terms of upgrades to the MBA (screen, speakers, etc) for the next few years either.

To those that upgraded - is it worth it? Apple will give me about $500 for my current MBA...

The $500 offer is probably too low but the lack of any hassle may make it worth it for you.

As for the M1 to M2 upgrade, I have no regrets. The M2 MacBook Air is better in every way than the M1 MBA. It’s lighter, faster, better looking, has a better FaceTime camera, and the screen is much improved with smaller bezels.

Given all that, still the only reason I upgraded to the M2 MBA was for the 24 GB RAM option. The extra RAM is helpful for my use of the computer and even though I could have continued with the M1 16GB the extra 8 GB has been worth the price for me.

If you aren’t concerned about losing a bit of money or one of the M2 MacBook Air features is compelling enough then I don’t think you can go wrong with the upgrade.

 

[mrmister]

I came from a 2018 intel MBP. Honestly wouldn't recommend upgrading from another Apple Silicon laptop unless you can resell on the secomdary market and make back some of that money.

 

[Gawaine]

I was just about to return my M2, until my wife claimed my intel air. So I kept my M2 after all, and my wife loves the intel Mac and is using it everyday, as the machine is still running perfectly (hence my dilemma of whether to keep the M2 and sell my intel for a loss). Now we're both happy until at least the M12 comes out....