Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacBook Air M2 Build Quality Issues

N

number16

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 5, 2022
3
12
Just got my long-awaited MacBook Air (it's a custom 24GB model too) and I gotta say: I'm severely disappointed with it's build quality.

If you press down on the lid while it's closed, you can feel it flexing like crazy.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/058VY1qRS7X-rSUoVwcIvA4hQ

Also, when the lid is closed, at a certain angle in a certain spot you can see the light coming through the gap between the lid and the keyboard.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3VmqRIcQCXKD6bnibzM0B5g

Personally, I find it unacceptable for a $2k+ laptop to be built like this, so I wanna know if it's just me who got lucky or is it a larger scale issue?
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314, sorgo †, DavidChoux and 6 others
Why would you be pressing the lid repeatedly when closed and what do you expect? Given how thin and light the unit is I mean? To have that surface area of metal completely rigid would need significantly more metal/thickness/weight. Why would it be a "large scale issue"?

My Intel Air does the same when pressed, as I have just tried. Erm, I've owned it for 2 years and the only time I have felt the need to press it hard when closed was in response to your post.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Reactions: ConvertedToMac, russell_314, navaira and 20 others
JW5566 said:
Why would you be pressing the lid repeatedly when closed and what do you expect? Given how thin and light the unit is I mean? To have that surface area of metal completely rigid would need significantly more metal/thickness/weight. Why would it be a "large scale issue"?

My Intel Air does the same when pressed, as I have just tried. Erm, I've owned it for 2 years and the only time I have felt the need to press it hard when closed was in response to your post.
Click to expand...
Same with my 14" MacBook Pro. I wouldn't call either the M2 MacBook Air or the 14 MacBook Pro poorly built. I think the build quality on both are excellent.
 
  • Like
  • Angry
Reactions: mbaire, Chateaunole-du-Pape, planteater and 6 others
canadianpj said:
Seriously if you're going to be this picky over purposely trying to break your machine just return it. I'm not sure what you're expecting from an ultra-thin machine with this build material.
Click to expand...

While I do think the OP is being unrealistic about the top flex, I'm fairly certain my M1 MBA has no gaps between the lid and body that allow light to pass through. I'll have to double-check that tonight, though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert, VaruLV and tshrimp
usagora said:
While I do think the OP is being unrealistic about the top flex, I'm fairly certain my M1 MBA has no gaps between the lid and body that allow light to pass through. I'll have to double-check that tonight, though.
Click to expand...
That's fair enough, mine does not have that problem I just checked so he should return his unit as defective and get a new one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert and tshrimp
Lol. I cannot think of a better built Macbook than the MacBook Air m2. This thing is so much nicer than the last MacBook Air and is way nicer than MacBook Pro 13". My wife has the 14" MacBook Pro and I honestly like the air m2 better than her 14". My work laptop is a $2000 dell laptop that is mostly plastic and feels/looks like it could be a $500 laptop. I am very impressed with the quality that Apple puts into it's base model laptops.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brandoman, Timpetus, Chateaunole-du-Pape and 5 others
🙄 to the above post about water-carriers.

You should expect a site called Macrumors to have mostly people who want the products to be good, and think that Apple is generally doing a good job. But please have a look at the gazillion threads on the keyboards and port situation from a few years ago, the loss of MagSafe until recently, and any number of iPhone "scandals" to find plenty of complainers here.

Now as for the OP, you should be happy with your machine. As Apple's build quality is generally excellent, you should expect that excellence with your purchase. Gaps in panels or bent components should be taken to your nearest Apple Store (or online service) right away. But some things, like pressing or flexing the panels in ways that they clearly weren't designed for is just...pointless to worry about. If you can't stop worrying, I suppose you can return it.

I'll add my voice to the "my M2 Air is the sturdiest Apple computer I've ever seen or used" group. And I've had many over my 20+ years with Macs.

I also have PCs (for gaming) and encounter Windows laptops in my work as a high school teacher. To build quality by comparison, I say "LOL".
 
  • Like
  • Sad
  • Angry
Reactions: msephton, biffuz, Timpetus and 6 others
turbineseaplane said:
@number16

You won't get any helpful replies or sympathy here
The full army of Apple water carriers will be out in their defense, per usual

All the new Apple products are perfect/amazing/best ever
And even if that's not accurate, it doesn't matter because Apple made the products and thus they get a pass.
Click to expand...
Really? I apologize for telling the truth about the build quality if you're going to purposely try to flex your machine when it's this thin, well, that's a bad idea.

Are some people like that? Sure, but please tone down the generalizations, K?

It's possible he has a defective unit so far as the light goes, return it. Problem solved.
 
  • Like
  • Angry
Reactions: turbineseaplane, dustin_, Barham and 2 others
You are correct, it does flex a bit when closed. But for some additional comparison my £2k HP work laptop is no different, it flexes just the same. My 13" Dell XPS is shocking how much flex there is on that one. No, not being facetious, the flex is really bad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Timpetus and G5isAlive
number16 said:
Just got my long-awaited MacBook Air (it's a custom 24GB model too) and I gotta say: I'm severely disappointed with it's build quality.

If you press down on the lid while it's closed, you can feel it flexing like crazy.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/058VY1qRS7X-rSUoVwcIvA4hQ

Also, when the lid is closed, at a certain angle in a certain spot you can see the light coming through the gap between the lid and the keyboard.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3VmqRIcQCXKD6bnibzM0B5g

Personally, I find it unacceptable for a $2k+ laptop to be built like this, so I wanna know if it's just me who got lucky or is it a larger scale issue?
Click to expand...

Return it. It’s not for you.

I find it perfectly acceptable. There is zero functional consequence to either situation you present. Thin aluminum flexes. And metal on metal doesn’t form a gasket seal. That you have to backlight it to find anything says the variation is minor. These are not build issues. They are consequences of going light and portable. My m2 is similar and I don’t care. It fits in my pack fine. Where no one sees it or a micro gap. When I pull it out, it keeps shape when I open it and use it. No flex. No gap with lid open.

Realistic expectations are the key to happiness.

I wish you luck in finding a laptop to fit your criteria. Just be prepared for it to be heavier 😊
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chateaunole-du-Pape, yitwail, kitKAC and 2 others
Apple can and does get things wrong, equally Apple does look to be making a concerted effort to not screw up on a large scale like the Butterfly Keyboard & 2016 MBP re-design. I'm certainly very pleased with my own 13" M1 and while I don't own the new M2 Air I've handled one and it seems perfectly ok to me for such a thin & light notebook.

It's also worth considering that no company can test every scenario. The 2nd & 3rd Gen models will have improvements over the 1st Gen, such is the nature of the beast. Apple most definitely tweaks the design to improve durability/reliability. One of the reasons I like the older 13" MBP design is that's very much a tried & proven chassis, although I can very much take or leave the TouchBar and the port solution is very lacking yet it's build quality is impeccable.

Q-6
 
macguy360 said:
Lol. I cannot think of a better built Macbook than the MacBook Air m2. This thing is so much nicer than the last MacBook Air and is way nicer than MacBook Pro 13". My wife has the 14" MacBook Pro and I honestly like the air m2 better than her 14". My work laptop is a $2000 dell laptop that is mostly plastic and feels/looks like it could be a $500 laptop. I am very impressed with the quality that Apple puts into it's base model laptops.
Click to expand...
The MBP M2 does not behave the same as the video. I tried it two minutes ago... and the M1 Mac mini does not behave the same way either 😂😂😂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back