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Macbook Air M2 now or should i wait for M3 ?
- Thread starter yoe955
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Buy when you are ready. If you wait for the next model, you will always be waiting. I Doubt the M3 will be a huge leap for most people. Go with the discount and be happy.
If you can snag a discount go for the M2 model, there are some appealing deals out there. That being said if you’re looking for more than the stock 8GB of RAM (which I would recommend 16 for most users) you may be stuck doing a BTO through Apple with no discount. If that’s the case you may want to hold of the 2-3 months until the M3 model is released. It’s possible Apple might bump the existing M2 model down to the entry level spot currently occupied by the M1 Air, in which case you can get a discount then. Worse case scenario is you pay full price but at least get the latest chip.
are you a bargain hunter? buy now. are you the the type that enjoys having the latest and greatest? wait a couple of months. pretty simple calculation. now me, I like having the latest. by default it will be supported the longest from when I buy it, likely to have better resale, and the M3 has that new ray tracing tech the M2 just doesn't have. Plus it's a tad faster. That's why I would be waiting. BUT. Something to be said for picking up a good price if that's what floats your boat. My guess is because you are asking the question, you like the bargains and just need someone to tell you the M3 isnt that much more.
eh, it's a pretty good bet. Apple updated the MBA 1 to 2 after all. And it's been a while for the MBA M2. So my money is on late march for the M3 MBA.
This true, but considering the immense popularity of the MBA, it's unlikely that it'll go that long without an update.
I was in the same dillema as you. Ended up just ordering the m2. There is always something newer in the horizon.
Given that we'll likely get the M3 model in 2 months time, I would personally wait, unless you get a really good deal on an M2. Since the M2 is more than one and a half year old, I'd expect Apple to do a little something other than adding the M3, such as giving us more RAM or SSD space, or lower the price slightly, so that's an added bonus.
I would say if you want a base model, they’re discounted right now about $300 off. But if you want to upgrade the RAM, there’s almost never a discount so wait for the M3. The M3 has a few things that will make it better long term. Apple may make a few other small adjustments.
If you do need it right now the M2 base model or even upgraded SSD can be had heavily discounted. At the same time, I wouldn’t buy an 8GB RAM Mac as I think they will fail to run common tasks before the life of the Mac is over - Apple should sell 16GB RAM minimum. I would always upgrade. I have 16GB RAM M2 13” MBA and 32GB RAM M1 Pro 16” MBP. I like traveling with the MBA, but at home I like using the MBP.
At the office I have two Mac Studios with six monitors. Love the setup for running an investing business.
If you do need it right now the M2 base model or even upgraded SSD can be had heavily discounted. At the same time, I wouldn’t buy an 8GB RAM Mac as I think they will fail to run common tasks before the life of the Mac is over - Apple should sell 16GB RAM minimum. I would always upgrade. I have 16GB RAM M2 13” MBA and 32GB RAM M1 Pro 16” MBP. I like traveling with the MBA, but at home I like using the MBP.
At the office I have two Mac Studios with six monitors. Love the setup for running an investing business.
I think the M3 iMac shows they won’t do much on the memory and storage fronts. Likely nothing.
It might be a really boring update with the M3 chip and Wi-Fi and basically nothing else – albeit spun into a bigger deal with knock-on benefits such as an even longer claimed battery life (maybe egged on by marginally improved cell capacity).
Given this, a price reduction would be welcome. That would sell more MacBook Airs than any tech upgrade could do. They’re too expensive – especially in Europe.
I’d wait until March. Even if you don’t pick a new M3, you’ll get a better deal on the M2.
For me the portability, form factor and the batterie life is the main selling point.I don't need more CPU power on my 15" MBA. I bought it 2 weeks ago for a good price (16 GB RAM, 512GG storage) and enjoy this fabulous laptop several months earlier than the people waiting for the M3.
P.S.: The M3 iMac is even slower than the M1 version because the storage is only half as fast....(at least at 256 GB)
P.S.: The M3 iMac is even slower than the M1 version because the storage is only half as fast....(at least at 256 GB)
A more complete statement would be that the M3 iMac is even slower, at least on paper, than the M1 version because the 256 GB storage is only half as fast doing sequential transfers, which are almost never relevant to perceived performance.
I sincerely disagree.
I think the best deals for M2 Macbook Air was the past few weeks from Best Buy, and now some models are starting to dry up from retail channels. I just bought a model with 16GB if memory for $1,288.99 (open box) before tax. Admittedly, I have the Total Tech subscription (includes Apple Care), so my POV is more unique.
Edit: I am sure, other retailers will heavily discount the MBA, but sometimes the selection is really meh; a definite concern, as other have suggested, you really want 16GB of memory. It may be wiser to buy a month or two before an Apple product is refreshed, depending on the product.
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At this point I would say hold of IF you can. Rumors are stating an expected release of M3 airs in March. That's just rumor though.
I'm also thinking about the M3 MBA. I have an early 2020 MBA with i5 processor and 16 mem, and thinking I should trade it in while it still has value. It works great, however it may be time to let it go. Trade in value to Apple is $400. That may go down once the M3 is released, but since we are talking March, I'll likely wait.
I used to get the latest thing when released, but now I get things 1 year old. You notice no difference in performance and save an awful lot of money. I have just bought a M2 air and have no interest in the M3. Maybe the M4 or M5
Same here. M3 chip, Wi-Fi 6e, basically the same as the Pro update
Unsure if it would be worth upgrading from my M1...
This is my dilemma. I want 16MB and the M2 would be fine. But, if the M3 is a month or so away, I can wait and will compare the price and performance of the same config with the M2 and M3 processors.