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New MacBook Air Announced as First Apple Silicon Mac With M1 Chip and Fanless Design

anshuvorty said:
I just bought one. Let's see how it fares....disappointed that they didn't do the redesign, but it makes sense: COVID-19 severely delayed their plans.

Here is my takeaway on COVID-19's impact on Apple's products this year overall:
  • no ProMotion (120 Hz or High refresh rate) displays on the "Pro" model iPhones
  • no redesign on the AS Macs that were announced today
  • no 1080p cameras on the AS MacBooks because these laptops were already in the pipeline when COVID-19 hit, so they just couldn't disassemble the chassis, put in the new webcam and call it a day....they have to reengineer their entire chassis and I'm sure this is going to be the focus next year...BET ON IT!
Thoughts?
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I think COVID is irrelevant in all of these decisions. Was always going to be stepwise under Cook. Only thing affected by the pandemic has been the supply chain, and even that only by a matter of a month or two.
 
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navaira said:
I am quietly hoping for 12" and 14" Macbook (call it Air, SE, Max Pro Plus Lite Twentieth Anniversary Classic Edition, I don't care, I want a 14" screen + taper) next year.
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That's my thinking too, that next year we'll get the 13" Air in a 12" size laptop (reduced bezels) and the 14" Pro in the current 13" size laptop, again with reduced bezels.

I don't think there's space for them to re-introduce the 12" Macbook in between a 12" iPad Pro and 13.3" Air, when they brought it out in 2015 the Air was still a budget, non-retina device.

But, they could very well bring it back in alongside a 14" Air / 14" Pro / 16" Pro lineup, but in any case the logic of that situation says that it'll still be a 13" screen size, because they won't have a large-bezel 12" with the rest of the lineup having reduced size bezels, and they can't make the laptop smaller to accommodate a 12" small-bezel screen because the keyboard already goes to full-width.

So I think that logic suggests that if the 12" Macbook returns in any sort of form or name or lineup, it'll be a 13" machine.
 
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Based on the keynote it looks like they updated the screen as well to a P3 color gamut screen. I wonder if the screen then is different from the one on the MacBook Pro. That was one of the main distinguishing features between the two models, so if the new Air has the same processor and the same screen, I think many would prefer its portability!
 
leeuk321 said:
For sure. I've just got the feeling though that next year will be the bezel year, where the 13" Air morphs into the shell (or thereabouts) of the 12" but with smaller bezels, so 13" screen in a < 1.1kg body. And the 13" Pro will fulfil its destiny and expand into the 14" Pro. Which will give a nice, clean lineup:

13" Macbook Air < 1.1kg
14" MacBook Pro 1.4kg
16" MacBook Pro 2.0kg

And each Macbook by that point will have clear, clean differences in size, weight, screen size, performance and price. Could be wrong, but that's my thinking.
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I have to say that I’m very happy with the setup of my iPad Pro with the lighted keyboard. You saw how small the motherboard was on the Air. I could see them integrate that with a display and then you choose the keyboard with the additional features (ports, TouchBar or no) that you like. Even a glass option multitouch screen option that adjusts to your tasks. :)
 
Aboo said:
Based on the keynote it looks like they updated the screen as well to a P3 color gamut screen. I wonder if the screen then is different from the one on the MacBook Pro. That was one of the main distinguishing features between the two models, so if the new Air has the same processor and the same screen, I think many would prefer its portability!
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Someone else posted in another thread that it’s the same P3 screen.
 
edwrap said:
Wow, can’t believe they switched from expensive Intel chips to their own ARM chips and kept the price the same. The profit margin on these must be insane, even for Apple.
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What's more the base model comes with 8 GB RAM, and they charge +200$ if you wanna upgrade to 16 GB
The 13" MBP with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD comes to a whopping $1,900 :eek:
And that's not including tax! For those of us outside the USA this will be a VERY niche product
 
Precursor said:
What's more the base model comes with 8 GB RAM, and they charge +200$ if you wanna upgrade to 16 GB
The 13" MBP with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD comes to a whopping $1,900 :eek:
And that's not including tax! For those of us outside the USA this will be a VERY niche product
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I'll bet these prices drop as soon as the initial glow wears off. These are new products, and Apple is gladly taking their biggest cut from first movers. I'll bet in a year, there will be much cheaper options.
 
"M1 includes Apple's most advanced GPU". Right. But how does it compare to the GPUs made by Intel, Nvidia, ATI? Two chips typically generate heat. CPU and GPU. If the heat can be dissipated through the aluminum case... great? But proof will be in the pudding. General fear on how this will operate given Apple's history of underclocking chips to fit a form factor.
 
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Precursor said:
What's more the base model comes with 8 GB RAM, and they charge +200$ if you wanna upgrade to 16 GB
The 13" MBP with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD comes to a whopping $1,900 :eek:
And that's not including tax! For those of us outside the USA this will be a VERY niche product
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The high end of these will definitely sell fewer. However, as the low end is the same price, and the Air will likely continue to be Apple’s top seller, it will be the antithesis of niche :)

dgdosen said:
I'll bet these prices drop as soon as the initial glow wears off. These are new products, and Apple is gladly taking their biggest cut from first movers. I'll bet in a year, there will be much cheaper options.
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Not cheaper AND new. They’ll have refurbs, certainly, but IF they release updated systems next year (remember, as Macs, they don’t sell as many per year), they’ll be better performance options at the same prices, like these.
 
Theyayarealivin said:
I'm going to miss the Fan : Now we won't know if the Mac is working hard or not.
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You will now know that it never works hard, since the MBP has a fan with the same chip so that it can keep on working hard when it heats up, whereas the MBA will have to throttle the speed instead.
 
neuropsychguy said:
Macrumors is degenerating into a bunch of whiny users again. 2020 has been the most impressive year for new Apple products in a long time. This is a great start to a new era for Apple.
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It is. And yet it isn't. So many great new things, and yet all the MacBooks are so unbelievably seriously flawed. That's why we are so whiny.
 
leeuk321 said:
That's my thinking too, that next year we'll get the 13" Air in a 12" size laptop (reduced bezels) and the 14" Pro in the current 13" size laptop, again with reduced bezels.
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I really hope so. I went in as soon as the site opened up and put the new 13” Air in the cart and pushed through to the payment screen but couldn’t click the final button because it was just settling for a product. I really want that 12” form factor back with a better keyboard. Absolutely my favorite Mac when it comes to size.
 
what is the key difference now between the 13 air and pro? If chip and screen is exactly the same?
 
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