Reactions to new MBA?!

[theluggage]

Even currency fluctuations dont account for the entire difference in the UK.

Currently $1 = £0.80
...then add 20% tax (included in published UK prices) => £0.96
... M2 MBA "should be" £1151
...Actual M2 MBA pricing $1199 => £1249,
so I make that about an 8.5% "real" mark-up.

November 2020 (M! MBA launch), $1 = £0.75
...then add 20% tax => £0.90
... M1 MBA "should be" £899
...Actual M1 MBA Pricing: $999 => £999
=> 11% mark up.


I'm sure Apple doesn't just take the "spot" value of $ vs £ on launch day - they'll try and guess the average rate over the next 6 months or so (and who knows what their actual strategy is for how and when to transfer money between countries... quantum rocket brain accountancy, I'm sure) so I wouldn't try to call whether the mark up has gone up or down over the last 2 years, but we're looking at a "ball park" real-world mark up of around 10% between US and UK.

Of course, currency exchange isn't the only "cost of doing business" overseas - I've no idea what the import duty situation is on computers, but there are additional regulatory requirements, and the statutory warranty in the UK and EU is far longer & stricter than in the US. Plus there's the small matter of different keyboards (even the UK keyboard is different to the US one & they have to offer a dozen variants for the EU) and local translations of the OS and software (...even in the UK some hard working minion has gone through, put all the missing 'u's in colour and even, I kid you not, changed "Trash" to "Bin" ...)

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

Absolutely love it. Will get the Midnight - it's a beauty. What a huge upgrade to an already amazing device (M1 MBA). It is rather expensive to spec up, though, I'll give you all that. As a photographer and as someone who uses my laptop professionally, I seriously don't get why people are so obsessed about the lack of ports. It's a non-issue for me. The only thing I need to connect is my camera, and that uses USB-C. Everything else is cloud-based or done wirelessly. Super excited about getting a better webcam as well as better screen and speakers.

Agree. I have a hard time envisioning a situation where I would need more than one USB-C port (assuming that MagSafe is providing power), let alone more than two. If I'm using that many wired accessories, I'm probably at my desk, in which case I would just plug into a Thunderbolt dock or USB-C hub.

 

[theluggage]

If we convert the starting price for the MBA in the UK (£1249) to USD, you get $1560.

You forgot to take the 20% VAT that has to be included in UK prices, which isn't Apple's doing, off that, first - and it's not even fair to say that doesn't help UK customers, since a lot of people buying for work will be able to reclaim that 20%.

See: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/reactions-to-new-mba.2346886/post-31158991

 

[AJB1971]

Absolutely love it. Will get the Midnight - it's a beauty. What a huge upgrade to an already amazing device (M1 MBA). It is rather expensive to spec up, though, I'll give you all that. As a photographer and as someone who uses my laptop professionally, I seriously don't get why people are so obsessed about the lack of ports. It's a non-issue for me. The only thing I need to connect is my camera, and that uses USB-C. Everything else is cloud-based or done wirelessly. Super excited about getting a better webcam as well as better screen and speakers.

MKBHD says the midnight colour may not be the best choice. He will elaborate in a later video.

I wonder if it shows fingerprints or if it's because the anodization wears off. I’ve already noticed some signs of this in the hand-on videos around the USB-C ports. I’m not sure if this will show up -

If I was getting one, I'd get a clear skin.

Colour coded charging cables, though!

 

[NorrisKillsKids]

I like it. I've been torn over the new base 14 inch pro for a while. I just don't want or need the bulk. I don't need those ports, the extra weight is a an annoyance, and it has worse battery life by quite a bit vs the Air. But it has a better display and design.

Now that the Air has been redesigned I feel like I'm almost getting closer to it even if I gotta pay a similar price. It's easy to say it's only 300-400 bucks difference between the model of new Air I want vs Base Pro, but you gain the low weight and the much better battery life which I value more than promotion/higher res.

Just feels like this new one has created a good middle ground now where you can get pretty close in performance. Now I'm just debating whether or not those extra gpu cores matter at all. Prices in Canada are bonkers so I gotta make sure I make the right call while still future proofing but us canadians have accepted being effed long ago.

 

[MrKennedy]

My speculation awhile back that this would be similar to the Google Pixelbook Go... well, if you're looking quickly, it's similar.

View attachment 2014689

View attachment 2014692

Other than the dark color, many laptops look like this at a glance... I'd credit Apple's designs as inspiration for the Pixelbook Go.

 

[adamlbiscuit]

My reaction to the M2 MBA was one of relief to be honest, at least when I saw the pricing. Let me explain:

I recently purchased an M1 MBA (8-core GPU, 512 GB storage) from the Apple Refurbished Store at a decent price (just over £1000).

For my needs it's essential that my laptop has at least 512 GB storage (I can get away with 256 GB on desktop since external SSD's are less of an inconvenience with a computer that remains stationary), so this config showing up on the refurb store, at a time when I'd just about had enough of my Intel MBA, was too good to pass up.

Still there was a lingering thought that perhaps I'd been too hasty, knowing full well that an M2 would be just around the corner. The M1 MBA was such a massive improvement over the Intel that I didn't care much at first but I'll be honest I did feel a bit of FOMO when they were showing off the M2 MBA during the presentation. I kicked myself a little bit, thinking how shortsighted must I have been to purchase a model that was sure to be replaced in the coming weeks?

When they announced that the M1 MBA would be sticking around that made me feel a bit better - at least it's still technically a 'current' model. Then when I looked at the configs after the presentation, I felt a whole lot better.

It turns out that to have an M2 MBA with 512 GB storage costs £1449. Given the fact that for me 512 GB is a must, and the price has been significantly hiked, even if I did wait I wouldn't have been able to afford the M2 with my current budget. That just made all the FOMO wash off and made me even more confident that buying the refurb M1 MBA was the best choice in the end despite a new one coming out just a few weeks after.

I am technically still within the 30 day return period but I'm happy with what I've got and it's an insane amount better than the Intel MBA I'd put up with till now.

Pricing aside the M2 MBA does look sleek and I was surprised that they didn't go down the vibrant, white bezelled route (I wouldn't have minded if they did). Not really bothered about the notch, and curious as to how the speakers will sound now the speaker grilles are out again.

TL;DR: Bought a refurb M1 MBA a few weeks ago despite knowing the M2 MBA was around the corner. Felt a bit of buyers remorse and FOMO when the M2 MBA was shown off, then looked at the price and the configs, realised that even if I wanted to, the M2 MBA in the desired spec was out of my price range and thus the M1 MBA was the right choice after all.

 

[skaertus]

My reaction was... meh.

Apple offered as little as it could.

The M2 is "up to" 18% faster than the M1, which, quite frankly, is underwhelming after one year and a half. The screen only offers more real estate to accommodate the notch; although the notch was expected, so were larger screens that did not come. The screen does not support HDR nor 120 Hz, although it is brighter (which should be expected). The laptop is only slightly lighter at 2.7 lbs, while some competitors have only 2 lbs. It supports only up to 24 GB RAM (why not 32 GB?). And it is more expensive.

The real improvement here is the M2 chip. The rest is pretty much standard. While last year's Pro came full of new features, this Air is a letdown.

 

[jav6454]

My reaction was... meh.

Apple offered as little as it could.

The M2 is "up to" 18% faster than the M1, which, quite frankly, is underwhelming after one year and a half. The screen only offers more real estate to accommodate the notch; although the notch was expected, so were larger screens that did not come. The screen does not support HDR nor 120 Hz, although it is brighter (which should be expected). The laptop is only slightly lighter at 2.7 lbs, while some competitors have only 2 lbs. It supports only up to 24 GB RAM (why not 32 GB?). And it is more expensive.

The real improvement here is the M2 chip. The rest is pretty much standard. While last year's Pro came full of new features, this Air is a letdown.

The Air is not meant to be feature packed; that's why you have the 14" and 16" MBPs. The Air is meant as a portable computer for the average person.

 

[skaertus]

The Air is not meant to be feature packed; that's why you have the 14" and 16" MBPs. The Air is meant as a portable computer for the average person.

That is OK, but it could be lighter and offered in a large size.

 

[AlixSPQR]

Apple just don't do entry-level laptops.

If you look back over past prices, the base MBA has always bounced between $999 and $1199 as features have come and gone. The last Intel MBA at $999 was a feeble Intel i3 - first time a Retina display had been priced that low - that getting bumped to a far more powerful M1 for the same price was something of a steal.

The new $1199 starting price isn't great news, but it isn't unprecedented.

For me, it is not a question of history, but the present.
The M1 MBA is entry-level, M2 MBA is not. And, for all intents and purposes, the latter must be considered the successor.
Still, the M1 MBA is for sale, so Apple has an entry-level for sale.
I am not the only one with this view, just watch Dave Lee on YouTube.

 

[theluggage]

The M2 is "up to" 18% faster than the M1, which, quite frankly, is underwhelming after one year and a half. The screen only offers more real estate to accommodate the notch; although the notch was expected, so were larger screens that did not come.

Bear in mind that the prime market for this is people who are still on Intel - yeah, they'll get useful sales from enthusiasts who must have the latest model, but most people are going to expect more than 18 months out of their M1 Air. If you're waiting for a must-have upgrade from M1 then it's really too soon. Strategically, too - in another 18 months a lot of M1 owners will be looking to upgrade. The tick/tock cycle makes perfect sense - tick to existing customers with 2-3 year old machines to upgrade, tock to keep the product fresh for new customers.

There's nothing magic about Apple Silicon that makes it reasonable to expect a night-and-day performance increase every 18 months. Everybody here got in a bunch over rumours of 3nm chips that Apple never suggested were imminent. They've apparently moved to the next version of the CPU and core designs (which is enough to justify calling it M2), moved from LPDDR4 to LPDDR5 RAM, added a couple of GPU cores - pretty much what was being postulated about the M2 for the last year. The idea that this is some sort of half-baked, stopgap "M1.5" kludge is last minute face-saving from analysts who bet the farm on it being 3nm.

No, Apple aren't beating Intel in % increase per year after the initial huge leap to Apple Silicon - but the bigger problem with Intel would be that they'd have started the hype for the next generation of chips while Apple were still waiting for the right TDP/GPU combo from the last generation to ship.

 

[jav6454]

That is OK, but it could be lighter and offered in a large size.

Again, for a larger size, look for the 14" or 16" offerings. Granted, if you need a larger screen it's due to the fact that your needs are already outside the scope of the MBA.

As per lighter, no clue why the MBA is this heavy when other manufacturers have lighter laptops. We'll need to wait for iFixit's teardown.

 

[skaertus]

Again, for a larger size, look for the 14" or 16" offerings. Granted, if you need a larger screen it's due to the fact that your needs are already outside the scope of the MBA.

As per lighter, no clue why the MBA is this heavy when other manufacturers have lighter laptops. We'll need to wait for iFixit's teardown.

Not necessarily. I do not need the 14" or 16" weight and power, only the screen size. And definitely not the hefty price tag.

 

[jav6454]

Not necessarily. I do not need the 14" or 16" weight and power, only the screen size. And definitely not the hefty price tag.

If you increase screen size you'll increase price and weight. Also, the new MBA has a screen almost as big a 14", try it first then make your decision.

 

[skaertus]

If you increase screen size you'll increase price and weight. Also, the new MBA has a screen almost as big a 14", try it first then make your decision.

It is not proportional. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air weighs 2.7 lbs and costs $1199; the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro weighs 3.5 lbs and costs $1999; the 16-inch MacBook Pro weighs 4.7 lbs and costs $2,499.

 

[jav6454]

It is not proportional. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air weighs 2.7 lbs and costs $1199; the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro weighs 3.5 lbs and costs $1999; the 16-inch MacBook Pro weighs 4.7 lbs and costs $2,499.

How is it not proportional if with every model you listed:

• Screen size went up
• Price went up
• Weight went up

That perhaps none of those follow a specific pattern of the three, but the overall true still holds. Screen size increase leads to weight, and price increase.

 

[skaertus]

How is it not proportional if with every model you listed:

• Screen size went up
• Price went up
• Weight went up

That perhaps none of those follow a specific pattern of the three, but the overall true still holds. Screen size increase leads to weight, and price increase.

It increases, but not proportionally.

A 14.2" screen is 9% larger than a 13.6" one, yet the 14.2" Pro is 30% heavier and 67% more expensive.

The 16.2" screen is 42% larger than the 13.6" one, but the 16.2" Pro is 74% heavier and twice the price.

No proportion here. If the proportions were to be kept, a 14.2" Air would be 2.9 lbs and would cost $1300, and a 16.2" Air would be 3.8 lbs and would cost $1700.

 

[jav6454]

It increases, but not proportionally.

A 14.2" screen is 9% larger than a 13.6" one, yet the 14.2" Pro is 30% heavier and 67% more expensive.

The 16.2" screen is 42% larger than the 13.6" one, but the 16.2" Pro is 74% heavier and twice the price.

No proportion here. If the proportions were to be kept, a 14.2" Air would be 2.9 lbs and would cost $1300, and a 16.2" Air would be 3.8 lbs and would cost $1700.

Yeah, that ain't going to happen.

 

[thingstoponder]

It’s pretty meh to me. The new design is just different, not better. We’ve reached peak build quality over a decade ago with Apple products. I feel the same way with the new iMac and displays and iPhones and iPads. I’ll probably buy the old one because you can get a better deal right now.

 

[Nick_P]

I love the new M2 Air! I’ll be getting the highest spec chip with 24GB ram, but only 256GB ssd to keep the cost down.

I use up all the ram now on my dayjob browser based CAD engineering program. 24GB ram will be perfect for a high performance travel machine for me.

I had bought the 14” pro last year, and returned it because it was too heavy and bulky for me. I’ll be at the front of the line for the M2 Air.

Very happy

 

[jav6454]

I love the new M2 Air! I’ll be getting the highest spec chip with 24GB ram, but only 256GB ssd to keep the cost down.

I use up all the ram now on my dayjob browser based CAD engineering program. 24GB ram will be perfect for a high performance travel machine for me.

I had bought the 14” pro last year, and returned it because it was too heavy and bulky for me. I’ll be at the front of the line for the M2 Air.

Very happy

You do realize the M2 runs hotter and the MBA is passively cooled? That means the M2 will be throttled quicker and for more extended periods of time. Look to the 13" MBP for the type of performance you want.

 

[orionquest]

As mentioned not wedge shape it's not an Air.
Apple is becoming more and more utilitarian in some ways.

 

[Shreducator]

I'm glad I went base 14' Pro.

 

[Nick_P]

You do realize the M2 runs hotter and the MBA is passively cooled? That means the M2 will be throttled quicker and for more extended periods of time. Look to the 13" MBP for the type of performance you want.

I have the M1 air and Mini now. They both handle my program great. Just run out of system RAM when I’m working on larger designs. (8 GB each). With 24GB I should be good.