I've long been a fan of the 15" MBP's when they felt more like MBA's. However, I've fallen for my 13" MBA/M2. I'll need to venture into an Apple store sometime to get a feel for the new 15" MBA/M2. Maybe I'll fall in love again.
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The 15" MacBook Air is Excellent! Why isn't it more popular?
- Thread starter Adelphos33
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I am just glad I was able to get one. I really do appreciate the additional screen size.
Probably around 90% of my workload is web based and typical office apps. All very lightweight. I upgraded from a base M1 Air to a base M2 15” Air. I’d been waiting for a long time for the opportunity to have a larger MacBook that wasn’t as expensive/heavy as a pro. I practically don't need any large amount of power, but the larger screen is very much appreciated. I couldn’t be happier with the 15” Air.
Neither Tim Cook nor Luca Maestri comment on MBA 15 sales when it's 1) a brand new product, 2) post-back to school season, and 3) supposedly fills an untapped demand for a 15-inch MBA. Mac sales faced the largest drop in recent history. When is Cook or Maestri supposed to comment on sales? A year from today when the MBA is old is starting to become a brown banana? It's not a "big" conclusion to make that sales are poor. It's the only logical conclusion.
The problem with MBA 15 is that it's neither affordable nor an ultrabook. Students don't want it because they can spend $200 on a monitor, bigger iPhone, or iPad. It's also too big to carry around on a daily basis or use in classes with tablet arm chairs. Business users want more ports and battery life, so they choose MBP 14. The MBA 15 falls in a no man's land - for a Mac-centric customer who wants to consume media or do light productivity with a big screen, but doesn't mind the bulk.
It feels like we are in this weird phase where many people who have already gotten an M-series Mac have already bought one, or they are still hanging on to their Intel Macs and have little intention of upgrading yet.
I personally do like it, but my M1 MBA is still going strong and I can probably get another 2 years out of it in the least, but when it's time to upgrade, it will likely be to the 15".
I would get one but by the time you upgrade ram to 16gb and hard drive to 512gb/1tb, you get much better value buying a MacBook Pro
And price.
You got that exactly backwards. The Pro feels heavier because it is denser.
So much this. I do have the M1 14“ Pro, but only because at the time the 15“ MBA didn‘t exist yet. Today I would absolutely choose the latter, for the same reasons as you.
I for one, think that Tim Cook's need to (once again) highlight the 15" MBA in the first few minutes of an iPhone event was VERY telling. It came across as very desperate, and something Apple had never done before. I can only assume it's not selling as well as they anticipated.
I am probably one of the biggest advocates of the 13" MacBook Air. I've had the 13" Unibody, bought the 13" Retina MBA on day one (2018) and upgraded to the M1 MBA on day one. I was one of the many people in the forums who claimed that a 15" MBA would be a day one purchase. I've since backtracked, for two reasons.
1. Price. If the 1299 USD would have translated to a 1299 EUR price point, I would have picked one up. As it stands, it's currently 1900 EUR (in my market) which is frankly insane for a 8GB/256GB model in 2023.
2. Size. Upon handling the 15" model in stores, I have to say it feels massive coming from a 13". While I do find the screen real estate appealing, I can see the footprint being too large for many. For me, in a way, it feels like going back in time, and it reminds me of my 15" MBP I had 10 years ago. I guess this wouldn't be a problem for Pro users who are used to the size and heft, but the typical Air buyer would likely be put off. Problem is, most of those Pro users would require more ports and opt for a 14" MBP. So I can see the 15" MBA niche being rather small.
I'll most likely upgrade to an M3 when they release, but still debating on 13" vs 15".
I am probably one of the biggest advocates of the 13" MacBook Air. I've had the 13" Unibody, bought the 13" Retina MBA on day one (2018) and upgraded to the M1 MBA on day one. I was one of the many people in the forums who claimed that a 15" MBA would be a day one purchase. I've since backtracked, for two reasons.
1. Price. If the 1299 USD would have translated to a 1299 EUR price point, I would have picked one up. As it stands, it's currently 1900 EUR (in my market) which is frankly insane for a 8GB/256GB model in 2023.
2. Size. Upon handling the 15" model in stores, I have to say it feels massive coming from a 13". While I do find the screen real estate appealing, I can see the footprint being too large for many. For me, in a way, it feels like going back in time, and it reminds me of my 15" MBP I had 10 years ago. I guess this wouldn't be a problem for Pro users who are used to the size and heft, but the typical Air buyer would likely be put off. Problem is, most of those Pro users would require more ports and opt for a 14" MBP. So I can see the 15" MBA niche being rather small.
I'll most likely upgrade to an M3 when they release, but still debating on 13" vs 15".
It never does because the US price excludes tax.
Which market is that? In Germany it‘s 1599 EUR.
I just bought a 15" MBA M2 16/1 - and before I did so, I carefully compared it to the MBPs, both the previous generation and the new M3. While like anyone, I prefer to pay less rather than more, I'm not super price sensitive. In fact, given that I bought my 15" directly from Apple, and it's a 16GB RAM upgrade and 1TB storage upgrade, the price was high enough that I could've just bought the new base 14" MBP M3. Yet, I still bought the MBA.
It's possible (and indeed probable) that I'm not a typical Apple customer, so I don't know how relevant my reasons for purchase are in the big picture of the marketing realm, but FWIW, my reasons for the MBA over the MBP are very much centered around screen size and more importantly weight. Here, I much prefer the lighter and less chunky MBA - I went to the Apple store and compared them pretty closely. Incidentally, I used to own the M1 MBP 13" - I bought it back when the wait for the Air was just too long and the MBP was immediately available, and I really needed a computer and so got the MBP (it was a terrible experience, the MBP was faulty and ultimately I traded it in). Comparing both (15" MBA M2 and MBP M3) in the store was a very, very clear choice for me - I hated the "chunkiness" of the MBP, the density of weight compared to the larger but lighter feeling MBA. So just based on that, I would've always chosen the MBA. But if there were compelling reasons for the MBP, I'd consider it - however the advantages of the MBP, such as they are, are not compelling to me; the MBP has a better quality screen - to my eye, it's barely perceptible in the short examination in the store, but the size certainly is smaller than the 15" MBA, so again, this is not a reason *for me* to go for the MBP (it's possible that if my use case was centered around heavy photo/video editing I'd feel differently about the screen, but I mostly do word processing and web surfing/research). The other advantages of the MBP is a newer generation chipset, but I don't do any heavy visual or 3-D modeling tasks, so again, *for me* the M3 in the MBP is not compelling over the M2 in the MBA. Same with other things like quality of mic or speakers etc. There just isn't enough of a capability difference given my use case between the MBA M2 and MBP M3, so I went for the 15" MBA based purely on aesthetics and "feel". I freely acknowledge that even when it comes to size and weight the differences between the MBA and MBP are very small, but precisely because the MBA has a larger screen, the differences are exaggerated when it comes to the perceived weight or "chunkiness" purely subjectively.
Bottom line, some of us *much* prefer the 15" MBA M2, and indeed like it very much - clearly though there aren't enough of us to impact sales. So I agree, the 15" MBA is fantastic and I wouldn't trade it for any other Apple *current* offering - though the future may have some surprises for us... for example, I wouldn't mind if the MBA was lighter and had an even longer battery life, maybe OLED screen etc., if that happens, I may have to trade in my current MBA. But so far, I'm very, very pleased with the 15" MBA (it's only been a day so far though, ha, ha!).
I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. I currently own a 13" MBA M2 24/1. If I needed a bigger screen, I would go 15" MBA. Not MBP. I just don't like how chunky and heavy the MBPs feel, the density, something is just off and makes them appear subjectively heavy. I compared them side-to-side at the Apple Store - I definitely prefer the Air.
At home and at work I connect it to a Thunderbolt dock and a 27" 4K screen.
Just like yours, my workloads are rather lightweight - word processing, web surfing/researching. And then some occasional photo editing using Photos and Lightroom. The MBA holds up perfectly. Of course, if I ever had the need for more processing power (for example for video editing) I might change my mind, or even get a Mac Mini with M2 Pro processor.
Also, my father (77 years old) needed to replace his 8 year old iMac with something new. He chose the 15" MBA. The 13" MBA screen is too small for him, but he still wanted portability. The MBP appeared too heavy. So 15" MBA it is.
It may be a niche, but there definitely is a market for it.
Ah yes, the Kuo article from 13 Oct 2023, in which he claims: "There are no new products in 4Q23,"... 17 days before the Apple Scary Fast event.
The first easy answer for me is: size. The 15 Air seems too big and heavy (and so does the entire Macbook line, btw). Basically, since 2010, the Air is still the same screen size and weight, while in the Windows world we have computers like the LG gram which weigh at 15" what the 12" Macbook did.
There's no reason why the Airs don't have smaller bezels. They are still too big, just compare them to an XPS. And the weight is also a factor... 1.5 kg is a lot for an "Air" in 2023.
Another reason is probably screen quality. Apple insists to separate "pro" and non pro lines by screen bezel size and quality - pro motion, mini led (this applies to the iPhone as well). So probably a lot of people prefer to get the 14 Pro instead, it has a smaller footprint, smaller bezels, similar weight, much better screen, sound and CPU/GPU, more ports...
I think the Airs and especially the 15 version would be far more popular with a better screen. I mean, you choose the 15 Air because you want a bigger, better screen. But it's only bigger and no match for the screen of the 14 Pro. So it sits in this awkward spot.
The last reason I think is because it's too niche. If you want a portable computer, you can get the 13 because it's much more comfortable for traveling and you can also dock it successfully with a big monitor if you want to work from your desk. People who just want a desktop replacement end up getting the Pro (probably the 16"), because they usually want more power as well. The 15 Air just sits in an less useful spot in the lineup, but I'm sure it's not a failure.
There's no reason why the Airs don't have smaller bezels. They are still too big, just compare them to an XPS. And the weight is also a factor... 1.5 kg is a lot for an "Air" in 2023.
Another reason is probably screen quality. Apple insists to separate "pro" and non pro lines by screen bezel size and quality - pro motion, mini led (this applies to the iPhone as well). So probably a lot of people prefer to get the 14 Pro instead, it has a smaller footprint, smaller bezels, similar weight, much better screen, sound and CPU/GPU, more ports...
I think the Airs and especially the 15 version would be far more popular with a better screen. I mean, you choose the 15 Air because you want a bigger, better screen. But it's only bigger and no match for the screen of the 14 Pro. So it sits in this awkward spot.
The last reason I think is because it's too niche. If you want a portable computer, you can get the 13 because it's much more comfortable for traveling and you can also dock it successfully with a big monitor if you want to work from your desk. People who just want a desktop replacement end up getting the Pro (probably the 16"), because they usually want more power as well. The 15 Air just sits in an less useful spot in the lineup, but I'm sure it's not a failure.
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With money being more tight than it has been for a decade for most people a computer with a larger screen (and price) not selling well is not an indicator that it is bad. Just that people might settle for what they have or the cheaper smaller sibling.
1. 15” is large for a laptop. Even in my M2 Max I went with 14”.
2. MBA is not for hard computing. I imagine that for mobility, people want something smaller and easier to toss into a small case or sleeve.
3. I imagine that most people going for a MBA are going for the entry level with maybe a hard drive upgrade. They don’t want to spend the extra cash.
These are just my guesses and not based on any raw data. Just my thoughts.
I crossed shopped these two, mainly because I wanted to get rid of my Midnight M2 MacBook Air (color is starting to annoy me).
With the Black Friday sale, a 16 GB, 1 TB 15" MacBook Air is $1,699.
The same configuration for the 14" M3 MacBook Pro is $1,999.
With regular prices, it is a $100 difference - $1,899 for the MacBook Air, $1,999 for the MacBook Pro. Is $100 worth it for the nicer screen and speakers? Probably. But the 14" MacBook Pro screen is also noticeably smaller than the 15". Weight is about the same (though footprint is smaller for the 14"
It is a really tough decision. Frankly I wish I could spend a day with the 14" to see if things like screen quality and brightness make a difference.
The original may have been expensive, but Apple saw an opportunity to snag a contingent of users willing on giving Mac a go - if only they could financially justify it. It soon dropped to a level that made it attractive to price-conscious / weight conscious users. I started with the 11" and eventually moved up to 13". And paid around $CDN1000 each time. And each with more useful ports than current MBAs. No additional hub required.
And, living as I do between 2 universities as well as close to the business district, I'd see (and still do) lots of the 'old' MBAs pulled out and used in coffee shops. Less so today with newer (much pricier) MBAs.
Heck, I still maintain my 2017 13" Intel MBA for my road warrior / work needs. And as for weight - every ounce counts after a certain point when toting it around.
The narrative you have doesn’t match up with the facts. MSRP on the 2013 MBA 13 was $1099 ($1451 today) for 4/128.
The modern 13” is $1099 for 8/256. It’s *cheaper* and manages to deliver even more battery life than the well regarded 2013-2017 models while having a screen that doesn’t cause eye cancer.
Adjusted for inflation the 15” is even cheaper than that 13” was.
Unless I need the extra CPU/GPU power and more then 24gb RAM, I will choose the 13” MBA over the 14” MBP because its still cheaper with the same RAM/storage while being thiner, lighter and more portable.
On paper it's better. In real life I've never looked at the 15 Airs screen and thought, "Dang, I wish this had a better screen!". Even putting it side by side with a friend's 16 Pro. And then, the screen real estate is actually significantly larger on the 15 Air than on the 14 Pro. Much more than the 1" might suggest. I makes a big difference in my daily workflow. For my type of work that extra space makes much more of a difference than the HDR whilst watching videos or the better blacks. That's what many people for whichever reason don't seem to consider when comparing those two. And no, I don't want to use an external monitor.
Do I wish it was a little lighter/slimmer/smaller? Maybe. My 5 year old Dell XPS 13 has smaller bezels for what it's worth. And that aside, the 15 Air is by far the best Laptop I have ever used, again, for my use case (office/zoom-calls/light video and photo editing/don't want to use external monitor and need a portable machine).
Only thing that's holding it back is the absurd price gauging on memory upgrades. Here in Germany the 15 Air starts at 1599€ and like in the US comes with 256GB/8GB. Each memory upgrade costs 230€. That is just wild. You'll pay 460€ to get an additional 256GB SSD and 8GB of ram, which brings it into the territory of future proof enough for the next 5-8 years for me. That's just a little too greedy in my books. It's almost 2024 and these upgrades cost apple next to nothing. I can go and get at base M1 Air on sale for 889€ right now which is a perfectly capable machine. That just doesn't add up and if Apple were to lower those upgrades to something between 150€-180€ I can imagine they'd sell much better. But then they probably did their math on how to squeeze every last dime out of their customers so I might be wrong...
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All-in on the 15” Air for me. Mo’ Bigger Screen = Mo’Betta Experience (windowing etc). Plus, I listen to a lot of piano music and the speakers run circles around the 13” Air to my ears. And I just have no use for all the extra bells on the Pros + the cost no thanks.
Yeah, people forget that the 13" 2010 MBA was released with an introductory price of $1,299. That was considered a bargain compared to the pricey 2008 MBA. The 2010 model really brought the ultra portables into the mainstream, but it was more expensive than the M2 MBA ($1,199 at release). Historically, MBA pricing slowly drifts down to the magical $999. The M2 is already well on its way at $1,099 one year after release. It's getting there much faster than previous models. Of course you can buy the M2 MBA for much less. I have seen the base M2 MBA on sale for $899 new.
I won't even start with all of the improvements in performance, display, Touch ID, processor, battery life, etc..
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I’ve owned 14 and 16 MBP and recently moved to the 15 MBA. It’s great. The screen size is right in the middle. Where you felt cramped on the 14” and maybe a little too much spade on the 16” the 15” is perfect.
That plus the thin frame and light weight makes a huge difference being able to hold it with one hand.
You definitely notice the screen is not as sharp and the M2 is okay but I do get the occasional stutter or frozen screen for 10 sec. 24GB RAM has been okay. Also not great.
I pulled the trigger because it doesn’t look like a M3 MBA is going to be much of an improvement.
Anyway for folks who are on the go and need a decent sized screen it’s a great option.
That plus the thin frame and light weight makes a huge difference being able to hold it with one hand.
You definitely notice the screen is not as sharp and the M2 is okay but I do get the occasional stutter or frozen screen for 10 sec. 24GB RAM has been okay. Also not great.
I pulled the trigger because it doesn’t look like a M3 MBA is going to be much of an improvement.
Anyway for folks who are on the go and need a decent sized screen it’s a great option.
While I do appreciate the look of the slim bezels on my 9510, there is one very significant tradeoff: The webcam is absolute crap, an unfortunate consequence of needing a unit small enough to fit in that slim bezel. I would gladly suffer slightly thicker bezels for a useable webcam.