Who is keeping 15" Air?

[JayMysterio]

I cant imagine settling for the screen on the 15 air when the 14pro exists

It's not that hard to imagine dependent on one's personal needs. For myself the extra screen real estate was worth more than the ( I had a 16 inch MBP that is way too heavy ) better screen of a 14 inch MBP. I don't watch 4K movies on my Air & have an external monitor for design work. So all I need from my laptop is a good size screen & the lightest weight.

----

Often times when there's "a lot of talk", it's anecdotal chatter one wants to hear.

What really matters is one finding what works for them. Actually using that thing instead of obsessing over stats, instead of worrying about what's the next big tech step. One could drive themselves nuts trying to compare similar devices, especially Apple devices.

 

[tommyparadise]

If I didnt have any computer and wanted one that does it all I would be going for 16MBP. I'm leaning heavily towards 15MBA after properly considering my existing setup Mac Studio/30/23 ACDs and iPad Pro 12.9. My laptop needs are probably best met by the 15 air - portable, get work stuff done/personal admin. I do video editing a little bit in my work but realised that I personally need a big screen and desktop setting for that anyway. I know the 15 will meet my needs there in a pinch, too.

I do love the real estate on the 16 as someone who always wanted the 17 inch powerbook so there's an outside chance I go that direction but MBA 15 most of the time feels like the smartest choice. I'll eventually make a decision haha

 

[mr_jomo]

Love the larger screen yet still sweet spot for ergonomics and portability.Thermals are great. No issues with track pad. Speakers are a good step-up from the 13". The 16/512 config is USD 300 equivalent, in my zone, below the entry 14" Pro, so makes sense to me for what's on offer.

Would it be nice to have a 16" Pro ... sure, but I can essentially run my day-to-day work 90% of the m2 efficiency cores, and all the Pro line's QOL additions are of no use to me professionally.

Nah - this is going nowhere 🤩.

 

[Surfsalot]

Not sure on fence.

 

[4389842]

There is a LOT of talk of people "preferring the 14 pro" or the 15" air is too big, or not bright enough, just trying to get an idea if anyone loves theirs? I Have one and like it, maybe not as much as my 14 MBP, but love the extra screen for documents and reading... and love the weight distraction for slipping into a bag. Have traveled with it on a place, also not an issue...
Who is returning them and not happy and what are you sticking with?
In the end the are are amazing machines!

Maybe people should learn to go to a store, look at the product and make an informed buying decision, you know, like in the good old days

 

[PNF2187]

It's been a great machine for me. If I wasn't in school I probably would have gone with a Mac mini, but this configuration satisfies (16/512) and is a great upgrade from my previous Windows laptop, especially with respect to the battery life, display, speakers, and having a seconds clock (the last bit is more of a macOS thing though).

I do feel like it occupies a bit of a smaller niche though. If screen size isn't a concern, then I think saving a couple hundred bucks and going for the 13" Air might be better for most people, and for a similar price a refurbished 14" Pro is going to be a better buy as well. However, if a larger screen is a must, then I would recommend it. The price and weight gap between this and a 16" Pro is significant enough that even specced out it doesn't make the 16" Pro an automatic no brainer. Highly recommend trying the laptops out in a store to get a good grasp on the size of each laptop though, because stuff like size and weight is up to personal preference.

 

[UltimateSyn]

Yeeaaahhhh... I returned mine and kept my 14" MBP

 

[JamesMay82]

i have given up on trying to debate which ones are better, and decided to just buy them all and enjoy this season of late 30s lol

we have m1 13, m2 15 air, m1 pro 14, m1 max 16, and iPad pro lol

we don't have kids so I guess this is how we are spending our money lol

I'm intrigued! how are these all individually used? I will then judge you accordingly depending on the answer you give 😂

 

[Rinka]

Keeping it for my portable machine, not perfect and glad I only got the base.

Could be 3-4 years before they put a higher screen refresh in it and the processor is enough of a reason to upgrade.

 

[MajorFubar]

Some people seem to be worried about the 15" Air's screen quality when a 14" Pro can be bought for a similar price when spec'd similarly. I'd say if you think you're going to value that extra screen size above higher processing power of the Pro, well just go for it. You don't really notice the quality difference unless you're looking at them side by side, and if you really just need the bigger screen, well the 15" screen is way good enough for the quality difference not to be an issue.

 

[Matsamoto]

If you guys don't want your Air 15" you can send it to me in Sweden😂

Anyhow, I would love to have the new Air 15" to replace my 13" 2015 MBP, but the prices and inflation here makes it quite difficult to buy.
Maybe next year?🙂

 

[Fraserh02]

People love to complain for some reason, and a few complaining voices always drowns out a 1000 contented smiles, so I tend to put little stock even into a LOT of talk.

My personal (admittedly anecdotal) experience and preference (again personal) having owned a 16" MBP (M1 Max), a 13" M1 MBA, a 13" M2 MBA, and now a 15" M2 MBA is that the 15" M2 MBA is by FAR my favorite. I like the form factor over the original M1, MUCH prefer the screen size as compared to the 13" M2 MBA, and MUCH prefer the weight and ease of slipping it in my bag over the 16" MBP. All in all it hits the sweet spot of my 'good enough' expectations and I don't feel the need to rationalize on the price over something being a better 'value.'

My MBP 16 is now essentially my desktop machine hooked up to two separate monitors, my MBA 15 is my travel, sit around the house, computer. Both the 13" MBA's have been given away.

But again, this is my personal preference. I realize other people will prioritize differently. Choice is good.

How come you’re changing between these laptops so much?

 

[bible_student]

I wanted to wait for M3 to get a 15” MBA. I would prefer to buy from Costco though but they don’t have upgraded models. Then I realized that if I bought an MBA that my model would be 1800 or so from Apple. If I wait for M3 14” MBP to come out and then go on sale I could get one for 1800 from Costco more than likely next year and it would have more power than the MBA and a fan inside for the same amount of money.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

My MBA15 laptop is my dream machine. It has got everything I want or could need in a laptop in the [16/512] configuration.

❤️ the extra screen real estate and the weight of the MBA15. Everything feels effortless.

 

[Sowelu]

There is a misconception that the MacBook Pro displays are inherently better in every way over the Air's displays of either size. This is only true for the ProMotion and miniLED features on the Pro's (deep blacks are always welcome and a draw). But it ends there. I never used the HDR brightness on my Pros because Apple foolishly disabled the user color calibration option with these panels. If you use the workaround and calibrated with the on-board color calibrator, HDR features and brightness levels are disabled. I opted for bypassing HDR in favor of using my own color profiles versus sticking with Apple's awful, green-shifting and dingy factory calibrations (to my eyes).

The displays on the M2 Airs are a huge improvement over the M1 Airs, and the color vibrancy, white balance, pixel density and brightness (non HDR) look the same to my very picky and OCD eyes on either the Pro or the Air.

In fact, the Airs that I've seen don't have the film or overlay that Apple is using on the Pro's that cause a color shift when you look at the display off angle a bit (more noticeable on white backgrounds). This used to annoy me. Some panels shift pink which is easier to my eyes, but others shift green/dingy, which was unacceptable to me. I have also found that the white balance on my Airs is better than the Pros I've had. Of course, this can also vary from panel to panel even within the same model line.

It's all about what each individual wants and needs. For me, the thin and light form-factor of the Air line outweighs my desire for deep blacks (miniLED). ProMotion is a nice-to-have, but not a deal breaker for me as it's less noticeable on a MacBook than it is on an iPad Pro. If there was an option for a miniLED or similar on the Air, yes, I'd go for it, but the absence of this and or ProMotion does not make the Air's displays bad or inferior when it comes to color vibrancy, clarity, pixel density, white balance and brightness.

If you want and or need HDR, ProMotion and miniLED and a lot of processing power, the Pro is for you. If you don't need the heavy processing power and want a thinner, lighter, fast, fan-less, cool running, Mac with long battery life with a larger, high-quality display, the 15" MacBook Air is for you.

 

[AppleTO]

Swapped my base M1 MacBook Air with a base M2 15” MacBook Air. Couldn’t be happier.

 

[brilliantthings]

I love mine. The 13" screen had been feeling too small recently. The 15" is much better differentiated from the iPad Pro 11".

 

[uller6]

There is a LOT of talk of people "preferring the 14 pro" or the 15" air is too big, or not bright enough, just trying to get an idea if anyone loves theirs? I Have one and like it, maybe not as much as my 14 MBP, but love the extra screen for documents and reading... and love the weight distraction for slipping into a bag. Have traveled with it on a place, also not an issue...
Who is returning them and not happy and what are you sticking with?
In the end the are are amazing machines!

I love my 15” air!! I appreciate the screen size increase over the 14” pro and the single core speed is identical between both machines. The weight is nice and it reminds me of my old 15” MacBook Pro. The 15” air is a really great computer.

 

[Saturn007]

I cant imagine settling for the screen on the 15 air when the 14pro exists

If you're sensitive to PWM or value a substantially larger display *area* (the 14” is closer to the M2's screen size), then there are good reasons to go for the 15”!

I've had nearly all of them since 2006

‼️ That’s a lot of 💰 💴 ‼️

I've heard of people buying a new iPhone every year, but a new Mac annually? Amazing!

have given up on trying to debate which ones are better, and decided to just buy them all and enjoy this season of late 30s lol

we have m1 13, m2 15 air, m1 pro 14, m1 max 16, and iPad pro lol

‼️ Well, certainly less $$ than kids, and no issues enforcing bed times, but… ‼️

Are you a tech reviewer? If not, you should become one! Or, at least, write up the definitive comparison of these models, the comparative qualities and value of which have dominated many threads at MR!

Let us know, as someone earlier asked, what you use them for!

 

[kp98077]

I wanted to wait for M3 to get a 15” MBA. I would prefer to buy from Costco though but they don’t have upgraded models. Then I realized that if I bought an MBA that my model would be 1800 or so from Apple. If I wait for M3 14” MBP to come out and then go on sale I could get one for 1800 from Costco more than likely next year and it would have more power than the MBA and a fan inside for the same amount of money.

TRUE, but that's quiet the wait?!

 

[leifp]

I do enjoy the fact that people seem to be griping about having more choice than before. Fascinating.

My father has the M2 13” MBAir and my brother has the 15” (he replaced a fully loaded 2018 15” MBPro). Both are ecstatic that they don’t have the other person’s machine. My wife is moving to a 14” MBPro because she dislikes the inferior speaker on the 13” MBAir (irrelevant to my own decisions) and I have a 16” MBPro. Strangely we’re all relatively content (outside of my actually detesting laptops and looking forward to being in a position within the next year to switch back to desktop machines)

 

[chrono1081]

I really don't listen to online forums. I've almost never had a single issue with any Apple product in 16 years since I started using them but according to forums nothing from iPhone 3GS onward should work/is horrible/is Satan.

I don't even listen to most tech YouTubers because they're flat out wrong (Maxtech, looking at you with your M2 Air hate).

I buy what I want, run my own test (not crappy benchmarks, any IT person worth their salt knows how useless benchmarks are) and I've been happy with every single purchase I've made.

 

[kp98077]

I really don't listen to online forums. I've almost never had a single issue with any Apple product in 16 years since I started using them but according to forums nothing from iPhone 3GS onward should work/is horrible/is Satan.

I don't even listen to most tech YouTubers because they're flat out wrong (Maxtech, looking at you with your M2 Air hate).

I buy what I want, run my own test (not crappy benchmarks, any IT person worth their salt knows how useless benchmarks are) and I've been happy with every single purchase I've made.

Glad to hear it! I feel sometimes, these youtubers bash what they dont like..

 

[chrono1081]

Glad to hear it! I feel sometimes, these youtubers bash what they dont like..

Agreed. The best review of the M2 air was Lisa from MobileTechReview. Her experience reflected mine. If you went by Maxtech you'd think the Air couldn't handle anything and just overheats non-stop but I was able to run Houdini simulations, make music in Logic (24 tracks before I stopped adding tracks due to boredom), editing 4k footage in Final Cut, making motion graphics in Motion with lots of layers, tons of Xcode and Unity development, 3D animation in Blender, sculpting in ZBrush, etc.

No overheating, no performance throttling. Just real world usage instead of benchmark nonsense. I love my Air.

 

[NeonNights]

I returned two MBA 15s -- a 16GB/1TB and a 24GB/1TB. The MBA 15 is great and probably my favorite form factor out of the lineup but I wanted more power.

At first I bought the latest M2 Max MBP 16. It had all the power I needed but fans were louder than I expected and it also made my legs sweat while on my lap. Buyer's remorse also set in quickly because I didn't think it was worth $3200 for 32GB/1TB. I tried the M2 Max MBP 14, thinking it would be the perfect combination of power and portability, but it felt so small after experiencing the MBA 15.

I ultimately grabbed an M1 Max 16" 64GB/4TB on sale and couldn't be happier! It is specced up higher than a base M2 Max 16" but costs less than the base M2 Max 14". I still think the MBA 15 is a great laptop but it can't serve as my only machine like the more powerful MBP 16 can. I can deal with the weight of the MBP 16 because I work from home now and only need to move between rooms in the house or the backyard/sunroom. No buyer's remorse this time because the M1 Max was a great value for the screen size, display, and specs.