Worth the switch from Macbook Pro M2 to Air M5?

[manchiabayi23]

Hi,

I currently have a 13 inch Macbook Pro M2 from 2022 with Touchbar and 16GB ram. The battery health is around 73%.

Is it worth paying $250 to replace the battery by Apple or should I trade this in (for $450 credit) for a M5 Air.

For context, i'm going to college later this year and hoping to hook it up to a monitor when on campus. I'm also used to the Touchbar on my mac and liked it, but it's not a dealbreaker.

 

[Basic75]

Battery aside, is the the M2 still doing everything that you need it to do and doing it well?

 

[throAU]

M2 vs. M5 is a very noticeable jump.

But depends on what you need the machine to do. If you’re happy with the M2 performance, save your money, do the battery. You have enough RAM and the M2 is still pretty strong.

Especially as you’re a student… i’d save the money and keep the M2. There’s always something faster coming, wait annd keep saving until you need it.

 

[Bazza1]

Much may depend on whether your college courses required specific software that requires high-end - and very new - specs, but I'm guessing your M2 more than surpasses any needs there.

As it is, the M5 is overkill for most users, unless used for professional-grade video, audio, photo editing or complex CAD or modelling work. But that's not going to stop Apple from trying to sell it to you, even if they 'generously' offer an Education discount.

After checking with the college (and some may not be happy you're using a Mac - and whether Parallels & Windows is something you're going to want to consider) - assuming its all a 'Go' - I'd do as throAU says above. Get a new battery and save up for a new Mac - and get what you need, when you need to get it.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Absolutely worth it.

Heck, I just went M4 to M5 for the SSD speed bump alone!

(Apple trade in offer price made it super compelling for me)

Paid $650 for Mint M4 10c/10c/16/512 .. Apple took it on trade for $750
M5/13”/16/1TB edu was $1199 and they only charged tax on net value

Under $500 to swap for 2X SSD speed and quantity, both of which enormously impact my enjoyment and usage patterns.

Also, they did the trade in right in the store at time of picking up the m5, which was super great and easy.

 

[manchiabayi23]

Battery aside, is the the M2 still doing everything that you need it to do and doing it well?

Yes of course.

Especially as you’re a student… i’d save the money and keep the M2. There’s always something faster coming, wait annd keep saving until you need it.

I guess, but I'm getting $450 in trade in credit, so if I got the 16GB Ram M5 Air, it would around $500, which isn't that much more than the battery replacement which is $250 and I'd get much more power and lifespan. Also, I thought trade in values decrease over time, and wasn't sure if now might be the time where I can get the most value from the trade in.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Is the battery life a concern?

I get that it's under 80%. But do you USE the Mac on battery power enough for it to matter? My MBP is sometimes off battery for 2, maybe 3 hours at a stretch. But that's rare.

If you NEED the longer battery life... yeah, I see the benefit of getting a new MBA for $500 vs. paying $250 for a battery.

 

[1BadManVan]

Yes of course.

I guess, but I'm getting $450 in trade in credit, so if I got the 16GB Ram M5 Air, it would around $500, which isn't that much more than the battery replacement which is $250 and I'd get much more power and lifespan. Also, I thought trade in values decrease over time, and wasn't sure if now might be the time where I can get the most value from the trade in.

For $500 for a new M5 air, I say it seems like an easy choice to go that route, it's a pretty big upgrade. I went from an M2 air to an M5

 

[manchiabayi23]

For $500 for a new M5 air, I say it seems like an easy choice to go that route, it's a pretty big upgrade. I went from an M2 air to an M5

However, I always thought Macbook Pro models were better than Air, regardless of the type of M chip so I was contemplating the decision.

 

[1BadManVan]

However, I always thought Macbook Pro models were better than Air, regardless of the type of M chip so I was contemplating the decision.

Of the same generation, yes the pros are better for sustained performance. But you're going from a base m2 chip in the old pro chassis to an M5, even without cooling, the M5 will pull ahead. And if you aren't using it for heavy sustained workloads, like video rendering, 3d rendering etc, the M5 is significantly quicker.

You haven't really specified what you would be using this for app wise, but that's my educated guess

Just to give you a quick comparison, here is the M2 in your current pro vs the M5 base chip

https://nanoreview.net/en/cpu-compare/apple-m5-vs-apple-m2

Apple MacBook Pro 13 (M2, 2022) vs Air 13 M5 (2026): which is better? | NR

We put the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (M2, 2022) to the test against the Air 13 M5 (2026) to find out which laptop is the best for you.

nanoreview.net

 

[manchiabayi23]

Of the same generation, yes the pros are better for sustained performance. But you're going from a base m2 chip in the old pro chassis to an M5, even without cooling, the M5 will pull ahead. And if you aren't using it for heavy sustained workloads, like video rendering, 3d rendering etc, the M5 is significantly quicker.

Would it be better to just get the trade in of $450 or sell it on eBay for more?

 

[1BadManVan]

Would it be better to just get the trade in of $450 or sell it on eBay for more?

Depends on how much patience you have and what the market is like where you live. I got lucky with my M2 air, Apple trade in for it was $535, I decided I would list it on marketplace for a week first to see if I could do better. Sold it in 24 hours for $900. I should note this in Canada so my pricing is obviously different if you're elsewhere

 

[dukebound85]

ya know, i have a i9 mbp and a m4 mini. The jump is not that dramatic

 

[manchiabayi23]

Depends on how much patience you have and what the market is like where you live. I got lucky with my M2 air, Apple trade in for it was $535, I decided I would list it on marketplace for a week first to see if I could do better. Sold it in 24 hours for $900. I should note this in Canada so my pricing is obviously different if you're elsewhere

If I would put it up online, how much should I put it up for? Around 1100 cycle counts, 16GB Ram, 512GB

 

[1BadManVan]

If I would put it up online, how much should I put it up for? Around 1100 cycle counts, 16GB Ram, 512GB

For your case with the very heavy battery cycles and low battery health, you probably won't sell it very quick, you might be better off just trading yours in. You would have to check the current market in your area for the going rates. Im in Bc Canada, so my pricing is quite different. My MacBook Air could have fetched probably $1100 or so where I live with my spec, I low balled on purpose to get a quick sale. But mine looked brand new with only 186 cycles on it and was priced lower than everyone else's lol.

I didn't consider your low battery health before advising selling online. I think Apple is offering a pretty fair trade in value for a laptop that will need an immediate battery service

A quick check on eBay shows people selling M2 pro's for as low as $549 with good advertised battery health

 

[throAU]

Yes of course.

I guess, but I'm getting $450 in trade in credit, so if I got the 16GB Ram M5 Air, it would around $500, which isn't that much more than the battery replacement which is $250 and I'd get much more power and lifespan. Also, I thought trade in values decrease over time, and wasn't sure if now might be the time where I can get the most value from the trade in.

That’s a financial decision for you to make; its still $250 you could spend on other student things.

 

[bellflyer14]

Best Buy is doing a promotion this week where they are offering I believe an extra $150 on a trade in of M2 and M3 models, if you buy an M5 variant. Might be worth a check to see what the total trade in value through Best Buy is this week, assuming you have a store near you

 

[KPOM]

$250 to replace the battery or $500 (net of trade-in) for the M5 I would go for the Air. For $250 you get an extra 3 years of OS upgrades, a faster processor, and better external display support than that M2 Pro. Also see if Apple will match the current Amazon $150 discount on the M5 Air or at least give you a partial reduction.

 

[KPOM]

That’s a financial decision for you to make; it’s still $250 you could spend on other student things.

But see above. There could be ways of getting that $250 down to $100 or so.

 

[rb2112]

I currently have a 13 inch Macbook Pro M2 from 2022 with Touchbar and 16GB ram. The battery health is around 73%.

I have this same laptop and love the portability (and Touch Bar customized for workflow) and the battery lasts VERY long. Unless it gets to the point where the battery won't hold a charge for a few hours, I don't think you even need to bother replacing the battery. Just use it for a few more years, then buy the next base model air at that time. my 2 cents. That's the thing with the M series. They are so capable that we really don't need to think about upgrading as often as in the intel era.

 

[TechnoMonk]

As a college student, would you be moving around the campus? It’s nice not to be hooked to a seat if you replace the battery. I guess M5 MBA will give you few more years to get through college with 250 extra compared to battery replacement cost. I personally don’t like MBA screen and speakers though many find it ok. Also as part of your coursework would you be using any intensive software that need to run at high load for longer periods?