Is the MacBook Air M1 Still worth it in 2023 ?
Back in 2020 when Apple released the Macbook Air M1, it doesn’t look like they realized what a beast they have uncaged, unchained and unrestrained. TechSceneZA is seeing whether the the MacBook Air M1 20202 Still worth it in 2023. Thanks to its slimness and infinite battery life, this Air moves like a rocket in space.
Product Features
- Fanless design.
- Up to 18 hours of battery life.
- Memory Swap which allows for Unified memory a portion of the SSD memory thats converted into RAM memory when the Macbook M1 assigned RAM is being utilized fully.
- Ambient light sensor.
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures.
- Touch ID sensor.
- Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
- Three-mic array with directional beamforming.
- Accessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new MacBook Air. With built-in support for vision, hearing, mobility, and learning.
Specs
| Display | Retina display 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors Supported scaled resolutions: 1680 by 1050 1440 by 900 1024 by 640 400 nits brightness Wide color (P3) True Tone technology |
| Chip | Apple M1 chip 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 7-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine |
| Battery and Power | Up to 15 hours wireless web Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback Built-in 49.9‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery 30W USB-C Power Adapter |
| Charging and Expansion | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: Charging DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s) USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s) |
| Memory | 8GB 8GB unified memory Configurable to: 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB 256GB SSD Configurable to: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB |
| Keyboard and Trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with: 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology |
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
| Display Support | Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and: One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz Thunderbolt 3 digital video output Native DisplayPort output over USB-C VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately) |
| Audio | Stereo speakers Wide stereo sound Support for Dolby Atmos playback 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Operating Requirements | Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C) Storage temperature: −13° to 113° F (−25° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet |
| Size and Weight | Height: 0.16–0.63 inch (0.41–1.61 cm) Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) Weight: 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) |
| Operating System | macOS |
| Accessibility | Voice Control VoiceOver Zoom Increase Contrast Reduce Motion Siri and Dictation Switch Control Live Captions |
| In the Box | MacBook Air 30W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (2 m) |
| Limited Warranty and Service | Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. |
The M1 processor is a silicone based processor which is proprietary to Apple. The M1 processor was actually the turning point for apple during 2020. As of 2019 the most common question when choosing a laptop was why should I choose Apple over the other mainstream laptop brands. During that time Apple was basically using the same processor as everyone else and you paid a huge sum for it based on the fact that all apple products were linked and connected making a quality of life. With the creation of the M1, Apple has bypassed most mainstream brands in performance which matches that of R40 000 to R50 000 laptops.
Differences between the M1 and the M2
| Macbook Air M1 | Macbook Air M2 |
| 8 core CPU 7 core GPU and the 16 core neural engine | 8 core CPU 10 core GPU and 16 core neural engine |
| Unified Memory | Unified Memory |
| 16 Gigs of RAM and 2 terabytes of storage | 24 Gigs of RAM and 2 terabytes of storage |
| 13.3‑inch Retina display | 13.6-inch liquid Retina display |
| 2560-by-1600 display | 2560 by 1600 pixel display |
| 2 speaker sound system | 4 speaker sound system |
| Does not have spatial audio | Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using air pods |
| 720p Web cam | 1080p Web cam |
| Supports 30W charger | Supports a 35W charger as well as a 67W fast charger |
While the M1 stood on its on in terms of sales the M2 did not do as well and earlier this year Apple suspended production of the M2 processors and devices due to lower sales. This could be attributed to the fact that the M1 game changing narrative created a standard which the M2 should have stood higher above but instead was almost the exact same level just much more costly. The laptops are different compared to mobile devices in terms of newer models coming out should stories away from their predecessor and not steps. Unfortunately an almost defining factor in perspective of the M2’s inferiority to the M1 is that there was changes in communications made between the SSD storage and the M2 processor resulting in a slower connectivity speed and in relation the unified memory got slowed down creating a slower performance.
Retail
The Macbook M1 512 gigabyte model that retailed for R27 000 when there was stock but currently Apple is only producing the 256 gigabyte models. The Macbook M2 512 gigabyte model retails for R30 000
In the Spring of 2023 in the Southern Hemisphere, the Apple M3 processor will emerge. We can only contain our expectations and hope that Apple showcases another game changing phenomenon whilest for the moment in our eyes and many others the Macbook Air M1 is the King Of Beasts. We at TechSceneZA give this 3 year old laptop a 10/10 for its prolonged power and performance.