Public service announcement: it turns out that to avoid the NAND chip issue on this machine, you _can_ opt for the 512GB version. Apologies - this area is a Pandora's box!
@@paulwoaert there’s an awful lot to learn when you’re focusing on about 6 separate product reviews at any given time, mate. This kind of detail inevitably slips through sometimes.
Hey Mark! Love the reviews. Deciding between MacBook Pro 16 M1 Pro Base and a MacBook Air 15 16/512 with about 300-400 difference in price. Worth it? Or will the M2 beat the M1 Pro?
I love that this is the first 15” mba review I’ve seen where the reviewer talks about how good it is travelling with the laptop, while actually travelling 👌
I'm afraid there's a similar issue with the 512GB. 1TB is the only one which completely eradicates it. This will still only impact a minority of users, though.
@@MarkEllisReviews I am sure you are right Mark. Let's face it, if you are dealing with 4K video, it's probably not a bad idea to get at least 1TB of storage anyway.
I believe Macbook Pro's also get a speed increase from 512 to 1TB. Maybe not the same jump with the second set of chips, but the bigger the storage, the faster the read/write.
Great review and who this is made for. I want the 15” but to spec it like my 14” M1 base model it would be more than I paid for the 14”. Hard to justify that!
When I bought my M1 MBA in early 2021, the only think I would have changed about it was the screen size. Even today, this beautiful laptop does everything I throw at it with ease. Taking the screen size up to 15" makes the MBA the perfect laptop for almost everyone (gaming purposes aside of course).
Hi there, If you don’t mind me asking, do you ever find yourself needing/wanting to put the laptop on a table or a desk compared to the 13 inch? Or get it slightly distant from you so you’re not “too close”? Thanks!
Nice review but I disagree with your “advice” on upgrading to 1TB/16GB. For the majority of users 8/512 or 16/512 is the most valuable upgrade for an issue they won’t really notice. Your recommended config firmly plants a user in pro territory and for that money and use case it makes no sense to get an air. Even 4K/dev work can run smoothly on a standard config air. Enjoy your Mac though and nice review!
But the heat (because no fans) that appears after some time of video editing (even basic) lowers the processing speed (to protect the processor), so it's still a negative point to consider, right ?
Have to agree there. Apple have kind of "forced" users to consider the 512Gb SSD upgrade to get a decent level of performance from the SSD due to them cheaping out, which is kind of oxymoronic given their stated pride is delivering the best products possible. If I was going for the Air M2, I'd ideally go for 16Gb memory and 512Gb SSD. That said, think I'd prefer the compactness of the 13", so with the money saved, the upgrades I mentioned are easier to bear. Then again, it's only £140 difference to get the larger screen, so maybe comes down to the size of what you want to carry around.
Hi Mark. You only mentioned airplane use briefly and said it worked. Does it work as well as the 13 inch MBA in that situation? Did you take a video so we can see how well it works?
Hey, Steve. No footage, but it's very comfortable on those trays. Takes up more space than the 13-inch, obviously, but not as unwieldy as the 16-inch MBP.
Hi mark.. i need your help choosing my laptop macbook air m3 or MacBook pro m3pro .. i love how the air is slim and i love the display & speakers in pro.. i’m not going to use it for graphics, but i need a laptop to stay for a long period of time.. and this will be my first apple macbook.. what do you think? Thin & lighter? Or more powerful, audio , display? Help me choose please 😅😅
My main use is normal admin, internet browsing, amazon,you tube,….etc. Sticking with my M1ipad pro for the time I think. If I need bigger screen I’ll just hook it up to monitor 😊
Hey Mark, I hope you are enjoying your Visit here to the US. Great Video as Usual. I am debating between the 15" MBA & 14" MBP. I plan on taking a trip to an Apple store soon so I can check out both machines in person & get an actual idea of what they look & feel like in hand & then decide for certain which one I will go for.
Awesome review! I bought the 15 mba with 16gb ram, 1 tb of memory as my first Mac. Coming from a cheap windows laptop that could barely handle my video editing,and some light gaming the mba has been a beast. I almost got the mbp since it was only a $300 diff but I didn’t like the chunky look of it, I know silly reason. It performs the same in single core scores, and gaming will really be done on my steam deck. So far it is perfect for me!
I agree completely. Apple did it - they have just redefined the MacBook Air. I have no doubt that the 15" will be the most popular selling model. While the 13" will still be preferred by road warriors who need the lightest and smallest MacBook they can get. Apple's MacBook line is close to perfect now. The one last thing they should do, is add more color choices for the Pro models. Silver and Space Gray are boring here in 2023. I believe that MacBook Pro customers want more choices as well.
I just got one, it is by far the best laptop I have ever used (and I have the M2 13 inch). Despite being essentially a bigger version of the 13 it has a completely different feel in use, and the speakers are substantially better. Apple are onto a winner with this one, unless you need the ultra portability of the 13 it is the better choice.
I recently had the 13 inch air 8gb ram 512gb and returned it for the 15 inch 16gb ram and 512gb. I am so excited for the larger screen and the better speakers a d the extra ram.
Great video - really enjoyed this with the sights and sounds of NYC. I'm wondering whether to spend my hard earned on an air ticket rather than the Macbook!
I have a 35" ultrawide-equivalent to two 27" side by side. It's great. Chances are, however, it doesn't make sense for you to retool your display investment to accomodate an ultra-portable. You have an easier decision to only consider options with a M Pro chip.
You're mistaken on a couple points. For the the 13" and 15" air, upgrading to the 512gb SSD will give you two NAND chips, solving that issues. It's only with the M2 pro and Max chips that you need to upgrade to 1tb as 512gb is their baseline. Also, you said the only upgrade to the 15" over 13" is size, but there's also an extra 2 speakers in the 15".
Also, if you instead upgrade the RAM to 16GB and keep 256GB you will not have the swap issues as most users will never trespass the 16GB RAM. The SSD is not an issue if you have the correct amount of RAM for your needs. So I have no idea why people recommend the 512GB option, it is misinformation. Add that if you need more onboard storage, but I just use limitless external storage that is many times cheaper!
Are you sure the 14 inch M2 pro only has one 512g NAND chips (rather than 2)?? Because all of the reviews show that the speed of video processing and exporting is clearly faster on a Pro 14 512g than on any Air M2. So if this gain is due to the PRO chip itself, it's because the structure of the SSD (1 or two NAND) is not so important on the Pro 14 or 16.
@@paulwoaert All OEMs are moving towards higher-density SSD modules as it halves the cost. The 512GB in the MB Pro 14 is a single module so loses the advantage of extra swap performance and has lower sequential reads/writes versus 512GB M1 MB Pro 14. The extra swap is probably moot as you get 16GB of RAM so swap is not needed as much. Its sequential reads/writes are about double the M2 256GB version so fast enough for base Pro users. This is a non-issue.
The two extra speakers didn't improve the sound quality to me. My major in college was Art Education, two minors Dance and Music. To me sound was louder, but, not any better than 13.6 Air. Either size is going to be great, I've had my 13.6 M2 MacBook Air now, for two weeks, and I love it, very user friendly. Check out both sizes in your local Apple Store, but, when I lifted the 15 inch Air I found it to be heavy for carrying around.
OH Mark. Those Brooklyn Bridge shots were breathtaking. Thank you! I loved every minute of this video. Now what was it you were talking about?? (Just kidding - but sometimes I did have to work at concentrating on the listening part extra hard because my brain was just taking in the sights. LOVE it! And I never ever thought I'd want to see much of NYC aside from Central Park. I've completely changed my mind on that stance. I have a 14in M1 MBP but it doesn't go anywhere - I use it in much the same way you'd use a Mac Mini. It's a PC and I've got it on a stand and open. I use the screen once in awhile, the speakers all the time, and a separate 27in monitor in front of me. And while typing this, I just realised a great use case for the gorgeous screen. My 'Stickies' (yes Apple still has that little app) with helpful keyboard shortcuts and terrific motivation phrases. Perfect! Brilliant video. I enjoyed immensely.
Yes but… in 2023 and futur, minimum is 16gb/512… so price point is not the same… and this laptop trottle as soon as big demande on Cpu/Gpu…. So the best, no
I purcahsed the 13" last week and ended up exchanging for the 15' for more screen space and they both fit in the computer back I use. Just got today and I am loving it.
I bought a macbook pro M1 pro 14' for 1400€ on the apple’s refurbed because if I increased the RAM to 16go and the SSD (and more slots m) one the MBA 15’, the price was more expensive than the Macbook pro M1 pro 14'. I don't know if I made the right choice, originally I wanted the MBA 15'. I'm afraid that he would be overkill as I'm only using Lightroom and web navigation
Welcome to New York. I hope you have time to visit High Line for a walk & Peter Luger’s for a steak dinner Great review! I want this MBA but the midnight color is superior 🔥
I do have MacBook Pro 14” M1 and I am in need of second MacBook, does not have to be pro. I am confused should I get 13” or 15” air. I mainly confused what screen size should I get, everything else doesn’t matter! Any suggestions?
In the middle of the video, I actually said out loud - Hey, that’s Ludlow Street he’s at! Glad to see you enjoying NYC (my old hood) with your new laptop. Great well rounded review with clear recos.
I have the 13” M2 Air and wish I waited 1 more year for the 15”! 😞 Tried it in store and it blew me away. Do you feel the same way? Do you find the 13” too small, especially now that you’ve used (or own?) the 15”?
I’m wondering if the the new M2 max Mac Studio base model has the same one chip problem!. It’s really off putting because spending £2099 one would expect the ssd to be fast and to not need to upgrade the ssd on that also!. Furthermore I wonder with the M3 chips will this one chip ssd thing go away!.
Haha yeah I did the same thing yesterday too. It’s a completely different experience. You feel much more immersed and productive on the 15”. I just wish I waited 1 more year and didn’t buy the 13” M2 Air. But yeah the 15” definitely gets a *chef’s kiss* from me too hahaha
Hey Mark, so I am rewatching this video after I went in person to an Apple store just over a week ago & looked at both the 14" MBP & the 15" MBA in person & held them both in my hand. I was surprised honestly moreso by the 15" MBA than I was by the 14" MBP. I don't know if it's the lighter chassis of the 15" or what, but just briefly opening & closing the display on the 15" a couple of times, (& when I include everything else that the 14" MBP offers) that it's the machine for me. I was afraid that I might inadvertently bend or break the display side of the 15" MBA just opening & closing it.
It would have been better to compare the Air 15 with the Pro 14 M1 (the macbook PRO M1 is still easily found) and compare the prices between these 2 models after having upgraded the Air 15 in RAM and storage
When I saw the Broadway sign I thought of Casey Neistat‘s office and cut to the next scene, there it was 😊 I liked how you included that like a little Easter egg for the viewers.
The thing is I would love to support both your channel and Casekoo's cases but they do not find the 13 mini good enough to support on any of their case lines
I went to Soho Apple Store, for the Mac class today for my 13.6 inch M2 MacBook Air. Lucked out, as I was the only student to sign up for class. After class I went back downstairs, to check out the new 15 inch Air. I said to the worker, is this it, he said yes. Well I was not impressed with it. The 15 inch didn't seem that much bigger to me than the 13.6 inch Air. Also, the screen resolution didn't seem that much better either than 13.6 Air. I had the guy play The Beach Boys song "Wouldn't It Be Nice", so I could check out the sound. Yes it was louder, but, to me it sounded the same as my 13.6 Air. So much for all these tech guys waxing poetic over the 15 inch Air. Another tip too guys, the teacher Chris for the Mac class, said, you should shut down your laptop at least once a week. So much for the videos on here saying, only shut it down every so often. Rest of the time, put it in sleep mode. Hey guys, another cool feature of the MacBook Air. You can go into your settings, and enable it, so you can hit the mic button at top of key pad, and talk. It will type into your messages, or notebook, even in comments on here. That was so cool, wonder if you can do that on a Windows laptop. Couldn't do that on any of my Windows desktops. Don't get caught up on hype on here for the 15 inch Air. Go to your local Apple Store to check it out in person. I wouldn't run and return your new 13.6 M2 MacBook Air for the 15 inch Air, not worth it. Oh yes, I also lifted it, and found it heavy, not as light weight, and portable as the 13.6 inch. I was carrying it around in my crossbody laptop briefcase all day around Manhattan, it was light weight, and didn't put a strain on my shoulders, or make me tired. I recommend you upgrade to 16 Gigs or ram, and 512 SSD storage, worth the extra money. I have to say, as a Windows desktop user since 1999, Mac has won me over, I love it, so user friendly. Great video Mark, if you are still in NYC, you need to go to Chinatown to Nom Wah Tea Parlor for some Dim Sum. Located on Doyer Street, of Pell of Mott Street. I go there at least once a month.
So, you dictated that long comment into your MacBook, now that you know how to do it, right? Well, now see how you dictate a text paragraph, in order for your text to a) make sense and b) make it readable. 😉
Great review, Mark! I’ve had mine for 24 hours and if you’re coming from the M1 MacBook Pro there’s a few niggling issues I’ve noticed. First, the speakers aren’t as good. They lack that defined bass and general depth to the sound you get on the Pro’s. The screen just isn’t as nice, that 120hz is missing and noticeably so. Having said that, the battery seems to perform better than than my 14 inch MBP. It dealt with a light Final Cut Pro edit (multiple 4K streams) without breaking a sweat and I was able to open a fairly complex file in Logic, including some pretty demanding plugins with no problems at all. Hope you had a blinder in NYC! Can’t beat it at this time of year :)
I like someone saying they can do multiple 4K streams and open complex Logic Files, I get my MBA 15" next week and will be using it for more heavy duty stuff like that.
I’m struggling if I want to go with 16gb ram and 512ssd, or if I should one over the other. I’ll be using it for RU-vid, Netflix, emails, google docs, Hulu and streaming and also iMessage. Also when I travel I like bringing my laptop but this will be the one I’ll take now since is not heavy. So I can use it easier. Anyone having the same dilemma between 16gb and 512ssd?
I bought a macbook pro M1 pro 14' for 1400€ on the apple’s refurbed because if I increased the RAM to 16go and the SSD (and more slots m) one the MBA 15’, the price was more expensive than the Macbook pro M1 pro 14'. I don't know if I made the right choice, originally I wanted the MBA 15'. I'm afraid that he would be overkill as I'm only using Lightroom and web navigation
The base model will be fine for you, but 16GB of RAM would be head room. But as the base model is already £120 off in the UK (and US), then it is the value deal for your workflow.
Love you Mark but some many missing / incorrect info in today’s video. 2 extra GPU cores vs 13’ MacBook Air, 2 extra speakers for better sound, increasing storage to 512GB (and not 1TB) mainly resolved the SSD slowness issue….
Thanks! That info is in my written review on the website but didn’t make it into the video for timing reasons (I’m not convinced either are a big deal). And I’m afraid the only way to completely rid yourself of the NAND thing is to go for the 1TB!
@@MarkEllisReviews I believe that's only true on the MacBook Pro, where 512GB is the base config. On the Air however, the 512GB is 2x256GB, so twice as fast as the base Air.
Great review love the fact you did it while traveling Kind of toss between air 15 or the mbp 14 , is the better screen on 14 really big of a difference ??
I own a 14 and have seen the 15 mba. Honestly quality wasn’t that much different. You only really notice it watching HDR. I like the 15” size better, but I’m spoiled by pro-motion and the extremely high brightness you can get if you use Vivid. That said brightness on the MBA is still good. If you’re not a 120hz snob like me, you’ll be happy with the mba.
@@kristianphilipsen Thank you for this valuable information. I'm hesitating between the two. On the other hand, it would be a Pro 14 M1 and not a Pro 14 M2, you can still find new ones easily at a lower price than the Pro M2 and the difference is apparently not significant). That said, there is still a significantly higher pixel count in the Pro 14 with a slightly smaller screen than the Air15, so the image definition quality of the Pro 14 should be visible, even on a simple display of Web sites.
Doesn’t make any sense as a business machine. Still only 1 external display support which is ludicrous! By the time you spec it to be close enough to the pro you may as well just buy the pro!
@@MarkEllisReviews I am intrigued. I run a start-up and we use multiple web apps, including Figma, Notion, Twist, Adobe creative Suite, multiple chrome profiles and tabs and have honestly found that having maybe 15+ apps open simultaneously that the airs (especially base spec) have struggled. I did have an M1 Air (16gb and 1tb) a little while and would concede that machine was incredible - I even managed to find a workaround for dual monitor set up. I’ve now moved to the 14” MacBook Pro M1. I do think 16gb is a minimum for very heavy multitasking, I don’t think I really push my CPU or GPU as I’m not doing a lot of heavy prolonged tasks. I would love the 15” to work for me, but speccing it up to 16gb and 1TB makes it very expensive and it still doesn’t natively support 2 Monitors! Anyway, I do love your videos, so keep up the great work 😊
@@duncanwood4489 Sounds like you are a pro user so the MB Pro would be the default choice even if you could feasibly get by on a sensible spec MB Air M2. I have run a business for 35 years and laterly I use a beefier MB Pro at home but when I am on the road, I start my projects with the MB Air.
Hi Mark, what do you think of the tapper design from M1 MBA vs the newer design? I miss the tapper, liked it for typing but the air is still thin, not too bad. After a long time though, the MBP starts to cut in - in regards to typing and gets a bit uncomfortable.
I agree the angle of the M1 MBA is better for typing, but I believe the M2 MBA isn't as high/thick as the MB Pro, so it's not as much of an issue with the edge digging into your wrists.
