Is there a big difference between M1 and M2?
The M2 processor is the improved version of Apple's M1 chip. The newer processor's cores are slightly more powerful and notably more efficient than the M1's cores. Both the M1 and M2 processors on the MacBook Air give you an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficient cores.
Apple says the M2 Pro gives 20% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance than the M1 Pro. And the M2 Pro neural engine has seen a 40% speed increase over its predecessor. You've also got up to 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU with the M2 Pro.
Considering its price tag, the MacBook Air M1 appears to be an excellent choice in 2023, with its cost dropping as low as $800 during regular sales. However, age can become a deciding factor. With Apple launching the M2-powered MacBook Air in 2022, fans may question the Air M1's relevance in current times.
The most obvious reason to wait for the new MacBook Pro laptops is for the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Pro chip features a 10- or 12-core CPU with up to eight high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, which Apple claims delivers 20 percent greater performance over M1 Pro.
MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Air M1: Battery life
The powerful M2 processor is likely why the new MacBook Air has a shorter battery life than its predecessor. And while the old MacBook Air offers better battery life, the Air M2 still outstrips all but the best Intel laptops in this category.
The MacBook Air M2 is the better laptop, but the MacBook Air M1 is close behind. If you can afford to spend $200 to $350 more, the MacBook Air M2 is the better pick. It has a separate charging port, a brighter screen, a better webcam and keyboard, significantly more battery life, and slightly more performance power.
The new models Apple just released have M2 Pro and M2 Max processors that are obviously faster than their predecessors. But the real gains are on the graphics side, where the 19-core GPU in the M2 Pro boats about a 30-percent boost over the M1 Pro and a full 100-plus frames per second in the games we tested.
A well-cared for MacBook Air will likely last 5-7 years!
However, can it keep up with software updates, RAM & storage requirements, error and updates? This is why so many Apple consumers feel the need to replace their Macbook Air after 5-7 years and this is indeed the case with most laptops in general.
But chances are, if you're getting a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro, you probably won't be doing too many heavy duty stuff. And the M1 chip model is still very much a capable machine for at least another 5–6 years if I'm to be honest. Of course, again, depending on what you plan to use it for.
We did change on one of the machine, the HDD to SSD, upgrade the RAM to 8GB and change the battery 1 time. New M1 Macs - 15–20 years.
Should I upgrade from M1 MacBook Pro to M2?
MacBook Pro with M2 Pro offers up to 20% greater performance than M1 Pro, thanks to its 10- or 12-core CPU. It also offers exceptional battery life and connectivity even when disconnected from the power cord. This makes it an ideal choice for those seeking better productivity from their laptop.
The MacBook Air M2 (available at Apple) is a wonder. Its tall, color-accurate display and 17-hour battery life set it apart from the competition.
On average, your MacBook Pro is expected to last 7.2 years and a MacBook Air for 5-7 years. However, the lifespan of your MacBook depends on what tasks you use your MacBook for, how frequently it is used, and how well you care for your battery and its components.
Since the company switched over to ARM architecture, its chips are so good that improvements are pointless. Even the M2 Pro and M2 Max are overkill for most customers.
Apple halted production of its M2 series chips at the start of 2023 following a pronounced slump in global demand for MacBooks, claims a new report out of Korea.
Conclusion. Apple offers its own guidance on choosing the right memory for your M2 Mac mini. “Your Mac mini comes as standard with 8GB of memory,” they tell buyers on the configuration page, before explaining that 8GB is “more than enough for the things you do every day and for running multiple applications at once.”
The M2 is better than the M1, but it's still a marginal upgrade. The M1 Pro is similarly topped by the M2 Pro, and the M2 Max beats out the M1 Max in pretty much every test.
The M1 chip brings up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning capabilities compared to the Intel chips used in prior-generation machines.
If you frequently do graphically-intensive tasks such as video editing, graphics rendering, and so on, the performance boost and the extra hour of battery life might be worth the cost, as they will help your workflow. However, for most other users, the upgrade isn't worth it since it's just a spec bump.
If you already have a 2021 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro, it is unlikely that upgrading to a 2023 model will be worthwhile. The latest model's improved performance, additional hour of battery life, and improved connectivity specifications are unlikely to make a meaningful difference to most users.
What are the benefits of MacBook Pro M2?
The new M2 Pro chip offers decent performance gains on the already very fast M1 Pro chips, with up to 14% improvement in CPU speed and up to 22% faster graphics in tests. That puts it alongside some of the best Intel and AMD laptop chips, but at considerably lower power consumption.
So, in answer to the question: How long do Macs last? We'd say five to eight years, but beware that you may not be able to replace any faulty parts in a Mac when more than five years has passed since Apple last sold it. Before you buy a new Mac, read our article about the best time to buy a Mac or MacBook.
Depending on how you use it, the average lifespan of a MacBook Pro is 7 years. We'll explain more below, including a few care tips on how to make your MacBook Pro last longer.
There are certain workflows that require 16 GB of memory (Virtual machines like Parallels, professional editing e.g.), but for normal everyday use 8 GB of unified memory are enough.
Depending on what type of programming you do will vary a bit. If you are reliant on Xcode and Apple libraries, then Apple will set the end date, but it could be 10–15 years before you no longer get the latest versions. With most other development, you are good for decades really.
Apple hasn't retired the MacBook Air. They just updated it today to be faster and more powerful than any previous model.
- Performance and resale value: Many companies and large organizations swap out their Macs every 3 to 5 years. ...
- Hardware limitations: At some point, you might feel your Mac is too slow—you're seeing the spinning beachball frequently, or tasks are taking too long to complete.
These expected dates line up with reports from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Twitter), having said that the 15-inch MacBook Air would go into production in 2023. Also adding that we should expect a release date in the second quarter of the year, again, lining up with WWDC.
The Apple MacBook Air M1 is a worthy choice for budget-conscious users who require a powerful laptop to counter daily tasks. The Air M1 costs $200 less than its successor, which may be an absolute bang for the buck for some users. Moreover, many retailers offer additional discounts to make it a worthier deal.
If you are noticing that your MacBook Air M1/M2 is overheating more frequently when it is plugged into power, ensure that you use an Apple Branded or Apple Certified power adapter. Firstly, Apple products are designed to work seamlessly with Apple-certified accessories, including power adapters.
Why M2 is better than M1 Pro?
The M1 Pro and M1 Max go a mile further than the M2, including a 10-core CPU and up to 16 and 32 GPU cores, respectively. The M1 Ultra, the biggest Apple silicon chip of all, boasts a 20-core CPU with up to 64 GPU cores. However, the M1 range has lower maximum CPU clock speeds relative to the M2.
BREAKING: We've just discovered that the base 14” M2 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB) is considerably slower than the previous 14” M1 Pro model.
Based on my research and use case, it seems that 32GB should be sufficient for most tasks, including the 4K video rendering I occasionally do. However, I'm concerned about the longevity of the device, as I'd like to keep the MacBook up-to-date for at least five years.
Instead, the device will throttle its performance to keep the temperature low. So, you would know that your M2 MacBook Pro or Air is overheating only when you see a loss of performance/speed.
Apple has already released the 2023 MacBook Pro. Since late January 2023, you've been able to purchase the newest version of Apple's premium laptop.
With its powerful CPU, M2 Pro can compile code up to 25 percent faster than M1 Pro, and up to 2.5x faster than MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor.
The 12-core-based Core i7 outperforms the M2 chipset in terms of performance but falls short in terms of power efficiency. Apple admits that the 12-core Core i7 processor is faster than the M2 chipset. However, the M2 chipset retains an advantage in terms of power consumption.
You can choose between 16GB and 96GB of RAM for both MacBook Pros, although 64GB and 96GB are options for only the M2 Max versions of each machine. The RAM is unified memory, meaning it's shared between the CPU and GPU, so keep that in mind as you make your choice.
Gurman then clarified in January 2023 that the “high-end configuration of the Mac Pro, a model with 48 CPU cores and 152 graphics cores, has been canceled,” with Apple instead focusing on an M2 Ultra version of the machine.
Apple stopped production of its M2 processors since January due to low demand: Reports. According to a report by The Elec, Apple has reportedly halted production of its custom M2-series processors which are used in MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and MacBook Air models.
How much will 2023 M2 cost?
Starting at $63,195
Verdict It may be the entry-point to the world of BMW's M performance lineup, but the M2 thrills like M-cars are supposed to.
So, to summarize: you can definitely get by with 8GB but, if you plan on using this device for many years in the future, going with a 16GB model should definitely be a top priority.
Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators.
The M2 MacBook Air can be configured with 24GB of unified memory. This will be perfect for two types of buyer: those who have a specific requirement for more than 16GB of unified memory; and. those who just want more than 16GB for peace of mind.
The clue is in the M2. Whether you go for the MacBook Pro 14-inch or 16-inch, there's a significant processor upgrade here. While the M1 Pro offers up to 10 cores on the CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores, along with up to 16-core GPU, the M2 Pro surpasses that.
Apple says the M2 Pro gives up to 20% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance than the M1 Pro. And the M2 Pro neural engine has seen a 40% speed increase over the M1 Pro. You've also got up to a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU with the M2 Pro.
The high-level Blackmagic Disk Speed Test shows the 512GB version of the M1 Pro MacBook Pro with a 4,900 MB/s read speed and 3,951 MB/s write speed, while the M2 Pro version shows a 2,973 MB/s read speed and 3,154.5 MB/s write speed. That's a drop of 40 percent for read speeds and 20 percent for write speeds.
The new M2 Pro chip offers decent performance gains on the already very fast M1 Pro chips, with up to 14% improvement in CPU speed and up to 22% faster graphics in tests. That puts it alongside some of the best Intel and AMD laptop chips, but at considerably lower power consumption.
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022)
Plus, there's an added bonus: it's significantly cheaper. Apple treats its 13in MacBook Pros as a lower-end model of the device (this packs an M2 chip, which is more powerful than the M1 but not as fast as the M1 Pro or M1 Max that come with the MacBook Pros above).
The Verdict – MacBook Pro vs Air M2
Though it must be said, the M2 chip upgrade is worth every penny and makes the device faster, lighter, and at least 3X efficient than its predecessor models. That was our comparison of the MacBook Pro M1 vs MacBook Air M2 – hope you make a wise decision.
Is 8GB of memory enough for MacBook Air?
Whether 8GB of RAM is enough for a MacBook Air depends on your specific needs and usage patterns. In general, 8GB of RAM should be sufficient for most basic tasks like browsing the web, using productivity applications, and streaming media.
An 18% faster CPU, a 35% faster GPU and a 40% faster neural engine than previous generations, as well as 50% more memory bandwidth. This is a no-brainer. Unless money is a real constraint, everyone should just forget about the M1 and just get the M2. Everything about it is just better.
If you find your Mac is running slowly, there are a number of potential causes that you can check. Your computer's startup disk may not have enough free disk space. To make disk space available, you can move files to another disk or an external storage device, then delete files you no longer need on the startup disk.
At the moment, we already know why the SSDs in the new entry-level Macs with M2 is slower. That's because there are two slots for NAND chips on the motherboards of both the M1 and M2 models. While the MacBooks with M1 had two NAND chips in those slots, each 128GB in size (256GB total).
According to 9to5Mac, the 512GB SSD in the previous-gen 14-inch had four NAND storage chips, whereas the one on the M2 Pro seems to have two. Those are obviously higher-capacity chips, so the computers have the same amount of storage but with worse performance because they can't parallelize reads and writes as much.
Should you purchase a device with an M2 processor? Simply put, Apple hardware with an M2 processor will have better performance than devices running on older silicon. So if you want one of the best Apple devices on the market, you should buy one with an M2 processor.
Conclusion. Apple offers its own guidance on choosing the right memory for your M2 Mac mini. “Your Mac mini comes as standard with 8GB of memory,” they tell buyers on the configuration page, before explaining that 8GB is “more than enough for the things you do every day and for running multiple applications at once.”
MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 (2022)
While the design hasn't changed, it's a solid laptop with epic battery life. And based on our tests, the M2 chip delivers, offering performance that destroys many competing Windows laptops. The M2 also beats the M1 chip by a significant margin in various benchmarks.
