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In November 2020, Apple launched the first M1 CPU-powered MacBook Air. M1 was the first in-house personal computer CPU made by Apple.
Earlier, Apple depended on Intel for CPUs in its Mac lineup of desktops and laptops. The silicon-based chip easily claimed its spot as one of the most powerful CPUs in the world.
M1 was the world's first personal computer chip based on 5nm architecture. With this came other cutting-edge technologies like Nural Engine and Unified Memory. Later, Apple launched three more variants of M1 over the years, including Pro, Max, and Ultra.
At the Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference 2022, they launched the new MacBook Air with the M2 processor. The base-variant M2 is more powerful than the base-variant of M1. It has a more powerful CPU, better GPU, better Unified Memory support, and more.
So, the current situation is such: the M1 is already there, only cheaper, and the M2 just launched, more powerful. Hence, the is which one is better.
Choosing between MacBook M1 or M2
Specs difference
At the WWDC 2022, Johny Srouji, Senior Vice-President of Apple Hardware and Technologies, compared the Apple M1 and M2 chips. Per his information, the new M2 chip, based on the second generation 5nm architecture, has 20 billion transistors while the M1 has 16 billion (25% lesser).
The M2's 100GB/s unified memory bandwidth makes it 50% faster than the M1. Although the former has a similar 8-core CPU with 4 energy-efficient cores and 4 high-performance cores, it is 18% more powerful than the M1.
The latter has an 8-core integrated GPU, while the M2 has a 10-core integrated GPU, delivering 25% better performance.
MacBooks available
Here is a list of all the MacBooks currently available with Apple M1 and M2 processors and their detailed specs and prices.
1) MacBook Air (M1)
- 13.3” Retina display
- 8 core CPU
- 7 core GPU
- Up to 16 GB unified memory
- Up to 2 TB SSD
- 18 hours battery
- 720p FaceTime camera
- Three‑mic array Stereo speakers
- 2.8 lbs weight
- Touch ID
Price starts from $999
2) MacBook Air (M2)
- 13.6” Liquid Retina display
- 8 core CPU
- Up to 10 core GPU
- Up to 24 GB unified memory
- Up to 2 TB SSD
- 18 hours battery
- 1080p FaceTime camera
- Three‑mic array quad speakers with Spatial Audio
- 2.7 lbs weight
- Touch ID
Price starts from $1199
3) MacBook Pro 13” (M2)
- 13.3” Retina display
- 8 core CPU
- 10 core GPU
- Up to 24 GB unified memory
- Up to 2 TB SSD
- 20 hours battery
- 720p FaceTime camera
- Studio quality three‑mic array stereo speakers with Spatial Audio
- 3.0 lbs weight
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
Price starts from $1299
Which one should you get?
There is only a 100 to 200-dollar difference between these MacBook Air and Pro models with M1 and M2 chips. So, it isn't easy to choose one suitable for a specific user.
There are different types of users, like students, home PC users, entertainment purpose users, workers, business people, and content creators.
If the user has a tight budget, the M1 Air is the only option, and it is a pretty fast laptop that can handle every task seamlessly. However, MacBook Airs are not recommended for content creators. Firstly, they have passive cooling, which doesn't work as great as the Mac Pro's active cooling, with dedicated fans.
And the Pro model has other features specifically meant for content creators, like the Touch Bar, more Unified Memory, and larger storage support.
If someone can spend two hundred dollars more, then the Air M2 is always recommended.
A faster chip, better GPU, better display, more unified memory, and a much better speaker system make the Air M2 the ultimate media consumption machine. Hence, the Air M2 is recommended over the Pro M2 for users who want a laptop for media consumption, normal home usage, and study purposes.
The Air M2 is also a great laptop for business and work purposes due to its lesser weight and the only 1080p FaceTime camera in this segment. As mentioned before, Pro models are always recommended for content creators who need more powerful hardware and tools like the Touch Bar.
However, content creators who need a larger display, more powerful chip, more memory, and storage should spend more and opt for the M1 Pro and Max models. If users want to take advantage of the Touch Bar, the 13" Pro model is the only option.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
