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I’ve written many articles about the M1 MacBook Air. I’ve also published 21 videos that feature Apple’s wedge-shaped laptop.
I’m a little bit obsessed with it.
Mine is now adorned with stickers. It gets chucked about, passed without fear between family members, and the keys are shiny enough to use as an emergency mirror (that’s an old photo above).
That’s right – I’ve become one of those MacBook Air owners.
But this week, we received some bad news about Apple’s adorable little laptop.
The bad news about the MacBook Air
According to Mark Gurman, the redesigned, M2-powered MacBook Air isn’t going to appear until later this year.
When it comes to delayed Apple releases, this feels like the most painful. I know there are a great many people out there waiting for Apple’s new version of their most beloved laptop.
We thought it would arrive during the March event. And, when we were instead presented with a Mac mini on steroids, thoughts turned to the summer.
Perhaps the colourful new MacBook Air will appear during WWDC, we thought. Or, maybe Apple will give us another Mac-focused event before that!
Nope.
In fact, the more I think about the next MacBook Air and its swirling rumour mill, the more I think we’re not going to see it this year. After all, when Apple launches the new Mac Pro, they’ll have come good on their promise to switch entirely to their own silicon by the end of 2022.
Basically, when it comes to the MacBook Air, they owe us nothing.
But this is actually very good news indeed.
The good news!
Remember those 21 videos I mentioned earlier that featured the MacBook Air? They’re among the highest performing on my channel to date.
Indeed, I still receive comments and emails every single day from people asking which version of the MacBook Air to buy, and whether or not they should wait for the M2 version.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that my advice with this has ebbed and flowed pretty much in line with the rumours. I’m trying to get better at this, I promise, but I’m not keen on recommending that people spend a lot of money when something else could be around the corner.
Now, it seems as though we’re getting somewhere with these rumours. The new MacBook Air isn’t immediately on the horizon. If we see it this year, it won’t be for many, many months.
Think about it. Even if the M2 MacBook Air is announced in October or November, we’re not going to get our hands on it until several weeks later. Factor in extended delivery times because of the chip shortages, and budgets being squeezed due to the rising cost of living and Christmas… and it’s clear that this will be a 2023 product for most people.
If you really want a MacBook Air right now, can you wait until 2023? If you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, should you wait until it becomes a trouser inferno?
The delayed MacBook Air is wonderful news for anyone who has been putting off their purchase of the M1 model. Because you can now buy one without any fear of it being replaced any time soon. Remember – we have no idea what the new one will be like, or how much it’ll cost.
Go buy that MacBook Air today. Tell them I sent you.
What I want from the M2 MacBook Air
There’s another rumour slowly surfacing about the next MacBook Air. According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (who fancies going to their Christmas party?), we might be treated to a 15-inch variant of Apple’s super-slim laptop in 2023.
That’s pretty exciting. It suggests a new era for the MacBook Air and it’s one that I can’t wait to dive into.
However, my needs for the next-generation MacBook Air are pretty simple. I’d like to see a new design that modernises the device and provides even more thermal efficiency for Apple silicon. I’d like MagSafe to make a return, too, and I want a white one yesterday.
That’s it. We’re well into the realm of diminishing returns with Apple silicon for all but the most brutal of power users, therefore whatever chip ends up in the new MacBook Air will be more than enough for 99% of users.
Despite the excitement for what’s to come, my advice remains the same for current buyers: just get that M1 MacBook Air today. My base model 8GB version still feels as quick, stable, and lovable as the day I bought it.
5 Comments
Absolutely adore my M1 MacBook Air. Unless the M2 version has that mini LED display with pro-motion, I won’t be upgrading from the M1. That’s the only thing that will get me to upgrade.
Glad you’re happy, Andrew. I think those two features are a little way off unfortunately 😉
There are a number of deals from 3rd party vendors from time to time. For example, I purchased my 16GB M1 Mac mini for $799 from Microcenter, which was $100 less than if I had purchased it from Apple.
I’ve seen a number of deals on the various Macbooks including the Pro models as well as iPads.
That said, the M1 Macbook air is a great deal. My wife loves hers.
Hello Mark, I had the M1 MacBook Air, from iMac. Now I want to go back to iMac and I am waiting for the M2 version. But the reason I am waiting is that, I hope to see SD cardreader and perhaps more connections..
My M1 MacBook Air is fast, so it is not for the speed, but connections.. Should I go for the M1 iMac now?
Hey, Jesper. I’d go for the current version – it’s a superb machine. You won’t be disappointed.