Is Buying the M2 Macbook Air Worth It in 2022? Or, Should You Opt for the Earlier and Cheaper Model M1 Macbook Air?

Introduction 

Apple recently unveiled its new M2 MacBooks, in which MacBook Air 2022 was the major highlight. It is the successor of last year’s M1 MacBook Air and brings many upgrades. First, there’s a new chip called the M2, which is claimed to offer an 18% faster CPU, 35% faster GPU, and 40% faster neural engine than the last gen M1 that powers the M1 MacBook Air. 

Second, Apple has also upgraded the design of this year’s MacBook Air, which makes it look like the MacBook Pro. However, with all the upgrades, the M2 Macbook Air has become pretty expensive than its 2021 sibling. For instance, the M2 Macbook Air starts at $1,199, while the  M1 MacBook Air starts at $999. 

So, do all the upgrades make the M2 Macbook Air Worth buying in 2022?  Or should you opt for the cheaper M1 MacBook Air? Let’s find out. 

M2 Macbook Air and M1 MacBook Air Specs Comparision 

Before answering, is buying the M2 Macbook Air worth it in 2022? First, let’s compare the specifications and price of both the M2 Macbook Air and M1 MacBook Air side-by-side. 

M2 Macbook Air vs M1 MacBook Air

Reasons to Buy M2 Macbook Air Over the Cheaper M1 Macbook Air

Powerful M2 chip compared to M1

One of the main reasons to choose the M2 Macbook Air over the cheaper M1 Macbook Air is the performance boost that M2 provides. Apple’s new M2 chip is the successor of the M1 chip, which is said to offer improvement in both performance and power efficiency. For instance, Apple claims that the M2 has an 18% faster CPU, 35% faster GPU, and 40% faster neural engine. Similarly, the chip offers 50% more memory bandwidth compared to M1. 

Moreover, some other key specifications and features of the Apple M2 chip are listed below:

• Built on Apple’s 2nd gen 5nm process
• 8-core CPU (18% faster compared to M1)
• Up to 12-core GPU (35% faster compared to M1)
• 16-core Neural Engine (40% faster compared to M1)
• 20 billion transistors (25% more than M1)
• Up to 24GB of unified memory 
• Supports 100 GB/s memory bandwidth (50% more compared to M1)
• Supports ProRes encode and decode
• Supports multiple streams of 4K/8K video playback

Improved Design and Display 

If you go with the M1 Macbook Air, you are stuck with an outdated 2018 design. This year Apple updated its Macbook Air with MacBook Pro-like design. Besides, the display has also gotten bigger at 13.6-inch compared to 13.3-inch, thanks to the thin bezels with a bar-shaped notch.

The display itself is a Liquid Retina panel with True Tone technology.  Likewise, it can get 100 nits brighter than the M1 model (500nits compared to 400nits) and produce over 1 billion colors.

Better Communication Tool

Online meetings, classes, and other online stuff have become common these days. If video call quality is essential for you, then the M2 MacBook Air should be a no-brainer. 

This year Apple has upgraded to a 1080p webcam (from 720p) along with three mics and a four-speaker sound system with spital audio. 

Bigger Battery and Faster Charging 

Although Apple claims both these MacBooks provide Up to 18 hours of battery life, the M2 MacBook Air has a bigger battery with farter charging support. It packs a 52.6Wh battery (up from 49.9Whr) and also brings support for 67W charging (up from 30W). However, it will ship with just a 35W power adapter. 

Furthermore, Apple has also added a dedicated MagSafe charging port on this year's MacBook Air.

Conclusion

Here, we've answered, why buying the M2 Macbook Air over M1 MacBook Air is worth it in 2022. I hope you found the article helpful.

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