M2 MacBook Air review: a new Air-a 👀

The new MacBook Air has Apple’s latest in-house processor, the M2. It’s got a better screen, thinner and lighter design, better speakers, a much-improved webcam, an excellent keyboard and trackpad, more convenient charging, and excellent build quality. It also comes with a higher price tag - it starts at $1,199, $200 more than the model that preceded it, and a model with a decent amount of storage runs $1,499 or more. And the performance advancements over the M1 model aren’t as stark as the design and feature improvements are.
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[@TheVerge]

Do we miss the wedge-shape? Or is the squared off design a winner?

[@aaronrdomanais]

the wedge was kinda iconic but we are open to change 🤠

[@sidoscoper7371]

I kinda like them both!

[@miljantrajkovic1862]

Can u please start using kg too?

[@jaughnekow]

The squared off design ISSA winner 🏆🏆🏆

[@MrHeHim]

If it allows the M2 Air to have a larger battery and not be as stabby when holding certain ways.. than yes it's better 🥰

[@julius7058]

The fact that Apple not only decided to stick with 256GB as the entry storage, but is in fact SLOWER storage than the previous model is absurd. It should at the very least have a note on their website specifying these details.

[@MB-jz3uu]

I've had 128gb of storage before if you just do internet browsing and writing on it then even 128gb is plenty. 90% of people only use these for browsing so 256gb is more than enough.

[@hockey161616]

It DOES say that on the site.

[@thanhclips]

@@MB-jz3uu If 90% are using it for browsing, why bother get a laptop. Just get a tablet.

[@hafuridotus]

@@thanhclips some people still prefer the clamshell form factor. (Personally I love the Surface Pro 8 form factor for just casual things)

[@auliamate]

the fact people are complaining about apple having a base 256GB is absurd when laptops of this range are still coming with 128GB entry storage. now the speed downgrade is ridiculous considering its 200 dollars more for what feels like 150 max in improvements.

[@viggobryant-frost6181]

I just love the new rounded corners of the screen that match the rounded corners of the chassis, it is a much needed detail

[@thiagobnla]

I used the M1 air for a year as my main work computer, as a graphic designer. I got absolutely blown away by its performance with photoshop, illustrator and simple animations and video editing in after effects. I just recently switched to the M1 pro, which is far superior, but I still recommend the M1 base model for anyone who's in need of a good all around computer and portability, specially to those who live outside the US/EU, where prices are really an issue. These machines are extremely capable in such a small form factor. of course, the ports are still an issue, specially when you, like me, have to constantly use external hard drives, Wacom tablets etc, but nothing that a dongle won't solve (and it really is no big deal to carry one with you). if the M2 air screen is the same used in the M1 Pro, its so worth the extra price on top of the M1 air. I really don't mind the notch at all and the only program I had "issues" with was cinema 4D, but that's something you probably wouldn't use on an air model.

[@thiagobnla]

PS my experience was with a base model M1 air (8gb ram, 256gb ssd)

[@menjivarTv]

The M2 Air doesn't have the same display as the 14 and 16 inch laptops, it's not MiniLED. However it IS brighter and bigger than the M1 Air

[@jeansienkin]

@@menjivarTv And it's not Pro Motion (no 120Hz), basically, it's barely better than its predecessor, you only gain the extra space around the notch.

[@oozehag2790]

Im going to be using a program that says it uses 2gb of ram, no video editing or gaming just browsing and youtube with that program in the background. Would you recommend base model 8gb/256?

[@jeansienkin]

@@oozehag2790 Sure any base model, M1 MBA or M2 MBA will be far more than enough for this kind of usage.

[@notcataclysmic]

Does 8 gigs of RAM feel enough these days? I’d prefer 16, but when upgrading to 16 and a 512 GB SSD it’s such an increase that you might as well go for the 14 inch Pro with M1 Pro

[@guccisquidbillytentacles]

in windows probably not but in mac os probably good enough for most

[@LatexFashionTV]

In macOS 8GB is plenty for 99% of people.

[@thor.mukbang]

Does it *feel* enough these days? Yes, because of SWAP. It's not uncommon to use at least 1GB of SWAP doing normal tasks. If you want better performance or you're doing something using multiple GB of SWAP, you should get 16GB.

[@andrewuliana6140]

I have a 2020 Intel MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM and I notice no stutter/constant refreshes or anything that makes me think that more RAM would be helpful

[@VivekPatel-ze6jy]

@@thor.mukbang but isn't the SSD slower if u get 256 GB of storage? That would degrade swap performance

[@dotunmakun]

The Apple M1 MacBook Air sounded remarkably better comparatively to the M2 MacBook Air in the sound test in my opinion.

[@forwonder419]

agreed and the new macbook pro models have grossly exaggerated bass

[@gamefun2525]

definitely some cost cutting done right there

[@RicardoDawson]

Kudos for a very professional, fast paced (but full of useful info) tech review. You did mention the throttling and slower SSD (on the base model) but without the drama and in context of the intended uses of this machine. Best review out there, Dan. Thanks!

[@immanuel3694]

Great review Dan! Was really informative and a good pace!

[@L7CK7]

Nice to see Dan doing mainline reviews again. Do more please!

[@CptReflex]

Really love the video. I have a question still - given I am editing a video in 4k, how long of a project do you think would the macbook air be able to sustain consistent speeds before the CPU or GPU throttles? (I do not plan on editing anything over 10 minutes long)

[@matsetizar65]

I can only consider the base model. Seems like the faster speed of the M2 over the M1 chip is cancelled out by the slower SSD. Aside from Magsafe, I dont really need any of the new features. I want to upgrade from my 2014 air, so will go M1 air base and save a bunch.

[@link0612]

Sneaking towards the 3:2 surface laptop ratio, thankfully. A little more square is wonderful for a laptop form factor. As an aside, I appreciate the total black background on the talking head shots. Really sharp looking

[@BitTerence]

Dan: “The notch is crowding out all my menu bar apps!” Also Dan: “I seem to get less battery life than my colleagues for some reason” 🤔🤔🤔

[@ndrwfm]

Also Chrome.

[@scarletscarlet800]

The editing is sooooo clean! Much appreciated.

[@williambryant7686]

Great to see Dan back in front of the camera (I find Monica equally great as well 😊). I would love for you folx to open the new Air up and discuss internals/repairability. Thanks!

[@respect386]

Great review as always!

[@peterpayne2219]

Excellent review, thank you. Just the information I was looking to get.

[@erg1450]

Excellent review, you hit it right on the nail, no hype, no doomsday, just the facts to help people making up their minds if they are on the fence

[@TheYankees2340]

I’m interested in getting a new MacBook for some light video editing and working with PowerBI, Tableau, and some small SQL projects. Is it better to go for the Air M2 with 24gb RAM, 512gb/1TB SSD or the base Pro 14” with 16gb RAM and 512gb SSD? Thanks!

[@lilzenzay]

Just got to say that I have had the M1 Macbook Pro for about a year now and have been absolutely blown away by the performance. It has never struggled to do anything. Future of computers is Apple.

[@sunitjoshi3573]

Is it the 13 or 14” that you’ve ?

[@jumkeete6269]

Such a nice explaination.. really enjoyed

[@HelenaHanim187]

is there a heating up problem in m2 air ? Did you check the degrees in a warm environment ? Whet happens if it gets warm much ?

[@adam____________]

Can I just point out the quality of this video ? Like the editing and review are both top notch, so pleasing to watch.

[@PizzaFriend]

Great speaker and webcam use in this video. Clever and informative

[@alscarpa6177]

Super professional review hitting all the key points. Thanks!

[@rishabhsinghal6831]

@Verge I want to know, how many NAND chips will be there in a 10 Core GPU model with 256 GiG Storage ??

[@catherinedesrochers]

For what you get, in term of price tag, I would definitely go with the 2020 model and add 16gb + 512gb storage (if not 1tb) directly through the official Apple Refurb Store I can’t believe how my 2yo MBA is still so performant after all this time for my mid-heavy professional usage.

[@bread01169]

I have always loved The Verge and I continue to be happy with all of the reviews you guys put out. Even after Dieter's departure I am glad everything still feels the same even after a legacy member leaving, Keep up the great work guys!

[@akshitsharma474]

DIETER LEFT???!!!!? Ik i haven’t watched verge’s reviews in some time but this is shocking

[@bread01169]

@@akshitsharma474 yeah, he made like a going away video it was sad but they found some good people to replace him

[@stevenho4662]

What brand of dongle that you would recommend? I also need HDMI port for an external mon.

[@akalankajay4586]

Great review. Good job

[@paulnhbtx713]

What is the work around if I want to dock and use on two external monitors?

[@lucasbim]

Totally disagree, the Air is perfectly capable for coding. I used the M1 8gb for more than a year. I'm a iOS developer and the codebase I work is huge and the performance is a lot better than the previous i9 32gb I had.

[@sparkequinox]

What about for developing outside of apple code? Honest question from embedded cpp engineer.

[@undrfined]

@@sparkequinox currently using M1 Air for some web dev, 8gb is definitely not enough (webpack alone eats a hefty 4gb)

[@sparkequinox]

@@undrfined thanks good to know. It's nice to sometimes code on something mobile when stuck with debugging, but definitely needs to cope with it. I think M Chips need another few years before the reasonably priced ones become more reasonable.

[@MaxCaud]

Were you paid to write this or something? 8GB of RAM with Xcode lol.. seems like you are just used to the delay while your computer uses swap all the time.

[@aldrichallenbarcenas6740]

@@sparkequinox I use it for front-end work. If you use Vite and don't use Docker in your machine it should be fine.

[@sudipchatterjee]

Excellent review! Thanks, Dan.

[@susheelchandra244]

I actually feel 8gb ram is limiting with my m1 mba and I feel great need to upgrade it to 16gb . Even on work laptop which is M1 pro MBP , 16gb ram feels insufficient sometimes but I can understand that is due to apps like excel which are not tuned properly for macs

[@nikhilav]

im really confused macbook m2 air (10 core gpu )or macbook pro m1 2021 (base model)

[@vhex61]

Would like to know MBA M2 8 vs 10 gpu cores in battery and performance comparison, thanks !

[@jaughnekow]

I love the design.

[@64bitval]

Does it support two displays in clamshell mode at least?

[@jeffreyharrisii8190]

Which MacBook Air would you suggest for me. I am an incoming college freshman who will be mostly only be using my laptop for schoolwork, writing papers, zoom calls, and some streaming. (No intensive video editing or gaming) Which would you prefer (M1 or M2) and with how much ram? I’m hoping for this laptop to last me throughout college so 4 years.

[@millionaire9122]

That speaker comparison was mind blowing for an edit!

[@BrunoAlejBravo]

Nice review and conclusion. Thanks!

[@veritas.ve.42]

Good review. 👍🏻

[@ejmikk]

M1 Speakers sound better and more balanced, though not as loud as the M2 speakers, at least with your microphone configuration. I work as an audio engineer and am listening to this video on studio headphones.

[@Marcus-bt7re]

I would agree. although i listened to this video through some basic speakers. The M1 sounds alot nicer.

[@peterwan7945]

6:20 you can choose to make the notch invisible on macOs now on macOS vantura.

[@shubirshaikh4062]

When you are watching a movie on full screen, is the notch noticeable given that the background of the screen is blacked out?

[@thefangedgamer7495]

I was planing on buying this as my multi purpose laptop for school work, gaming, etc. is this enough for medium to heavy gaming? Or is it worth it to go for the pro?

[@Insidiyus7083]

Why do you plan on buying a Mac if you want to game?

[@thefangedgamer7495]

@@Insidiyus7083 it’s mainly for school work but I have like a hour of free time before next class and so I want to game on it in that free time Mac and not windows is because I am more use to macOS and I am not like gonna play AAA games on a laptop just back to my question can I play relatively big games and work on this or do I need to upgrade to pro?

[@siddhantsharma1592]

My workflow: 5-10 chrome windows having almost 10 tabs open in each window, a video open in vlc media player(I'll probably won't have to use vlc on a mac), and a file is being downloaded in Utorrent. All of this is happening at once. Is this mac(512gb storage, 8gb ram, 8core GPU) appropriate for my workflow?

[@thomasav]

I know the 14" and 16" MacBook Pro's are currently mid-cycle, but I would have loved to have seen some benchmark comparisons to the M1 Pro chip. It sounds like the M1 Pro Chip still out performs the M2 in certain areas, but falls short in others. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[@PasteurizedLettuce]

It’s a significantly better chip overall, falling behind only slightly in single core performance

[@Coolguy-ki4ue]

Great review, thanks!

[@KatwereJames]

Would you be willing to duo-boot it with Asahi Linux (currently the only way to run a different operating system than macOS on the newer Apple silicon-powered Macs)?

[@dannyalvarado1080]

Would it be worth it coming from an intel macbook pro?

[@karlcompuesto4682]

Macboook Pro M1 (8/128) or Macbook Air M2 (8/128)?

[@Jacob-mh3rp]

PLEASE tell me what the calendar app you have on your menu bar is

[@jcw5002]

Fantastic review!

[@rodrigodias8976]

Is the 256GB base mode safe for a student using this for base apps (like excel or word) and browsing the web, productivity etc? The upgrade in Europe is 256€ more expensive…

[@mish8183]

I'm a student as well and i got the 256gb. I figured i dont need the extra space since i only download the necessary apps (chrome, zoom, office, ) dont use my laptop to store pics/vids and most of my notes or sch materials are online/online drives. I did get the 16gb ram tho since i multitask and open 40+ apps when dg research /writing papers

[@JoelMendoza43]

The more I do is python, r and stata. Will 8gb be enough? What do y'all think?

[@hanswurst1660]

Well if you spec the air to 16gb and 512gb the difference to the 14 is only 200€. And for that you get much more performance. But its also bigger and heavier. Also I need two displays so that’s a whole other reason.

[@maielenasong]

Thanks for a great review! I have a MacBook Pro from 2017! I really want a new MacBook Air. I don't use it for heavy stuff, just a bit a of photo and video editing every now and then. Also editing podcast. But other than that just using Word and surfing the net. And Netflix. My biggest concern is it getting warm! Do you think this will be a problem for me? :)

[@siddharthbouddha]

Which calendar app you used in the Menu bar ?

[@AayushKrishnan]

I'd been waiting for the M2 for nearly a year, but when it did launch the price difference between the 512Gb M2 and the 512GB M1 was nearly ₹40k to ₹50k🥲($600). Realized the upgrades aren't worth that much and just bought the M1 lol.

[@nitinmalusare6763]

I am a programmer and mainly my work includes app and web development, some projects and college work . Is 8+256 version of M2 sufficient? Or will i face any problems?

[@mish8183]

@Vidit Mathur same dilemma as you tbh. Pple usually assured me tt the base model (8Gb/256) is good and sufficient enough...

[@sourav7162]

@Vidit Mathur if you are not doing intensive work for longer durations, the m2 air is what u will be looking at; otherwise, the m1 pro is the way to go.

[@mathur2able]

@@sourav7162 It’s my working laptop. I usually work on Google Sheets & other web based tools

[@gamefun2525]

I use two user profiles on my M1. One personal - mainly multiple chrome tabs and other programs, and the other hosts work - VS Code, node server, a lot of chrome tabs, skype meetings, all running at the same time. It honestly breezes through everything no hiccups whatsoever.

[@George-wf3mr]

So personally I need a laptop for uni where I’m studying aerospace engineering and all I’m finding is that if I want the M2 Air or the M2 Pro I should look at bumping up the specs to 16GB Ram and 512GB of storage (plus the 10-core gpu for the Air) but by the time you’ve done that there’s barely any price difference between those and the 14” M1 Pro. I getting the sense that the Air is for light workloads and the M2 Pro is for slightly heavier but if you’re looking to be use it every day for very large workloads it’s the M1 Pro, I am getting this right?

[@shaun1900]

Just get the 14" Pro base model.

[@indiekiduk]

4:10 M1 Air's speakers sound better to me in this comparison, slightly more bass than the M2 Air.

[@impulsesystems]

Yes, the M2 sounded tinny to me. Better when he showed the webcam clip.

[@fdsaffff]

m1 aire already had sucky speakers.... sigh. my 12" macbook have such good speaker thats why i returned the m1 air and probly skp the m2 air.... util they put in speakers as good or better than my 2017 12" macbook.

[@cunty]

yea i found them completely tinny sounding, not quite sure what they were talking about when saying it sounded better.

[@shehryar69]

@@fdsaffff I also just upgraded to the M1 MacBook Air from the 12 inch MacBook and I was shocked at how much worse the speakers were on the M1. The volume is so low that I need to use AirPods when watching media on it. I’m even more surprised that none of these so-called ‘tech reviews’ ever mention these real world issues that can have a massive effect on peoples purchase decisions. It’s always “best in class speakers” like that’s supposed to mean anything.

[@fdsaffff]

@@shehryar69 these light laptops the speakers is everything, cause we use it to watch media... good loud sound is more important than anything. 12" mac sound blowns everything away, even the newest most expensive mac. not to mention it's a lb or more lighter than all

[@rodneydangerfield7153]

Fantastic, thorough review, Dan!...What is the possibility of a 15" MacBook Air?

[@josetovalle]

Which menu bar app are you using to see your calendar and next meeting at 6:06 ? That awesome!!

[@MarbsMusic]

Mini LED, pay a lot for it? If you spec the M2 Air with 16Gb and 512GB of storage then difference, especially considering you can find the base 14" on sale at many retailers, is very minimal considering you get more ports, faster ports, and SD card slot, more GPU cores, better speakers (as you note) then the larger pro-motion mini LED screen. I LOVE the look and size of this laptop but considering 16/512 is really the minimum needed if you plan to keep it for more than a year the 14" Base makes much more sense.

[@stephengent6068]

Dan, what kind of watch are you wearing?

[@EnvelopeWizard]

Great review thank you

[@vikrantguleria4764]

I am switching from windows to Mac. What should I buy M1 air or M2 air. Considering, my budget is low

[@umessi10]

What is the headphone at 00:43. Can someone please suggest? Thank you.

[@truecuckoo]

I think the 1 NAND chip base model was a poor choice by Apple. If they really really want, they could make this a running change. Other than that, I love the new design!

[@vigramvasi442]

I am an UX designer planning to switch to Mac from windows. Should I get 8gp ram and 512 storage or 16gp? Or MacBook Pro

[@nice1saba]

Any suggestions for a nice clear case for this new MacBook Air in midnight?

[@bjlivigni4687]

WOW You are good! I am going to get Mac Mac Air, but am confused about ports. Currently have a MacBook Pro 13. My auxiliary hard drive has a regular USB cable. And I have one regular flash drive. How do I handle this , when there is two Thunderbolts. And the new Mac Air charger has the two USB-c ports. Boy, I sure hope you answer this because I am really confused.

[@AndrewLiuthisisstupid]

Love the design but the performance gains for the price increase (and arguably worse speakers) from the M1 Air means I'd probably recommend the M1 to most people.

[@maxziebell4013]

One NAND… I was on the trajectory to buy the base model of all the airs… I am out. Sticking to my M1 … Apple see you at M3 …

[@bluebird1954]

1 NAND Again 🤔 yeah I'm out

[@MB-jz3uu]

How do they know if they only received a 512gb model

[@Marcus-bt7re]

@@MB-jz3uu Its in the video. they asked apple and the response was it was only one nand.

[@maxziebell4013]

@@MB-jz3uu They asked Apple as stated in the video and the MBP with M2 has the same single NAND setup in the base model.

[@bhavikn28]

Did apple confirm that just the base 256gb of storage 1199 model has the 1 nand chip, or are they saying that all versions with 256GB has the slow SSD? If you buy the upgraded GPU one with 256GB of storage, will it also only have 1 nand chip?

[@MerlinKapur]

Yea only 1 nand on base model

[@TonyNguyen-it7vd]

Only 512gb and up have 2 nand chips

[@S.L.1211]

I’ve got a 2010 MacBook Pro I never use anymore cause it barely works. Time to upgrade and not sure if I should get the M1 or M2 MacBook…. Don’t want to go crazy upgrading them tho

[@pingstir]

Can you still charge via usb c?

[@NeroVingian40]

Hey, I noticed you’re rocking that old purple/pink wallpaper on your MacBook (4:54)! I’m still rocking that purple wallpaper on my phone as well. It still looks really good even years after you guys released it.

[@gtan]

where in the world can I get this wallpaper? it looks amazing.

[@hcseanwu]

The black background is stunning verge!

[@ffranzone]

Great review.

[@barbietripping]

Pricing was a mistake I think. I was set to purchase this machine before the price (increase) was announced. I might as well get two Mac minis second hand for that price

[@YouAreBreathing]

I forgot about the notch and the apps that live in the menu bar. I can fill up the menu bar on my 13" MacBook Air.

[@rhk4680]

Got mine Friday, it is great (even the Midnight color and its fingerprint magnet-ism)

[@SeattleRKL]

I never ever notice the notch on my mbp *shrug*

[@theheadshotstudio9254]

The M1 seemes to have better sounding speakers than M2? I have an M1 Air and its incredible.

[@ibrokhim13]

The

[@gamefun2525]

@@ibrokhim13 Th

[@HugoParedes]

One of the best reviewers! Just that.

[@benson9183]

I dig the black background for A-roll. You should keep that around

[@ChuckieT266]

4:05 fantastic video editing here by Verge

[@dinofmj]

Thanks The Verge for assuring us M1 Air 2020 owners that ours is still A GREAT MACHINE. And that upgrading is not necessary unless you have the extra cash for a purchase. M1 Air 2020 is great still!

[@kreius]

3:39 what is that power strip? anyone know?

[@kidfromsky]

Great video! The person in the video made me think of the super dad from Incredibles 😁

[@EvenMehammer]

The performance graphs says M2 pro, but that's not released yet?

[@marksanchez4123]

Very Good review straight and no drama.

[@karant4262]

Does anyone know what track plays at around 7mins?

[@bilalsadain]

Starts at €1500 for the 256GB model here in Germany. What a joke

[@LucasBatistussi]

In Brazil is way way worse! 60% taxes plus the Apple profit margin! It’s ridiculous

[@dominikzellmayr1705]

Schon mal den derzeitigen €/$ Kurs beobachtet? Dann weißt du warum der Preis so hoch ist

[@keishalye9557]

switchinf from windows to macbook, seriously considering M2 air though

[@Mister1World]

Compared to a 2016 MacBook Pro (intel core i5), is the M2 Macbook Air a big and noticeable upgrade?

[@julius7058]

Absolutely. Any M1/M2 will perform significantly better. I would recommend an entry M1 MacBook Pro if you consider getting one used. M2 models I would go with the 512GB storage if at all possible.

[@Mister1World]

@@julius7058 Thank you so much!

[@SBHounds14]

If you could only choose 1 what would be better to upgrade? Get the 16bg Ram or 512 ssd?

[@josephsako1349]

Upgrade the Ram‼️It will be more beneficial in the long run, and you do not have the option of upgrading it later as you do with the ssd.

[@lanef9845]

4:55 what is that wall paper? i want it