MacBook Air M2 Review - Before you buy…

The Tech Chap reviews MacBook Air M2 - with the M2 chip, 1080p Camera, Quad Speakers, Longer Battery & Refreshed Design - is this M2 Air worth buying over the M1 Air?
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#MacBookAir #MBA #macbookairm2
00:00 Threat Level Midnight
01:19 What's New?
02:59 1080p Webcam
03:55 Design & Display
06:34 Ports & Charging
08:40 M1 vs M2
11:15 Battery
12:22 Wrap up
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▶ KZbin: bit.ly/2UyCBGq
📷 Instagram: / thetechchap
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[@Thetechchap]

Hey Chaps! If you bought a new MBA - would you go M1 or M2?? Update 1: The original MBA was the most expensive at $1799! Update 2: I've learned the base 256GB model has a slower SSD, however it shouldn't be particularly noticeable. (still around 1500mb/s)

[@atnurtech8176]

Overpriced i think mbp 14 will be better choice

[@nikolina872]

m1

[@---us7qf]

This one is not for me Tom. I already have the 16" M1 Max. I am satisfied with that. Never been into the Airs. Just not a machine I can use, as I need more power and screen size. Watched anyway to "jiggle" those KZbin algorithms.

[@MrAtthedrivein925]

16gb/256 M1 Air for the win, bought refurbished direct from Apple and with my Veterans discount only $924. Much better value

[@filipvabrousek6900]

@@nikolina872 Too thick bezels...

[@otakuotaku6774]

Am i the only one who watching Tech Videos without buying anything 🤔

[@atnurtech8176]

I guess so

[@harshitgarg969]

No 🙂

[@rednet2318]

Lol...me too, no money

[@GoofyRyan]

Me 3

[@virgiliomartucci1080]

i don't thibk

[@SpawnPoiint]

Great review Tom. Makes me want to try the Air!

[@gusmoment]

Great video Tom, Thanks for sharing your opinion!

[@kaungjoongki2816]

Your videos really give a good point. Really thank you for every knowledge you gave me. Will stick with you forever.

[@jethalalstanaccount2129]

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.

[@ryu_da_bear]

you should have bought Toshiba T1100 instead

[@analuiza2677]

I was going to wait too, but knowing apple I pretty much guessed it wouldn't be worth the wait.

[@thanatosor]

Buy M1 pro base instead

[@ia_mdsaad]

I bought an M1 last year with offers @ 900$ , absolutely worth it

[@SpongeBobCirclepants_]

Would you suggest it now or should I go for the m2

[@jorditordera]

Greetings from Spain. Thanks for a great review. I was really helpful. Just one quick question: did you have a chance to type on the M2 MBA for a long time? Coming from a 2012 13" MBA, I am worried about how losing the wedge-shape tappered design might affect the typing experience. I've heard people complaining about sore wrists with the 14" and 16" new MBP after a while of typing....

[@emmanueldeleon3074]

Great review! Would you say it's upgrading when you shift from MBP 1 to MBA 2?

[@maxmusic444]

Great Video!!! Would love to see a comparison between the m2 air and xps 13 plus.

[@vwood2]

Thanks - a very thoughtful review! I bought the base model M1 Air two years ago. It’s a great laptop, but I really regretted the purchase. I have a large photo library, and found it quite frustrating to work off of external ssds. So I’ve traded it in for an M2 with 16 gigs, and 1TB ssd. Key points for me were the additional MagSafe port, and the TB ssd. So, yes, you can get a 14” MacBook Pro for that money, but only with half the storage. Also, lots of reviews say the difference in weight between the M2 Air & 14” isn’t significant. For guys maybe - lol. The difference in weight is huge for me. I need the portability of the Air, and it has all the power I need for photography and graphic design, etc. It’s a marvellous little workhorse.

[@ahsoka6807]

I think was a really fair take on everything and just covered all the angles that i needed so thank you.

[@Thetechchap]

Glad you liked it!

[@kevinmartinimperial315]

Good day sir! Would you recommend this MBA M2 for light photo and video editing, more on excel and google sheet works? Im planning to buy and it will be my 1st Macbook.. would you recommend this MBA M2 or should i go for MBP 14 (base model). Thank you.. more power on your channel! 😊👏

[@mylespower3309]

Mine arrives tomorrow, midnight colour. Very excited and won’t sleep tonight, plus tomorrow is my birthday so a nice little birthday present.

[@edwardlauder]

Great review! This has convinced me to get the new MacBook Air M2. I've currently got the MacBook Pro M1 and I'm just so tired of the touchbar. I keep on hitting it by accident and I also really don't like the design. The MacBook Air M2 is everything I wanted.

[@rhk4680]

Mine's coming today, I can't wait! Thanks for the review

[@emmacares426]

I always love your review videos, Much love from Nigeria 🇳🇬

[@crimley9482]

It's not actually the most expensive MacBook Air ever. The original Air was considered a premium device for its thin and lightness and the base model was $1799.

[@Thetechchap]

good spot!

[@crimley9482]

@Bzake It would be $3,852.13 in today's money. Unfortunately, we're experiencing massive inflation.

[@mr_niceman]

@Bzake deflation your ass lmao💀💀💀

[@gavinlun]

@Bzake think you have that the wrong way round fella

[@pocketBreaker]

@@crimley9482 yea this guy did it backwards

[@shja1998]

Dell XPS 13+ vs M2 Macbook Air!! We need this!!

[@Jezee213]

id love to see that XPS vs video! if i had it my way, I'd put that M2 inside the XPS plus chassis! Of course thermals and stuff aside lol. Appreciate the commitment Tom, take care of yourself buddy!

[@dechubasco830]

Damn, M2 Chip in XPS would be sweet as hell.

[@Jezee213]

@Eugen N Ya man, thats what i was thinking.

[@martingifford5415]

The M1 vs M2 screens should be lined up precisely side by side to see if the bigger screen makes much difference. Also, wouldn't the M1 battery time be less because you've been using it for a year? Also, 14" pro is heavier, and many people want their laptop as light as possible, e.g. for travelling, so increasing MBA ram/storage could make sense.

[@moe_1886]

Great review Tom. With my eldest starting high school next year (Australia), I've been trying to work out what would best suit her needs, between a used MacBook Pro or M1 Air, but I think the new M2 Air fits the bill nicely. It's light (important since she's petite), but powerful, with great battery life. Plus she loves art and drawing anime, so should be fine for her needs, at least for the first few years and then we can start to look at the Pro models should she really want to be in the Art scene. Thanks for the review.

[@tarasaamerica6008]

Love the review! Do you recommend the midnight color? Which one is better midnight or the starlight? Thank you!

[@anthonyneilsonofficial8279]

Always love your videos with your energy!!!!

[@micleh]

From what I've learned in multiple other videos, Update 2, i.e. the slow SSD speeds, have a considerable impact on performance. This holds true when multiple "standard" applications are open and the system has to resort to SWAP. Is it the base model that you have shown? I've only seen that you have the 8 GB version, but haven't seen whether it's 256 GB (1 NAND chip) or the 512 GB version.

[@rungxanh2901]

Awesome review and fantastic wallpaper of the Yosemite. Would you mind sharing the wallpaper?

[@thanatosor]

The comparison between Air M2 16/512 and m1 pro 14” base is just what we need.

[@Amine382]

exactly !

[@ayaa289]

It would be like $2500 dollars if it was at original price

[@farahshibatambunan3611]

NAHHHHH!!!! IMPORTANT PLIS

[@Thetechchap]

I'll get to work!

[@dandavis9836]

Exactly. Specs wise it's obvious the MBP 14 wins. I just wonder whether the extra 400g odd more weight of the MBP 14 (1.6 kg) is worth it over the MBA M2 (1.2 kg)..? My main use would be for coding and lugging it around libraries as my job is as an R&D programmer.

[@rj7257]

Hoping you get better soon. Great review!

[@mattthewhanson]

Hi Tom, what's your take on the m1 screens cracking? is that reason enough to avoid them? I don't need more than an M1 (and I prefer its design to the m2) but the idea of it's screen going at any moment seems stressful to live with... What do you think?

[@daniellemulder3573]

Hi, Love your videos! I would appreciate some advice on whether I should purchase this laptop. I am currently a bachelor of arts student and need a laptop that is great for writing essays (ms word) and occasionally using creative apps. I don't play any video games, only stream videos. This might seem like a stupid question but do you see this laptop as being a good fit for someone who needs to write essays for longer than 4 hours at a time (will it overheat) because no matter how many videos I watch on people reviewing this laptop they never address these type of concerns Would really appreciate any help!!

[@nasdoc1]

Nice video. I definitely want to see a comparison video between the 1200$ MacBook Air (256gb/8gb) vs the Dell XPS Plus 1400$ (1240p). Main point of comparison being does the MacBook air M2 become slower than the Dell under moderate loads.

[@Fernando_1903]

I made a pre-order of a macbook air m2 base model, and after all reveals saying that the ssd is lower in the new I got worried. In your opinion the base model has a good performance for daily tasks (chrome, excel, word etc)? How it goes with same multiple tabs open on chrome? It perfomance good or get stuck because the 8 gb of ram?

[@kaidrewry552]

Love ur vids man! very helpful. Btw do u prefer ios or android?

[@pauljazzman408]

Good review. I would like to know the ssd speeding and actual temperatures reached (the MBA not your temp, get better soon).

[@alexanderradec317]

Love the accent and I’m grateful for the plethora of spec highlights compared with the M1 over performance and battery life. I don’t use it for gaming or video editing so that’s a plus as it will do just fine with what I need it to do

[@carlsagan3145]

Your videos are a joy to watch. Keep it up and thanks for the review. I have one on order and my spec'd out M2 air is more expensive than the cheapest MB Pro and I am not regretting that one bit (yet, lol). Your summary helped!

[@Thetechchap]

Glad it helped!

[@joytekb]

Is keyboard good for writing a lot in M2 Air mate ? I bought already 2 years ago Huawei Matebook 13 because od your recomendation.

[@RYN988]

Great comprehensive review. Much appreciated!

[@osamaaziz41]

Thank you very informative video, we hope to see video about MacBook Air 15 inch

[@Archivist42]

I think what i was most nervous about was the notch against standard LCD. On my 16 inch the Mini LED means that in fullscreen it is essentially invisible - but with a backlight across the screen it sounds like it's always going to be visible. Not sure if The Tech Chap will see this - but would say this is a relatively minor issue or is it really obvious in fullscreen when in doors? Thanks for the great video btw

[@anires1195]

it's not noticable.

[@nintendork07]

it's quite noticeable if you're in a bright environment. i would recommend going to a store to see it in person & make your own opinion

[@teagan.gingerich]

I’ve heard that if you’re in dark mode, you hardly notice it.

[@KyleB711]

Love your videos! Great info and personality. What game was that early in the review?

[@Thetechchap]

Fantasian :)

[@yvigg]

Will this be good for programming? I do web development and I normally have like two browsers open with a minimum of 7 tabs. Can the 16gb model handle this? I normally run docker too

[@AsifAli-et9hx]

I haven’t watched this review yet but I’m pretty sure it will be good. Am a fan of how honest your opinion is regardless of whatever the hype is 👏👏

[@yashsinghvi4691]

I would like to see a me air vs zenbook s13(ryzen 7 varient)! They are the main competitors against each other...

[@Richard_Barnes]

Awesome quality filming in this video Tom, thanks 🙏🏻 I’m waiting for all the real world test results before I make my mind up. I’ve missed a few chances at £1049 512Gb M1 MacBook Air and that was so tempting.

[@Thetechchap]

Cheers Richard!

[@nintendork07]

m1 air is basically the same real world performance for significantly less money. plus no obstructive notch

[@Top5Guy25]

hope you get better from the covid thanks for your help💚

[@sidharth_agarwal]

Are the benchmark comparisons for the binned M2 or the 10 core?

[@kevinjohnrosario8128]

do you recommend the base model? Or higher ram and ssd?

[@swarnadityamaitra6257]

How long can the performance sustain if we put it under heavy concurrent loads? For example - a full-stack software developer. Even when it throttles, how bad is it really?

[@kingnickhil]

Watched tons n tons of videos in deciding between M2 Air or M2 Pro and this video has finally nailed the answer. It’s the M2 Air with 16 gigs of ram and 1 tb ssd. Always have been a MacBook Pro user but the new M2 Pro is such a bummer with the same fat bezel design and the 720p webcam. I am full time trader (stock markets) and the M2 Air with a lil bump up in ram and memory sounds just about perfect. Cheers for this video as now I can rest in piece about choosing the M2 Air over the M2 Pro.

[@BenGodot]

what CPU?

[@lowkeygaming4716]

Personally I'm more interested on getting the m1 air 16GB but it's not available in any physical store here in PH unless you will order online which will take forever to arrive so I think I'll get the m1 pro 14in instead.

[@justfatherblog]

Thanks for review :) wait for Multitasking test.

[@mycelluloidheartpodcast]

Can't for my M@ Macbook Air to arrive. The beginning of August and I am so excited.

[@jahid1654]

Just got my MacBook Air base model. At the end of your video you gave a suggestion not extend ram or storage, that helped me to buy base model. this is enough for my work. thanks for your video.

[@rendeaust]

Is the review unit the 8 or 10 core model? I feel like this is a VERY important information that is omitted is all reviews I've seen so far.

[@totagopinathdas5141]

What is the spec of the version you are reviewing? Thanks

[@chwaluk26]

Is your wallpaper on the m2 a default one? Absolutely love it

[@nintendork07]

thanks for being the only reviewer so far to consider the ips display + notch visibility & direct comparisons with the m1 air. great work tom

[@huntsman4212]

I’m an aspiring music journo getting my first MBA and I’m looking at a 10 core gpu, 16gb RAM and 512gb ssd config for future proofing. I’ll also be learning possibly and working with Logic. With that in mind might I be better going with the base M2 MBA config or possibly bumping up to an M1 MBP?

[@jim7953]

What would recommend for spec on the 14 MacBook pro for having final cut pro, photoshop, lightroom should I have 16gb 512 or 1 TB Drive for a person who dies alot of editing work and 50 percent of video editing 🤔

[@cdubbrider3740]

I’d like a full comparison of the m2 MacBook Air against dell xps. That would be great

[@darkwinters33]

Help...trying to decide between the MBA M2 8gb/512g or the M1 Pro 14" 16gb/512gb. Right now I can get the M1 for $1599 or the MBA M2 for $1299 at Bestbuy. I am looking for a portable computer with occasional youtube editing (a few times per year). I prefer portability over performance and money is not a factor; however, I am really torn between these two devices and I am looking for some solid advice. I LOVE the MBA M2 form factor...the M1 14" is a bit heavy. If I get the MBA M2 I can see myself taking it everywhere where if I get the M1 Pro I may only want to take it "if" I have to. Thanks for the help!

[@theartoftinythings]

Usefull review, good info.

[@demian113]

"There's nothing the m2 air can do that the m1 air can't". Most honest review I've seen thank you! Glad I went with the m1 air and saved $300. It's an incremental update that imho is marketed to push people up to the pro 14" with the m1 pro chip. I don't need that much power yet...

[@juainott5281]

Yeah. Just the hardware features, like New design, the screen, and speakers, the front camera, and the microphones. The way I see is this. You already have the m1, then don't buy this one. You don't have one, then go for the m2.

[@rrvenkatesh4299]

But he still wants to save money

[@ram1986]

Right now I’m using MBP intel version, is it worth of going for it ?

[@seyaprtty4493]

I’m a MBP user (Early 2015) and been eying to upgrade as the battery sucks already I mostly used it for productivity apps only and web browsing not some programming stuff. Do you guys think the base model of M2 Macbook Air is enough for my day to day use?

[@AndyMiron]

Have you by chance measured the MBP 14 real world nits ? Thanks for deep dive

[@sirz258]

I would like to buy a new MacBook. What would you guys recommend I spend my money on? I was initially thinking Air M2 but now a curve ball has been thrown in with the Pro 14”. Help me out please. Thanks

[@RickVanderPol]

Photography is one of my hobbies and I'm looking for a laptop to edit photos. I would not be a heavy user to edit photos, but on occasion I edit photos. What do people typically use to edit photos?

[@zetrix9405]

Really Good review my man 10/10 👌

[@arjunarun9174]

I have a 2015 MacBook Pro 128 gigs storage. Shld I buy the M2 air or is there a better alternative? Is the 512 worth it?

[@andrewnguyen8838]

Your top notch webcam comment got you a new subscriber!

[@MelvsAmores]

+1 to your already million subscribers! Will wait for your 10 million. Cheers!

[@robxlove]

Solid reviews as always :)

[@trexhamm4247]

Is this worth upgrading to if I own a Macbook Pro 2016 version with touch bar 15'6 inches screen 16 gb of ram, 256 gb storage and 2.6 ghz i7?

[@natanmekonen8577]

Can you please do a video on M2 MacBook Air vs M1 Pro MacBook Pro. And also talk about for what reasons you might want to upgrade to the M1 Pro which a lot more expensive. Thank you!

[@Jazz-wz8dg]

I recently got Mac book Air M1, Is there a way I can replace it for M2? I actually bought it before the release, bt received just now....

[@adriansanu2718]

which is better macbook air m2? 16/256 or 8/512?

[@donnynguyen]

I just want a Mac air for basic tasks for school. Web browsing and watching KZbin/Netflix. They do the tasks basically the same speed right? But is display much of a difference for the +$200 ?

[@yenk82]

I will buy Air M2 this autumn although I don't need so much power but I don't want to give up the new design/MagSafe etc

[@Watchandlearn91]

I had my doubts when this was announced that the notch would not be invisible like it is on the Pros due to the standard LCD display. Glad to see someone actually verify that this was the case so props to you for that. I will say that I will keep my M1 Air w/ 16gb ram and no notch. Some of the updates look nice but not for the price increase and the M1 Air already does anything I want my laptop to do with ease and I always have my desktop for anything more demanding.

[@Great_America]

Bringing back the MagSafe connector is a huge win for Apple 👍🏻

[@KasimA5016]

Can you use a extended hard drive for extended for more memory ?

[@Darthwriter]

Thanks for the vid. My base model midnight M2 Air should get here tomorrow. I like that you didn't go nuts with the benchmarks and gave us your actual "using it for the day" apps and programs type review. That's what matters. Most of us don't run benchmarks all day long. :) This vid definitely made me excited for UPS to get here tomorrow.

[@V1P3R089]

Will 16 GB RAM be enough for Macbook Pro 14 Inch for non intensive taks such as video editing or rendering for 4-5 years.

[@cadenchurchill4296]

That midnight is far bluer than I had expected, and I love it!

[@casvanarkel]

Hey, can you tell me about your experience with the MacBook Air m2 midnight? I’m planning to buy the m2 version in midnight but I’m scared you will notice the fingerprints to much, can you tell me if the fingerprints are noticeable? Can you also tell me if the color around the usb c connections quickly disappears? thanks in advance for answering my questions.

[@cadenchurchill4296]

@@casvanarkel Hi! I’ve actually got the M1 MacBook Air in Space Grey, which I haven’t been having any problems with. That particular model doesn’t really have any issues in showing fingerprints and after about a year of ownership I haven’t scuffed it up at all. Would highly recommend getting the M2 in Space Grey, on both the M1 and M2 it looks really good.

[@fighterpilot12]

Is the warmer laptop uncomfortable when using it?

[@PeaceBeginsOnYourPlate]

Would you recommend a different color that hides fingerprints?

[@sebdagreb]

Just this week I bought an M1 MBA - my thought process as follows: Requirement - replace a 2009 MBP which I’ve upgraded over the years (RAM, SSD etc) and the battery has finally died. I now have a PC that I built for mixing audio and editing videos. So this laptop would just be for browsing the Internet and watching videos. I was initially going to get the M2 MBA, but after hearing about the slow SSD for the entry level 256GB I started to re-think. I know what I’m like, I’d end up speccing a 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD MBA rather than buying the entry level. Taking me to prices close to the 14” MBP. But I’m literally just browsing the internet, checking emails and watching KZbin videos so I don’t need a 14” MBP. In the end, realised that A) I don’t like MagSafe - the cables always break B) I prefer usb c to charge as I have a monitor with USB C port so only 1 cable needed for both charging and to use monitor. C) I had been using my partners intel MBA and I love the wedge design when using on my lap. I think I’d miss that. D) I was going to get Space Grey as love the colour/matches my Audient Audio Interface. But felt like getting an old colour seemed silly when there’s midnight blue. I found a deal on a M1 MBA - got it for

[@MrShroombot]

I dig the shirt! Link where to buy? Lol!

[@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?

[@carldumont5789]

Has you pretended to work from home! Love it! :)

[@shyanhayder7565]

Okay, I need an advice. So, currently I have the M1 air with 16/256. I have a buyer who is willing to buy it for $1100 CAD, so if I get an M2 air with 16/256, it’s $680 extra, however since I’m a student I’m getting an additional $210 gift card, so technically it’s $470 extra. Is it worth it? Or should I not sell my M1? Please advise. I need some advice from a tech expert. The only reason I want to get it is cuz of the design refresh, not even because of the M2.

[@extremetech7096]

Can we please have a macbook air m2, vs m1pro, vs xps plus.

[@PetrMalicek]

nice job, this review

[@foskr4]

What do I get for university if I already have a really good gaming PC but looking for something to be able to run research work and music production on the go??

[@lilblackfish2009]

is it a big diffrents upgradeing from a macpro2017 8gi5 128gb to m2air 8g 228gb

[@theumeus]

I am still using the macbook pro i bought in 2012. I was the last model with a spinning Harddisk and a builtin CD-drive... I updated it a little with more RAM and an SSD. This because there was no other macbook with this Keyboard.. the newer generations didn't do it for me. It looks like with the new editions of macbooks that is finally changing back. This Air looks like a good substitute. It should be powerfull enough to run any DJ software too.

[@sekneoun4504]

I am a medical students, I need to search with very big file pdf. I should go with MBA M2 or 14" pro. Is the heat up of MBA M2 is matter??

[@eyesmaterials]

I would like to see an alternative, good looking good specs good trackpad.... dell xps plus? asus?

[@RohitSingh-pf6mr]

Yes please! XPS 13 Plus vs Mac Book Air M2!