Id buy this M1 MacBook Air deal over a new M2 model - and you should too

Date:
Wed, 13 Jul 2022 16:41:15 +0000

Description:
With the M1 MacBook Air on sale for Prime Day, I'd suggest buying it over its pricier successor, the M2 MacBook Air.

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Oh MacBooks. Love them or hate them, theyre arguably the most recognizable laptops on the market thanks to Apples incredible marketing power. But, they're more than just a pretty chassis, having developed a lot of respect alongside that recognition.

From the powerful MacBook Pro workstations to the cute and (relatively) affordable MacBook Air, MacBook devices have ranked on the list of best laptops across the world even before Apple rolled them out containing its own in-house silicon chip but I'm seeing a familiar pattern emerging.

Since the release of the M2 , people have been eagerly awaiting the arrival
of preordered M2 MacBook Pro and M2 MacBook Air laptops, and while this hype is pretty common across every next-gen tech launch, I feel I need to remind some of you that Macbooks have also gained another reputation: longevity.

If you purchased an M1 MacBook Air back in 2020 when it launched, chances are youre still using that same laptop with no issues. Im even willing to bet
that most of them haven't even slowed down as you would expect for an aging device. Even typing that phrase made me cringe a little because weve come to expect that the effective shelf life of a gadget is around two years in
other words, around the same length as a typical buy now, pay later finance contract.

In reality, a great deal of work has been put into preventing brands from putting built-in obsolescence into their devices to force consumers to upgrade, which means today's tech should last a good deal longer than
hardware from a few years ago at least in theory.

I can attest that Ive had the same mobile phone (a trusty Huawei Mate 20 Pro
) since I purchased it back in November 2018, and that still works almost
like new. The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is still a fantastic product

Im not trying to dissuade you from buying a new device. Rather, I hope Im raising awareness that you shouldnt try chasing for the latest and greatest hardware on the market when slightly older but still capable devices are
still available to buy.

Id argue that the performance boost from the M2 model of the MacBook Air doesnt justify the increased price, with the M1 model having a base MSRP of $999 (999), while the fresh-faced M2 sells for $1,199 (1,249).

That becomes an even harder choice when you see some of the deals on older models that shave even more off that price, such as the Prime Day deal below which takes the M1-powered MacBook Air down to just $899 - and that's not
even the lowest price weve seen. Back in November 2021 we even saw it drop to $799, so theres so real opportunity to save money here. The best Macbook
Prime Day deal

MacBook Air M1 (2020): $999 $899 at Best Buy

Save $100 - Amazon's all sold out of MacBook Air M1's for Prime Day but you can still pick this great ultrabook up with a discount at Best Buy. Both retailers have been offering the same price over the past few days, which is $100 off off the record-low from Black Friday, although this week's price is still pretty good. Also consider this week's new MacBook Air M2 pre-orders . View Deal

In the time it's taken to write this up, in fact, the original Amazon deal I was referencing has expired, which only alludes to its popularity. Luckily
(or perhaps frustratingly), Prime Day sales are also occurring outside of Amazon, so you can grab the same bargain at Best Buy.

This is going to be a capable laptop for a good few years, and by the time
you start to feel its showing its age, a significant upgrade will be
available likely an M3 or even M4 chip model. And while buying a new laptop during a cost of living crisis might seem counterproductive, there are some situations where its absolutely necessary to buy a laptop, such as students starting college or if a sole-household system stops working. But what about MacBook Pro deals?

If youre not feeling the pinch then theres additional good news for more premium products such as the 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 and its larger 16-inch sibling. Weve outlined a few savings before, but we have the same sentiments about the Pro range as we do the Air unless the next-gen release is a significant upgrade and remains at a similar price, the older hardware will serve you just fine for years to come.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) (M1 Pro, 512GB): $1,999 $1,799 at Amazon

Save $200 The latest 2021 MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display and 512GB SSD
is now only $50 more than its cheapest ever price at Amazon. The top-end device is one of the best laptops you can buy today for creative
professionals thanks to the power of the M1 Pro chip. It makes advanced tasks such as video and photo editing a breeze. View Deal

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) (M1 Pro, 1TB): $2,499 $2,299 at Amazon

Save $200 Think you need more storage? The latest MacBook Pro 14-inch with a larger 1TB SSD is reduced right now. It has been $70 cheaper in the past but this is a rare price cut on the new machine. You get the impressive performance of the M1 Pro chip (that creative professionals will truly appreciate) powering the device. View Deal

Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, Apple M1 Pro, 16GB, 1TB) - $2,699 $2,449 at Amazon

Save $250 - The 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M1 Pro is one of the best mobile workstations around thanks to its powerful 10-core CPU and 16-core
GPU, making it capable of taking on some of the most heavy-duty creative workflows with ease. View Deal

If you have your heart set on buying an M2-powered Mac then thats still completely valid, though it's going to be some time until we start to see
cash drop from its asking price. The chip shortage makes Black Friday deals
on a new model unlikely, but that may have improved by 2023 - just keep a
look out for the M1 hardware in November as it may plummet to a new record low. More MacBook deals across the world

No matter where you live, you'll find all the lowest prices for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops around the web right here, with offers available in your region. More Prime Day deals in the US Alexa devices: Fire TV Sticks
from $12 and more Adidas: 50% off sneakers and sportswear Apple: Apple Watch
7 at cheapest price yet Back to school: backpacks and stationery discounts Cell phones : $100 off the Google Pixel 6 College essentials: bedding, decor and cleaning sale Cooling: portable fans from $16.99 Fashion : 66% off clothing, shoes and jewelry Groceries : up to 40% off coffee and food essentials Headphones: up to $125 off Sony headphones and earbuds Home : Levoit Air Purifier for $42.49 Instant Pot: up to 29% off Kindle : up to 50% off ereader bundles Kitchen: up to $120 off blenders, coffee makers and more Laptops : $200 off 14-inch MacBook Pro Mattresses: $490 off Casper mattresses PS5: register for the next PS5 restock Security: Blink Home Security bundles from $44.99 Smart home: Echo Show 5 smart display for $34.99 Smartwatch : Amazon Halo View up to 55% off Speakers : JBL portable speakers from $29.95 Storage: up to 39% off Samsung SSDs Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 - save up to $120 TVs: Smart TVs from $89 Vacuums : save on Shark, iRobot and Bissell



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/id-buy-this-m1-macbook-air-deal-over-a-new-m2-m odel-and-you-should-too/


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