When Apple released the 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC, it also cut the price of the 13-inch model and today it’s even cheaper: B&H Photo is selling the 256GB MacBook Air in Midnight for $979, a savings of $120, and the best price we’ve ever seen. The other colors are on sale as well for $999.

The 13-inch MacBook Air has a Pro-inspired design that’s lighter and thinner all around than the M1 model with a gorgeous 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 18 hours of battery life, MagSafe for fast charging, two Thunderbolt ports, and a 1080p webcam. It’s also got 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM and is ready for macOS 14 Sonoma when it arrives this fall.

In our 4.5-star review, we called the M2 MacBook Air “wonderfully thin and light” and praised its “beautiful display and killer battery life.” And now it’s a downright bargain too.

MacBook

Best Prices Today: Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2)

The M2 MacBook Air went on sale in July 2022. Compared to the M1 MacBook Air that launched in November 2020, it was completely revised, not just on the inside, but for the first time in years, also on the outside. The 2022 MacBook Air has a better chip, a bigger display (13.6-inch, up from 13.3-inch), and a brand-new design. But if you look in the Apple Store you will notice you can still buy its predecessor (at least for now). Is it worth spending more to get the new model?

In this article, we look at how the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 compares to the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1 from 2020, examining how much more powerful the new model is, and whether that extra oomph is worth the higher price. For even more information, check out our full reviews of the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air. We also evaluate which Mac laptop is best in our separate buying guide.

Since we first wrote this article in July 2022, a couple of things have changed: in June 2023 Apple introduced a larger version of the M2 MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen. At the same time, the company dropped the price of the M2 MacBook Air with 13.6-inch screen by $100/£100. The new price for the entry-level M2 MacBook Air is now $1,099/£1,149, which is just $100/£150 more than the price of the older M1 MacBook Air that remains on sale.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Design

The 2022 MacBook Air is certainly an eye-catcher and stands out clearly from its predecessor. This MacBook Air gained a brand new design that includes a bigger screen as well as new color finishes. But it still has a similar footprint to the M1 model:

13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, dimensions

• 0.44in x 11.97in x 8.46in
• 1.13cm x 30.41cm x 21.5cm
• 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)

13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, dimensions

• 0.16–0.63in x 11.97in x 8.36in
• 0.41–1.61cm x 30.41cm x 21.24cm
• 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)

The 2023 15-inch MacBook Air is larger and heavier, as you would expect.

The width of the two laptops is the same, which makes sense because it allows for a full-size keyboard. The M2 model is a few millimeters deeper to allow for a larger screen and on average, this model is narrower than before – although it’s not tapered so the smallest edge isn’t as slim as it was.

While the tapered design allowed Apple to make a light laptop, it was also a disadvantage, as it meant less space for ports on the outside and limited space on the inside for heat dispersion. Despite the difference in design, however, both models are fanless, which could be a disadvantage to power users.

Rumors that the 2022 MacBook Air was losing its tapered design proved correct, but any hopes that this would mean more ports have been scuppered. The M2 MacBook Air has the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports as its predecessor and doesn’t have an HDMI port like the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new model adds MagSafe for charging to free up a Thunderbolt port, but otherwise, both models are the same: Touch ID, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Another big difference is the color options. The M2 models have a choice of Midnight (bluish-black) and Starlight (pale gold), as well as space gray and silver (which looks slightly paler than the previous shade). The 2020 MacBook Air comes in space gray, silver, and gold.

The other eye-catching difference between the M1 and M2 models is the addition of a notch for the camera. Like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the M2 MacBook Air has very slim bezels that can’t quite fit the camera. When the notch arrived on the larger MacBook Pro models in 2021 there was some criticism, but if you consider that Apple has added screen space on either side of the notch and made the display taller, you’re not actually losing any space.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Display

The display size is the other key difference between the new M1 and M2 MacBook Air. The 2022 model has a 13.6-inch display, compared to the 13.3-inch display on the M1 model. The new model is also brighter:

• MacBook Air M2: 13.6 inches, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits brightness
• MacBook Air M1: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600, 400 nits brightness

The brighter screen brings it into line with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but places it far below that of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with 1,000 nits of max brightness. It also lacks the ProMotion technology of those models.

The M2 MacBook Air has a Liquid Retina display, rather than the Retina display of the M1 model (and the M2 MacBook Pro). The main difference is that the Liquid Retina display has better contrast ratios, support for more colors (a billion, rather than millions), and more pixels per inch. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro go a step further with the superior Liquid Retina XDR display.

Thanks to these changes the display of the M2 MacBook Air isn’t only better than its predecessor—it’s also better than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In everyday life, however, these differences will rarely be noticeable, although the increased brightness is a plus. The better color representation, on the other hand, will be a benefit for professional design work.

If a big screen is what you are after you might be interested to learn about the 15-inch MacBook Air which launched in July 2023.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Processor, RAM, and battery

Apple currently sells five MacBook Air models: one M1 13-inch model and two M2 13-inch models and two 15-inch MacBook Air. There are also a number of build-to-order options. All the M2 MacBook Air models have identical specs, so we won’t list the 15-inch specs separately.

• MacBook Air M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage: $999/£999

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800). The 8-core GPU option is no longer available for this model.

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB storage: $1,099/£1,149

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400) 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800).

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB memory, 512GB storage: $1,399/£1,449

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400), 1TB storage ($200), 2TB storage ($600).

We’ll look into those components in more detail below:

CPU

Like the M1, the M2 has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores, but the efficiency cores have been enhanced and there is a larger cache (16MB rather than 12MB). As a result clock speeds can be faster and you can expect improved multithreaded performance compared to the M1. In our testing, the M2 has an 18 percent faster CPU than the M1.

The new chip doesn’t just mean that the new Macs can accomplish more though, they use less power doing so: Apple promises an increased CPU performance of 18 percent with the same energy consumption thanks to various optimizations.

We originally ran Geekbench 5 to see how the new CPU performed. Since then Geekbench 6.1 has arrived so we have run benchmarks again, which can be seen below.

Our original Geekbench 5 scores showed that the M2 MacBook Air delivered peak performance in line with the M2 MacBook Pro, and was a bit better than the M1. It’s not going to beat the higher-end M2 Pro and Max processors in the MacBook Pro though.

We also ran the Cinebench R23 benchmark, here it was more obvious that the active cooling of the MacBook Pro makes a difference despite the same M2 chip being used. But the 2022 MacBook Air was 15 percent faster than the M1 model.

GPU

The higher-end M2 with 10 GPU cores offers a 35 percent more powerful GPU than the M1, based on benchmarks. However, the base model of the M2 Air has a slightly lesser GPU with only 8 GPU cores, so we expect the gains to be less with the $1,099 model.

Another factor aiding the M2’s graphics prowess is the addition of engines specifically for video editing in the M2. Plus Apple claims that the Neural Engine is 40 percent faster than in the M1.

We ran the Geekbench 5 Compute test on the 10-core GPU MacBook Air. This model was almost 60 percent faster than the old 7-core M1 MacBook Air (which is no real surprise), but they were also about 40 percent faster than the 8 GPU cores in the M1 MacBook Pro and on par with the same M2 chip in the MacBook Pro.

In our tests the M2 MacBook Air, with a full 10-core GPU, was also roughly 40% faster than the M1 Air with 7 GPU cores in Rise of the Tomb Raider, and between 20-50 percent faster in Civilization VI, depending on the settings.

Memory and Storage

While the standard memory offered by both the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro is the same: 8GB Unified Memory, the performance is not the same. According to Apple, the M2 delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1 (100GB/s memory bandwidth) so there should be some noticeable improvements.

But the biggest difference is the amount of memory. Where the M1 MacBook Air tops off at 16GB memory, the M2 MacBook Air can take as much as 24GB. That’s still less than the 32GB of the M1 Pro models, but it’s an improvement and will no doubt please those who were concerned that 16GB wasn’t enough.

As for storage, both the M1 and M2 MacBook Air ship with 256GB as standard and max out at 2TB for up to $800 more.

Webcam and Speakers

The webcam in the M2 supports a resolution of 1080p, which is significantly better than the low-grade 720p FaceTime HD camera in the M1 MacBook Air. That leaves the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro as the only laptops with the old camera.

The speakers have also been updated in the M2 MacBook Air. Instead of relying on a stereo system, the 2022 MacBook Air features four speakers with support for 3D audio, aka Spatial Audio. In addition, the 3.5mm headphone jack offers advanced support for high-impedance headphone.

Power and battery

With a new 67W power supply (sold separately for $20 with the 8-core GPU model, or a free option with the 10-core GPU model) you can quickly charge the M2 MacBook Air to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The M2 MacBook Air charges via the magnetically attached MagSafe port, so you no longer have to worry about pulling your MacBook off a desk when you stumble over the cable. There’s a 30W USB-C Power Adapter (included with the 8-core GPU M2 and the choice of a more compact 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter (with the 10-core GPU M2).

The M2 MacBook Air has a larger battery than its predecessor: a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery rather than the 49.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery of the previous generation. Coupled with Apple’s claims that the M2 means the 2022 MacBook Air is more power efficient might lead you to suppose that the new MacBook Air would have better battery life, but Apple states that battery life is the same 18 hours.

In our own battery tests the battery lasted 17.5 hours, which was very close enough to Apple’s 18-hour claim. In our tests the M2 MacBook Air battery beat the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half.

We also ran our Movie playback battery life test on the two sizes of M2 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Air, and found that the difference between the two M2 models isn’t as big as you might think, given the larger battery in the larger MacBook. Bith are better than the M1 MacBook AIr, and on a par with the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our roundup of the best chargers for MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Price

If you are considering buying a MacBook Air right now there are three models to choose from: the original 2020 M1 MacBook Air with a 7-core GPU for $999/£999, a 2022 M2 MacBook Air with an 8-core GPU for $1,099/£1,149 (reduced from $1,199/£1,239, and a top-of-the-range M2 MacBook Air with 10-core GPU for $1,399/£1,449 (reduced from $1,499/£1,549). Read about why if you can afford it then you should buy the $1,399/£1,449 MacBook Air in the $1,099 M2 MacBook Air isn’t as good as it looks.

The new model offers an M2 processor with more GPU cores, a bigger screen, and a brand-new design for just $100/£150 more than the M1 model.

The decision is pretty simple really. The newer MacBook Air only costs a small amount more than the older model and for that $100/£150 extra you get a lot more.

There is only one reason to consider the M1 MacBook Air–it may not be on sale for much longer. If you want the older style MacBook AIr then time may be running out to buy one.

M1 vs M2 MacBook Air: Our recommendation

The MacBook Air with M2 is in many respects a significant improvement over its predecessor. It offers better performance, a more modern design, an improved display, and some smaller but notable improvements.

If you are one of those users who use the MacBook primarily for everyday tasks, such as surfing the web, reading emails or watching videos, you may be attracted to the cheaper $999/£999 M1 MacBook Air. A M1 Macbook Air will be able to handle all these tasks without any problems.

However, if you want to save money, rather than buy an M1 MacBook Air we recommend looking for a deal on the M2 MacBook Air. If you look around you may be able to get an M2 MacBook Air for as much as, or less than, the M1 model. See our round-up of MacBook Air deals.

If you do more with your MacBook or use it for professional applications such as video editing or photo editing, the M2 MacBook Air is definitely worth the extra money compared to its predecessor. In fact, if your budget allows, we recommend jumping to the higher-end model with a 10-core GPU, extra storage and better graphics. And as always, you should buy as much memory as you can afford.

The M1 MacBook Air is still a good machine, even as it heads for its third anniversary, but you’ll be much happier with the newer MacBook Air in a year or two.

The best prices for the MacBook Air M1, usually $999/£999 are below.

MacBook

Best Prices Today: Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2)

The M2 MacBook Air went on sale in July 2022. Compared to the M1 MacBook Air that launched in November 2020, it was completely revised, not just on the inside, but for the first time in years, also on the outside. The 2022 MacBook Air has a better chip, a bigger display (13.6-inch, up from 13.3-inch), and a brand-new design. But if you look in the Apple Store you will notice you can still buy its predecessor (at least for now). Is it worth spending more to get the new model?

In this article, we look at how the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 compares to the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1 from 2020, examining how much more powerful the new model is, and whether that extra oomph is worth the higher price. For even more information, check out our full reviews of the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air. We also evaluate which Mac laptop is best in our separate buying guide.

Since we first wrote this article in July 2022, a couple of things have changed: in June 2023 Apple introduced a larger version of the M2 MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen. At the same time, the company dropped the price of the M2 MacBook Air with 13.6-inch screen by $100/£100. The new price for the entry-level M2 MacBook Air is now $1,099/£1,149, which is just $100/£150 more than the price of the older M1 MacBook Air that remains on sale.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Design

The 2022 MacBook Air is certainly an eye-catcher and stands out clearly from its predecessor. This MacBook Air gained a brand new design that includes a bigger screen as well as new color finishes. But it still has a similar footprint to the M1 model:

13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, dimensions

• 0.44in x 11.97in x 8.46in
• 1.13cm x 30.41cm x 21.5cm
• 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)

13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, dimensions

• 0.16–0.63in x 11.97in x 8.36in
• 0.41–1.61cm x 30.41cm x 21.24cm
• 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)

The 2023 15-inch MacBook Air is larger and heavier, as you would expect.

The width of the two laptops is the same, which makes sense because it allows for a full-size keyboard. The M2 model is a few millimeters deeper to allow for a larger screen and on average, this model is narrower than before – although it’s not tapered so the smallest edge isn’t as slim as it was.

While the tapered design allowed Apple to make a light laptop, it was also a disadvantage, as it meant less space for ports on the outside and limited space on the inside for heat dispersion. Despite the difference in design, however, both models are fanless, which could be a disadvantage to power users.

Rumors that the 2022 MacBook Air was losing its tapered design proved correct, but any hopes that this would mean more ports have been scuppered. The M2 MacBook Air has the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports as its predecessor and doesn’t have an HDMI port like the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new model adds MagSafe for charging to free up a Thunderbolt port, but otherwise, both models are the same: Touch ID, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Another big difference is the color options. The M2 models have a choice of Midnight (bluish-black) and Starlight (pale gold), as well as space gray and silver (which looks slightly paler than the previous shade). The 2020 MacBook Air comes in space gray, silver, and gold.

The other eye-catching difference between the M1 and M2 models is the addition of a notch for the camera. Like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the M2 MacBook Air has very slim bezels that can’t quite fit the camera. When the notch arrived on the larger MacBook Pro models in 2021 there was some criticism, but if you consider that Apple has added screen space on either side of the notch and made the display taller, you’re not actually losing any space.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Display

The display size is the other key difference between the new M1 and M2 MacBook Air. The 2022 model has a 13.6-inch display, compared to the 13.3-inch display on the M1 model. The new model is also brighter:

• MacBook Air M2: 13.6 inches, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits brightness
• MacBook Air M1: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600, 400 nits brightness

The brighter screen brings it into line with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but places it far below that of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with 1,000 nits of max brightness. It also lacks the ProMotion technology of those models.

The M2 MacBook Air has a Liquid Retina display, rather than the Retina display of the M1 model (and the M2 MacBook Pro). The main difference is that the Liquid Retina display has better contrast ratios, support for more colors (a billion, rather than millions), and more pixels per inch. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro go a step further with the superior Liquid Retina XDR display.

Thanks to these changes the display of the M2 MacBook Air isn’t only better than its predecessor—it’s also better than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In everyday life, however, these differences will rarely be noticeable, although the increased brightness is a plus. The better color representation, on the other hand, will be a benefit for professional design work.

If a big screen is what you are after you might be interested to learn about the 15-inch MacBook Air which launched in July 2023.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Processor, RAM, and battery

Apple currently sells five MacBook Air models: one M1 13-inch model and two M2 13-inch models and two 15-inch MacBook Air. There are also a number of build-to-order options. All the M2 MacBook Air models have identical specs, so we won’t list the 15-inch specs separately.

• MacBook Air M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage: $999/£999

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800). The 8-core GPU option is no longer available for this model.

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB storage: $1,099/£1,149

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400) 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800).

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB memory, 512GB storage: $1,399/£1,449

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400), 1TB storage ($200), 2TB storage ($600).

We’ll look into those components in more detail below:

CPU

Like the M1, the M2 has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores, but the efficiency cores have been enhanced and there is a larger cache (16MB rather than 12MB). As a result clock speeds can be faster and you can expect improved multithreaded performance compared to the M1. In our testing, the M2 has an 18 percent faster CPU than the M1.

The new chip doesn’t just mean that the new Macs can accomplish more though, they use less power doing so: Apple promises an increased CPU performance of 18 percent with the same energy consumption thanks to various optimizations.

We originally ran Geekbench 5 to see how the new CPU performed. Since then Geekbench 6.1 has arrived so we have run benchmarks again, which can be seen below.

Our original Geekbench 5 scores showed that the M2 MacBook Air delivered peak performance in line with the M2 MacBook Pro, and was a bit better than the M1. It’s not going to beat the higher-end M2 Pro and Max processors in the MacBook Pro though.

We also ran the Cinebench R23 benchmark, here it was more obvious that the active cooling of the MacBook Pro makes a difference despite the same M2 chip being used. But the 2022 MacBook Air was 15 percent faster than the M1 model.

GPU

The higher-end M2 with 10 GPU cores offers a 35 percent more powerful GPU than the M1, based on benchmarks. However, the base model of the M2 Air has a slightly lesser GPU with only 8 GPU cores, so we expect the gains to be less with the $1,099 model.

Another factor aiding the M2’s graphics prowess is the addition of engines specifically for video editing in the M2. Plus Apple claims that the Neural Engine is 40 percent faster than in the M1.

We ran the Geekbench 5 Compute test on the 10-core GPU MacBook Air. This model was almost 60 percent faster than the old 7-core M1 MacBook Air (which is no real surprise), but they were also about 40 percent faster than the 8 GPU cores in the M1 MacBook Pro and on par with the same M2 chip in the MacBook Pro.

In our tests the M2 MacBook Air, with a full 10-core GPU, was also roughly 40% faster than the M1 Air with 7 GPU cores in Rise of the Tomb Raider, and between 20-50 percent faster in Civilization VI, depending on the settings.

Memory and Storage

While the standard memory offered by both the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro is the same: 8GB Unified Memory, the performance is not the same. According to Apple, the M2 delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1 (100GB/s memory bandwidth) so there should be some noticeable improvements.

But the biggest difference is the amount of memory. Where the M1 MacBook Air tops off at 16GB memory, the M2 MacBook Air can take as much as 24GB. That’s still less than the 32GB of the M1 Pro models, but it’s an improvement and will no doubt please those who were concerned that 16GB wasn’t enough.

As for storage, both the M1 and M2 MacBook Air ship with 256GB as standard and max out at 2TB for up to $800 more.

Webcam and Speakers

The webcam in the M2 supports a resolution of 1080p, which is significantly better than the low-grade 720p FaceTime HD camera in the M1 MacBook Air. That leaves the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro as the only laptops with the old camera.

The speakers have also been updated in the M2 MacBook Air. Instead of relying on a stereo system, the 2022 MacBook Air features four speakers with support for 3D audio, aka Spatial Audio. In addition, the 3.5mm headphone jack offers advanced support for high-impedance headphone.

Power and battery

With a new 67W power supply (sold separately for $20 with the 8-core GPU model, or a free option with the 10-core GPU model) you can quickly charge the M2 MacBook Air to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The M2 MacBook Air charges via the magnetically attached MagSafe port, so you no longer have to worry about pulling your MacBook off a desk when you stumble over the cable. There’s a 30W USB-C Power Adapter (included with the 8-core GPU M2 and the choice of a more compact 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter (with the 10-core GPU M2).

The M2 MacBook Air has a larger battery than its predecessor: a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery rather than the 49.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery of the previous generation. Coupled with Apple’s claims that the M2 means the 2022 MacBook Air is more power efficient might lead you to suppose that the new MacBook Air would have better battery life, but Apple states that battery life is the same 18 hours.

In our own battery tests the battery lasted 17.5 hours, which was very close enough to Apple’s 18-hour claim. In our tests the M2 MacBook Air battery beat the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half.

We also ran our Movie playback battery life test on the two sizes of M2 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Air, and found that the difference between the two M2 models isn’t as big as you might think, given the larger battery in the larger MacBook. Bith are better than the M1 MacBook AIr, and on a par with the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our roundup of the best chargers for MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Price

If you are considering buying a MacBook Air right now there are three models to choose from: the original 2020 M1 MacBook Air with a 7-core GPU for $999/£999, a 2022 M2 MacBook Air with an 8-core GPU for $1,099/£1,149 (reduced from $1,199/£1,239, and a top-of-the-range M2 MacBook Air with 10-core GPU for $1,399/£1,449 (reduced from $1,499/£1,549). Read about why if you can afford it then you should buy the $1,399/£1,449 MacBook Air in the $1,099 M2 MacBook Air isn’t as good as it looks.

The new model offers an M2 processor with more GPU cores, a bigger screen, and a brand-new design for just $100/£150 more than the M1 model.

The decision is pretty simple really. The newer MacBook Air only costs a small amount more than the older model and for that $100/£150 extra you get a lot more.

There is only one reason to consider the M1 MacBook Air–it may not be on sale for much longer. If you want the older style MacBook AIr then time may be running out to buy one.

M1 vs M2 MacBook Air: Our recommendation

The MacBook Air with M2 is in many respects a significant improvement over its predecessor. It offers better performance, a more modern design, an improved display, and some smaller but notable improvements.

If you are one of those users who use the MacBook primarily for everyday tasks, such as surfing the web, reading emails or watching videos, you may be attracted to the cheaper $999/£999 M1 MacBook Air. A M1 Macbook Air will be able to handle all these tasks without any problems.

However, if you want to save money, rather than buy an M1 MacBook Air we recommend looking for a deal on the M2 MacBook Air. If you look around you may be able to get an M2 MacBook Air for as much as, or less than, the M1 model. See our round-up of MacBook Air deals.

If you do more with your MacBook or use it for professional applications such as video editing or photo editing, the M2 MacBook Air is definitely worth the extra money compared to its predecessor. In fact, if your budget allows, we recommend jumping to the higher-end model with a 10-core GPU, extra storage and better graphics. And as always, you should buy as much memory as you can afford.

The M1 MacBook Air is still a good machine, even as it heads for its third anniversary, but you’ll be much happier with the newer MacBook Air in a year or two.

The best prices for the MacBook Air M1, usually $999/£999 are below.

MacBook

Thinking of buying a Mac or MacBook for school, college or university? Here, in our best Mac for students guide, we take a look at Apple’s current line-up to evaluate which Mac is best for students. We’ll compare the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college and examine whether another Mac might actually be a better choice.

Choosing the best Mac for college or university depends on what you are going to be studying as well as how much you have to spend. Luckily registered students can save money on a new Mac by shopping at Apple’s Education Store, or with one of Apple’s partners. We discuss How to get an Apple student discount at Apple’s Education Store separately, although we also talk about the different ways you can save money as a student below.

You can save hundreds on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and even a Mac Pro at Apple’s Education Store all year round. Click on the following links for the Education stores in the countries where most of our readers reside:

• Apple’s U.S. Education Store
• Apple’s U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS).
• Apple’s Canada Education Store
• Apple’s Australian Education Store

Plus, starting in June in the U.S., July in the U.K, and in January in Australia, Apple runs a “Back To Uni” event, where Apple gives people looking to buy a Mac for university vouchers or a free pair of AirPods! Between January and March 2023 Apple gave away AirPods in Australia, but the U.S. deal for 2023 is vouchers in differing amounts, determined by what you purchase.

If you’re a student, you can also get Apple Music for half price with free Apple TV+ included.

We’ll run through exactly how much money you can save on a new Mac if you are a student below, then we will assess which Mac to choose based on your needs as a student and the course you are taking. Note that you may be able to get even more money off your Mac purchase if you go straight to a reseller and take advantage of a discount, you’ll see the best deals for each Mac below.

If you’re doing a degree in film and video, or music, or graphic design then it might make sense to also look at one of our other Best Mac For… guides for that subject area:

• Best Mac for graphic design
• Best Mac for making music
• Best Mac for video editing
• Best Mac for programming
• Best Mac for photo editing
• Best Mac for gaming (in case you have any free time)

We also have a guide to help you get the best MacBook deals for students.

How much can students save on a Mac?

Before we begin let’s cast our eyes over what’s available and how much you can save with the education discount.

Students can typically save $100 to $200 in the U.S., in the U.K. the savings are from £100 to £200, Australian students can save between $150 and $330 and Canadian students can typically save from $130 to $270. Savings are even bigger on high-end products like the Mac Pro, although we aren’t sure that many students need one of those.

Product	U.S.	U.K.	Australia	Canada
13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, MSRP	$999	£999	$1,499	$1,299
13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, Student discount	$899	£899	$1,349	$1,169
13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, MSRP	$1,099	£1,149	$1,799	$1,449
13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, Student discount	$999	£1,049	$1,649	$1,299
15-inch MacBook Air, M2, MSRP	$1,299	£1,399	$2,199	$1,749
15-inch MacBook Air, M2, Student discount	$1,199	£1,289	$1,999	$1,599
13-inch MacBook Pro MSRP	$1,299	£1,349	$1,999	$1,699
13-inch MacBook Pro Student discount	$1,199	£1,249	$1,849	$1,574
14-inch MacBook Pro MSRP	$1,999	£2,149	$3,199	$2,599
14-inch MacBook Pro Student discount	$1,849	£1,989	$2,959	$2,399
16-inch MacBook Pro MSRP	$2,499	£2,699	$3,999	$3,199
16-inch MacBook Pro Student discount	$2,299	£2,479	$3,679	$2,939
iMac MSRP	$1,299	£1,399	$1,999	$1,699
iMac Student discount	$1,249	£1,349	$1,919	$1,629
Mac mini MSRP	$599	£649	$999	$799
Mac mini Student discount	$499	£539	$829	$669
Mac Studio MSRP	$1,999	£2,099	$3,299	$2,699
Mac Studio Student discount	$1,799	£1,889	$2,969	$2,429
Mac Pro MSRP	$6,999	£7,199	$11,999	$8,999
Mac Pro Student discount	$6,599	£6,789	$11,309	$8,479

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college/university?

It’s likely that this is the question you are hoping to get an answer to: should I buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro for college? We compare the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro in detail separately. Below we’ll evaluate the different MacBooks from the perspective of a typical student in the order that we recommend them for students.

MacBook vs Mac desktop for students?

Student life normally involves a fair amount of mobility – traveling to lectures, libraries, the occasional coffee shop, and then possibly home for weekends and term breaks–so it makes sense to consider a laptop rather than a desktop Mac.

While the screen sizes in MacBooks are smaller than iMacs, you can always buy a cheap screen and use that with your laptop when you are home. Or, if you also have an iPad, you might be able to link your iPad to your MacBook and use the iPad screen too (here’s how to use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac). You could also use that iPad for taking notes when you are at lectures (read our guide to the best iPad for students).

However, there are some benefits to buying a Mac desktop. Generally, it is the case that you pay more for a Mac laptop, compared to the same specs on a desktop. The Mac mini, for example, is Apple’s cheapest Mac despite having some pretty impressive specs. However, if you compare the 24-inch iMac with a similarly speced Mac laptop the iMac is considerably more expensive. 

iMac vs Mac mini vs Mac Studio for students

While we appreciate that there are plenty of benefits associated with choosing a laptop for university, you may be better off with a desktop.

Which Mac should you get for university?

Our pick of the entire Mac range, if you’re a student, is the M2 MacBook Air. It will give you a better screen, better webcam and an attractive new design to show off in lectures. It’s light, fast, and with student pricing starting at $999/£999 it’s very good value.

You could save by opting for the older M1 MacBook Air, but, if you are looking for the cheapest Mac you can get, the M2 Mac mini is a very good option. It’s powerful and with Apple’s education discount, it’s just $499/£539. You just need a monitor, mouse and keyboard.

How to get a discount on a Mac for university or school

You can get a student discount at Apple’s education stores, but you have to qualify as a student in higher education, be a teacher, someone buying for an education institution, or a home educator. School-age children can only take advantage if the equipment is being purchased by their school or if their parent is home-educating them. If you are a registered student you’ll be able to get a discount on a new Mac if you shop in Apple’s various Education Stores (below). You can find out all about it in more detail in our Apple Education Store explainer.

• Apple’s U.S. Education Store
• Apple’s U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS).
• Apple’s Canada Education Store
• Apple’s Australian Education Store

Getting a student discount from Apple’s education store isn’t the only way to get a cheaper Mac as a student though. There are various ways to get a bargain:

Look out for reseller discounts: Another way to get a bargain is to look out for deals at Apple resellers and Amazon, where we have see Macs with as much as $500 off the price. Take a look at our round ups of the best Mac deals to get the best prices right now:

• Best MacBook Air deals this month
• Best Mac Studio deals available now
• Best MacBook Pro deals this month
• Best iMac deals this month
• Best Mac mini deals this month

Buy a refurbished Mac: Take advantage of Apple’s refurbished store where the company sells ex-display, returned, and previous-generation Macs at a discount. The benefit of buying refurbished from Apple is that the products are fully checked and come with a one-year warranty. You can also get a refurbished Mac elsewhere with many resellers offering the same service, but beware that not all refurbished Macs are equal. Usually refurbished means that the Mac is guaranteed to be in full working order, but do check with the reseller. Here’s a guide to how to buy a refurbished Mac. We also look at why you should buy a refurbished Mac.

Buy second hand/used: One advantage of buying refurbished is that it should be guaranteed to work and you should have no problem returning it if there is a problem. These are reasons why we don’t recommend buying a second hand Mac. If you do see a deal on a second hand or used Mac just be especially cautious.

The best Mac bargains are usually on older models, although we do see discounts on current Macs as well. If you see a good discount on an older Mac it’s important to be aware of what the newer models offers so that you know what you are missing out on and can judge whether the deal is as good as it appears to be. For one thing, older Macs are likely to feature Intel processors rather than Apple’s M1, M2 or their variants, which could put you at a disadvantage in the future (and will certainly mean your Mac depreciates in value very quickly). If you are picking an Intel Mac then make sure that it is a relatively recent Intel chip to ensure that Apple will at least support that Mac until the end of your course. See: How long does Apple support Macs for.

If you are a student here’s how to get Apple Music for half price. Plus students with an Apple Music student subscription also get free access to Apple TV+ for a limited time.

Mac