I have a m2 base model too. Personally I would recommend It so long as you are not a power user as it does get a little warm. Amazing light everyday use machnne though, and although it's powerful I doubt it is enough to do 8k rendering without a cooling system. 256gb storage is annoying but an easy workaround is an sd card and a dock, which is overall much cheaper, and also helps you to organise the stuff in your storage. 100% recommend as a student
Thanks man. I’m graphic designer and vid editor. Already have an M1Max Studio, but picking up one of these Base M2 Airs up as a second, on-the-go machine, for a nice price second hand from a friend. I love the small light form factor and I’m pumped to hear from someone “real world” like yourself that it’s perfectly capable of handling all but the toughest jobs, those ones I’d do on my big machine anyway.
thanks this is honestly quality content Ive been looking for long term reviews so I can see whether or not I shoudl buy one this black friday and this helped a lot thank you.
I just bought this with the 512 GB SSD. I've been using a iPad Pro for my day job and also own a 16" MBP. I was thinking of trading the MBP and getting a 14" M3 MBP, but after looking at them decided not to. Decided to retire the iPad and buy the MBA instead and I have to say I'm impressed. Will stick with the 16" (which is now my desk top computer) but for my run and gun work computer the Air is really more than I expected.
I think it does an excellent job at being the run and gun device. The dimensions aren't that much more than the iPad and it feels equally as light. Compared to the 16 MBP I bet it literally does feel like Air.
@@JustinMiller_Tech Yeah, working out of a Ram PU the 16 was a little bit tight😆 Versus the 12.9 iPad with the Magic Keyboard the Air is actually 1/2 lb lighter plus MacOS vs iPadOS.
I've had that exact same laptop since it released a little over a year ago. It's been a beast for me. The fingerprints are a real thing though! Mine is docked at my desk about 95% of the time, so wiping it down a little after I do have to take it on the go isn't a big deal. The new Midnight color is worth it for me. The performance and battery life is awesome.
If I were to do it again, I'd probably have upgraded to 16GB RAM right away. 8GB is getting me by fine, but I do notice it gets into the swap when editing, so the 16GB would help when pushing it a little harder.
I think they artificially limit it, probably they’d argue to maintain performance, but clearly from this vid it can do it. Cost saving and not cannibalising MacBook Pro sales if more likely the reason
hi justin, i need an advice to choose macbook pro 13" m2 and MacBook air m2 13"? and also how about the thermal throthle while editing? is it slow you down?
Throttling isn’t crazy where things slow down too much. I’ve noticed a stutter here and there with 4k content, but could entirely be due to the 8GB ram. With the 13 pro you’d get the benefit of the fan which can be nice, but that’s really the only bonus in my opinion, unless you love the touchbar. The air has a bigger and better display, MagSafe, better webcam (1080p vs 720p), and is the new design. If you don’t want to get into 14 inch pro territory, but you want to do a ton of video editing I’d probably try and get 16GB ram in the Air.
Thinking about getting a new one for university (first year life sciences). Would you recommend getting 16gb RAM for future proofing? I already have a 1TB external hard drive so I'm not too worried about that, but I want it to last a few years.
I think the 16GB would be worth it to have a little more longevity. There could be some nice deals coming up for Black Friday. Apple also has an education shop that takes a little off the sticker price. Adorama also offers discounts with the code “APINSIDER”, so you can get yourself the best deal.
I am a student and I open a bunch of tabs (prolly around 10 tabs at the same time for research puroposes ) while playing other apps in background such as Spotify . Would I face any issues such as lag . Also do you think I could use this laptop for 5-7 years?
With just 10 tabs and Spotify, you won’t have any issues. As far as keeping it for 7 years, MacBooks usually last longer than their PC counterparts, so it very well could, but you with that timeframe it could make sense to get more RAM upfront
alright , thanks . you should upload a video where youre doing a stress test on the m2 air , but the use of application that we use on daily basis. really could be useful for the people who wants to see if the base model is sufficent@@JustinMiller_Tech
It only has USB-C ports, in a USB-A world. And the battery cannot be replaced, right? What if RAM or SSD go bad and have to be replaced. Impossible on the M2 Air, right?
They make USB hubs for the first concern. Everything can be replaced if it fails. You’d take it in for serving and Apple can replace the parts. However, they are not user upgradeable and this goes for any MacBook sold today.
@@JustinMiller_Tech The cost to replace parts, out of warranty, and without Apple Care insurance, is very expensive. If the Macbook is several years old, Apple may tell you that repairs are not possible, at any cost. If you have a nice laptop from HP or Dell, RAM or SSD or the battery or the Wi-Fi card are all easily upgraded or repaired, by the end user. Easy and low cost.
@@DerekDavis213 That may be, but I've had MacBooks last for over 7 years (before I sold) and they have never once failed. I can't say the same for 2 of the Dell Latitudes I've had.
@@JustinMiller_Tech You are comparing a 5000 dollar Macbook Pro M3 Max to a cheap Dell Latitude? Not a fair comparison. And by the way, Macs break all the time. There is a famous TH-camr who makes a very nice living fixing broken Macbooks in New York City, every single day. His name is Louis Rossmann. Did you know that there is a new Wi-Fi 7 that is out now? A 20 dollar upgrade for my Windows laptop. Macbooks still have Wi-Fi 6, and they are stuck with that forever. Macs cannot be upgraded.
I hate how Apple puts out a great new color, only to discontinue it the next year. I’m considering buying an M2 Air just for the Midnight color. But I’d rather wait for an M3
I'm curious what changes they might make to the M3 Air or if it's just going to be the chip itself. The good news is we will get somewhat of an idea of performance with the new base spec 14 inch Pro.
@@JustinMiller_Tech Guessing it’s just gonna be the chip. But I want to future proof as much as possible. The only reason I’m looking at upgrading now is bc I bought the last line of MacBook Pros before they went to Apple Silicon. So it was immediately outdated
Remember the M3 generally runs hotter than M2 by early reviews so the M3 Air probably won’t have much improvement in performance and will likely thermal throttle faster than M2. I can imagine M2 and M3 powered macs getting knocked out of the Apple updates at the same time considering there is a mere 4 months time scale between the M2 15” Air and M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio and the M3/M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro’s. Also if you need a laptop now it’s quite likely the Air’s won’t get a refresh until next June 2024.
Hi Justin I need your advice , i try buy MBA m2 13inch or MBP m2 13inch Base model For Adobe app (graphic design) and frontend development I am very confused I don’t now what I do
For graphic design if it has to be between those two only, I'd choose the MBP with M2 only because of the fans that would help you with longer sessions. If you have the ability to find a MBA with 16GB of Ram for the price of the MBP, I'd get that over the 8GB MBP
@@JustinMiller_Tech But if the difference between the two basic versions in my country is approximately $120 between MBA & MBP and the reduction is in favor of MBA
Have you ever heard about a real incident when USB charger killed a laptop? I might be too cautious or lucky, but I cannot imagine it to happen neither at home or in an office. The idea of Magsafe is brilliant but I think about it as a marketing gimmick.
I personally don't know of any that have died from an incident. My old i5 Pro fell off the roof of my car after I forgot it up there and hit the cement with just a dent in the body to survive in every other way. I think they are pretty durable, but the Magsafe also frees up additional ports, so it's nice to have.
Hi there🥰 I'm Beryl from Soundpeats audio tech company. I've been following your engaging videos and I'm impressed by your distinctive perspective. Would you consider collaborating with us?
Hi this is ICEFOX, a camera seller hot selling around the world. I love your video style so much! They're so awsome! I'd like to invite you to make a product recommendation with a high commission as return. If you’re interested pls let me know. Looking forward to your reply.
I have a m2 base model too. Personally I would recommend It so long as you are not a power user as it does get a little warm. Amazing light everyday use machnne though, and although it's powerful I doubt it is enough to do 8k rendering without a cooling system. 256gb storage is annoying but an easy workaround is an sd card and a dock, which is overall much cheaper, and also helps you to organise the stuff in your storage. 100% recommend as a student
Just the type of honest, real world user review I was looking for! Subbed!
Thanks man. I’m graphic designer and vid editor. Already have an M1Max Studio, but picking up one of these Base M2 Airs up as a second, on-the-go machine, for a nice price second hand from a friend. I love the small light form factor and I’m pumped to hear from someone “real world” like yourself that it’s perfectly capable of handling all but the toughest jobs, those ones I’d do on my big machine anyway.
It's exactly that - I'm excited for you to pick it up!
@@JustinMiller_Tech 😀
thanks this is honestly quality content Ive been looking for long term reviews so I can see whether or not I shoudl buy one this black friday and this helped a lot thank you.
I just bought this with the 512 GB SSD. I've been using a iPad Pro for my day job and also own a 16" MBP. I was thinking of trading the MBP and getting a 14" M3 MBP, but after looking at them decided not to. Decided to retire the iPad and buy the MBA instead and I have to say I'm impressed. Will stick with the 16" (which is now my desk top computer) but for my run and gun work computer the Air is really more than I expected.
I think it does an excellent job at being the run and gun device. The dimensions aren't that much more than the iPad and it feels equally as light. Compared to the 16 MBP I bet it literally does feel like Air.
@@JustinMiller_Tech Yeah, working out of a Ram PU the 16 was a little bit tight😆 Versus the 12.9 iPad with the Magic Keyboard the Air is actually 1/2 lb lighter plus MacOS vs iPadOS.
Should’ve waited for the Apple offers on the 24th of November
@@david-qr7kz Got it at Best Buy for $150 off. 24 month zero interest. Apples deal won't be much if any better. Apple does gift cards, not price offs.
I've had that exact same laptop since it released a little over a year ago. It's been a beast for me. The fingerprints are a real thing though! Mine is docked at my desk about 95% of the time, so wiping it down a little after I do have to take it on the go isn't a big deal. The new Midnight color is worth it for me. The performance and battery life is awesome.
Yeah midnight for the win, I can live with wiping it down if I can be bothered, or just go with the “used, it’s a tool” look.
I have the same model and colour combo and its an absolute triple a machine. 98 percent of the user's don't need more than this.
Scared me at 4:39 haha, it seems someone was speaking from the room next to me but I live alone.
Great Review!
One of the best reviews I have ever seen
Great review! How do you not have 100k + subscribers?
Thank you!
Brilliant review!
Quality work
would be better if it was a 12 month review. One year complete is very important. just kidding very nice review!
Haha! It was about the same over the next month. Glad you enjoyed the review!
Great review, how many charge cycles have covered so far, any degradation in battery backup ?
I’ve gone through 25 cycles and the battery is still showing 100% health. I have it plugged in when I can so I don’t burn through them so quickly.
Hi! Would you recommend 16go of memory, did you feel you would have needed that for your work?
If I were to do it again, I'd probably have upgraded to 16GB RAM right away. 8GB is getting me by fine, but I do notice it gets into the swap when editing, so the 16GB would help when pushing it a little harder.
thank you for taking time to answer my question, subscribed! @@JustinMiller_Tech
not allowing 2 external monitors is the most dumb limitation apple has ever put in a device
I think they artificially limit it, probably they’d argue to maintain performance, but clearly from this vid it can do it. Cost saving and not cannibalising MacBook Pro sales if more likely the reason
hi justin, i need an advice to choose macbook pro 13" m2 and MacBook air m2 13"?
and also how about the thermal throthle while editing? is it slow you down?
Throttling isn’t crazy where things slow down too much. I’ve noticed a stutter here and there with 4k content, but could entirely be due to the 8GB ram.
With the 13 pro you’d get the benefit of the fan which can be nice, but that’s really the only bonus in my opinion, unless you love the touchbar.
The air has a bigger and better display, MagSafe, better webcam (1080p vs 720p), and is the new design.
If you don’t want to get into 14 inch pro territory, but you want to do a ton of video editing I’d probably try and get 16GB ram in the Air.
@@JustinMiller_Tech Thank you bro!
Thinking about getting a new one for university (first year life sciences). Would you recommend getting 16gb RAM for future proofing? I already have a 1TB external hard drive so I'm not too worried about that, but I want it to last a few years.
I think the 16GB would be worth it to have a little more longevity.
There could be some nice deals coming up for Black Friday. Apple also has an education shop that takes a little off the sticker price.
Adorama also offers discounts with the code “APINSIDER”, so you can get yourself the best deal.
you're no nice!@@JustinMiller_Tech
@@JustinMiller_Tech Thank you so much for the advice!
I am a student and I open a bunch of tabs (prolly around 10 tabs at the same time for research puroposes ) while playing other apps in background such as Spotify . Would I face any issues such as lag . Also do you think I could use this laptop for 5-7 years?
With just 10 tabs and Spotify, you won’t have any issues.
As far as keeping it for 7 years, MacBooks usually last longer than their PC counterparts, so it very well could, but you with that timeframe it could make sense to get more RAM upfront
alright , thanks . you should upload a video where youre doing a stress test on the m2 air , but the use of application that we use on daily basis. really could be useful for the people who wants to see if the base model is sufficent@@JustinMiller_Tech
It only has USB-C ports, in a USB-A world. And the battery cannot be replaced, right?
What if RAM or SSD go bad and have to be replaced. Impossible on the M2 Air, right?
They make USB hubs for the first concern.
Everything can be replaced if it fails. You’d take it in for serving and Apple can replace the parts. However, they are not user upgradeable and this goes for any MacBook sold today.
@@JustinMiller_Tech The cost to replace parts, out of warranty, and without Apple Care insurance, is very expensive. If the Macbook is several years old, Apple may tell you that repairs are not possible, at any cost.
If you have a nice laptop from HP or Dell, RAM or SSD or the battery or the Wi-Fi card are all easily upgraded or repaired, by the end user. Easy and low cost.
@@DerekDavis213 That may be, but I've had MacBooks last for over 7 years (before I sold) and they have never once failed. I can't say the same for 2 of the Dell Latitudes I've had.
@@JustinMiller_Tech You are comparing a 5000 dollar Macbook Pro M3 Max to a cheap Dell Latitude? Not a fair comparison.
And by the way, Macs break all the time. There is a famous TH-camr who makes a very nice living fixing broken Macbooks in New York City, every single day. His name is Louis Rossmann.
Did you know that there is a new Wi-Fi 7 that is out now? A 20 dollar upgrade for my Windows laptop. Macbooks still have Wi-Fi 6, and they are stuck with that forever.
Macs cannot be upgraded.
@@DerekDavis2135K MacBook Air!?! What????
Very good review
Glad you enjoyed it!
I hate how Apple puts out a great new color, only to discontinue it the next year. I’m considering buying an M2 Air just for the Midnight color. But I’d rather wait for an M3
I'm curious what changes they might make to the M3 Air or if it's just going to be the chip itself. The good news is we will get somewhat of an idea of performance with the new base spec 14 inch Pro.
@@JustinMiller_Tech Guessing it’s just gonna be the chip. But I want to future proof as much as possible. The only reason I’m looking at upgrading now is bc I bought the last line of MacBook Pros before they went to Apple Silicon. So it was immediately outdated
Remember the M3 generally runs hotter than M2 by early reviews so the M3 Air probably won’t have much improvement in performance and will likely thermal throttle faster than M2. I can imagine M2 and M3 powered macs getting knocked out of the Apple updates at the same time considering there is a mere 4 months time scale between the M2 15” Air and M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio and the M3/M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro’s.
Also if you need a laptop now it’s quite likely the Air’s won’t get a refresh until next June 2024.
Are they going to discontinue the Midnight color?
@@D37fit with the issues quite possibly or give it the new ‘coating’ like the black MBP
Hi Justin
I need your advice , i try buy MBA m2 13inch or MBP m2 13inch
Base model
For Adobe app (graphic design) and frontend development
I am very confused I don’t now what I do
For graphic design if it has to be between those two only, I'd choose the MBP with M2 only because of the fans that would help you with longer sessions. If you have the ability to find a MBA with 16GB of Ram for the price of the MBP, I'd get that over the 8GB MBP
@@JustinMiller_Tech But if the difference between the two basic versions in my country is approximately $120 between MBA & MBP and the reduction is in favor of MBA
Actually, it’s how you fit the device based on your computing needs. I would not have bought one if it didn’t fit my computing lifestyle.
Anything with 8GB of memory isn't worth a penny.
False. The average consumer can get by with 8gb.
Have you ever heard about a real incident when USB charger killed a laptop? I might be too cautious or lucky, but I cannot imagine it to happen neither at home or in an office. The idea of Magsafe is brilliant but I think about it as a marketing gimmick.
I personally don't know of any that have died from an incident. My old i5 Pro fell off the roof of my car after I forgot it up there and hit the cement with just a dent in the body to survive in every other way. I think they are pretty durable, but the Magsafe also frees up additional ports, so it's nice to have.
starlight
Can’t go wrong with that one either. A nice changeup over the silver
New subscriber
Hi there🥰 I'm Beryl from Soundpeats audio tech company. I've been following your engaging videos and I'm impressed by your distinctive perspective. Would you consider collaborating with us?
Hi Beryl - If you send an email I'd be happy to review collaboration opportunities. It's in my channel details.
I'm actually watching just because I specifically want to stare at his face. LOL
I'll take it!
Hi this is ICEFOX, a camera seller hot selling around the world. I love your video style so much! They're so awsome! I'd like to invite you to make a product recommendation with a high commission as return. If you’re interested pls let me know. Looking forward to your reply.
You bought the base model? So sad.
in sweden the 16 gb version is 300 euros more than the base one. Thats a lot of money :/