M1 MacBook Air Gets No Price Drop, 8-Core GPU No Longer an Option

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Apple today introduced the 2022 MacBook Air, which features a redesign and an updated chip. The new machine includes a MacBook Pro-like chassis, a larger display, support for more memory, and the M2 chip.

macbook air m1 unboxing feature
Those features bring an increased price tag, with Apple selling the updated ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ at $1199 for the low-end version. Typically new devices bring price cuts for older devices that stay in the lineup, but that's not the case for the ‌MacBook Air‌.

Apple is continuing to sell the prior-generation M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ for $999, which is the same price as before. There have been no price cuts for the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌, and the lineup starts at $999.

The ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is Apple's cheapest notebook, and it has not been updated in any way. It continues to feature an 8-core ‌M1‌ CPU and a 7-core GPU, with no 8-core GPU option available anymore.

Apple's new entry-level ‌M2‌ machine that's priced at $1199 features an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, and a 256GB SSD with the upgraded version with an 8-core GPU, 10-core GPU, and 512GB SSD priced at $1499.

Apple is also selling the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an ‌M2‌ chip and that machine is priced starting at $1299, $100 more expensive than the base ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Top Rated Comments

Apple_Robert Avatar
Apple_Robert
20 months ago

Epic Fail!
The so called M2 is NOT the M2 chip Apple wanted to ship. It's really just an M1.5, or worse.

Some proof: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/10/m2-macs-with-tsmc-4nm-process/

Excerpt:
"oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further"

Nailed it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/08/kuo-macbook-air-2022-m1/

Explains everything because Apple did indeed just update the MacBook Air just as Kuo predicted (8-core CPU and 10-core GPU). The new M chip should be called the "M1 SE"

This is nothing short of an epic Failure for Apple.
You have no proof as to what Apple has intended. And as to the new MBA, I don't see failure on Apple's part barring some kind of manufacturing defect glitch. I see a Mac that should sell very well.

The only people obsessing over the chip are people like yourself on MR and elsewhere. Your average consumer doesn't care nor should they.

What is a failure is your rant.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
Tagbert
20 months ago

Epic Fail!
The so called M2 is NOT the M2 chip Apple wanted to ship. It's really just an M1.5, or worse.

Some proof: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/10/m2-macs-with-tsmc-4nm-process/

Excerpt:
"oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further"

Nailed it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/08/kuo-macbook-air-2022-m1/

Explains everything because Apple did indeed just update the MacBook Air just as Kuo predicted (8-core CPU and 10-core GPU). The new M chip should be called the "M1 SE"

This is nothing short of an epic Failure for Apple.
How so? It sounds like the CPU OS 18% faster and the GPU is 40% faster that is beyond the M1. That sounds like they used the A15 cores which is what we expected for the M2. What would an M1.5 be anyway other than rumor fodder?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
developer13245 Avatar
developer13245
20 months ago

How so? It sounds like the CPU OS 18% faster and the GPU is 40% faster that is beyond the M1. That sounds like they used the A15 cores which is what we expected for the M2. What would an M1.5 be anyway other than rumor fodder?
Imagine Tim Cook standing on stage in front of a "Single core performance" comparison graphic that shows ZERO percent improvement. Think about that for a while and maybe you'll all begin to understand.
Marketing can call it whatever they want, but in reality it's an M1 chip with more GPUs and memory.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
developer13245 Avatar
developer13245
20 months ago

Have you heard of Tick Tock refresh cycle?
Intel invented the Tick Tock refresh cycle. Should Apple copy Intel's strategies as they develop Apple Silicon?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TinyMito Avatar
TinyMito
20 months ago

Epic Fail!
The so called M2 is NOT the M2 chip Apple wanted to ship. It's really just an M1.5, or worse.

Some proof: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/10/m2-macs-with-tsmc-4nm-process/

Excerpt:
"oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further"

Nailed it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/08/kuo-macbook-air-2022-m1/

Explains everything because Apple did indeed just update the MacBook Air just as Kuo predicted (8-core CPU and 10-core GPU). The new M chip should be called the "M1 SE"

This is nothing short of an epic Failure for Apple.
Have you heard of Tick Tock refresh cycle?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
R3k Avatar
R3k
20 months ago

Epic Fail!
The so called M2 is NOT the M2 chip Apple wanted to ship. It's really just an M1.5, or worse.

Some proof: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/10/m2-macs-with-tsmc-4nm-process/

Excerpt:
"oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further"

Nailed it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/08/kuo-macbook-air-2022-m1/

Explains everything because Apple did indeed just update the MacBook Air just as Kuo predicted (8-core CPU and 10-core GPU). The new M chip should be called the "M1 SE"

This is nothing short of an epic Failure for Apple.
Think beyond the chip. Plenty of other upgrades to the computer.
Epic Fail? Unless I see their stock price diving I'd have to disagree.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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