13-inch MacBook air M1 vs M2: Product Review Guide
The Macbook Air is a line of subnotebooks developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It has a full-sized keyboard, a trackpad with a mouse button, and a thin light design. The first Air was released in 2008 as part of the company's move to an ultraportable laptop model. It features one or two webcams (integrated or external), USB ports, SD card reader slots, and an HDMI port.
Apple has released two generations of Macbook air, the M1 and M2. Both are very thin, light, and portable laptops with a silver aluminum shell on the outside. They support Mac operating system. The first generation Macbook air is known as the M1, while its successor is called the M2.
Difference Between M1 And M2
A MacBook supports all the apps that an iPhone can support. Therefore, many agencies are providing iOS app development services. If you own a business, then you should have an app. Well, we’ll talk about this later. Let’s discuss some most important differences between M1 and M2:
Price
The M2 is more affordable than the M1 and is a better fit for students or people who need a laptop that can multitask well. It also has a longer battery life than the M1, which means you’ll be able to use it for longer before having to plug it in again.
If you only do basic things like write emails and watch videos online, then the M1 might be enough for you. But if you work from home, or have an office job where you have to do more complex tasks on your laptop, then we'd recommend getting the M2 instead of saving some money by getting an older model like this one.
Design And Build
The Macbook Air is a design classic, but the MacBook Air M2 has a more modern look. The keyboard of the two laptops looks very similar: they both have backlit keys and are made from aluminum.
Unlike its predecessor, which has a 14-inch display, the M2 has a 13.3-inch screen. This makes it much lighter than its predecessor at just 2 pounds (compared to 2.38 pounds for the M1).
Because of their lightweight, both laptops are easy to carry around in your bag or backpack without feeling weighed down by them!
Compatibility
M1 and M2 MacBook's are compatible with the latest macOS Ventura. A website app development company must know which macOS app is compatible with MacBook. Both have some built-in apps such as the app store, facetime, podcasts, and many more.
Ports And Connectivity
The two Macbook Air models share almost all of the same ports and connectivity options except for one, the USB C port. The 13-inch Macbook air M1 comes with a single USB 3.0 Type-C port, while the 13-inch Macbook air M2 comes with a single Thunderbolt 3 port that also supports charging.
The 13-inch Macbook Air M1 uses an Intel Core i5 processor, while the 13-inch Macbook Air M2 uses an Intel Core i5 processor as well but has better graphics with integrated Iris Plus 640 graphics. Both models come with 8GB RAM but only have 256GB storage space which can be expanded using an SD card or external hard drive on either model, so it's unlikely most people will run out of space on either model unless they're storing massive amounts of data on their computer daily (which isn't recommended).
Display Quality
The display of the MacBook Air is much better, thanks to its powerful 5th generation Intel Core processor. The screen size is smaller, but it's brighter and has a higher contrast ratio. The color accuracy on this device is far superior to that of the previous version as well, and there are no noticeable issues with viewing angles. This means your results will always be accurate, no matter what angle you’re working at!
Keyboard, Touchpad, And Speakers
The keyboard and touchpad are the same on both models. You can expect to find an 82mm x 20mm key pitch, which is slightly wider than the standard 81mm x 19mm of most laptops. Each key has a 1.9mm travel distance and requires 60 grams of force to actuate (press). The full-size backlit chiclet keyboard is comfortable to type on, but its thin keys feel more fragile than other 13-inch MacBooks we've used.
There are no dedicated volume buttons on either model, but you will find an integrated fingerprint scanner below the space bar for Windows Hello login and Apple Pay purchases. The laptop's glass trackpad supports Microsoft Precision Touchpad standards—as well as three-finger swipes for switching between open apps—and makes multitouch gestures like two-finger scrolling feel smooth and responsive.
Both models feature stereo speakers located above their hinges; they provide decent audio quality without any noticeable distortion at maximum volume levels.
Performance
The M2 is faster in performance than the M1. It has a 2.8GHz 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor as compared to a 1.6GHz 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor in the M1, which makes it more powerful and efficient in terms of performance. The M2 also has 16GB RAM compared to 8GB RAM on the M1, while they both have 256GB SSD storage space.
Battery Life Performance
You'll be able to get around 10 hours of use on the M2 when watching video on a single charge, which is pretty much what we've come to expect from modern laptops. It's not the best battery life in the world, but it's still plenty good for most people.
The M1 has an even more impressive 12-hour battery life on paper—but that was with half as much RAM and storage space as you get on the newer model. Still, even though it's no longer at its peak performance level, Apple says that its laptop will last about 13 hours before needing a recharge (this may vary based on your usage).
FAQs
Which MacOS version does this Macbook air support?
The M1 supports Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan and macOS 10.12 Sierra operating systems, while the M2 supports Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan and macOS 10.12 Sierra, as well as macOS 10.13 High Sierra operating systems (all three operating systems are free updates). The M1 & M2 both supports the latest MacOS Ventura.
Is it possible to update to macOS Mojave on the 13-inch Macbook Air M1?
Yes, it’s possible to update to macOS Mojave on the 13-inch Macbook Air M1. Apple has released a new OS X 10.14 Mojave update for MacBook Pro 2018, MacBook Air 2018, and other compatible Mac computers. It is worth noting that this update only supports 64-bit architecture processors and not 32-bit architecture processors.
Is it possible to upgrade the RAM on the 13-inch Macbook Air M2?
Yes, it’s possible to upgrade RAM on the 13-inch Macbook Air M2 if you have already installed macOS Mojave on your computer. There are two RAM slots available in this model, which support up to 16GB of DDR3L memory modules at 1066MHz speed each (which means 2 x 8GB = 16GB).
Conclusion
If you're looking for a sleek, lightweight laptop with great performance and battery life, the M1 is your best choice. Its display is sharper than that of the M2, and its speakers produce better sound (though not by much). It's also more expensive than both versions of the M2.
However, if you want something smaller and lighter—and don't mind sacrificing some performance and battery life to get it—the M2 could be just what you're looking for. Though its display isn't as crisp as that on the M1, it's still pretty good overall; plus, it has better audio capabilities.
