The M2 MacBook Air: Is It Worth The Extra $200

The short answer…it depends

M1 and M2 MacBook Airs (Image by Apple)

During Apple’s WWDC event earlier this month, they announced several interesting things, not the least of which was the introduction of the Apple Silicon M2 chip.

This new chip will first be offered in the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In the case of the MacBook Air the M2 version will be sold alongside the existing M1 MacBook Air. This leaves an open question –which one do you buy?

As is the case with most tech, the answer is –it depends.

Comparison

The table below is a comparison of both flavors of MacBook Air (M2 vs. M1). Differences between the two are highlighted in yellow.

Table by Author

So what are the most important differences?

• M2 offers a 10-core GPU (M1 8-core GPU)
• 13.6" display (M1 is 13.3")
• 500 nits brightness (M1 400 nits)
• 24GB unified memory option (M1 16GB max)
• MagSafe charging (M1 USB-C only)
• 4-speaker audio (M1 stereo audio)