Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
M1 MacBook Air won’t power on
- Thread starter wittgenstein
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have that one, and have used it. But I have started to avoid using it for charging, because you never know. That said, I do not believe anyone has reported a bricked device after using an Apple-adapter.
I have my MacBook Air M1 back from the service center. They did not give me any detail, just said that Apple sent them a new mainboard and Touch ID.
It was reformatted (like new state), with macOS Big Sur 11.0 (no updates) and system information reports the same serial number. The machine keeps the same serial number even after the mainboard is replaced?
I'm updating it to 11.1.
Will see what happens.
What else could I check to try determine if Apple revised something in this mainboard?
It was reformatted (like new state), with macOS Big Sur 11.0 (no updates) and system information reports the same serial number. The machine keeps the same serial number even after the mainboard is replaced?
I'm updating it to 11.1.
Will see what happens.
What else could I check to try determine if Apple revised something in this mainboard?
Unless a TB3/4-only dock/hub is a no-go for you, based on my 1.5mo+ of regular use, at this point I'd recommend the venerable CalDigit TS3+ as a stable and safe option.
I cannot recall seeing any reports of TB3/4-only docks bricking M1 Macs. All reports of bricking I have seen here and on reddit are related to PD over USB connections.
+1
I have the display and another usb hub hooked to the apple multiport adapter.
Using the second port for charging adds an extra few seconds that I can live with
My 15-day-old MacBook Air M1 experienced exactly same issue. After I disconnected USB-C hub(w/ power), the screen went black and the laptop just die. There is a "clicking sound" came from both side of speakers. No matter how I pressed the power button(touchID), connect or disconnect the power cable, it just die there.
I sent it to Apple Authorized Services Center and they told me there might be something wrong with the logic board.
I can ask for a new one according to the warranty policy.
I sent it to Apple Authorized Services Center and they told me there might be something wrong with the logic board.
I can ask for a new one according to the warranty policy.
So this whole situation has me in a quandary..
My MBA is just about a month old or so and now I can't decide whether to get ACP or not (with about 3 weeks to the point of no return) ...
I had full faith in the hardware quality of MacBooks all the way from the 00s to 2019.
Unfortunately my 2016 MacBook 12 died within 3 years which I attributed to the law of averages..
The replacement MBP 2019 however had recurrent heating issues which caused me to buy Applecare (not AC+) for the first time ever (and a subsequent loss when I sold it for the MBA after just about an year- I would surely have got only a trifle less without AC.)
Given that all my iOS/iPadOS devices have displayed brilliant longevity, I was almost sure that the M1 devices will exhibit similar traits but now I am not too sure.
Another option that complicates the decision is whether I should spend USD300 (!!) equivalent for what's effectively an extended warranty when I could spend 750 equivalent for a full fledged Mini instead - which would very likely eliminate the risk of a premature failure on this
My MBA is just about a month old or so and now I can't decide whether to get ACP or not (with about 3 weeks to the point of no return) ...
I had full faith in the hardware quality of MacBooks all the way from the 00s to 2019.
Unfortunately my 2016 MacBook 12 died within 3 years which I attributed to the law of averages..
The replacement MBP 2019 however had recurrent heating issues which caused me to buy Applecare (not AC+) for the first time ever (and a subsequent loss when I sold it for the MBA after just about an year- I would surely have got only a trifle less without AC.)
Given that all my iOS/iPadOS devices have displayed brilliant longevity, I was almost sure that the M1 devices will exhibit similar traits but now I am not too sure.
Another option that complicates the decision is whether I should spend USD300 (!!) equivalent for what's effectively an extended warranty when I could spend 750 equivalent for a full fledged Mini instead - which would very likely eliminate the risk of a premature failure on this
It seems to me, that most users unplugged the power adapter from the PD-Hub, while the Mac was running. In my understanding the issue appears when the Mac switches from power-input to power-output on the USB/Thunderbolt port. I know that I also did that already, but there was nothing else attached to the Hub except the power and a self-powered non-PD DisplayLink dock. So no power drain from the Mac side. With a monitor that powers the Mac this should be very hard to achieve, since the hub is most likely powerless as soon as you unplug the monitor power cord. But this is just my hunch. Anyone have some tech-inside on this?
I'm using USB-c with my replacement MBA and I've ordered another LG to use at home to replace my Apple Thunderbolt Monitor that's also having issues. I'm not convinced that the problem was caused by the monitor and if it is I'd rather have it fail quickly under warranty.
I have an M1 Air coming from the factory, the Anker 7 in 2 dock is sitting here, it is a power delivery model with all the ports I have on my 2013 15'' MBP plus an additional non charging USB C, i wonder if using the dock just on battery power without charging/passthrough is a safe bet....would increase my battery usage over time with that behaviour though i dont want to go through bricking a machine every other week either.....
Anker USB C Hub for MacBook, 7-in-2 USB C to C Adapter, Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Port, 100W Power Delivery, 4K HDMI, USB C and 2 USB A Data Ports, SD and microSD Card Reader
Anker 7-in-2 USB C Hub with 4K HDMI Power Delivery SD/microSD Card Reader and 2 USB 3 0 Ports
www.amazon.ca
Think about it this way, if you brick it before your warranty ends you'll get a replacement computer with a new battery and by then whatever issue is causing this should be fixed.
So use your dock on battery power for half a year and then use it on power delivery.
Regarding issues getting fixed, I've seen threads on many forums since November about M1 issues. Just a few posts above people are saying this week, that they still have issues. Tomorrow if February. I think your faith is misplaced.
FWIW, i ended up getting ACP for it primarily due to these scattered reports -
I waited a few weeks to see if any clarity emerges on the issue but does not look like it’s going to happen before the 60 day period runs out.
Granted it is statistically a low probability that it will happen to me as well - but the system is otherwise so good that I don’t want to be caught unlucky after 12 months..
No regrets though - the price paid for the device + ACP is still less than what I have paid for past Macs - and this one sure seems like a keeper for at least 3 years if not more
I'm not convinced it's a power input problem as such.I have an M1 Air coming from the factory, the Anker 7 in 2 dock is sitting here, it is a power delivery model with all the ports I have on my 2013 15'' MBP plus an additional non charging USB C, i wonder if using the dock just on battery power without charging/passthrough is a safe bet....would increase my battery usage over time with that behaviour though i dont want to go through bricking a machine every other week either.....
Anker USB C Hub for MacBook, 7-in-2 USB C to C Adapter, Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Port, 100W Power Delivery, 4K HDMI, USB C and 2 USB A Data Ports, SD and microSD Card Reader
Anker 7-in-2 USB C Hub with 4K HDMI Power Delivery SD/microSD Card Reader and 2 USB 3 0 Portswww.amazon.ca
Unpowered dongles seem to have occasionally caused the same fault so it could be a power draw problem too.
If it is, then that should be fixable, surely?
Likely needs hardware rework or new hardware revision to implement protection circuitry.
But i have also heard the same issues on intel based macs, or even windows laptops (of course not as much as with M1). So i think this is a problem with the cheap chinese brands. I didn't hear such an issue for example with a caldigit or OWC, or with Apple's own multiport adapter. I think we shouldn't use these cheap adapters.
I think there will always be the occasional case of damage, just down to the engineering dangers in the USB-C 'standard'. The fact that you have a 20V 5A feed a fraction of a millimeter away from relatively fragile data lines on a fairly small conductor makes it hard to make the connection completely bulletproof. Especially as through negotiation, the power source device can swap over to take power instead. It's a complex standard - even the cables are active and can have firmware updates!
Apple won't be making their own USB-C PD chips, they'll be using someone else's, and it looks like the chips are programmable via firmware, and some include onboard protection and switching capabilities for the PD delivery. If we're lucky, a small firmware tweak might improve matters; if we're not, another possibility is that there's a slightly dodgy batch of components has gone through test OK at the point of QC but are going to fail at some point down the line.
Regardless, short of Apple piping up and ordering a recall because of a really fundamental flaw, or Louis Rossmann eventually fixing one and sticking it on his channel, I suppose we'll just carry on guessing as to the root cause. There's quite a lot of noise about it because there's no way out for the owner other than to send the machine in for repair or replacement, but considering how many have been sold, there's still not that much noise.
I'm still hoping for it being dicey batch of components/(probably undeclared)firmware update, which will mean we'd be down to an occasional instance of a dodgy hub or damaged cable causing failure. Me? I have ordered AppleCare+ with my MBP just in case...
ETA: I found a detailed paper from TI on USB-C and PD design and protection here. It's quite technical in places, but it also describes the challenges, and mentions Amazon did a survey of USB-C cables and found a large percentage weren't compliant with the standard. Might be worth thinking in terms of cables as well as the ports/hubs/PSUs we plug into our machines.
Last edited: