Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

M2 MacBook Air is too heavy

Zest28 said:
Hopefully enough so that is significantly lighter than the 13" MBP.

An other way to get a true "thin and light" MacBook Air while being cheap is bring back the old 12" MacBook but this time powered by Apple Silicon. It could be priced at $899 or $999 while being significantly lighter than the 13" MBP.
Click to expand...
I‘ve thought of the same thing earlier
Actually, this is more complicated than we imagined.
If Apple remade the 12 MacBook with A16, 12.9in display, better design, it would not be much different than the 13in Air, it is quite useless because of the tiny display. It would not replace the MacBook Air because M1M2 Air is still fast for media production and several tasks that need performance. The 12 in Macbook is so small that it is nothing more than a Microsoft Office/Youtube notebook. MacOS would not look decent on such a small display, iPads could do the job better.
 
ZircoBen said:
I can't think of many people that chose a MacBook Air because it's lighter than other laptops? I know that was an original selling point of the machine in 2008, but nowadays it's simply become the "entry level" MacBook.
Click to expand...
I’m considering an Air precisely because it is lighter. The Pros have become noticeably heavier and bulkier to me — which I’m reminded of on every business trip. And while the current Air is heavier than previous Airs, it is noticeably lighter than the Pro.

I think a 15” Air with 32G RAM and M1 Max CPU/GPU specs is perfect for those wanting lighter weight and solid performance; but don’t need content creator level performance, ports, promotion display and the extra thermal and physical space that they require.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ZircoBen
heretiq said:
I’m considering an Air precisely because it is lighter. The Pros have become noticeably heavier and bulkier to me — which I’m reminded of on every business trip. And while the current Air is heavier than previous Airs, it is noticeably lighter than the Pro.

I think a 15” Air with 32G RAM and M1 Max CPU/GPU specs is perfect for those wanting lighter weight and solid performance; but don’t need content creator level performance, ports, promotion display and the extra thermal and physical space that they require.
Click to expand...
I literally bought it because of the weight as well. The Air won't ever have that many cores because it's fanless and it would get extraordinarily hot. Some things I do are already throttled because of heat dissipation issues. It does most things well, but I might need to get the 14" MBP when I upgrade because it's still small while being able to expel heat.
 
smirking said:
The way it's distributed may play a part in perceptions too. I didn't expect to feel the bump up in weight or size in my 16" M1 Pro, but it just feels more awkward when I'm handling it in comparison to the 15" MBP it replaced.
Click to expand...
Yes! I think it’s hard to appreciate the difference by looking at specs — so those who haven’t experienced the transition from the most recent 15” MBP to the 16” M1 MBP (especially the Max with the heavier heat sink) may miss just how much heavier and bulkier it feels in actual use. By the way, I love my 16” M1 Max MBP — it’s just noticeably heavier and bulkier than the 15” it replaced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smirking
Choco Taco said:
I literally bought it because of the weight as well. The Air won't ever have that many cores because it's fanless and it would get extraordinarily hot. Some things I do are already throttled because of heat dissipation issues. It does most things well, but I might need to get the 14" MBP when I upgrade because it's still small while being able to expel heat.
Click to expand...
I agree, the performance gap between the Air and Pro will prompt some to opt for the 14” MBP even though their preference is the lighter Air. I considered the 14” MBP due to weight, but the screen size felt cramped coming from the 15” — so I opted for productivity of the 16” vs portability of the 14”. This worked well during COVID lockdown, but now that I’m traveling 2-3 weeks each month the weight and bulkiness of the 16” have become more evident.

I’m hoping that a 2023 15” passively-cooled M3 Air can come *close* to the performance of a 2021 16” M1 Max MBP 🙏🏽
 
heretiq said:
I’m considering an Air precisely because it is lighter. The Pros have become noticeably heavier and bulkier to me — which I’m reminded of on every business trip. And while the current Air is heavier than previous Airs, it is noticeably lighter than the Pro.
…
Click to expand...
The current M2 Air is lighter that the M1 Air and lighter than the previous Intel Airs from 2011 - 2019.

  • MacBook Air (2008): 1.36 kg (3.0 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2009-2010): 1.06 kg (2.3 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2011-2015):, and 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) for the 13-inch model and 1.08 kg (2.38 pounds) for the 11-inch model
  • MacBook Air (2018-2019): 1.25 kg (2.75 pounds) for the 13-inch model
  • MacBook Air M1 (2020): 1.29 kg (2.8 pounds)
  • MacBook Air M2 (2022) 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds)
  • MacBook Pro M2 13” (2022) 1.4 kg (3.0 pounds)
 
my cousin bought his 10-year-old stepson an M2 air (damn kid! i had to pay for my mine 🤣); he runs around the house with it in one hand. if he can do that, so can everyone on this forum...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ericdjensen
Choco Taco said:
That's because it weighs nothing. I never thought I'd see a thread complaining that the new Air is too heavy.
Click to expand...
Right... Perhaps it's being perceived that way because it's not a wedge anymore? I like my 2015 wedge.. When it craps, I'll look for something newer like an M1-2 depending on specs I can find used at that point. We'll see.. M2 is soooo much faster than any wedge I definitely would not complain about weight... Plus it IS factually lighter..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ericdjensen
Tagbert said:
The current M2 Air is lighter that the M1 Air and lighter than the previous Intel Airs from 2011 - 2019.

  • MacBook Air (2008): 1.36 kg (3.0 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2009-2010): 1.06 kg (2.3 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2011-2015):, and 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) for the 13-inch model and 1.08 kg (2.38 pounds) for the 11-inch model
  • MacBook Air (2018-2019): 1.25 kg (2.75 pounds) for the 13-inch model
  • MacBook Air M1 (2020): 1.29 kg (2.8 pounds)
  • MacBook Air M2 (2022) 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds)
  • MacBook Pro M2 13” (2022) 1.4 kg (3.0 pounds)
Click to expand...
Good catch. My statement was sloppy. The language was imprecise and didn’t identify a reference Air or qualify my statement as one of perception — which it was. Thanks for injecting the facts into the discussion. 🙏🏽

However, the data you quoted above shows the M2 Air as only lighter than the 2018 - 2020 and the original Air vintages. The same data show that the current M2 Air is considerably heavier than several previous generations of Airs — which supports the OP and many other comments in this thread.

Net-net: Recent Apple Mac and iPhone product designs are trending towards bulkier and heavier and more people are noticing, weighing-in that weight matters and signaling that the experience of bulky form factor + added weight is more problematic than just the added weight might suggest.
 
Last edited:
heretiq said:
However, the data you quoted above shows the M2 Air as only lighter than the 2018 - 2020 and the original Air vintages. The same data show that the current M2 Air is considerably heavier than several previous generations of Airs — which supports the OP and many other comments in this thread.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry ... what data are you looking at?
 
Choco Taco said:
I'm sorry ... what data are you looking at?
Click to expand...
Tagbert said:

  • MacBook Air (2009-2010): 1.06 kg (2.3 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2011-2015):, and 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) for the 13-inch model and 1.08 kg (2.38 pounds) for the 11-inch model
  • MacBook Air M2 (2022) 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds)
See data above. Point is that there are several lighter Air vintages than the current M2 Air (albeit different screen sizes) — so people have different reference points and perspectives on relative weight.
 
heretiq said:
However, the data you quoted above shows the M2 Air as only lighter than the 2018 - 2020 and the original Air vintages. The same data show that the current M2 Air is considerably heavier than several previous generations of Airs — which supports the OP and many other comments in this thread.
Click to expand...
Only the 11” models were lighter than the current 13.6” M2 MacBook Air. The 12” MacBook was also lighter.
 
jdb8167 said:
Only the 11” models were lighter than the current 13.6” M2 MacBook Air. The 12” MacBook was also lighter.
Click to expand...
Correct. Most people aren’t factoring in screen size when making statements about their perception of the weight of the current “Air” vs their prior experience. They are expressing their experience not their analysis. I totally get that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jdb8167
heretiq said:
Tagbert said:

  • MacBook Air (2009-2010): 1.06 kg (2.3 pounds)
  • MacBook Air (2011-2015):, and 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) for the 13-inch model and 1.08 kg (2.38 pounds) for the 11-inch model
  • MacBook Air M2 (2022) 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds)
See data above. Point is that there are several lighter Air vintages than the current M2 Air (albeit different screen sizes) — so people have different reference points and perspectives on relative weight.
Click to expand...
Again ... what data are you looking at? It's one of the lightest 13" Airs Apple has made. Now you're bringing in the smaller screen size Airs into the equation? That is nonsensical. That's not a reference point or perspective. You can't compare the weight of two different sized laptops. And the 11" Airs weren't even half a pound lighter than the current model. So saying it's significantly heavier is just plain ridiculous.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mainsail, fisherking and Ericdjensen
heretiq said:
Good catch. My statement was sloppy. The language was imprecise and didn’t identify a reference Air or qualify my statement as one of perception — which it was. Thanks for injecting the facts into the discussion. 🙏🏽

However, the data you quoted above shows the M2 Air as only lighter than the 2018 - 2020 and the original Air vintages. The same data show that the current M2 Air is considerably heavier than several previous generations of Airs — which supports the OP and many other comments in this thread.

Net-net: Recent Apple Mac and iPhone product designs are trending towards bulkier and heavier and more people are noticing, weighing-in that weight matters and signaling that the experience of bulky form factor + added weight is more problematic than just the added weight might suggest.
Click to expand...
Only the 13” Air from 2009-2010 was lighter and that was pre retina.
 
I bet a tin foil air would be lighter. Lol

People saying that the previous air's were lighter bring in different screen sizes. Even the previous M1 air with a smaller 13.3" screen than the 13.6" screen on the M2 air is heavier.

So we have a lighter air than just the previous gen and a bigger screen yet people still complain.

If it were as light as whatever weight they want they would be complaining how the new M2 MBA flexes and feels cheap.

I think I am just going to get the 🍿 popcorn and observe from this point because people just love to complain.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jdb8167 and Ericdjensen
Technerd108 said:
I bet a tin foil air would be lighter. Lol

People saying that the previous air's were lighter bring in different screen sizes. Even the previous M1 air with a smaller 13.3" screen than the 13.6" screen on the M2 air is heavier.

So we have a lighter air than just the previous gen and a bigger screen yet people still complain.

If it were as light as whatever weight they want they would be complaining how the new M2 MBA flexes and feels cheap.

I think I am just going to get the 🍿 popcorn and observe from this point because people just love to complain.
Click to expand...
It's the right amount of light and durable that you really can't get from any other laptop right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Technerd108
Tagbert said:
The current M2 MBA is lighter than any other Air model since the old, non-retina MBA from 14 years ago. It is lighter than any recent previous Air.
Click to expand...
But it is still 35% heavier than the 12” MacBook. Plus there are 14” Windows notebooks that are lighter. Granted those devices make other compromises. But I would be very interested in a 2-2.25 lb. MacBook.
 
  • Like
Reactions: heretiq
KPOM said:
But it is still 35% heavier than the 12” MacBook. Plus there are 14” Windows notebooks that are lighter. Granted those devices make other compromises. But I would be very interested in a 2-2.25 lb. MacBook.
Click to expand...
Dude that laptop had nothing in it. You're not going to get a laptop like the current Air with the battery life that it has and the durable construction that it has for the weight that you want. New materials and technology need to be invented for that to happen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert and Ericdjensen
Choco Taco said:
Again ... what data are you looking at? It's one of the lightest 13" Airs Apple has made. Now you're bringing in the smaller screen size Airs into the equation? That is nonsensical. That's not a reference point or perspective. You can't compare the weight of two different sized laptops. And the 11" Airs weren't even half a pound lighter than the current model. So saying it's significantly heavier is just plain ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Dude. Chill. Respect people’s right to have different opinions than yours for their own reasons. Sheesh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adrianlondon
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back