Would you buy a Macbook Air 16" M1?

[Adarna]

Redesigned bodies of Macs, iPhone and iPad cost money that is why it is one of many major factors that the 2016 MBP 15" & 13" took 5 years to get replaced.

Seeming the 2019 MBP 16" was only used for 2 years perhaps Apple could repurpose it as a 2022 Macbook SE M1?

Price would be between $1,299-$1,999 at a default of 16GB memory & 512GB storage

Its for us who came from any Intel Macbook Pro so even an M1 is good enough but want a larger display.

Same battery would be used so battery life would be more than 21 hrs of the 16" M1 Pro.

So say 36 hrs?

 

[arsenicwater]

I would love to see a 15 or 16 inch Air, especially without a fan, but more than that I'm excited about the idea of a MacBook SE.

Maybe the now-classic Pro design without a touchbar, they could repurpose the current M1 Air keyboard, perhaps black out the deck à la the new Pros. With the body mostly the same, I could definitely see Apple making a quick buck on a tried-and-true design with an updated chip in true SE fashion. Maybe 4 or 5 SKUs tops.

A higher-tier M1 chip as you described could be a great idea as well. Here's hoping M1 proves its longevity.

Not sure about a 16 inch SE personally, but it would be a nice addition.

 

[Adarna]

A higher-tier M1 chip as you described could be a great idea as well. Here's hoping M1 proves its longevity.

That M1 SKU's already available as a BTO.

 

[jdb8167]

Redesigned bodies of Macs, iPhone and iPad cost money that is why it is one of many major factors that the 2016 MBP 15" & 13" took 5 years to get replaced.

Seeming the 2019 MBP 16" was only used for 2 years perhaps Apple could repurpose it as a 2022 Macbook SE M1?

Price would be between $1,299-$1,999 at a default of 16GB memory & 512GB storage

Its for us who came from any Intel Macbook Pro so even an M1 is good enough but want a larger display.

Same battery would be used so battery life would be more than 21 hrs of the 16" M1 Pro.

So say 36 hrs?

If it retains the current Air 2 TB3/USB4 ports then probably about $1649-$1699. Maybe add in the MagSafe and SD card slot too but given the M1 limits on displays, no HDMI. Battery would be less than 36 hours because Apple wouldn't want that much of a weight gain and expense with the larger batteries but 24 hours would be very doable.

Edit: Thinking on it, they would probably have an 8 GB/256 GB SKU. If would essentially be a transplanted M1 MBA with a larger battery in the new 16" case (I don't think the tooling cost would justify using an older case.) My guess for the entry SKU would be $1449-$1499.

 

[arsenicwater]

That M1 SKU's already available as a BTO.

Good point, that makes a good case to continue using the M1 manufacturing process on the cheap.

Maybe add in the MagSafe and SD card slot too but given the M1 limits on displays, no HDMI.

That makes a lot of sense! I would absolutely buy a machine like this in a heartbeat, but all things considered, it would probably be cheaper to leave the ports as-is.

 

[bobcomer]

No way. The Air is supposed to be light, it's already heavy for the light category, and that would make it a lot heavier.

 

[jdb8167]

No way. The Air is supposed to be light, it's already heavy for the light category, and that would make it a lot heavier.

A lot of the weight will be batteries. I would assume that Apple would not put in the same 100 watt-hour battery as the 16" M1 Pro/Max. Also, the cooling system wouldn't need 2 fans or probably any fans at all.

 

[bobcomer]

A lot of the weight will be batteries. I would assume that Apple would not put in the same 100 watt-hour battery as the 16" M1 Pro/Max. Also, the cooling system wouldn't need 2 fans or probably any fans at all.

Like I said, too heavy for me to buy with that configuration. It wouldn't be in the thin and light category any more, and not in the Pro category either, and I'd need one or the other.

 

[arsenicwater]

Like I said, too heavy for me to buy with that configuration. It wouldn't be in the thin and light category any more, and not in the Pro category either, and I'd need one or the other.

Imagine the M1 Air scaled up to match the size of previous 15 inch Macs, while still hitting the ~3 lb mark.

With a next-gen chip, would this fit the bill?

 

[cardfan]

Imagine the M1 Air scaled up to match the size of previous 15 inch Macs, while still hitting the ~3 lb mark.

With a next-gen chip, would this fit the bill?

They could already do this with m1 if they wanted to. I don’t think they want to.

 

[bobcomer]

Imagine the M1 Air scaled up to match the size of previous 15 inch Macs, while still hitting the ~3 lb mark.

That would be nice, but it isn't going to happen, not with a metal case, and that's all they do unfortunately.

With a next-gen chip, would this fit the bill?

If it were realistic. I think I'd still go with one of the Pro machines, if I were to buy. Active cooling is more important for me. That's one reason I don't use my M1 MBA much.

Make it 2.5lb, now that would be interesting in a 15".

 

[bobdobalina]

16" Macbook Air, yes. 18" Macbook Pro, yes!

 

[jdb8167]

Like I said, too heavy for me to buy with that configuration. It wouldn't be in the thin and light category any more, and not in the Pro category either, and I'd need one or the other.

Me as well. I'm not too interested in buying a 14" MacBook Pro because of the weight (3.5 pounds v 2.8 pounds). I am interested in the SoCs performance though. Right now I just don't really need any more than the 16 GB M1 Air already gives me and I love the M1 MBA weight, battery, and case design.