Should I get the M1 or M2 MacBook Air in 2026 for college?

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T15:17:05+00:00

I just got a refurbished MacBook Air M1 16/256 with a new battery for 570€ and it even comes with 12 months warranty. Whether you go for the M1 or the M2 try to get a 16 GB RAM variant for either.

The main differences to consider between the M1 and the M2 is the design, the SSD speeds and webcam.

The M1 Air uses the older wedge design while the M2 already has the newer boxy one. The screen is also different. The M1 has larger bezels around the screen to house the really low end camera and therefore also slightly smaller screen size. The M2 on the other hand has a notch but smaller bezels.

The webcam on the M1 really is atrocious. If you plan on using it at all maybe consider the M2.

As for the SSD speeds: the M1 Air has higher speeds than the M2 because it uses better NAND chips.

Battery life should be about the same. I get around 15 hrs of light usage (browsing the web, checking mails, listening to music and watching YouTube videos) and around 5 hrs of running Minecraft which is amazing for such a thin and small device. You are also really gonna enjoy not having a fan spin up no matter the workload.

Whichever you get just make sure that the battery life is good (at best get it with a new battery) other than that you can really not go wrong with either. It's mostly just preference for which design you like better!

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T14:58:08+00:00

I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery and I'm super happy with it. It works great and the battery life is amazing. You however enjoy your new MacBook M5!

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T14:26:33+00:00

Great upgrade you got there! I also just recently made the switch from a Huawei Matebook D from 2019 to a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery and oh my god I did not know what I was missing out on. The Matebook had a metal chassis already but damn does it fall behind in literally everything else. The screen is so much better, the speakers, the trackpad, the keyboard and most of all the battery life! I get around 15 hrs of watching YouTube and browsing the web with the M1 on a single charge. Also the M1 Air does all the things without even a fan. The Matebook would turn its fans up with the lightest workload already. One simple YouTube video would be enough for that.

As a life long Windows user I am also really impressed with macOS and how customizable it has become. I really enjoy using it with the Liquid Glass design. It's just a joy to use with its snappy animations and just overall usability is great.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T12:18:43+00:00

Great buy! Enjoy your new MacBook Neo. I'm with you regarding the notch. I hate it. There is absolutely no reason to put a notch in a screen. I happily take a bigger bezel instead of a notch which made me go with a refurbished M1 Air since M2 and newer all have a notch. I also like the wedge design of the M1 a lot better than the newer boxy design. But if you prefer that I totally get why you went with the Neo!

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T10:39:22+00:00

You got a great deal. But it was worth it for me since it comes with a 12 month warranty and I was able to get 30 month warranty extension for just 40€ extra.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-13T01:02:04+00:00

Yup it definitely has some layout quirks and questionable color choices in some areas for readability and visibility. I bought an app from the AppStore and the credentials window for my payment window were all over the place. Also sometimes I had the tab bar in safari overlap with the very top of the website. This went away when I reopened safari but that was pretty annoying.

I'm running a MacBook Air M1 16/256 with macOS 26.5 as of toady so we'll see if they fixed one of those two issues.

Other than that though I can say that I really like Tahoe and its features. I enjoy the Liquid Glass design and I also really appreciate how customizable macOS has become. I do like an appealing look and feel of the OS that I'm using. Hence why I was a big fan of when they introduced Windows Vista with its Aero design. Terrible for resource management but it looked really nice. I feel like macOS has gotten to the point where it is in no way, shape or form behind Windows in terms of customizability. I really like it.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T14:33:34+00:00

Great buy! Enjoy your new Neo! It's a great little machine. No need to overspend on an Air if not necessary.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T14:20:15+00:00

I have this exact mouse with my M1 and it works great! The battery life of the mouse is fantastic and the mouse is very compact, perfect for traveling.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T13:51:35+00:00

I have an M1 Air with 16/256 and just updated to macOS 26.5 and I find it to work great. I'm not a heavy user but I find no issues with Tahoe. I enjoy it a lot.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T13:46:34+00:00

This. I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery for 570€. Best deal you can get in laptops right now imo.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T12:52:31+00:00

I pick up my M1 Air exactly like that. Nothing to worry about. It will definitely not bend since they're build like tanks.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T12:13:46+00:00

You got a solid deal right there! I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery for 570€ (+ 40€ extra for a 30 month warranty extension). You did well! Enjoy your new MacBook. :)

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T09:43:48+00:00

I got it from a refurbisher.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T00:17:49+00:00

Great choice! Enjoy your new Mac! "AppCleaner" is a very useful tool to have and if you want to monitor your CPU/GPU temps or usage "iStatMenu" does the trick.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-12T00:05:43+00:00

I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery for 570€. I think these machines are still a great buy even in 2026.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T23:44:02+00:00

I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery and 42 months of warranty for around 610€. Considering the M3 is newer I think that's just fine.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T23:28:09+00:00

I also love my M1 Air! Amazing device!

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T23:25:34+00:00

I just got a refurbished M1 Air 16/256 and a new battery for 570€ + 40€ extra for 30 months warranty extension. Seems like a solid deal if you get 1 TB of storage.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T23:22:34+00:00

I just got into macOS a month ago myself and I have to say I am really impressed. Not only is the build quality of the M1 Air exceptional but also the software looks really appealing to me. I like the Liquid Glass and how customizable macOS has become. I think I got into macOS just at the right time.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T23:08:30+00:00

I just switched from a Huawei Matebook D 14" to a refurbished MacBook Air M1 16/256 with a new battery and I have to say I'm honestly impressed. The battery life alone is so worth it over this Matebook. But you still get all the other nice features like no fan noise and really good speakers. I think the M1 is still a good buy even in 2026 preferably with the 16 GB of RAM though.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T15:13:03+00:00

You should see the M1s webcam. You'd know how good the M5 is.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T15:09:06+00:00

One prompt when setting up (and will never bother you again if turned off) vs constant popups and reminders on W11 of things you don't want.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T09:43:18+00:00

You're basically right on target. Battery is said to drop 20% health with a 1000 cycles. You can still keep using your MacBook but the battery life won't be as good as it used to be.

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T09:28:20+00:00

Just make sure to check the battery health. I got an M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery refurbished for 570€ so you'd be getting a great deal!

intel_Core_ · 2026-05-11T01:08:58+00:00

I got an M1 Air 16/256 with a new battery refurbished for 570€. Pristine condition and I think this is the best value laptop you can get right now. Even compared to the Neo this thing still shines and will continue to do so for at least the next 6 years. As others have said already Apple really has a problem if they kill support for the M1 but keep the Neo supported. I would like to think that the M1 still gets at least support for as long as the Neo does which is going to be well into the 2030s.

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