The Apple Air M2 is the latest product from Apple, designed to excel in document and graphic tasks with remarkable speed, offering users a seamless experience and an enjoyable workflow. This device is powered by Apple’s M2 processor, an upgrade from the previous M1 processor. Let’s take a closer look at its specifications and whether it justifies its $1300 price tag.
For comparison we use the HP spectre 360 and Dell XPS 13 as these products within the same price range , possess features comparable to the Apple M2 but from different brands. We compare based on the features crucial to a designer’s workflow from performance to Display and battery life. We also use objective benchmarks like the Pugget benchmark for premier pro performance on a laptop to ascertain how powerful these device rank against the M2 and if it is suits creatives.
Let’s enjoy!
Performance:
Processors determine the speed at which design tasks are executed. The faster your processor, the quicker your tasks are completed. AMD and Intel are the most common processors in the market. The Apple M2, however, features a 10-core chip, which Apple unveiled in 2022, comparing it to the Intel Core i7-1255U found in Samsung’s Galaxy Book2 360.
Using a Geekbench score to rate processor performance in single-core programs, the M2 outperforms the Core i7 with a score of 2594 to 1681. For multi-core programs, such as those performing simultaneous tasks e.g. Premiere Pro, the Apple M2 still performs better, scoring 10094 to 6830 against the Core i7. This means that designers can expect smoother workflows when running Premiere Pro on the M2.
Design and Display
Compared to its predecessors, the M2 caters to designers’ aesthetic preferences. It comes in three popular Adobe colors: silver, space grey, and midnight blue, weighing a mere 2.7 pounds, which is about the size of a small watermelon in your hands. The 2560 x 1664p resolution display is twice what’s required for Adobe programs like Photoshop, setting it apart from competitors like the HP Spectre, which falls short at 1920×1080 pixels. For sublimation work, printing, and color accuracy, the MacBook Air M2 is a clear winner without breaking the bank.
GPU
The graphics processing unit (GPU) of the M2, like other features of this premium device, is outstanding, delivering smooth performance for your regular document and browsing tasks without lag. When it comes to document and browsing performance, the M2 and rivals like the Spectre 360 offer similar performance levels. However, the M2 truly shines in creative workflows.
For instance, the Spectre 360 scores a 393 out of 500 in overall performance on Pugget, a live benchmark tester for Adobe Premiere Pro, while the M2 achieves a significantly higher score of 493, which is also notably higher than Dell’s 173 score. This vast difference in performance accounts for the smoother workflow that motion designers would enjoy on the M2. It’s interesting to note that the Spectre has twice the RAM size of Apple’s M2.
Battery Life
The M2 surpasses its rivals with an impressive long-lasting battery capacity, offering up to 14 hours of usage. This is 2-3 hours more than its Dell and HP competitors.
The extended battery life isn’t solely determined by its milliampere-hour (mAh) capacity, which measures how much energy the battery can store. Instead, it’s a result of Apple’s passive cooling and optimization features within the M2. These features regulate and adapt the device’s speed to the user’s tasks, ensuring it doesn’t run at full throttle all the time.
If you need a device with a long-lasting battery guaranteed to perform under intense pressure and handle all your tasks without overheating, then the Apple M2 Air is your best choice.
Some Shortcomings
While the M2 excels in many aspects, it does have some shortcomings. These include audio quality, where competitors like the Spectre 360 offer better sound quality due to their four downward-firing speakers. Additionally, the M2 can only connect to a single external monitor, which might be limiting for creatives who rely on multiple displays.
The Half – Eaten Apple Wins Fully
The Apple M2 is an 8-core CPU priced at $1,199, offering premium features for designers. Its higher price is justified when compared to HP’s Spectre, which costs $1,810 and falls short in terms of performance. If you’re on a budget and need a reliable device to efficiently handle your work tasks, the Air M2 is a solid choice. Its expensive at $1,199 dollars but you can’t put a rice to productivity and at $1,199 dollars isn’t too far out.
