Are The M1 MacBooks In Big Trouble Now?

It seems like 2021 was full of M1 MacBook Air scandals. Swap memory, killer USB-C hubs, defective screens, and overheating. I covered these issues back then, but what about two years later? Do the M1 MacBook Airs have any issues in 2023? Let's take a look.

My favorite M1 MacBook Air accessories:

Videos mentioned:

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00:00 Introduction
01:14 Killer USB-C Hubs
03:14 Sponsor
04:29 Swap Memory
06:50 Failed SSDs
09:34 Screen Defect
13:27 Cracked Screen Lawsuit
13:54 Overheating

#macbook #m1macbook #createdtech
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[jbbt]

My M1 Air died in Dec 2022. It was 21 months old. It was not responding to any keys or trackpad. My local Apple store tried a new trackpad and connecting cable. They also tried replacing the complete topdeck keyboard etc. No success. They finally fixed it by replacing the complete logic board and touch ID button. They charged me £429 U.K. ( a discounted rate) They said that it only had a 12 month warranty. I purchased it online from an Apple Authorised Seller (Currys/PC World) in the UK. My Apple Store that they would have honoured the repair cost up to 24 months if it had been purchased direct from Apple, even though they also only sell with a 12 month warranty officially. It's working fine again but it was a disappointing introduction to Apple build quality. It is my first Apple product. My previous cheap Chinese PC laptop was still working perfectly with not even a loose key when I bought this M1 Air.

[dansanger]

I'm cheap, so I got the base M1 Air (8GB/256GB) on sale. I've had it for well over a year, and no problems at all. The 8GB has not been a problem. I use it for email, spreadsheets, web browsing, note taking, and web development. I don't use it for video editing or anything like that. The main limitation I've noticed is that it might start to slow down if you have a large number of browser tabs open, say thirty. That's not a problem for me, because I don't like having lots of tabs open because it becomes cumbersome keeping track of them. The 256GB has not been a limitation at all. I have all the software I want loaded on there (and then some), including Xcode, Android Studio, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Node, and IDLE, and still have lots of room. The story would probably be different if I had lots of video files and photos.

[richarddcrossley]

As an early adopter of USB C (Nexus 5X and MacBook 12) those issues aren't new and Benson Leung did some amazing work on USB C cables. I've always only bought established brand cables and hubs since then!

[travis]

I still think it's crazy that Apple sells a "MacBook PRO" with only 8GB combined RAM in 2023. That is really really low, not "pro" at all.

[nicky]

My M1 Air base model has proved to be a phenomenal little machine. 😊

[theEDMdragon]

Thanks for the video. As a new MacBook owner I've honestly grown a bit too paranoid of my M1 Air dying prematurely, so this video really helped. Looking forward to the 2025 update!

[markholle]

The base M1 Air continues to be a best buy. Here's why - You are rarely punished for buying Apple's most inexpensive laptop. It's zippy, has a great screen, sounds great, is dead silent, and lasts forever on a charge. And I haven't even mentioned the price yet...

[braydenhaines]

The screen cracking happened to my partners M1 Air. They said even a paper clip between the screen when closing it could cause it to crack. I could not believe it, because there was no clear signs of damage to the exterior of the laptop. $700 to replace the entire screen assembly and now the hinge is so stiff you have to cleave it open. Knowing it could have been caused by a defect makes my blood boil!

[Stalinfalcon]

@ 8:48 I would like to point out a 3rd option which is an HUGE peeve of mine: Best Buy (and others - Amazon included) refusing to offer higher options. I specifically wanted to leverage my BB credit for a top line M1 16” pro instead of opening a new financing line at Apple. Welp, unfortunately, BB never carried above 16 gig RAM /1tb ssd. I’ve noticed Amazon low-balling configs like this as well. Extremely annoying.

[DanielWoike]

Thank you for the creating this video. I got a M1 MacBook Air at the end of 2021 and it is my favorite laptop ever. I was able to get the base model for $799 at Micro Center.

It has been so reliable, great battery, and speedy. Other than 60hz decent screen, I have no issues with the laptop.

[tpfang]

My refurbished 16/512 MBA was bought in summer 2021 and it’s still doing perfectly fine. Tbh the battery life has never been great for me but I tend to push it with a million tabs, coding, and photoshop (making gifs). A light user would not push it that hard, but that’s why I’m gunning for a MBP in the near future.

[rileycrossin]

I've had mine since July 2021. Early on I noticed it would get really hot using Microsoft teams but now that most applications have been made for apple silicon so I haven't had any heating issues or any other problems.

[MoChuang]

I picked one up for $800 on sale for back to school in 2021. Great machine. No issues.

[palikariena]

my screen cracked randomly just like this describes. The guy at the Apple Store told me I broke it and would have to pay. I insisted a the said it would not work. long story short, apple fixed it and never billed me. My computer was pristine and no impact point on the top of the screen bc I used my MacBook 95% with the screen closed in a dock. I think that apple must know a which Macs/serial numbers must have the defect and they just replace them.

[lincolnliking]

My M1 Macbook Screen cracked without being hit or damaged in any way. I'm still using it but I have to connect it to an external monitor because it's too expensive to fix

[MorrWorm]

I just traded a old BMX for a guy’s 2020 MacBook M1 Air. Come to find out he never used it & upgraded to a iMac. I just looked at the battery and health is at 100% and it has 4 cycles on it! It’s brand new. Just updated to Ventura. My last mac was a late 2010 MacBook unibody. Now I’m nervous on what to do

[scientist_nick]

16gb RAM model, bought 2 months after release. Still going strong.

[panjak]

Imagine bashing users for wanting to use their 8GB Macs for video editing.
It's apple's fault for providing pathetic amount of RAM in base models.

[doemis]

I'm using an external tb4 ssd for most programs and my pictures/docs/whatever are stored on my nas. The ssd will outlive the rest of the notebook with ease. To me, external ssds are a must for the new arm based macs

[Mehwhatevr]

My M1 Pro has been a fantastic machine since June 2021. I only regret not getting the 16 GB