M5, Mac Mini, and MacBook Air
It has been 5 years since the release of first M1 Macs. M5 MacBook Pro just hit the shelves, and likely MacBook Air and Mac Mini, two popular and highly praised models from M4 will be renewed with m5 in the following year. The benchmark for M5 indicates M5 is roughly twice as fast compared to that of M1’s. It is said average consumers upgrade their computer every 3 to 5 years, so it is likely going to be the first year of major upgrade cycle on Apple Silicon.
Since the launch of Apple Silicon, there were several new observations on product positioning. Mac Mini and MacBook Air became more robust all-around machines, from a portable yet performance-compromised machine. With the respective M4 announcements, mosts reviews on the products simply stated that base line M4 Mac Mini and MacBook Air would suffice for most users including professionals. Some of the reviewers went so far to suggest have a trial period with the base line models for work environment.
On my current setup with M2 MacBook Air, while it does struggle with certain tasks, for a portable machine without active cooling, I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the performance. For me, it is the battery (perhaps not all-day long, but day-time long) with the performance sitting near the sweet spot that makes me appreciate it. I’m not interested in M5 as of yet, especially with the stories of M6 MacBook likely having an OLED display and likelihood of it doubling M2’s performance.
I suppose the real question is what lies after MacBook Air and Mac Mini. If the Air and the Mini become the catch-all for most purposes, what would become of Pros and Studios? Mac Pro hasn’t been updated since M2. Mac Studio is sitting at a purgatory between M4 Max and M3 Ultra, — M4 does not have an Ultra — and recently released M5 MacBook Pro is yet to receive M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. At the very least, MacBook Pro lineup is sitting at an awkward position. And MacBook Air and Mac Mini are taking away those spots.
Having said all that, if you are shopping for a new computer right now, I highly recommend giving Mac Mini or MacBook Air a shot. I went along with MacBook Air for portability and silent operation, but I did read some great reviews on Mac Mini being silent as ever as well — Mac desktops are often relatively quieter than laptops. If you can wait for M5 refresh, it wouldn’t hurt; if you can wait for OLED for upcoming M6, that is indeed an option. There is also a prospect of possible A-level MacBooks for more affordable entry level MacBooks, again, makes me wonder what would become of upper tier products.