Should I buy a used M1 or M2 MacBook Air?
Buy the M2 when the gap is under about $150 and you want MagSafe, a brighter screen, and a sharper camera. Buy the M1 when you need to stay near $450. Both common listings are 8GB, so a 16GB machine is a better spend when you can reach one.
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$400$600$800$1,000$1,200
Side by side
Shaded with a red rule: the better side for a typical buyer. Not a lab score.
Air 13-inch M1Air 13-inch M2
Typical price
Better here: About $450
About $650
Memory
8GB is the common one. 16GB exists and cannot be added later.
8GB on the common listing. 16GB is the one to stretch for.
Storage
256GB. Enough for school if photos live in iCloud.
The base 256GB SSD is slower than the 512GB version of this same Air.
Screen
13.3-inch Retina. A bit dimmer than later Airs (about 400 nits).
Better here: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, about 500 nits. Brighter and a little larger than the M1.
Ports
Two Thunderbolt ports. You charge from one of them. No MagSafe, no HDMI.
Better here: MagSafe charger, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack. No HDMI.
External displays
One external display.
One external display.
Camera
720p. Fine for a call, softer than newer Airs.
Better here: 1080p. A clear step up from the M1 for video calls.
Noise
Silent. There is no fan.
Silent. There is no fan.
Weight
2.8 lb
Better here: 2.7 lb
Battery
Apple’s figure is up to 18 hours of video. On a 2020 machine, the cycle count matters more than the original claim.
Apple’s figure is up to 18 hours of video.
Speed
Still quick for browsing, docs, and Zoom.
Better here: A modest step over the M1. You notice it more in exports than in Safari.
US eBay asking ranges as of November 11, 2026.