> you can buy an older model macbook Air and get the full experience at similar prices.

Not many countries allow tax return and expenses on used computers

Apparently you can buy an M1 Air for 599$ brand new: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/13/macbook-air-with-m1-chi...

A very old article, and if you follow any of their links, they are sold out. So it's not so apparent after all

I don’t disagree, sure M1’s don’t grow somewhere and at some point will no longer exist as new but this is such a disappointing laptop. At least could have had a redeeming quality like being significantly lighter. It’s just worse in every aspect.

Is it a better deal? A18 Pro seems to be somewhat more capable than an M1.

Maybe but It has worse screen, worse battery and worse connectivity.

Noted, but I’d still pick the better CPU.

Walmart shows new as currently out of stock, they only have restored.

This product will be available in unlimited volumes until they replace it or discontinue it, with no quirks of used/older models.

For an active market-watching technology buyer, sure, think about it.

For 99.5% of the addressable market, click-click-ship-done. No thought required.

On the refurb market, you can get a Macbook Air at the 16-512 configuration for only a few hundred more, which is a better value.

But! Then you'll be seeing the Neos on the refurb market in the $300 or $400 range.

I think this has basically been how the market for Macs have worked since 2021.

What part(s) of the "full experience" are missing in this machine?

Smaller screen with less colors(sRGB instead of P3), shorter battery life(16 instead of 18), USB-3 and USB-2 Type-C ports instead of thunderbolt.

A used m1 air isn't going to have that battery life anyway...