Matthew Choo

Honest reviews and real opinions — no sponsored fluff. I test gadgets, smart home tech, and apps so you know exactly what you’re buying. 20 years in market research means I read the data, not the marketing copy.

3 minute read

The MacBook Air M1 (second-hand, RM 2,200–3,000 in Malaysia, 2025) is the best entry point to the Apple ecosystem if you can’t stretch to the M2 or M3 models. For most daily tasks, the M1 still feels fast. The battery lasts longer than most Windows laptops in the same price range, and the fanless design means it stays silent even under sustained load.

It’s not the right buy if you need the latest display specs, M3’s improved GPU, or plan to keep it 5+ years. It is the right buy if you want a reliable MacBook for work, study, or remote work without paying full price for current-gen hardware.

How Much Slower Is M1 Compared to M3?

About 60% slower on synthetic benchmarks (Geekbench multicore). In real-world daily tasks, the gap is almost imperceptible:

Task M1 experience M3 advantage
Web browsing, email Instant None perceptible
Office / Google Docs Instant None perceptible
Zoom / Teams calls Smooth None perceptible
Light coding (Python, web dev) Fast Minor
Video export (4K, Final Cut) Slower 2–3× faster
GPU-heavy creative work Adequate Significant
Local AI (7B models) Usable 2× faster

If your workflow is the top half of this table — and most people’s is — the M1 is fast enough that you’ll spend more time waiting for your coffee than waiting for the computer.

What’s the Battery Health Like in 2025?

M1 units from 2020–2021 are now 3–5 years old. Most well-maintained units show 85–90% battery health, which translates to roughly:

  • Light use (web, documents): 8–10 hours
  • Mixed use (video calls, background tasks): 6–8 hours
  • Heavy use (video export, compilation): 4–5 hours

Apple charges around RM 700–800 for battery replacement at an Apple Authorised Service Provider in Malaysia if you want to restore capacity. Worth it if you’re buying a great deal on a unit with degraded battery.

What Can the M1 Run in 2025 That Surprises People?

Local AI models: The M1’s unified memory architecture (RAM shared between CPU and GPU) is unusually good for local LLM inference. TinyLLaMA (1.1B), Llama 3.2 (3B), and Whisper speech-to-text all run on 8GB M1. For learning, testing, and light AI workflows, the M1 is a capable machine in 2025.

macOS Sequoia (2024): The M1 is supported through macOS Sequoia. Expect at least one more major macOS version before Apple drops it.

What It Doesn’t Do Well

Single external monitor only. The M1 supports only one external display natively. If you need dual monitor setups, you’ll need a DisplayLink adapter — an extra expense and slight performance overhead.

GPU performance. The M3’s GPU is ~2.5× faster. For video editing, photo work in Lightroom with heavy presets, or any 3D work, the M1 feels the age gap.

Webcam is 720p FaceTime HD. The M2 and later got 1080p. If you’re on Zoom calls all day and video quality matters to your professional image, this is worth noting.

Who Should Buy a Second-Hand M1 in Malaysia?

Buy the M1 if: You’re a student, remote worker, or light creative who needs a reliable MacBook under RM 3,000 and can live with one external monitor.

Buy the M2 or M3 if: You have the budget, need 1080p webcam, dual displays, or plan to keep the laptop 4–5 years and want longer software support runway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the MacBook Air M1 still worth buying in 2025? Yes, second-hand at RM 2,200–3,000. Fast enough for most daily tasks, good battery life, and still receiving macOS updates through at least 2027.

How much does it cost second-hand in Malaysia? RM 2,200–3,000 depending on RAM and storage. Compare to M2 Air at RM 4,499 new.

Will Apple still support it with software updates? Yes, through macOS Sequoia (2024) and likely at least one more major version. Apple typically provides 7 years of support from release — M1 was 2020.

Can it run local AI models? Yes, lightweight models (up to ~7B parameters with 8GB RAM). TinyLLaMA, Whisper, and Llama 3.2 3B run on M1. Not competitive with M3 Pro for larger models.

For more honest laptop and gadget reviews tested in Asia, see the Gadgets section.

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