My M1 MacBook Air Encounter: A Cautionary Tale for Users
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Chapter 1: The Unexpected Shutdown
I may have overstated the situation a bit. The animated GIF I made doesn’t truly capture the intensity of the moment. It was even more alarming since there were no warning signs leading up to the incident.
In November 2020, I purchased a new M1 MacBook Air from Apple’s online shop. This device is truly remarkable as it manages tasks with ease. The battery performance? Outstanding! I could engage in video editing for around 3 to 4 hours without needing to plug it in!
However, on March 29, 2021, disaster struck while I was using Adobe Photoshop for a project. The laptop abruptly died. It didn’t take its time to “shut down”; it simply went black and became unresponsive. The battery was about 50% charged, and it wasn’t plugged in. Initially, I suspected a power issue. I connected it to the outlet, but it wouldn’t boot up. I even tried resetting the NVRAM, but nothing worked.
Panic set in as I realized I had approximately 800GB of data stored on that laptop. I quickly grabbed my phone and reached out to Apple Support for assistance. After a brief online chat, I was instructed to bring it to the nearest Apple Store for a diagnostic check.
The Apple Store at Marina Bay Sands is stunning, and I arrived two hours later. An Apple Genius welcomed me and explained that the technician would need to use their device to attempt to power it on. Before proceeding, I was asked to sign a “Work Authorization” form, acknowledging that I accepted the risk of potentially losing all my data during the recovery process. Honestly, losing 800GB of data was far from acceptable. I inquired whether the technician could directly access my hard drive, but I learned that the SSD was soldered to the motherboard, making data recovery impossible. I had no choice but to sign the consent form.
Ten minutes later, I was informed that the technician couldn’t power on the laptop either, and that the entire motherboard would need replacement. This meant I would definitely lose all my data. The copy of the “Work Authorization” I received included a repair estimate:
For some reason, even the Touch ID module needed replacement, as it was integrated with the Logic Board. According to the 50/50 repair rule, the cost wasn’t excessive, amounting to about 26% of the laptop’s price (S$2399). Yet, S$642 is still a significant amount. Fortunately, the laptop was under warranty, so I wouldn’t incur repair charges.
Two days later, I retrieved the laptop, and everything seemed to return to normal—well, almost, since I had lost 800GB of data. I had around 300GB backed up on an external hard drive, but 200GB of that data included projects I had been developing over the last two months, along with various cache files.
Let me clarify: I’m not sharing this story to complain, but rather to impart the lessons I’ve learned from this experience to my readers. I want to ensure you don’t have to endure a similar situation.
Nonetheless, I must emphasize that this remains an excellent laptop, and I still have great affection for it. No, I’m not an Apple enthusiast; I believe that a good laptop must be portable and efficient for daily tasks. Why invest in a laptop that constantly requires a power source? It’s generally more cost-effective to opt for a desktop computer that offers similar performance.
The MacBook Air with M1 boasts impressive battery life and performs admirably even on battery power, which is why I appreciate it. I’m a heavy user, relying on it for video editing, visual effects, 2D and 3D animation, and modeling daily. This laptop manages all my tasks seamlessly. I chose the 1TB + 16GB RAM version due to my need for substantial disk cache for video projects. Occasionally, I leave it running overnight for rendering sessions lasting from 10 to 20 hours. Typically, I have several applications open simultaneously while working on video projects:
- Adobe Illustrator for graphic design and asset preparation for After Effects.
- Adobe Photoshop for photo editing.
- Adobe After Effects for creating visual effects and 2D animations.
- Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, including compositions from After Effects, sound effects, color correction, and grading.
- Adobe Media Encoder for creating proxies and shot replacements.
- Adobe Audition for audio mixing.
Additionally, the MacBook Air with M1 isn’t my only powerful machine. I also have a custom-built Windows desktop (featuring a Ryzen 9 3950X, RTX 2080 TI, and 64GB RAM) that I typically use for rendering and simulations (fluid, smoke, and cloth).
Now, here are the lessons I’ve learned:
Always Maintain a Backup.
Even if the device is brand new, it’s crucial to have a backup. You never know when failure may occur, as there may be no warning signs. Although the M1 MacBook Air didn’t fail due to a faulty SSD, having a backup is still essential. A hard drive can fail for numerous reasons. Regularly check the health of your SSD using applications like DriveDx.
Be Aware of the Soldered SSD.
The risk of losing all data is heightened due to the SSD being soldered directly onto the motherboard. Although it’s technically possible to desolder the SSD, it’s a non-standard type, meaning it cannot be easily connected to another M2 connector.
You're Not Alone.
Many users have encountered similar issues. Check out discussions on MacRumors and lengthy threads on Reddit. Some users speculate that USB-C dongles caused the problems, but I can confirm that mine was not connected to any. This highlights that many others worldwide have faced the same challenges. If you’re reading this, be aware that the new MacBook Air with M1 does have these potential issues.
First-Generation Products Often Have Issues.
Generally, first-generation devices tend to have more problems than their successors. For instance:
- iPhone X: issues with OLED burn-in, unresponsive screens, and cracking sounds at high volume.
- AirPods: subpar battery life.
Therefore, Apple’s M1 devices might be experiencing first-gen complications, and users should remain vigilant.
Conclusion
There’s no guarantee that your new device will be failure-proof, even with Apple products. Regardless of how new your machine is, always keep a data backup. Losing project data can cost far more than the price of the laptop and repair combined. Additionally, first-generation devices are often plagued with more issues than later iterations.
Are you an Apple M1 device owner? Have you faced similar problems? I would love to hear your experiences.
What’s Next?
This isn’t the conclusion of my story. I conducted further tests with the repaired unit and uncovered astonishing findings. Read the full story here:
The Shocking Discovery of Apple M1 SSD That You Need to Know
What Apple Didn’t Disclose.
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UPDATE: Thank you for engaging with this article! I appreciate all the comments and insights shared by my readers! I’ll strive to respond to all your messages as soon as possible! Thank you once again!