Not saying you are wrong or the option shouldn't exist, but what specifically makes 8 GB too little but 12 GB sufficient?
Planned obsolescence and software that is written with the idea that "8 GB is borderline in 2026" seems to be blame.
But perhaps there are genuine limitations that 8GB RAM runs into. Certain AI models, rendering at certain resolutions maybe?
My 8GB M1 Air is my daily driver for over 5 years now and so far it has worked out well. Sometimes, I have to replace badly optimised software for good alternatives. I hope that by the time that MacOS becomes unusable, Asahi Linux is mature enough to replace the OS rather than the hardware.
I'm still on Sequoia and from what I've heard going to Tahoe would be terrible for the usability of my Air. So, no idea how much longer I will be able to hold out and if Asahi is ready now. It looks ok on first glance.
My 8GB M1 Air is my daily driver for over 5 years now and so far it has worked out well. Sometimes, I have to replace badly optimised software for good alternatives. I hope that by the time that MacOS becomes unusable, Asahi Linux is mature enough to replace the OS rather than the hardware. I'm still on Sequoia and from what I've heard going to Tahoe would be terrible for the usability of my Air. So, no idea how much longer I will be able to hold out and if Asahi is ready now. It looks ok on first glance.
Edit: On second glance it seems not ready at all https://asahilinux.org/docs/platform/feature-support/m1/ "Video Decoder: WIP"