I have been using an M2 Macbook Air with external monitor, keyboard and mouse for about 2 years. It works well. See my set up here:
Iām running the old Tbolt 27" monitor using the TBolt-4 to TBolt 2 converter with a M1 MB Pro Works just fine.
Over at Ped30.com, I made several far-out predictions for the recent Week of Mac. One was a new Apple Display that included a notch to hold the new Mac Mini. Looks like Apple wonāt do a 27" iMac, so that probably rules out a 27" Apple display. So Iām holding out for a 32" Apple Display with that Mini Shelf/hole. 
This was true for my 2012 MBPro, though it got a little better after I dug in and replaced the spinner hard drive with a SSD from Other World. (And those days are gone now!)
My current MBPro, a 2017 model, has been used in clamshell mode (and occasionally in dual-monitor mode) with a larger external monitor. Even when using for video editing, I never ran into an issue where the fans started jetting away.
The newer M-series books should be even better.
FWIW, I found a laptop stand that raises the MBPro about 4 inches above the desk, allowing a keyboard, pointing device, and an expansion dock to live underneath while also giving it full thermal exposure. If you go this route, look for a thermally conductive material like aluminumācome to think of it, they all seem to be made of aluminum.
The bonus is that you can position the laptop on its stand to one side of your monitor, and use a wireless keyboard and pointing device in front of the monitor as though it were the 27" iMacā¦
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Iām not in the market for it myself, but I sooo look forward to seeing come tinkerer outfit design a nice little Al bracket or holder of sorts that will let people simply attach this new 5" mini to the back of a Studio Display. Obviously, duct tape gets it done too, but some nice engineering to go along with the fancy Apple kit would IMHO be preferable. The 27" iMac crowd will eventually get their way somehow. 
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Twelve South has a product that comes close:
It is wide enough but not quite deep enough. Its claimed weight capacity is 3 pounds, which is well above the weight of the MacMini (1.5 pounds). I anticipate that Twelve South will introduce a modified version.
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The photo in the discussion that I link to above shows my M2 Macbook Air in clamshell mode and raised off the desk to provide ventilation. It has worked well for me with no indication of overheating issues - even through a hot Sydney summer.
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Amusingly, Tonya and I were at a race in Rochester on Sunday, so we stopped at the Apple Store nearby to look at the new machines. The Mac mini really doesnāt fit well with the Apple Studio Displayāit looks like it should fit underneath, but the cables prevent that. Nor can the Studio Display sit on top of the Mac mini.
Some investigation showed that the best bet is a shelf that would somehow sit on the Studio Displayās hinge in back so the Mac mini can perch behind it, probably facing left/right for cable access.
One thing the visit made me realize is that Iād really like Touch ID, so if I get the Mac mini, Iād need a new keyboard, and if Iām getting a new keyboard, my RollerMouse Pro probably wonāt work, so then Iām getting a new trackpad, and all that adds up to about $300 more. Thatās with the extended keyboard, since I do use the numeric keypad a good bit, but there are also separate keypads if I felt the smaller keyboard was a better fit. Part of thatās related to the fact that I want the trackpad in front of the keyboard, like on a laptop, rather than off to the side. Trays exist to make that happen.
So many variables! But fun to ponderā¦
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Just rotate the mini 90 degrees so the cables stand off to the sides. Incidentally, that will also help with finding the on switch.
On the TouchID thing, the TouchID Apple KB is great. And a whole lot more useful with a desktop. With a portable Mac, like a MBP in clamshell, itās an annoying fact that TouchID is deactivated every time the MBP is moved out of BT range. So if you run clamshell but also move that MBP around, half the time youāll still be entering your password by hand. No such troubles on a desktop Mac though! 
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See my note a few before this one:
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FWIW, Iāve used 3M Dual Lock fasteners to attach small set-top boxes to the back of TVs. If you do it right, nobody will see the strips, making the whole thing look very good.
Of course, youāll also want some good cable management to go with it. Releasable zip ties are a good choice here, but I donāt think Apple monitors have anything convenient to hang the cables from, so that part might require some creativity. (For my TVs, the wall-mount brackets work well for holding the cable bundles.)
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Donāt forget that the Apple Watch can be used to unlock your Mac and more. For me, itās eliminated the need for a TouchID keyboard. Once Iāve unlocked my Watch, the chain of trust is established that allows the Watch to unlock my M2 mini. All I need to do is press the trackpad or a key and get to work. This feature also lets you approve ApplePay purchases on the mini via the Watch; just follow the prompt. See System Settings > Login Password > Apple Watch.
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I do value this as well, and you can validate other authentication requests on your watch as well, not as quick or intuitive as the keyboard, but still useful.
I much prefer Logitechās keyboards over Appleās and have settled on this approach accordingly.
Yes, and I do use the Apple Watch on both my Macs now, but my experience is that the Apple Watch on the 2020 iMac isnāt quite as seamless as Touch ID on the M1 MacBook Air.
But youāre rightāthe Apple Watch does minimize the need for Touch ID.
Question: if, for some reason, you arenāt able to authenticate using your Apple Watch, does macOS still accept TouchID or Username + Password input?
For me, if the Watch fails to authenticate (rare), macOS prompts for username and password. I donāt have a TouchID keyboard, so canāt answer that part.
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My system wakes up without a manual login when I press a key on the external keyboard and I have my watch on. For Apple Pay my watch or iPhone is usually used for confirmation but I am pretty sure that a manual login will also work.
Some advantages of using a Macbook in clamshell mode instead of a Mac Mini are:
It can always be opened up giving access to the touchID (power) button
It can be opened up and the camera used for video conferencing
It can be easily disconnected and used as a portable laptop
Of course these advantages might not justify the extra cost of a laptop. For me an Intel iMac and a 2015 Macbook needed replacing around the same time so the new M2 Macbook Air serves both purposes.
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Yes to both. I use a M1 iMac with a TouchID keyboard and if I donāt have my watch on or itās locked I can use TouchID or enter my password.
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