Apple MacBook Air
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Product Overview
The Late-2020 MacBook Air is the first to feature Apple's proprietary M1 chip in the long line of the company's most popular Mac model. Apple boasts 3.5x faster CPU and 5x faster GPU performance.
Additionally, the M1 chip also delivers up to 9x faster Machine Learning workload performance. Apple also promises up to 2x the SSD performance, thanks to improved storage controller embedded in the M1 chip. These performance boosts represent the largest jump ever for any MacBook Air.
Beyond performance improvements, the M1 chip is also more efficient, resulting in significant increase in battery life.
The Late-2020 MacBook Air is the first to adopt WiFi 6 in the model's history.
Apple also announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro and a new Mac mini, both of which powered by the same M1 chip found in the $1249 MacBook Air.
Ratings
What we found
Pros
- Sleek, minimalist design
- Quiet, silent operation
- Long battery life
- Great keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- Nothing in particular
What external reviewers found
External score 88%
Pros
- Great display
- Great performance
- Excellent graphics performance
- Excellent speakers
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
- Only 512 GB SSD
- No Thunderbolt 3
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Specifications
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External Reviews
androidauthority[1]
Reviewer score 78% (normalized by Neofiliac)There was hope that Apple would upgrade the camera in the new MacBook Air, but it didn't. The basic HD definition is not worthy of 2020. The M1 MacBook Air has the same basic audio setup as the last Intel-based generation. For some people, $999 or $1,249 is too much for a laptop.
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Excellent battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
digitaltrends[2]
Reviewer score 89% (normalized by Neofiliac)The MacBook Air M1 boasts the new Magic Keyboard that Apple created to replace the ill-fated butterfly keyboard on previous models. The keyboard is perhaps my favorite of all the laptops I've used and the only one that beats out the excellent version that HP puts in its Spectre lineup. If you're a creative professional and need the widest color gamut, go with the Pro line.
Pros
- Fast performance
- Excellent keyboard
- Excellent speakers
- Great battery life
Cons
- Only one external display
- Only one Thunderbolt 3 port
macworld[3]
Reviewer score 94% (normalized by Neofiliac)The M1-based MacBook Air lasted 82 percent longer than the Intel-based one from earlier this year. While I'm suitably impressed with the performance of this 8GB model, I suggest getting 16GB, since it can never be upgraded. Apple missed a good opportunity to make real improvements to the MacBook Air beyond the 720p webcam.
Pros
- Fantastic performance
- Sleek design
- Great battery life
Cons
- Only 8GB of RAM and 7-core GPU
notebookcheck[4]
Reviewer score 81% (normalized by Neofiliac)The new M1 processor with ARM architecture makes an impressive debut in the MacBook Air. In CPU as well as GPU performance, comparable chips from Intel and AMD are surpassed in terms of the theoretical raw performance. With maturing software, probably no one will miss the Intel chips in the Mac in the future.
Pros
- Very bright display
- Very good battery life
- Very fast SoC
- Good speakers
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
pcmag[5]
Reviewer score 91% (normalized by Neofiliac)The M1's performance is twice as good in some places, and comfortably superior elsewhere. At higher settings, the MacBook Pro hangs close, but as before, the 2019 MacBook Air is left in the dust. The battery life on this laptop is nothing short of exceptional. It ran for 29 hours and 1 minute on our battery rundown test.
Pros
- Super-portable design
- High-quality build quality
- Long battery life
- Excellent graphics performance
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
t3[6]
Reviewer score 85% (normalized by Neofiliac)The MacBook Air M1 can run iPhone and iPad apps as well as Mac. So if you have a favourite iOS app that doesn't have a good Mac equivalent, you can just download the iPhone version from the App Store instead. It's a nice option to have, but as much as we've wanted to make good use of it, we've struggled during our time with Air.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Great battery life
- Good speakers
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
- No external GPU
techradar[7]
Reviewer score 96% (normalized by Neofiliac)Apple claims the new MacBook Air is three times faster than other laptops in its class, and faster than 98% of PC laptops sold in the past year. With the M1 chip using similar architecture to iPhones, you can now run any iOS app or game as well. iOS apps and games are more feature-rich and graphically impressive than ever before. We played a few iOS games, and they ran perfectly on the MacBook Air – suddenly, the MacBook has become a decent gaming machine.
Pros
- Long battery life
- New M1 chip
- Great performance
Cons
- No Touch Bar
- No Thunderbolt 3
tomsguide[8]
Reviewer score 93% (normalized by Neofiliac)The MacBook Air's 4.8 x 3.2 glass Force Touch trackpad offers accurate input recognition and smooth scrolling. Apple continues to substitute haptic feedback for clicks, a decision that seems to have been a success. When you’re making video calls, the trio of built-in microphones means that Siri can hear you.
Pros
- Slim bezels
- Great performance
- Slim and light
- Great battery life
Cons
- M1 chip will not natively run applications
- No Thunderbolt 3
References
- ^ Apple MacBook Air (M1) review: Apple's silicon for Apple's laptop. [androidauthority].
- ^ Apple MacBook Air M1 review: Fast, fanless, and absolutely fantastic. [digitaltrends].
- ^ MacBook Air M1 review: An absolutely stunning debut for Apple silicon in a Mac. [macworld].
- ^ Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry Review: Apple M1 CPU humbles Intel and AMD. [notebookcheck].
- ^ Apple MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020) Review. [pcmag].
- ^ Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review: the best laptop for most people. [t3].
- ^ Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review. [techradar].
- ^ MacBook Air with M1 review: A computing revolution. [tomsguide].
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