Apple announced its first set of Macs computers which includes MacBook Air, among others (MacBook Pro, and Mac mini) to be powered by the company’s own chip, the M1, an ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC) at its ‘One More Thing’ event. Although the newly unveiled Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) looks exactly like the MacBook Air (2020) launched earlier this year, it comes with some pretty big changes under the hood.
Where to Buy Apple Macbook Air (M1, 2020)
Amazon US – See Offers | Amazon UK – See Offers
After ditching the Intel processor found on the previous version for Apple’s M1 chip, the laptop is said to deliver up to 3.5x faster CPU, up to 6x faster GPU, up to 15x faster machine learning (ML) capabilities, and battery life up to 2x longer than before It offers up to 8-Core GPU of the M1 chip, 16GB RAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and pre-installed with Apple’s macOS 11.
Apple Macbook Air (M1 2020) Key Features and Specs.
- 13.3-inch IPS Retina display, 2560 x 1600 Pixels
- Apple M1 processor (8-core CPU; 7 and 8-core GPU)
- Up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of Internal storage
- macOS 11
- Touch ID Sensor
- 720p FaceTime HD webcam
- Integrated Fingerprint Scanner
- Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Stereo Speakers
- Up to 18 Hours Battery Life
Design / Display
At first glance, the Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) looks exactly like the previous version launched earlier this year. It sports the same wedge-shaped design but measures a dimension of 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches, which is slightly wider than the previous MacBook Air which flaunts 11.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches dimension.
This Apple’s latest lightweight 13-inch MacBook does not have a cooling fan, hence, it is light yet durable.
Although, the Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) looks similar to the previously launched MacBook Air (2020) on the outside, when opened you face another upgrade, in form of the keyboard.
At first glance, it might look the same but on closer inspection, you noticed Apple has traded out some of the function keys, thus, adding in new ones for Spotlight, Do Not Disturb, and Dictation, replacing Launchpad and Keyboard brightness.
Above all, it’s got dual Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports on the left side and a headphone jack on the right side. It comes in gold, silver and space gray, just like the previous MacBook Air.
On the display screen, Apple still maintains its 13.3-inch Retina display built on a LED-backlit IPS panel. It comes with support for the DCI-P3 gamut for greater color saturation and offers up to 400 nits of brightness.
This display offers a resolution of 2560 x 1600-pixel with a 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio, thanks to the retina display.
Performance
The major change on the Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) is under the hood. It is one of the first three mac computers to runs on the Apple M1 chip. This chip offers different variants for users to choose from.
The M1 MacBook Air has an 8-core CPU option which can be backed up by either a 7-Core GPU or 8-Core GPU variant of the M1 chip. There is also an 8GB or 16GB RAM option coupled with a 256GB (only available on the 7-Core M1 version), 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of SSD storage.
According to Apple, the M1 chip delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU, up to 6x faster GPU, up to 15x faster machine learning (ML) capabilities, and battery life up to 2x longer than before. And with M1 and Big Sur, users get access to the biggest collection of apps ever for Mac and higher frame rates for games.
Finally, the laptop runs on macOS 11 Big Sur pre-installed to gives you more of everything you love about Mac.
This latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system is packed with new enhancements for key apps including Safari, Messages, and Maps, as well as new privacy features.
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Other Features
Apple is using a 16-core Neural Engine, a custom image signal processor for improved visualization and optics. Apple’s latest image signal processor (ISP) improves camera image quality with better noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance and ML-enhanced face detection to offer the best picture results.
This will bring “clearer, sharper images” with more detail in shadows and highlights and “more natural‑looking skin tones.”
Furthermore, the new processor allows for the laptop to instantly turn on and back to what you’re doing upon opening its lid.
The Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) also uses the same old 720p FaceTime camera as the previous version. It also supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Touch ID.
Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) has a 49.9-watt-hour battery. According to the company, the battery can last up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback. Thus, making this MacBook Air M1 model battery the longest battery life ever on a MacBook Air.
Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) Price and Availability
The Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) price starts at around $999. However, the price may change depending on your configuration choice.
This Laptop is available on Apple’s official store and other third-party e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) Specs
Here are a few specs of the MacBook Air (2020)
General Features
- OS: macOS 11 (Big Sur )
- Processor: Apple M1 processor (8-core CPU; 7 and 8-core GPU)
- Memory: 8GB of 3733MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory (Configurable to 16GB)
- Colours: Gold, Space Gray, Silver.
- Dimension: 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
- Weight: 2.8 pounds
Display & Keyboard
- Display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology, 2560 x 1600 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio)
- Keyboard: Full-size keyboard with LED-backlit keys
- Pointing Device: Yes, Touch Trackpad
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 256GB SSD, 512SSD, Up to 2TB SSD (PCIe based)
- Optical Storage: –
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Ports & Connectivity
- Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD Camera
- USB Ports: Yes, 4 USB 3.1 Gen 2
- HDMI: Yes (via Thunderbolt with adapter)
- Thunderbolt Ports: Yes, 2 Thunderbolt
- DisplayPort: Yes (via Thunderbolt)
- VGA: Yes
- Ethernet (RJ-45): Yes
- SD Slot: –
- Mic/Headphone: Yes
- WLAN: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
- NFC: –
- Docking Connector: –
- Mobile Broadband: –
Other Features
- Stereo speakers
- Integrated Touch ID sensor
- VoiceOver
- 16-core Neural Engine
- True Tone technology
- Magic Keyboard
Battery
- Battery: Built-in 49.9‑watt-hour Lithium‑Polymer Battery
- Use Time: Up to 18 hours
