MacBook Air (Apple silicon)

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MacBook Air
MacBook Air.svg
Macbook Air.png
MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
DeveloperApple Inc.
Product family
TypeSubnotebook
Release date
  • November 17, 2020 (2020-11-17)
Operating systemmacOS
System on a chipApple M1 (current)
PredecessorMacBook Air (Intel-based)
Related articlesMacBook, MacBook Pro
Websitewww.apple.com/macbook-air

The MacBook Air with Apple silicon is a line of notebook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. since 2020. In the current product line, the MacBook Air is Apple's entry-level notebook, situated below the performance range MacBook Pro.

Apple announced its first Apple silicon MacBook Air on November 10, 2020, a 13-inch model based on the Apple M1 system on a chip.

Overview[]

On June 22, 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the Mac would transition away from Intel processors to Apple's own in-house designed processors that use the ARM64 architecture, branded as Apple silicon.

On November 10, 2020, Apple announced an updated MacBook Air with an Apple-designed M1 processor, launched alongside an updated Mac Mini and 13-inch MacBook Pro as the first Macs with Apple's new line of custom ARM-based Apple silicon processors.[1] The device uses a fanless design.[2] It also adds support for Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3/USB4 and Wide color (P3).[3] The M1 MacBook Air can only run one external display; the previous Intel-based model was capable of running two 4K displays.[4] The FaceTime camera remains 720p but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor for higher quality video.[5]

Reception[]

The M1 MacBook Air has received positive reviews, with much of the praise going to the capabilities of the M1 chip.

In his review for Engadget, Devindra Hardawar gave the MacBook Air a score of 94/100, praising the performance as "shockingly responsive" and highlighting the lack of fan noise and "excellent" keyboard and trackpad as among some of the pros. Other than that, he only lightly touched on the notebook's design and feel, citing the fact that it hadn't really changed much since the early 2020 MacBook Air. He did, however, praise the case as feeling "sturdy as ever".[6]

Writing for Wired, Julian Chokkattu bemoaned the fact that the Air only came with 2 USB-C ports, but praised the keyboard and battery life. He also lauded the fanless design, saying it was something he found himself "appreciating over and over again".[7]

Quality issues[]

A small number of users have reported encountering a serious issue in which the displays of the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro are easily cracked or damaged;[8][9][10][11] Apple's support documentation was subsequently updated with recommendations to remove webcam shutters and keyboard protectors before closing the display.[12] Following Apple's recognition of the issue, a lawsuit claiming that Apple sold devices with a defect that Apple should have known about or already knew about prior to their sale was filed in September 2021.[13][14]

Specifications[]

MacBook Air when closed
Current
Table of models
Model M1, 2020[15] (November)
Model identifier MacBookAir10,1
Model number (on underside) A2337
Part number (order number) MGN63LL/A, MGN93LL/A, MGND3LL/A, MGN73LL/A, MGNA3LL/A, MGNE3LL/A
Display (glossy) 13.3", native 2560 x 1600 pixels (16:10, 227 ppi) IPS. True Tone P3 display. Lower resolutions supported
Graphics (shared with system memory) 7-core or 8-core Apple-designed integrated GPU
Processor 3.2 GHz 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores Apple M1
Neural Engine 16-core
Memory 8 GB LPDDR4X-4266 Unified RAM

Optional 16 GB at time of purchase, not upgradable after

Storage 256 GB or 512 GB PCIe-based SSD

Optional 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB at the time of purchase, not upgradable after. 128 GB available for educational institutions only.[16]

Keyboard Magic Keyboard (scissor-switch)
Video camera FaceTime HD (720p)
Connectivity Internal Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Bluetooth 5.0
Peripheral connections 2× Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 4) ports supporting charging. No eGPU support[17]

Supports one display up to 6016x3384 (DSC)

1× 3.5 mm headphone jack
Battery (non-removable lithium-ion polymer) 11.4 V 49.9 W·h (4,379 mA·h)[18]
Battery cycle count[19] 1000
Unit weight 2.8 lb (1.29 kg)
Greenhouse gas emissions 161 kg CO2e with 256GB storage or 181 kg CO2e with 512GB storage[20]
Dimensions 11.97 in (30 cm) wide × 8.36 in (21.2 cm) deep × 0.16 in (0.4 cm) to 0.63 in (1.6 cm) high

References[]

  1. ^ "Apple Announces New 13-inch MacBook Pro With M1 Apple Silicon". MacRumors. Archived from the original on 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  2. ^ Hollister, Sean (2020-11-10). "The biggest difference between the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is a fan". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  3. ^ "Buy MacBook Air site". Apple. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  4. ^ "How Apple Silicon on a M1 Mac changes monitor support and what you can connect". AppleInsider. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  5. ^ Potuck, Michael (2020-11-10). "Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air and Pro get improved cameras but still stuck at 720p". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  6. ^ Hardawar, Devindra. "MacBook Air M1 review: Faster than most PCs, no fan required". Engadget. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  7. ^ Chokkattu, Julian. "Review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020)". Wired. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  8. ^ "M1 MacBook owners complain about easily cracked screens". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  9. ^ Lovejoy, Ben (2021-07-30). "Reports of M1 MacBook screen cracks occurring during normal usage". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  10. ^ July 2021, Kimberly Gedeon 30 (2021-07-30). "M1 MacBook Air reports of self-destructing displays are piling up — and users are baffled". LaptopMag. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  11. ^ "Are M1 MacBook Screens Self-Destructing? What We Know So Far". ScreenRant. 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  12. ^ Spence, Ewan. "Apple Confirms MacBook Pro Design Flaws". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  13. ^ Shilov, Anton (2021-09-17). "Apple Now Facing Class Action Suit for Cracked M1 MacBook Screens". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  14. ^ Francisco, Thomas Claburn in San. "Apple's M1 MacBook screens are stunning – stunningly fragile and defective, that is, lawsuits allege". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  15. ^ "MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  16. ^ "US Education Institution – Hardware and Software Price List" (PDF). November 10, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "MacBook Air 13" Retina 2018 Teardown". iFixit. 2018-11-08. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  19. ^ "Apple support: Mac notebooks: Determining battery cycle count". Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  20. ^ "Product Environmental Report 13-inch MacBook Air" (PDF). Apple. November 10, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
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