Be careful when you buy a MacBook Air: Avoid the Intel SKUs of the 2020 Air

The most recent (Late 2020) update of the MacBook Air is probably the most important change in the recent years, because Apple now uses its own M1 ARM processor for the first time and waives the previous Intel Core CPUs. We have already reviewed the MacBook Air M1 and the result is very good. The performance of the new M1 silicone is not only much higher compared to the efficient Y-series CPUs of the previous MBA models, but the chip is also more efficient and does not need a fan anymore. The small chassis fan of the previous models was probably the biggest issue in our opinion, because it was not very efficient and just way too loud considering the low performance. The new MacBook Air M1 is now passively cooled and therefore always a silent companion.

There are more advantages compared to the previous Intel models: Longer battery runtime, improved display (now with P3 color gamut instead of sRGB), slightly improved speakers, a better stereo jack, and Wi-Fi 6.

We were a bit concerned about the ARM processor at first, but we were positively surprised. macOS runs extremely well and even better compared to the old MacBook Air with Intel CPUs. Apple's own emulation software for old apps that were designed for Intel Macs is also extremely powerful. There are still some compatibility issues here and there, but considering the M1 MacBooks have just been launched, the situation is already very good and it is just no comparison with the poor experience you get on Windows on ARM notebooks (not even talking about the extremely limited app selection; the emulation of x86 apps is still in development).

The old MacBook Air 2020 with the Intel Core i3 CPU (256 GB SSD) starts as low as $799 (Best Buy), the slightly faster Core i5 quad-core SKU (512 GB SSD) retails for around $1049. Both devices are much slower than the new MacBook Air 2020 M1 for $999 or even $899 in Apple's own education store. We definitely recommend the M1 model, especially if you you have already considered an i5 or even i7 SKU. We also think the i3 MacBook Air is still a bit expensive, so if possible, you should get the newer M1 model or wait for another price drop.

If you have already decided to get a new M1 MacBook Air and you are not sure about the iGPU (7 vs. 8 cores), we can recommend our article, where we have compared the two. If you are not sure that you really need the additional performance, the entry-level model is a very solid choice. Please see our in-depth review for more information about the new M1 MacBook Air 2020.