Apple MacBook Air 13.3" 1.8 GHz (2017)

Specifications

Pricecompare

Reviews for the Apple MacBook Air 13.3" 1.8 GHz (2017)

Stop Buying the MacBook Air
Source: Linus Tech Tips Archive.org version
The number one selling laptop on Amazon is currently the MacBook Air… from 2017. Guys, I know the logo is pretty, but please stop buying it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/02/2020

80% MacBook Air review: is this a better choice than the smaller MacBook?
Source: T3 Archive.org version
The MacBook Air is unexciting and not as fashionable as it once was, but its excellent battery life, decent performance and good selection of ports make it worthy of your consideration for another year... just about.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/24/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% Apple MacBook Air 13in (mid-2017) review: has Apple changed enough to stay on top?
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
The 2017 upgrades to the MacBook Air are minor, so if you're looking for Apple to completely overhaul this device you may be a little disappointed. While the rest of the recipe is great, we're still underwhelmed by the screen and it's an area that could definitely do with a bit of attention.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/18/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% MacBook Air review
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air now comes with much faster storage, better battery life and slightly improved performance in other areas. On the other hand, its display and design are beyond dated.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/16/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% MacBook Pro
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the best-designed laptop in the world, without question. Just consider whether you’re willing to pay for it.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2017
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 70% display: 100% mobility: 90% workmanship: 90%

70% Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) Review
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
The MacBook Air may be going gray (well, silver) as it ages, but we still love its long battery life, solid performance and safety-first MagSafe 2 power port. You also don't have to worry about schlepping any dongles to plug in peripherals. Two downsides, however, are that its display is stuck in the past decade, and it's up to a pound heavier than competitors.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/27/2017
Rating: Total score: 70%

80% Apple MacBook Air (2017) review
Source: Macworld.co.uk Archive.org version
The 13-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, starting at £949 (US$999). It might lack the super-sharp Retina screen of the Macbook and MacBook Pro models but its display and performance is fine for most everyday uses. It boasts enough USB ports and other slots to make it more useful out of the box than the more limited, USB-C-only 12-inch MacBook or Pro. And its Wi-Fi is the same high standard as even the top-of-the-range MacBook Pro. If you need raw power go for the Pro. If you need the smallest Mac laptop there is, look at the 12-inch MacBook. But, all in all, despite it not changing much year after year we still love the MacBook Air for its design, price, size and features.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/06/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

70% Apple MacBook Air (2017) Review
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
The MacBook Air remains a fine piece of computing hardware, and there's a reason or ten that it has stuck around as long as it has. But unless you're dead-set on sticking to macOS, better options are available in this price range. And if you are a Mac die-hard and looking for an extremely light laptop, don't dismiss the impressive 2-pound Apple MacBook (2017)$1,299.00 at Apple Store. If anything, that current-generation MacBook, as well as the latest 13-inch MacBook Pros, feel more solid and well-built than the MacBook Air. If you aren't put off by their $300-higher starting prices, they may be worth paying more for, if you can get used to the keyboards and having only USB Type-C at your fingertips.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/24/2017
Rating: Total score: 70%

80% Apple MacBook Air 13in (mid-2017) review: has Apple changed enough to stay on top?
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
The upgrades made to the MacBook Air this year are minor, meaning that those looking for an overhaul will be disappointed. While the rest of the recipe is great, we're still underwhelmed by the screen and this is an area that really needs attention.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/18/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

78% Apple MacBook Air (2017) review:
Source: CNet Archive.org version
The MacBook Air lives to fight another day, thanks to its mainstream price and long battery life, but this classic laptop is definitely in its twilight.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/17/2017
Rating: Total score: 78% performance: 80% mobility: 90% workmanship: 70%

70% Apple MacBook Air (2017)
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
The MacBook Air remains an excellent ultraportable choice for students and other macOS fans with basic computing needs, but despite killer battery life, it will disappoint power users with its low-resolution display and outdated processor.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/09/2017
Rating: Total score: 70%

80% Apple MacBook Air (mid 2017) review
Source: Macworld.co.uk Archive.org version
The 13-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, starting at £949 (US$999). It might lack the super-sharp Retina screen of the Macbook and MacBook Pro models but its display and performance is fine for most everyday uses. It boasts enough USB ports and other slots to make it more useful out of the box than the more limited, USB-C-only 12-inch MacBook or Pro. And its Wi-Fi is the same high standard as even the top-of-the-range MacBook Pro. If you need raw power go for the Pro. If you need the smallest Mac laptop there is, look at the 12-inch MacBook. But, all in all, despite it not changing much year after year we still love the MacBook Air for its design, price, size and features.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/28/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

MacBook Air finally gets a touchscreen, no thanks to Apple
Source: CNet Archive.org version
You can preorder the AirBar for the 13-inch MacBook Air on the company's website, and it will soon be available through Amazon for $99. There's no planned international release yet, but that works out to roughly £75 or AU$130. The Windows version is already available for around $80.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/09/2017

80% Apple MacBook Air (mid 2017) review
Source: Macworld.co.uk Archive.org version
The 13-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, starting at £949 (US$999). It might lack the super-sharp Retina screen of the Macbook and MacBook Pro models but its display and performance is fine for most everyday uses. It boasts enough USB ports and other slots to make it more useful out of the box than the more limited, USB-C-only 12-inch MacBook or Pro. And its Wi-Fi is the same high standard as even the top-of-the-range MacBook Pro. If you need raw power go for the Pro. If you need the smallest Mac laptop there is, look at the 12-inch MacBook. But, all in all, despite it not changing much year after year we still love the MacBook Air for its design, price, size and features.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/06/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% MacBook Air review
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air now comes with much faster storage, better battery life and slightly improved performance in other areas. On the other hand, its display and design are beyond dated.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/05/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

Foreign Reviews

El injusto legado del MacBook Air
Source: Incognitosis ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Large battery capacity; comfortable keyboard; decent hardware.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/15/2018

70% Apple MacBook Air (2017)
Source: CNet France FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/25/2017
Rating: Total score: 70%

Comment

Model:

With WWDC came another refresh for some of Apple’s products, one of them being the 13.3-inch MacBook Air (mid 2017). While not a massive improvement, the mid-2017 model still remains a great choice for those who want to break into the Apple ecosystem without over-splurging. One of the most glaring “updates” to the system is the CPU. Though the Intel Core i5-5350U is not exactly new, the keyword here is update. As you might have noticed by now, Apple is referring to this model as just a refresh and not as new, so should users want something faster, it would be best to just skip to the pro line instead. In all honesty, apart from the faster processor, most of the hardware remains similar to the 2015 model, although the default memory configuration has been increased from 4GB of yesteryear to 8GB, which should keep day-to-day browsing, streaming, social and office tasks snappy. Because the design has remained the same as in 2015, all that can be mentioned is its all-aluminum unibody with the easily recognizable sleek design that still feels premium as it should. However, for users who are still rocking the Macbook Air from before 2015 and are looking for an upgrade, this might actually be worth the upgrade.

Moving along the checklist is the storage: While with the previous MacBooks one would have to contend with choosing either a hard disk or an SSD solution, these days the choice comes down to just storage capacity, namely the default 128GB, 256GB or the maximum capacity of 512GB. While the MacBook Air is mainly a budget line, if you are planning to carry a lot of digital content with you, it would be more than recommended to choose the maximum; otherwise, the 128GB default solution should suffice. Going over to the display, it is a 1440x900 pixel glossy LED panel, which may not be as crisp and smooth as the displays on the MacBook or the Pro lineup, but still remains quite bright and vibrant. Overall, the screen is not bad, since it actually sips less power with its conservative resolution. As for user input, the mid-2017 Air has a full-size backlit keyboard that remains quite comfortable to type on, and a Multi-Touch trackpad, which is about as good as it gets on an Apple Product. Finally, regarding battery life, Apple claims that it should keep the user going for up to 12 hours on a single charge, which remains quite impressive. To sum up, while the MacBook Air (mid 2017) may lack the retina screen of the MacBook and Pro lineup, it performs well as an entry-level Apple notebook, but should you want more, by all means, go for the Macbook Pro.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Series: The original MacBook Air, “the world’s thinnest notebook” was introduced at the 2008 keynote by Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs. Key advantages are thinness, durability, high quality display especially the input device when compare with other netbook at the time. However, it was also heavily criticized for lack of Optical Disc, only one USB port, not user-removable battery among other things. At that time, nobody knows that these disadvantages of the MacBook Air series would be the pinnacle of Intel’s concept for next generation notebooks which will be the newest trend for 2012.

In 2011, Apple has introduced the latest update of the MacBook Air Series, with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge Series, which doubling the performance. Major advantages of the 2011 MacBook Air in our reviews are the light weight, outstanding, unrivalled design and robust build quality thanks to the aluminum case, very good backlit keyboard plus glass track pad, as well as a very good performance for a subnotebook. The 2011 MacBook Air still shares some of the original’s disadvantages like limited ports, heavily reflective display, non-upgradeable memory and non-user-removable battery. Still, the MacBook Air outclasses almost every other Ultrabook out there with its advantage, save only for Samsung’s newest Series 9 model. On average, the review-ratings are very good, which always assure a place in the top 3 Subnotebook of Notebookcheck.

Rumor has it that Apple will introduce the new MacBook Air within a month during Apple’s usual WWDC with Retina-display, USB 3.0 and Ivy-bridge processor, so stay tune for the newest update of the most popular Ultrabook from the tech giant in Cupertino.

Intel HD Graphics 6000: Integrated graphics card (GT3) in the Core processors of the Boradwell U-series (15 W TDP). 

Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

5350U: Broadwell-based ULV (ultra low voltage) dual-core processor for notebooks and ultrabooks. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 6000 GPU and is manufactured in 14 nm.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

13.30":

There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.

Apple: Apple is a US company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, the company is known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and manufactures computers and consumer electronics as well as operating systems and application software. Apple is also a leading provider of software and services such as the App Store, iTunes and iCloud.

Apple has earned a reputation as a company that focuses on design and ease of use. As for their notebooks, they are mostly in the high-priced segment, have their own operating system, but also run Windows on the newer Macbooks.

Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and has a loyal following of customers and fans. The company also has a strong presence in the entertainment industry, with services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. In 2023, Apple had an approximate 8% market share of global PC sales, ranking it 4th after Lenovo, HP, and Dell.

77.57%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight

Devices from the same Manufacturer