The Apple MacBook Air M1 is the first laptop I’m reviewing on THE QNR platform. Launched in 2020, it continues to be a top choice in 2024. This laptop offers impressive specifications, featuring the powerful M1 chip, a 13.3-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD.
The MacBook Air M1 is suitable for various users, including students, professionals, and everyday users. With features like a backlit keyboard, FaceTime HD camera, and other exceptional capabilities, it excels at everything from professional-quality editing to action-packed gaming.
Review
The Apple MacBook Air M1 boasts an impressive battery life of up to 18 hours, a sleek design, and 8GB of integrated memory that keeps the system fast and responsive. The M1 chip, equipped with an 8-core CPU, delivers 3.5 times faster performance than previous models. The 13.3-inch Retina display brings images to life with a new level of realism, enhancing the overall user experience.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: Design and Build Quality
The Apple MacBook Air M1 retains the traditional design of its early 2020 predecessors, featuring a sleek, wedge-shaped machined aluminum chassis available in gold, silver, and space gray. It measures 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches and weighs just 2.8 pounds, perfectly embodying the “Air” moniker and making it an excellent choice for students and professionals on the go.
While the dimensions mirror those of previous models, this design choice is intentional—Apple aims to transition users into the Apple Silicon era without sacrificing its signature aesthetic, which is well-received in India.
Key Features:
- Fanless Design: The MacBook Air M1 operates silently, enhancing the user experience in quiet environments like libraries or cafes.
- Magic Keyboard: Known for its tactile feedback, it includes a reliable Touch ID button for quick and secure login.
- Display: The 13.3-inch Retina display delivers vibrant visuals with True Tone technology, ensuring comfortable viewing in varying lighting conditions—ideal for Indian users who often work in diverse environments.
while the design hasn’t changed significantly, the M1 MacBook Air remains a premium, elegant device that impresses with its build quality. It is a strong choice for anyone seeking a powerful and portable laptop in India.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: Performance
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) sets a new standard in ultra-portable laptop performance. It boots up quickly and offers impressive speed and responsiveness, allowing users to run over a dozen applications simultaneously—from productivity tools to intensive software like Photoshop—without any slowdown.
Thanks to Rosetta 2, the Air seamlessly runs both M1-optimized apps and legacy Intel-based applications, ensuring excellent compatibility. Benchmarks reveal that its single-core performance is on par with the more expensive MacBook Pro (M1, 2020), while multi-core scores are similarly strong.
The MacBook Air also surprises with its gaming capabilities, achieving a respectable frame rate of 38 frames per second in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, making it a viable option for casual gaming.
Its fanless design enhances portability but may lead to throttling during prolonged intensive tasks, making the MacBook Pro a better choice for sustained high performance.
Overall, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) delivers exceptional value, merging speed, efficiency, and versatility in a sleek package. Whether for students or professionals, it’s a powerful laptop that redefines expectations in its class.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Software and Features:
Despite its modest webcam resolution, the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) enhances the remote work experience with innovative software and features. The M1 chip includes an advanced image signal processor, which improves video quality during calls. In a direct comparison with the early-2020 Intel-based MacBook Pro, the M1 Air produced better colors and brighter images, though a higher-resolution camera would still be a welcome addition for clearer video quality.
The MacBook Air runs Intel-based applications smoothly, thanks to Rosetta 2, which translates these apps for seamless use. While many existing applications aren’t yet optimized for the M1 chip, developers are encouraged to create Universal versions to leverage the new architecture fully.
Another significant feature of the M1 chip is its ability to run iPhone and iPad apps on the Mac, available through the Mac App Store. Look for the “Not verified for macOS” label to identify apps that haven’t been confirmed for Mac compatibility. Popular apps like Overcast and HBO Max enhance usability, although some, like Among Us, may require adjustments without a touch screen.
At the heart of the experience is macOS Big Sur, which introduces a bright, modern interface and significant updates to Safari, making it a competitive browser with customizable features and new tab previews. Overall, the software and features of the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) elevate the user experience, making it a solid choice for both work and entertainment.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: Display Quality
This model supports the P3 wide color gamut, offering more accurate, true-to-life colors—a feature previously exclusive to the MacBook Pro lineup. This enhancement makes the MacBook Air a viable option for photographers and video editors who demand color precision.
While the display reaches up to 365.8 nits of brightness—slightly below Apple’s 400-nit estimate—it remains competitive with other laptops, such as the Intel-based MacBook Air and the Asus ZenBook 13. However, the M1 MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 13 offer even brighter screens.
Despite its strengths, the display is framed by thicker bezels, giving it a somewhat dated appearance compared to competitors like the Dell XPS 13, which feature slimmer designs. Additionally, the 720p FaceTime webcam feels outdated, especially as many rivals now offer 1080p. Although Apple claims improvements in noise reduction and dynamic range thanks to the M1 chip’s image signal processor, the webcam still leaves room for enhancement.
Overall, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) boasts a remarkable display that enhances both work and entertainment experiences, making it a strong contender in its class.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: Audio Quality
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) impresses with its audio quality, defying expectations for a thin laptop. Its top-firing stereo speakers deliver loud, rich sound that fills larger rooms. Listening to Joy Crookes’ “Hurt,” the clarity and depth of the grooves and percussion were remarkable.
Tracks like Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild” showcased a solid bass response, while LEISURE’s “Eye 2 Eye” highlighted distinct instrument separation. Although the low-end isn’t chest-thumping, the overall sound quality is surprisingly robust.
When watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the MacBook Air’s support for Dolby Atmos enhanced the audio experience, making the score and voice acting more engaging.
Additionally, the built-in trio of microphones ensures clear audio during video calls, allowing Siri to respond accurately even from a distance. Overall, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) delivers excellent audio performance for both entertainment and communication.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: Heat
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) impressively manages heat, remaining cool even during intensive use. After streaming a 15-minute 1080p video in full-screen, the device warmed to only 84 degrees Fahrenheit, well below the 95-degree threshold that raises concerns. The touchpad and keyboard also stayed comfortable, reaching 78 and 81 degrees, respectively.
This effective temperature management is particularly noteworthy given that the MacBook Air is fanless, relying solely on an aluminum heat spreader to dissipate heat. This efficiency highlights the M1 chip’s capabilities. While the MacBook Air performs admirably during everyday tasks—such as writing and email management—it’s important to note that prolonged use of demanding applications could lead to throttling. Without a fan, the laptop may reduce its performance to prevent overheating.
Overall, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) maintains a commendable balance of performance and temperature, making it suitable for a range of tasks while keeping user comfort in mind.
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