Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air M1 Review: A Game-Changer in Performance and Efficiency
When Apple released the Late 2020 MacBook Air with its in-house M1 chip, it signaled a new era for the company’s Mac lineup. The move from Intel processors to Apple’s custom-designed ARM-based chips promised better performance, improved efficiency, and seamless integration across Apple’s ecosystem. In this review, we take an in-depth look at the renewed premium version of the MacBook Air M1 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Silver) to see how it performs in real-world usage, and whether it’s still a compelling option in 2024.
Design & Build Quality
The MacBook Air has always been known for its sleek, minimalist design, and the Late 2020 version is no different. At just 0.63 inches thick and weighing 2.8 pounds, it retains its ultra-portable nature, making it an excellent option for students, professionals, and frequent travelers. The iconic unibody aluminum chassis in Silver offers a premium feel, with Apple’s signature design language that hasn’t changed much since earlier iterations. The thin, lightweight form factor combined with its sturdy build makes it durable without sacrificing portability.Despite being a renewed premium product, users can expect it to look and feel like new. These devices are thoroughly tested and certified to ensure they function perfectly, with no significant cosmetic damage. Buying a renewed model is a cost-effective way to own this premium device, providing the same benefits as a new one at a fraction of the price.
Display
The MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, providing a crisp and vibrant visual experience. The colors are accurate, and the text appears sharp, making it ideal for productivity tasks like writing, coding, and browsing, as well as media consumption. Apple’s True Tone technology adjusts the display’s white balance to match the ambient lighting, providing a more comfortable viewing experience.For creative professionals, photographers, and designers, the color accuracy and brightness of the Retina display are great assets. The screen supports the P3 wide color gamut, which ensures vivid and lifelike colors, making it suitable for tasks like photo and video editing.
Performance
The standout feature of the Late 2020 MacBook Air is undoubtedly the M1 chip. Apple’s custom silicon has revolutionized the MacBook lineup, offering a significant leap in performance over the Intel-powered models. The M1 chip features an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and an 8-core GPU, delivering impressive speed and power efficiency.In everyday tasks, the M1 chip excels. Whether you’re browsing with multiple tabs open, using productivity software like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, or streaming video, the MacBook Air performs smoothly without any lag. The 8GB of unified RAM may seem modest on paper, but thanks to the efficiency of the M1 chip, memory management is optimized, allowing for better multitasking and performance than similarly specced Intel-based laptops.For more demanding tasks like photo editing, music production, or even light video editing, the M1 chip holds up surprisingly well. Applications like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Adobe Photoshop run smoothly, with faster rendering times compared to previous MacBook models. However, if you are working with extremely large files or 4K video editing, you might notice the limitations of 8GB of RAM. For most users, though, this setup will be more than enough.
Battery Life
One of the most impressive aspects of the M1-powered MacBook Air is its battery life. Apple claims up to 18 hours of web usage or video playback, which is far superior to most laptops in its class. In real-world usage, the battery life consistently delivers around 14 to 16 hours, depending on the tasks you’re performing. Light browsing, word processing, and streaming videos barely make a dent in the battery.This incredible efficiency is due to the M1 chip’s ARM architecture, which consumes significantly less power than Intel’s traditional x86 chips. Whether you’re working remotely, traveling, or just working through a long day, the battery life of the Late 2020 MacBook Air ensures you won’t be tethered to a charger for most of the day.
Storage
he base model of the MacBook Air M1 comes with 256GB of SSD storage. While this amount is adequate for most everyday users, those dealing with large files or media content may find themselves running out of space relatively quickly. However, the SSD is incredibly fast, offering quick boot times, snappy application launches, and swift file transfers.If you’re a creative professional working with large video files or extensive project libraries, you might want to consider an external storage solution or cloud services to expand your storage capacity.
Keyboard & Trackpad
The Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Air is a huge improvement over the previous butterfly keyboard. It offers a satisfying typing experience with decent key travel and tactile feedback. The backlit keys make typing in low-light conditions comfortable, and the inverted-T arrow key layout is convenient for navigation.The Force Touch trackpad remains one of the best in the industry. It’s large, responsive, and supports a wide range of multitouch gestures that make navigating macOS a breeze. The haptic feedback is smooth and precise, making it ideal for tasks that require precision, such as photo editing or detailed navigation.
Operating System
The Late 2020 MacBook Air comes pre-installed with macOS Big Sur, but it’s easily upgradable to the latest macOS versions, including macOS Ventura. The M1 chip has been optimized to work seamlessly with macOS, delivering a smooth and responsive experience across the board.macOS is known for its stability, security, and ease of use, making it ideal for both professionals and casual users. The integration with other Apple devices, like the iPhone and iPad, allows for continuity features like Handoff, AirDrop, and Universal Clipboard, which make multitasking across devices effortless.
Pros of the Late 2020 MacBook Air M1
M1 Performance: The M1 chip is the star of the show, delivering exceptional performance and energy efficiency. It handles everyday tasks with ease and even tackles more demanding workloads with surprising speed.Incredible Battery Life: With up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air M1 is perfect for users who need a long-lasting device for work or travel.Sleek, Lightweight Design: Weighing just 2.8 pounds, it’s highly portable, making it ideal for students and professionals on the go.Quiet Operation: With its fanless design, the MacBook Air runs completely silent, even during more intensive tasks.Stunning Retina Display: The 13.3-inch Retina display delivers sharp, vibrant visuals with excellent color accuracy.macOS Integration: The seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem makes switching between devices effortless, enhancing productivity.Improved Keyboard and Trackpad: The Magic Keyboard and Force Touch trackpad offer a comfortable, precise user experience.
Cons of the Late 2020 MacBook Air M1
Limited RAM for Power Users: While 8GB of unified RAM works well for most users, professionals working with large datasets, high-resolution media, or virtual machines may find it limiting.Limited Ports: With only two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports and a headphone jack, connectivity options are limited, and most users will need adapters or a hub for peripherals.Base Storage Could Be Small: The 256GB SSD might not be enough for users with large media libraries or heavy files, requiring external storage or cloud solutions.No Touchscreen or Face ID: Unlike some premium laptops, the MacBook Air lacks a touchscreen or biometric face recognition, though it does have Touch ID for secure unlocking and payments.
Final Verdict
The Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air M1 (Renewed Premium) is an outstanding laptop that brings the power and efficiency of Apple’s M1 chip to a sleek, lightweight design. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or a casual user, the MacBook Air offers exceptional performance, portability, and battery life in a compact package. The renewed model provides an affordable way to enjoy these benefits without paying full price for a new device.While power users might find the 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD limiting, for the vast majority of users, the MacBook Air M1 is more than capable of handling everyday tasks with ease. For those seeking a balance of power, portability, and premium design, the Late 2020 MacBook Air M1 remains a fantastic choice, even in 2024.
