MacBook Air (Apple silicon)
DeveloperApple Inc.
Product familyMacBook
TypeSubnotebook
Release date
  • November 17, 2020 (2020-11-17) (13-inch, M1, 2020)
  • July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) (13-inch, M2, 2022)
  • June 13, 2023 (2023-06-13) (15-inch, M2, 2023)
Operating systemmacOS
System on a chipApple M-series
PredecessorMacBook Air (Intel-based)
12-inch MacBook (indirect, fanless)
RelatedMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)
Websitewww.apple.com/macbook-air

The MacBook Air is a line of Mac laptops made by Apple Inc. In 2020, Apple stopped using Intel processors in the Air and switched to using their own Apple silicon M-series chips. In the current product line, the MacBook Air is Apple's entry-level laptop, situated below the performance range MacBook Pro, and is currently sold with 13-inch and 15-inch screens.[1]

Apple released the MacBook Air with the Apple M1 system on a chip in November 2020. A redesigned model based on the Apple M2 chip was released in July 2022, and the first 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023.[2]

M1 (2020)

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

On November 10, 2020, Apple announced an updated MacBook Air with an Apple-designed M1 system-on-a-chip (SoC), 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.[3] Apple released the device a week later, on November 17. The device uses a fanless design[4] and adds support for Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3/USB4 and Wide color (P3).[5] The M1 MacBook Air can only run one external display, compared to the previous Intel-based model which was capable of running two 4K displays.[6] The FaceTime camera remains 720p, drawing some criticism, but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor for higher quality video.[7]

Reception

The M1 MacBook Air 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".[8]

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".[9]

The M1 MacBook Air has suffered some problems during its lifetime. Some users reported alarmingly high solid-state drive usage and wear, which drew a lot of attention, as if the drive failed, it could not be replaced by the user. Some USB-C docks also caused Apple Silicon MacBooks to stop working.[10]

During tests, the battery life of the MacBook Air was many hours short of Apple's claims, leading to some questioning the veracity of the claims. However, when the same tests were repeated with a lower brightness setting, the MacBook exceeded Apple's claims. During initial testing, the battery performance of the MacBook was so phenomenal, that Apple initially presumed the slow change of the battery meter to be a bug.[11]

Technical specifications

Current
Model M1, 2020[12]
Timeline Announced November 10, 2020
Released November 17, 2020
Discontinued In production June 6, 2022[13]
Support status Supported
Model details Model identifier MacBookAir10,1
Model number (on underside) A2337
Part/order number (color) MGN63 (Space Gray), MGN93 (Silver), MGND3 (Gold) MGN73 (Space Gray), MGNA3 (Silver), MGNE3 (Gold)
Display Surface Glossy display
Display size 13.3 in (340 mm) (diagonal)
Native resolution 2560 × 1600
Pixel density (ppi) 227
Aspect ratio 16:10
Supported UI scaling resolutions UI: 1680 × 1050 | Display: 3360 × 2100
UI: 1440 × 900 | Display: 2880 × 1800 (Default)
UI: 1280 × 800 | Display: 2560 × 1600 (Native)
UI: 1024 × 640 | Display: 2048 × 1280
Brightness ( cdm2) 400
Color gamut support Display P3
True tone display Supported
Refresh rate 60 Hz
Performance and storage
System on a chip Apple M1
CPU cores 4 × 3.2 GHz Performance Cores (Firestorm) and 4 × 2.064 GHz Efficiency Cores (Icestorm), 8-core overall
Cache Performance Cores: 192 KB L1i, 128 KB L1d, 12 MB shared L2
Efficiency Cores: 128 KB L1i, 64 KB L1d, 4 MB shared L2
System Level Cache: 8 MB
GPU cores 7-core Apple G13G (112 EUs, 896 ALUs) 8-core Apple G13G (128 EUs, 1024 ALUs)
Neural engine 16-core (11 Trillion operations per second)
Cooling system Aluminum heat spreader, no fan included
Memory type 128-bit Dual Channel LPDDR4X-4266 Unified Memory (68.25 GB/s)
Memory capacity 8 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 16 GB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
SSD type PCIe-based SSD
SSD capacity at time of purchase, not upgradable after[14] 256 GB
Optional 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB
(128 GB available for educational institutions only)
512 GB
Optional 1 TB or 2 TB
Keyboard and trackpad Keyboard type Backlit Magic Keyboard with (scissor-switch) mechanism and ambient light sensor
Number of keys 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
Trackpad Force Touch Trackpad
Secure authentication Touch ID Yes
Video and Audio Video camera 720p FaceTime HD Camera with advanced image signal processor with computational video
Speaker Stereo speakers with wider stereo sound
Dolby Atmos playback Supported
Microphone Three-mic array with directional beam-forming
3.5 mm headphone jack Included
Connectivity Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0
Ports 2 × Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 4) ports supporting charging and DisplayPort protocols among others. No eGPU support[15]
Transmission speeds up to 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 3 or USB4) and 10 Gbps (3.1 Gen 2)
External display support One display up to 6016x3384 at 60 Hz
Power Battery Non-removable lithium-ion polymer 11.4 V 49.9 W·h (4,379 mA·h)[16]
Battery cycle count[17] 1000
Included power adapter 30 W USB-C power adapter
Greenhouse gas emissions 161 kg CO2e[18] 181 kg CO2e[18]
Dimensions and weight Width 11.97 in (30 cm)
Depth 8.36 in (21.2 cm)
Height 0.16 in (0.4 cm) to 0.63 in (1.6 cm)
Weight 2.8 lb (1.29 kg)
Operating system Initial release macOS 11 Big Sur
Latest release macOS 14 Sonoma

M2 (2022)

On June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022, Apple announced an updated MacBook Air based on the M2 system on a chip.[19] It incorporates several design elements from the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models, such as a flat, slab-shaped design, full-sized function keys, and a Liquid Retina 60 Hz display with rounded corners and a notch for a 1080p webcam. It includes two combination Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 ports and adds MagSafe charging.[20] Along with the retaining Space Gray and Silver color options, the Gold color option (introduced with iPhone 8 in 2017) has been discontinued and replaced by Starlight color option (a color mixture between natural silver and champagne gold) and added the new Midnight color option (a color mixture between dark blue and dark gray).

The M2 MacBook Air 13 inch started shipping on July 15, 2022. A 15-inch version was announced at Apple's WWDC event on June 5, 2023. Apart from the larger screen, the hardware specs are mostly identical to the other M2 Air models. Preorders for the new model began on June 6, 2023, with deliveries and retail availability beginning the following week on June 12.

Reception

The M2 MacBook Air was generally well received. Several reviewers praised the new design, as well as the improved display, performance, and webcam.[21] Dan Seifert of The Verge described it as "a success on virtually every level".[22] The price increase over the M1 model was noted, with most concluding that the M1 model was a better value.

Due to a lack of active cooling, the M2 can overheat on high workloads, leading to thermal throttling issues.[23]

Technical specifications

Current
Model 13-inch, M2, 2022[24] 15-inch, M2, 2023[25]
Timeline Announced June 6, 2022 June 5, 2023
Released July 15, 2022 June 13, 2023
Market Status In production
Support status Supported
Model details Model identifier Mac14,2 Mac14,15
Model number (on underside) A2681 A2941
Part number (order number) MLY33 (Midnight), MLY13 (Starlight), MLXW3 (Space Gray), MLXY3 (Silver)[26] MLY43 (Midnight), MLY23 (Starlight), MLXX3 (Space Gray), MLY03 (Silver)[26] MQKW3 (Midnight), MQKU3 (Starlight), MQKP3 (Space Gray), MQKR3 (Silver) MQKX3 (Midnight), MQKV3 (Starlight), MQKQ3 (Space Gray), MQKT3 (Silver)
Display Surface Glossy display
Display Size 13.6 in (350 mm) (diagonal) 15.3 in (390 mm) (diagonal)
Native resolution 2560 × 1664 2880 × 1864
Pixel Density (ppi) 224
Color depth 30-bit
Aspect Ratio 9:5.85 (16:10 without notch) 9:5.825 (16:10 without notch)
Supported UI Scaling Resolutions UI: 1710 × 1112 | Display: 3420 × 2224
UI: 1470 × 956 | Display: 2940 × 1912 (Default)
UI: 1280 × 832 | Display: 2560 × 1664 (Native)
UI: 1024 × 666 | Display: 2048 × 1332
UI: 1920 × 1243 | Display: 3840 × 2486
UI: 1710 × 1107 | Display: 3420 × 2214 (Default)
UI: 1440 × 932 | Display: 2880 × 1864 (Native)
UI: 1152 × 746 | Display: 2304 × 1492
Brightness ( cdm2) 500
Color Gamut Support Display P3
True Tone Display Supported
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Performance and Storage
System on a chip Apple M2
CPU Cores 4 × 3.49 GHz Performance Cores (Avalanche) and 4 × 2.424 GHz Efficiency Cores (Blizzard), 8-core overall
Cache Performance Cores: 192 KB L1i, 128 KB L1d, 16 MB shared L2
Efficiency Cores: 128 KB L1i, 64 KB L1d, 4 MB shared L2
System Level Cache: 8 MB
GPU Cores 8-core Apple (128 EUs, 1024 Shaders)[27] 10-core Apple (160 EUs, 1280 Shaders)[28]
Neural Engine 16-core (15.8 Trillion operations per second)
Cooling System Aluminum heat spreader, no fan included
Memory Type 128-bit Dual Channel LPDDR5-6400 Unified Memory (102.4 GB/s)
Memory Capacity 8 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 16 GB or 24 GB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
SSD Type PCIe-based SSD
SSD Capacity 256 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
512 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 1 TB or 2 TB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
256 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
512 GB, not upgradeable
Optional 1 TB or 2 TB at time of purchase, not upgradable after
Keyboard and Trackpad Keyboard type Backlit Magic Keyboard with (scissor-switch) mechanism and ambient light sensor
Number of Keys 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
Trackpad Force Touch Trackpad
Secure Authentication Touch ID Yes
Video and Audio Video Camera 1080p FaceTime HD Camera with advanced image signal processor with computational video
Speaker Four-speaker sound system with wide stereo sound Six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers and wide stereo sound
Dolby Atmos Playback Supported with Spatial Audio in built-in speakers or AirPods with dynamic head tracking
Microphone Three-mic array with directional beam-forming
3.5 mm Headphone Jack Included with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
Connectivity Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3
Ports 2 × Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 4) ports supporting charging and DisplayPort protocols among others. No eGPU support
Transmission speeds up to 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 3 or USB4) and 10 Gbps (3.1 Gen 2)
External Display Support One display up to 6016x3384 at 60 Hz
Power Battery Non-removable lithium-ion polymer 52.6 W·h Non-removable lithium-ion polymer 66.5 W·h
Battery cycle count[29] 1000
Included power adapter 30 W USB-C power adapter
Optional 35 W USB-C power adapter at time of purchase
Optional 67W or 70 W USB-C power adapter at time of purchase
35 W dual USB-C port compact power adapter
Optional 70 W USB-C power adapter at time of purchase
Greenhouse gas emissions 147 kg CO2e[30] 171 kg CO2e[30] 139 kg CO2e[31] 152 kg CO2e[31]
Dimensions and Weight Width 11.97 in (30 cm) 13.4 in (34 cm)
Depth 8.46 in (21.5 cm) 9.35 in (23.7 cm)
Height 0.44 in (1.1 cm) 0.45 in (1.1 cm)
Weight 2.7 lb (1.2 kg) 3.3 lb (1.5 kg)
Operating System Initial Release macOS 12.4 Monterey macOS 13.4 Ventura
Latest Release macOS 14 Sonoma

Timeline

Timeline of portable Macintoshes
Mac transition to Apple siliconApple WatchMac ProPower Mac G5Power Mac G4Power Macintosh G3Power MacintoshCompact MacintoshMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)PowerBook G4PowerBook G4PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook 2400cPowerBook 3400cPowerBook 1400PowerBook 5300PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 190TiBookPowerBook 150PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 165PowerBook 145BPowerBook 180cPowerBook 180PowerBook 165cPowerBook 160PowerBook 145PowerBook 170PowerBook 140MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Intel-based)12-inch MacBookMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook DuoMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook G4PowerBook 100Macintosh PortablePowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook Duo 2300cPowerBook Duo 280cPowerBook Duo 280Macintosh PortablePowerBook Duo 270cPowerBook Duo 250PowerBook Duo 230Macintosh Portable

References

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  2. Casserly, Martyn. "Apple launches the new 15-inch MacBook Air". Macworld. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
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Further reading

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