The M1-equipped MacBook Air now packs far better performance than its predecessors, rivaling at times the M1-based MacBook Pro. At $999, it’s the best value among macOS laptops.

Good value; especially for a MacBook; Much-improved performance; thanks to Apple’s new M1 processor; Exceptional battery life; Sleek; portable metal design; High-quality keyboard; touchpad; and display; Multiple color options

Port selection limited to two USB Type-C connections; Still no touch-screen option

In a week of testing, I have pushed this computer and its new Apple-made processor to its limits and found that those limits exceeded my expectations on nearly every level.

Fast; Intel-based apps work well; Excellent battery life

Awful webcam; iOS apps are a whiff; It’s time to admit Macs would be better with touchscreens

Reviewing hardware is an act of minutia. Occasionally something new or potentially earth-shattering comes along, but on the whole, it’s about chipping away. Documenting small, gradual changes designed to keep product lines fresh and — if you play your cards right — differentiating yourself from the...

The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is easily one of the most exciting Apple laptops of recent years. Its M1 chip is a real game-changer, and the ability to run both legacy apps, new M1-optimized apps and iOS apps is very impressive. Battery life is also great, and performance is excellent as well.

macOS Big Sur is fast and responsive; Battery life is great; Silent in use; Keyboard remains very good

No new design; Fanless design could impact performance

With the 13-inch MacBook Pro already upping the ante, the new M1-based MacBook Air really throws down the gauntlet for rival ultraportable laptops. It might seem expensive for an entry-level offering, but the performance of the M1 chip gives the late 2020 MacBook Air a new lease of life.

Speedy M1 SoC; Outstanding battery life; Rosetta 2 emulation works well with Intel-native apps; Slimline; lightweight design

Design is looking a bit dated; No CPU upgrade options; Expensive RAM and storage upgrades; Only two Thunderbolt ports

I was fortunate enough to receive my built-to-order M1 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8-core GPU) last Tuesday, and I’ve had a week to truly experience it. We’ve all read the early reviews ( Snell , Gruber , and Bohn are the highlights), and they’ve focused on the specs and the highlights, so I...

There’s an old saying in tech that you should never buy the first generation of any new product – you’re paying to be an early adopter and to iron out the kinks. The thing is, I cannot find any kinks for your average consumer with the new M1 MacBook Air.

super-fast; super cool; extremely long battery life; fanless; great screen; great keyboard; best-in-class trackpad; good speakers; good mics; recycled materials; Touch ID.

poor webcam; only two USB-C ports; can only drive one external display; expensive; some niche apps may have issues running until updated; no BootCamp/Windows.

Were Charles Darwin here today, once he’d finished screaming at us for tinkering with necromancy and demanding to know what the heck a Lexus was, I think he’d want to see the new MacBook Air.

Apple M1 is astonishingly fast; Excellent battery life; Compatibility with non-native apps is impressive

720p webcam is still underwhelming; Lack of an embedded 4G/5G option is frustrating

This is a ridiculously capable laptop offering fantastic battery life – it's an instant recommendation for anyone looking for a MacBook Air.

It’s so fast thanks to M1; Exceptional battery life; Strong app support; Great keyboard;

Poor webcam; Same design as before; Poorly positioned (and only two) USB ports;

Apple through and through. The new entry into Apple's notebook world comes with its new in-house M1 ARM processor in the established case. Find out in our extensive review how the new entry-level release turns out and whether Apple also has to struggle with software compatibility like the Windows-on-ARM devices.

The new M1 processor with ARM architecture makes an impressive debut in the MacBook Air. In CPU as w...

stays cool despite the lack of a fan; workmanship and iconic design; speakers; performance of native apps;

Thunderbolt with limitations; large display bezels; 720p webcam; stability in Rosetta emulated apps; CPU throttling under longer load; relatively slow WiFi 6 at only 80 MHz;