The Apple MacBook Air from 2020 offers a balance of performance, portability, and price, ideal for general use and light engineering work. It's also completely silent due to its fanless design. However, the 2023 MacBook Air 15 improves on these features with a larger screen, more power with the newer processor and graphics, as well as higher brightness and better color accuracy for the display, which could be substantial for creative tasks and engineering that requires more screen real estate and image precision. If budget allows and the need for a bigger screen and upgraded performance outweighs the marginal increase in weight and size, the MacBook Air 15 from 2023 may be the better choice. If portability and cost savings are top priorities, the 2020 model may suffice. Both have similar battery life, eliminating battery duration as a differentiating factor. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a screen well-suited for general use due to its high resolution and brightness, while the color accuracy makes it viable for engineering and design tasks that require precise color work. The MacBook Air 15 (2023) enhances this experience with even better screen attributes, offering increased brightness and more comprehensive color coverage that benefits demanding engineering and design professionals. However, both models fall short for 3D applications as they do not prioritize high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth rendering and animation work in that context.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is well-regarded for general use due to its efficient Apple M1 CPU and 8GB RAM which ensure smooth performance, an optimal 13.3-inch high-resolution screen for clear visuals, and up to 15 hours of battery life for all-day use while maintaining great portability with its lightweight design. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers an enhanced Apple M2 CPU and larger 15.3-inch higher-resolution screen, delivering more power for demanding applications and more screen real estate, while still offering the same battery longevity and retaining the fanless design for quiet operation, though it is slightly heavier and therefore less portable than its 2020 counterpart.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with the Apple M1 chip and integrated GPU is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution IPS display and a commendable battery life that supports its very good portability; the machine offers a comfortable keyboard, reliable thermal performance, and operates quietly. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) elevates these characteristics with the more powerful Apple M2 chip and enhanced graphics performance, a larger and brighter screen with superior contrast, alongside top-notch build quality and speaker performance, though it is slightly heavier, making it less portable than the 2020 model.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
8.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
15.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) costs $1,000.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
95,895
Recommendations made
20,778
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.