Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
GENERAL USE: Good—7.8/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.3/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good—7.4/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Good—7.8/10
CONTENT CREATION: Good—7.8/10
PORTABILITY: Very Good—8.9/10
BATTERY: Excellent—9.3/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.6/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.2/10
SIZE: 13.3"
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is considered to be at a midrange price level and offers 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. It's powered by the Apple M1 chip, which includes a 7-core GPU. The battery capacity is strong, supporting up to 15 hours of typical usage, which, alongside its weight of 2.8 pounds, makes it very portable. The 13.3-inch screen is an IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, not a touchscreen, and has good color accuracy with full coverage of the sRGB space and almost full coverage of the DCI-P3 space, enhancing the display quality. It doesn't have a number pad but features a high-quality backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader for security. Connectivity includes two USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt and charging. The MacBook Air is fanless, thus operates silently, and is well-regarded for its build quality and heat management. Its performance is good for general use scenarios and fair for 3D/machine learning and engineering tasks, so while it's not tailored for intensive gaming, it's a reliable choice for everyday productivity and entertainment. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Lightweight and portable
- Excellent build quality
- Best keyboard quality
- Silent, fanless operation
- Good battery life
Cons
- Only two USB-C ports
- No touchscreen available
- Limited upgradeability
- Moderate performance for 3D tasks
Ratings by Category
Build Quality:5.0
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability.
Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify.
Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Operating Noise:5.0
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Keyboard Quality:4.9
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
Battery Life:4.8
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Portability:4.7
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
General Use:4.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is well-suited for general use because it has a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and an excellent screen quality that ensures smooth performance and good viewing experience. Its light weight, compact size, and long battery life make it highly portable and suitable for use on the go.
Software Development:4.4
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Content Creation:4.4
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, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
General Use Screen Quality:4.3
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Engineering & Design:4.2
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with the Apple M1 chip which includes a powerful CPU and GPU designed for complex tasks, along with a high-resolution IPS screen that provides clear visuals, essential for engineering and design work.
Gaming & AI:3.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) may not excel in 3D tasks because its Apple M1 chip with a 7-core GPU provides limited graphics performance compared to specialized gaming or graphics workstations. Additionally, the screen's refresh rate is standard at 60Hz, which is adequate for everyday tasks but not ideal for high-end gaming or professional 3D applications where smoother visuals are necessary.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $829 | ||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | ||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | ||
Width | 11.97" | ||
Depth | 8.36" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Apple M1 | ||
RAM | 16 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | ||
RAM Slots | 0 | ||
Storage | 256 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 15 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | ||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 10/10 | ||
Portability Score | 9/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | ||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | ||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | ||
Webcam | 720p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | No | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 0 | ||
USB-C ports | 2 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 1 | ||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | ||
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"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."
Comparison charts
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you may be interested in
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) to similarly priced alternatives
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Gigabyte A5
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Acer Nitro 5 17
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Acer Swift X (2021)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. MSI Prestige 14
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Acer Swift Edge 16
VS
FAQs
Why trust us
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
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
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.
Featured in
