Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.0/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.4/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good—7.5/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Good—7.9/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.0/10
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 a midrange laptop with 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM, housing the efficient Apple M1 processor and integrated M1 GPU, suitable for general use and light creative tasks. Its 13.3-inch IPS display offers crisp images with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, but it lacks a touchscreen. Highly portable at just 2.8 pounds and 0.63 inches thin, the MacBook Air promises up to 15 hours of typical usage on a single charge, making it great for on-the-go users. It has a fanless design for silent operation and offers excellent build and keyboard quality. However, it may not be the best fit for intensive gaming or heavy engineering software due to its integrated GPU and focus on portability and battery life over raw performance. It comes with MacOS pre-installed, two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support, and a backlit keyboard. If you prioritize portability, long battery life, and a high-quality display within a midrange budget, this MacBook Air could serve you well for general computing tasks and light creative work. 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 design
- High-resolution Retina display
- Good battery life
- Fanless for silent operation
- Excellent build quality
Cons
- Limited to two USB-C ports
- No RAM or storage expansion
- Not suited for advanced 3D tasks
- Webcam quality is only good
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 equipped with a powerful CPU and ample RAM, which, combined with high screen quality, promotes effective multitasking and clear visuals for general use. It is also lightweight and compact, has a long battery life, and offers a comfortable keyboard and excellent build quality, enhancing its portability and user experience.
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
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design, CAD and 3D 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.
Gaming & AI:3.4
The MacBook Air (2020) is considered fair for 3D largely because its built-in Apple M1 GPU, while competent for everyday tasks, lacks the power required by demanding 3D applications, and the screen's refresh rate is standard at 60Hz, which doesn't provide the smooth visuals preferred for high-end 3D work.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $949 | ||
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 | 512 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. MSI Katana 15
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Apple MacBook Air (2022)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X13
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Dell Latitude 5431
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Gigabyte G5
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Acer Swift Go 14
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
116,295
Recommendations made
25,198
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
