Photo: Jelican9 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
The first Apple silicon MacBook Air, fast and fanless.
Overview
The M1 MacBook Air was one of the first three Macs to use chips designed by Apple, announced on November 10, 2020. Its eight-core CPU and seven- or eight-core GPU delivered several times the performance of the Intel Air it replaced, while the passive-cooling design kept it silent.
The 13.3-inch Retina display, Touch ID and Magic Keyboard carried over, but the battery life jumped to as much as 18 hours of video playback. The base model started at 999 dollars with 8 GB of unified memory and 256 GB of storage, with up to 16 GB and 2 TB available.
It could also run iPhone and iPad apps natively and wake instantly. After the 2022 M2 Air arrived, the M1 stayed on sale as a lower-priced model until early 2024.
Why it mattered
Proved the Apple silicon transition by making an entry-level laptop faster than many pro machines.
At a glance
- Announced
- November 10, 2020
- Released
- November 17, 2020
- Discontinued
- March 8, 2024
- Launch price
- $999
- Chip / processor
- Apple M1
- Display
- 13.3"
- Storage
- 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
- Status
- Discontinued
Highlights
- Apple M1 chip
- Fanless, silent design
- Up to 18 hours of video playback
- Touch ID and Magic Keyboard
- Runs iPhone and iPad apps
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 13.3-inch
- Type
- Retina IPS LED-backlit, P3
- Resolution
- 2560 x 1600
- Brightness
- 400 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple M1
- CPU cores
- 8 (4 performance, 4 efficiency)
- GPU cores
- 7 or 8
- Neural Engine
- 16-core
Memory
- RAM
- 8 GB or 16 GB unified memory
- Storage options
- 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB SSD
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 18 hours video playback
Ports
- Ports
- 2 Thunderbolt / USB 4, headphone jack
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0
Camera
- Camera
- 720p FaceTime HD
Audio
- Speakers
- Stereo speakers with wide stereo sound
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID
Design
- Dimensions
- 1.61 x 30.41 x 21.24 cm (at thickest)
- Weight
- 1.29 kg (2.8 lb)
Software
- Launch OS
- macOS Big Sur 11.0.1
How it compares
More in the MacBook Air family
MacBook Air (Original, 2008)
The laptop that came out of an envelope.
MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010)
A wedge-shaped 11-inch laptop with instant-on flash storage.
MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)
The 13-inch Air gained a higher-resolution display and an SD slot.
MacBook Air (11-inch and 13-inch, Mid 2011)
Sandy Bridge power, a backlit keyboard and Thunderbolt for the Air.
MacBook Air (Mid 2013)
Haswell brought all-day battery life to the Air.
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
A Retina screen and Touch ID finally reached the Air.
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
The last Intel MacBook Air brought the Magic Keyboard to the entry level.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)
A flat redesign with a bigger display, MagSafe and a 1080p camera.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023)
The first 15-inch Air: a big screen with a thin body.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024)
M3 speeds and dual-display support for the 13-inch Air.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
The big Air gets M3 and a faster wireless chip.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
16 GB of memory as standard and a new Sky Blue color.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)
The bigger Air got M4, 16 GB and a better camera.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026)
M5 and 512 GB of storage arrive on the 13-inch Air.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M5, 2026)
The large Air gets the M5 chip, 512 GB and Wi-Fi 7.