Apple gets this Air just right

Apple didn’t reinvent the MacBook Air on the outside. But the 2020 model does have some exciting improvements under the hood.

There’s a 10th-generation processor, double the base storage, and a new keyboard.

Yep, that’s right. Apple ditched the disastrous butterfly keyboard for its Magic Keyboard and all I can say is: thank goodness. Even with all these new features, Apple still managed to keep the starting price at a relatively affordable $999. 

But that’s if you opt for the base model, which is 265GB and comes with an Intel Core i3 processor and Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz. 

For an extra $100, you can upgrade to the i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz. Or, you can go for the i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz for an extra $250. (If you want to spend more cash, you can upgrade to 512GB.)

The i3 is a dual-core processor, which is ideal if you’re only using the MacBook for tasks like word processing and web browsing. The i5 is a step up if you’re looking for a bit more power to support apps and multitasking, while the i7 is the most powerful option. It’s your best bet if you’re planning on using the Air for intense tasks such as heavy photo and video editing or even gaming.

The battery life could be improved but it’s worth overlooking for the MacBook Air’s solid performance, vastly improved keyboard, Touch ID, and a punchy display complete with True Tone. All of which comes in Apple’s sleek and lightweight form factor for an attractive price.

It took Apple a few tries, but in 2020, it finally got the MacBook Air right. 

Apple’s tried and true design

There’s nothing revolutionary about the new MacBook Air’s design. In fact, it looks just like the models that came before it. And we’re not complaining. 

It’s made of 100 percent recycled aluminum and comes in gold, Space Gray, and silver. My review unit was gold, which actually looks more like Rose Gold, just in case you’re not into that pink-ish tint.

As for ports, the Air has two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports on the left and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right side. 

It also comes with a Touch ID button, located in the right-hand corner of the keyboard. Once you set up your fingerprint, you can use it to unlock the laptop, download apps (instead of typing in your Apple ID password), and make purchases with Apple Pay. I really only used it to unlock my MacBook and found it super responsive.

At 2.8 pounds and 0.63-inches thin, its build is certainly considered lightweight and slim as far as laptops go. But after using Google’s Pixelbook Go for a few months, which weighs 2.3 pounds (and is 0.5-inches thin), the Air’s weight was a bit of an adjustment at first.

Regardless, the Air is still great for travel and commuting. It’s easy to slip into backpacks or tote bags without feeling like overkill.

A truly “magical” keyboard

Unlike its predecessors, which features Apple’s infamous butterfly keyboard, the new MacBook Air comes equipped with a Magic Keyboard (as seen on the 16-inch MacBook Pro). 

It features a scissor switch mechanism under each key with 1mm of key travel, so it feels way more comfortable to type on. Unlike the butterfly keyboard’s .7mm of travel which, to me, always felt like I was aggressively banging my fingers against the keys regardless of how lightly I tried to type. 

That .3mm of additional travel might sound very minor to some, but it makes a huge difference. It’s a lot easier to type on and doesn’t feel as fragile. 

In a way, the Magic Keyboard feels like a hybrid of the butterfly keyboard and the standard keyboard featured on older MacBook Air models. Apple took the sleek and refined look from the butterfly keys and added a similar height you’d find on the MacBook Air from 2017.

But the one thing I need to emphasize is how much quieter it is. I’ll admit, I haven’t used the butterfly keyboard in almost two years, but I will never forget that sound. 

One time I brought my MacBook Pro (2017) to my brother’s apartment to get some work done and he jokingly asked me if I could “turn down the volume” on my keyboard. The noise is super irritating after a while.

The Magic Keyboard doesn’t have that issue. While it’s not completely silent, it basically sounds like most other standard keyboards. 

Bright display with True Tone

On the inside is a 13.3-inch Retina display with 2,560 by 1,600 resolution at 227 PPI (pixels per inch). That’s the same resolution you’ll find on the 2019 MacBook Air.  

I’m the type who has my brightness up to 100 percent at all times (don’t ask why, I have absolutely no reasoning behind this), but even at 50-60 percent, the Air’s display is plenty bright.

And, as with last year’s model, the display supports True Tone — which uses sensors to measure the ambient light in your environment and then adjusts the brightness and intensity of your display accordingly. 

It’s particularly useful if you’re using the MacBook outside when the sunlight is super bright. For me, it was more useful at night when I’d use it to watch shows on Netflix. Once I turned off all the lights in my room, the display’s brightness dimmed a bit so I didn’t feel blinded by the light. 

Unfortunately, the 720p HD camera isn’t ideal if you plan on using the Air for a lot of video chats and FaceTime calls (which, in the wake of the coronavirus, I’ve been doing far more than usual). 

When I logged into a Google Hangouts session with some co-workers, I couldn’t help but comment on how grainy I looked. Especially in comparison to everyone else who looked super crisp and clear. 

But it’s not a dealbreaker. Even though it’s not the best quality, it’s still perfectly capable. 

Great performance, but don’t push it past its limits

As mentioned before, the MacBook Air is available in a variety of configurations. My review unit had a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and, for the most part, I had no issues. But it was a little inconsistent.

Let’s start with the fact that during a typical workday, I have the following apps open and running: Slack, iMessage, Spotify, Telegram, Google Chrome, and Slack. 

There were days where I’d have all these apps running and a window open with 13 to 14 tabs. While performance didn’t slow down, the fan immediately kicked into gear. I found myself closing some of the apps to give the MacBook a bit of a break.

But when I’d push it even further, the Air would start to slow down and the dreaded rainbow wheel would appear when I’d try to switch tabs or open another app.

Other days, I’d have the same amount of tabs open (spread out among three Chrome windows) and all of the apps I’d normally use during the day, and the MacBook ran perfectly fine. There was no fan, no rainbow wheel, no lag in performance.

Essentially, if you’re using the laptop for everyday tasks like word processing, photo or light video editing, web browsing, and entertainment, then I have no doubt that it’ll perform smoothly.  

But if you’re looking for a MacBook that can handle much more at once, then you might want to consider paying a little extra for the Air with the i7 processor. Or, you can look into the MacBook Pro (2019).

It’s also worth nothing that while I’m not an intense gamer, I did use the MacBook Air to download and play the Sims 4. While everything ran smoothly, the fan did run the entire time.  

I ran benchmarks on GeekBench 4, since that’s what we tested last year’s MacBook on. My unit scored 5,227 for single-core performance and 16,190 for multi-score performance. That’s a lot higher than the metrics on last year’s MacBook Air, which came in at 4,113 and 7,775, respectively. 

On GeekBench 5, which includes new benchmark tests to reflect the latest apps, my unit scored 4,932 for single-core performance and 10,840 for multi-score performance. Also a big improvement compared over the 2019 model. 

As with any Apple product, the MacBook Air has better performance and battery life if you stick to native apps.

I’m very loyal to Google Chrome and immediately set it as my default browser the minute I set up the MacBook Air. But it also drains the battery very quickly. It doesn’t help that (as I mentioned before), I constantly keep the brightness at 100 percent. 

Additionally, I have Spotify playing music at all hours of the work day (you know, rather than Apple Music), which doesn’t help either. 

While Apple says the MacBook Air can last up to 11 hours on a full charge, I consistently tracked five hours per day. On a good day, I was able to squeeze out six hours.  

It’s also worth noting that for the purpose of this review, I used it a lot more than I normally would. So, with standard usage you’ll likely be able to get a few more hours of battery life than I did. 

New and improved, where it matters

In comparison to last year’s MacBook Air and even the 2018 version, it’s clear that Apple put a lot more thought into this year’s improvements — a new keyboard, double the base storage, and the latest 10th-generation processor.

They also didn’t sacrifice the best parts of the last version: the Retina display with True Tone, Touch ID, and the sleek and lightweight form factor. 

But if you’re looking for something that’s more powerful, then the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019) is a better alternative. While at $2,399 it’s a lot more expensive, it’s a lot more capable of handing heavier tasks. 

For those of you willing to step outside the MacBook ecosystem but still want something lightweight and budget-friendly, the Google Pixelbook Go ($649) is a good option. Like the MacBook Air, it has a 13.3-inch display and up to 12 hours of battery life (one hour more than the Air). 

Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with the new MacBook Air. And at $999, it won’t burn too big of a hole in your pocket.