MacBook Air (13-inch)

Apple’s first post-Intel MacBook Air is here – and it flies, mostly…

- Rob Mead-Green

From £999 FROM Apple, apple.com/uk FEATURES 13.3in Retina display (2560x1600), Apple M1 chip, 8GB unified memory (16GB available), 256GB storage (512GB/1TB/2TB available), 802.11ax Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, 2x Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports

This is what the future feels like – Apple has taken its most popular MacBook and rather than give it a superficial makeover, has radically altered what’s inside. Say goodbye Intel, hello Apple silicon – and the most radical change to the computers we love in over 15 years.

The late 2020 MacBook Air is the first of three new Macs to be powered by Apple’s M1 – a system on a chip (SoC) that takes all the know-how Apple has acquired through its experiences with iPhone and iPad and applied it to its new computers. The M1 comprises eight CPU cores, a choice of seven or eight GPU cores (depending on model) and a 16-core Neural Engine to deliver an astonishing level of performance for an entry-level laptop, while also delivering up to 18 hours of battery life.