Apple has announced the release of the new MacBook Air, scheduled for release around autumn 2022, to our excitement. Check-in with us to find the latest and greatest deals on the 2022 MacBook Air later this year.
The MacBook Air has consistently been on the cutting-edge of Apple’s notebook range, as an ultra-lightweight, yet uncompromisingly powerful machine that is perfect for working on the go.
Yet despite being nearly two years old, the latest MacBook Air on the market, released in 2020, remains a worthy competitor for newer notebooks on the market and is still a great option for tech enthusiasts.
The new generation of Apple’s super-thin and lightweight range is a considerable upgrade over the last offering, with a 3.5x faster-processing speed, 5x faster GPU performance and 2x faster SSD read and write rate. It’s silent too, thanks to the fan-less design.
Apple has always been huge on making products as thin, light and efficient as possible and their recent line-up of tech does not stray from this ethos.
If you're a fan of Apple's latest earphones, check out our deals on the incredible AirPods.
The best deals on 2020 MacBook Air
AppleIncludes one year of free Apple TV+
Applewww.johnlewis.com
Includes one year of free Apple TV+
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display size: | 13.3" |
| Resolution: | 2560 x 1600p |
| Chip: | Apple M1 Chip |
| Storage: | 256 GB, 512 GB SSD |
| Weight: | 1.29 KG |
| Battery: | 18 Hours (15 hours with web surfing) |
| Camera: | 720p FaceTime HD Camera |
| Operating System: | Mac OS (Big Sur) |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Stunning design | • Very expensive despite being a couple years old |
| • Incredibly light | |
| • Powerful |
Overview
Equipped with Apple’s incredibly impressive M1 chip that crushes performance-heavy tasks such as editing, and surprisingly holds its own while gaming; the 2020 MacBook Air sets the bar high for notebooks to this day.
To compensate for a much more powerful chip, the MacBook has a whopping 18 hours of battery life, an unfathomable amount of battery life for such a lightweight and powerful notebook.
Amazingly, its 13.3” screen has a 2560 x 1600p resolution that is as vibrant and sharp as a screen gets.
And to top it all off, the MacBook Air is so efficient that it doesn’t require a fan, meaning more power is devoted to performance and there’s no obtrusive fan whirring while working.
At full price, the £999 2020 MacBook Air carries the M1 chip with a seven-core GPU and 256GB SSD, while the £1,249 version carries the same M1 chip with an eight-core GPU and 512GB SSD.
Both, disappointingly, come with 8GB of RAM, yet this is plenty of RAM for editing and some casual gaming.
The Details
The MacBook Air gives Apple customers access to the all-new ARM-based Apple Silicon processor, the M1 chip. This proprietary chip can also be found in the latest MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.
What makes the M1 so special is that its eight cores divide into two, with four taking charge of demanding, high-performance tasks and four taking care of less-demanding tasks with an emphasis on high-efficiency. This two-pronged approach also allows the M1 chip to improve both the Air’s performance and battery life.
Apple has always been ahead of the pack when it comes to the battery life of its products, and 2020’s Air continues this trend with its impressive 18-hours of video playback, dropping to 15-hours during web-based tasks.
The previous Air generation carried an sRGB colour gamut. On the 2020 model, this receives a significant upgrade to the P3 colour gamut.
This is a real boon for any user, with the on-screen image appearing deep and vibrant on the 2560x1600p resolution screen. The M1 chip uses machine learning to really help the visuals shine, with the integrated GPU being able to “handle extremely demanding tasks with ease”, perfect for anyone using 3D rending or 4K UHD footage.
The operating system bolstering the 2020 MacBook Air is macOS's BigSur, a system designed around the M1 chip.
It offers some fantastic enhancements to Apple’s apps and privacy systems and streamlines the user experience with easier navigation, an all-new Control Centre and improved script loading times on Safari.
Additionally, streaming on Netflix and YouTube is available in 4K UHD for your viewing pleasure.
To find out more about what Apple's BigSur OS offers, check out Apple’s Newsroom.
What do we know about the 2022 MacBook Air?
While there is still speculation as to what the up-and-coming model will bring to the table, it's fairly likely it'll have an updated M2 chip, more USB4 ports and MagSafe capabilities like the MacBook Pro.
As to what the new display will be like, it'll assuredly remain at 4K resolution, but it seems as though Apple are sticking with a traditional LCD rather than an OLED, yet we cannot be certain as of now.
What else?
An often overlooked, yet crucial feature, the 2020 MacBook Air has a very respectable 720p camera and incorporates machine learning to improve overall image quality and performance.
Also included is support for Thunderbolt/ USB4; offering fantastic bandwidth and ultra-fast transfer speeds, so your photo libraries can be transmitted rapidly.
There are a ton of great peripherals you can pick up for the MacBook Air to get the most out of your new notebook, here are just a few selections that are our favourites.
An incredibly handy cable to have around, it's perfect for massive data transfers, like moving files from your phone or older computers, or if you've got a big editing project you're working on, a Thunderbolt 4 cable is always useful.
They're also some of the quickest charging cables around, perfect for your type-c mobile devices.
While it's not a total necessity, and there are plenty of cheaper alternatives, Apple's Magic Mouse is a beautifully designed and ever-so-satisfying mouse to use. Designed with Apple's signature minimalistic, slick aesthetic, the Magic Mouse has a perfectly tactile hand-feel and is great fun to use on the day-to-day