APPLE MACBOOK AIR 2020: All you need to know

Specifications

Price: ₹ 92,990 (base model)

Display: Retina display

13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology,

16:10 aspect ratio

Storage:

256GB PCIe-based SSD,

512GB PCIe-based SSD

Processor:              

 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3, Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz, with 4MB L3 cache

 1.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, with 6MB L3 cache

Memory:

8GB of 3733MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory

Battery:           

Built-in 49.9 watt-hours lithium‑polymer battery

Weight:

1.29 kg (2.8 pounds)

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics

 Support for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)

Camera: 720p FaceTime HD camera

Touch ID:  Touwatt-hourch ID sensor

Wireless:

Wi-Fi

     802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking

     IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible

   Bluetooth

     Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Audio:  Stereo speakers

 Support for Dolby Atmos playback

 3.5mm headphone jack

In the Box:               

MacBook Air

30W USB-C Power Adapter

USB-C Charge Cable (2m)

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Overview

The 2020 MacBook Air comes with the new scissor-switch keyboard, which Apple introduced in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the processors have been upgraded to Intel’s new 10th-generation parts.

The generous Force Touch trackpad underneath the keyboard is as good as previous generations too, with better responsiveness than any Windows laptop on the market.

With up to 400-nit brightness it's a lovely screen to work on, though as with most LCD panels it's hard to see in direct sunlight.

Along the left side, there are two Thunderbolt 3 ports; the new Intel chips have Iris Plus graphics, which means you can now run a 6K display from a MacBook Air.

On the other side, you’ll find a headphone jack. Use wired headphones for your video conferencing, you will not find yourself delaying.

The keyboard on it feels just like the keyboard on the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The keys have 1mm of travel, the inverted-T arrow key layout is back, and everything is just clicky enough without being too loud. Overall, the whole thing is very solid and very satisfying.

Heavy sustained workloads cause the system to do some aggressive thermal` throttling, basically capping the max speed of the processor in order to manage heat.

The battery life is just average.

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Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Scissor Switch Keyboard-It's relatively quiet compared to the previous generation’s Butterfly Switch Keyboard.

• Apple’s T2 security chip, it handles SSD, audio and also the processor for specific tasks.

• Physical Escape key with no Touch Bar.

• Base storage is now increased to 256 GB.

• It's a nice little refresh from the previous versions.

• You can go up to 2 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM.

• The microphone array is good.

• The speakers are better than the previous version with good bass.

• The i5 version shows significant improvement but the i3 version still has its performance closer to the previous generation.

• Made with better materials

  100% recycled Aluminium in the enclosure.

                 100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board

                 35% or more recycled plastic in multiple components

Cons:

• 720p webcam which is actually a mediocre selection for such a heavy price tag.

• Stays significantly hot while it’s continuously working, since there are no heat pipes connected across the CPU.

• But it does not overheat at all, because if it overheats it gets shut down or thermal throttles under base clock speeds.

• Only a y series chip, but it spikes up the temps even on normal usage.

• Not recommended editing, gaming, workload, app development.

• The fan is always on and you can possibly hear it running when you’re at a quiet place.

• Average battery life.

• It's very basic.

• i3 and i5 versions have the same battery life when compared.

• No screen upgrade from the previous version, it’s pretty nice but it's not the best 13-inch screen possible.

• No Wi-Fi 6

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This is a list of laptops you can get out there for similar prices which offer better options and have windows in them.

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Verdict

Make no mistake, the 2020 MacBook Air is the best MacBook for most people.

The keyboard is absolutely the best thing about this laptop and one of the main reasons I can recommend it so heartily.

That said, your video calls will suffer due to the unforgivably bad webcam, and battery life doesn't achieve the heights Apple promises.

Yeah, it’s a tough choice but quite a value for the money if you can afford it.