Is The 2020 M1 MacBook Air Still A Worthy Buy In 2024?

In 2020, Apple completely changed the laptop industry scene by launching its M series with the Macbook Air M1. The M1 chip was a significant stride into building a self-sustaining future. Not only that, it proved to be much faster and higher performing than the popular Intel chipsets. Since then, we have seen an upgrade with a series of M2 and M3 chipsets that are far better than the debutant M1 chipset.

Now after four years and many MacBook models with a plethora of M-series chipsets later, everyone wants to know if the 2020 M1 Macbook Air is still a worthy buy in 2024. The laptop is four years older and comes with significant price drops and deeper discounts during every sale. While it’s still relevant, is it the right choice for you? Let’s find out!

Also Read: Why Should You Choose Apple MacBook Air Over Any Laptop?

The Era Of M Series

The M1 chip offered significant performance improvement over the previous Intel-based models. For usual daily tasks like browsing and emailing, productivity applications run smoothly through these chips. They even effortlessly handle video editing and photo editing tasks. The battery life has also been quite decent, lasting a full day’s work.

Its later upgrades, M2 and M3, came with a lot of improvements in the same area. With higher capabilities in terms of graphics and processing power, M series chips have been thriving since its launch. People who use it for professional heavy-duty tasks, are ideal users. Despite this, the Macbook Air M1 holds its place.

Is The 2020 M1 MacBook Air Still A Worthy Buy In 2024?

Here are a few reasons why the 2020 Macbook Air M1 still takes the fancy of Apple laptop users:

1. Macbook Air M1 is a Budget-Friendly Buy

Whether you are low on cash or not looking to splurge a hefty sum or simply want a second device to handle strenuous tasks, the 2020 MacBook Air M1 can be a great choice. It won’t let you down even after a whole day of crunching those data sheets on Excel or browsing Safari without needing a charge anytime soon. The M1 is better than 2020’s Intel models which means you can buy it within your budget and still get better performance out of it compared to Intel MacBooks released during the same timeframe. Doesn’t it sound great?

2. Better Performance (-) High Price

Turns out there are a few factors that customers look out for when buying a laptop (or any device for that matter). Here, performance and price are two primary factors that could influence their purchase decisions.

The laptop comes with a high-performance 8-core M1 SoC (which was the first of custom SoCs from Apple at the time) paired with a 7-core GPU, 8GB unified RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. There’s no denying that the laptop still performs flawlessly, taking you through low and moderate tasks without breaking a sweat. It does struggle a bit with 4K video editing, but I have used PhotoShop and Final Cut Pro, among other demanding apps, and they worked like a charm. Everything else, from making presentations, browsing, writing documents, switching between apps, etc, is as flawless as a MacBook can be.

3. Superb Build Quality

There is no denying that Apple products are of the finest quality, regardless of the price you are asked to pay for them. Albeit the 2020 M1 MacBook Air uses an old design compared to the latest MacBooks out there, it is still premium. The slim unibody looks the utmost premium no matter how you look at it. Apple has used sturdy materials for the construction which makes MacBook Air resilient with daily use. 

At 0.63” at the thickest point, the laptop can accommodate itself in a traveller’s bag. The fewer ports and a few things here and there make it portable. Even with that, the giant and full-fledged 13.3” retina display looks crisp, vibrant and throws a max brightness of 400-nits suitable for most lighting conditions.

If you compare its design with newer laptops, you will see a significant change although with an exceptionally low price tag, the 2020 M1 MacBook Air will take away the limelight off the newer devices. 

What adds to the design is the fact that the 2020 M1 MacBook Air is fanless. It uses a thermal plate for heat dissipation which means you won’t have to bear unending fan noises when doing strenuous tasks such as video editing. 

Also Read: MacBook Air M2 vs MacBook Air M1: Quick Comparison

4. Exceptional Battery Life

MacBook Air may look smaller and portable (which it is), but the laptop still packs in quite a muscle when it comes to battery performance. On any given day, it can give you 15 to 18 hours of back-on web browsing while video playback cuts it down to 8 to 10 hours. Overall, the MacBook Air can still get you through the day with a mix of browsing, document editing, video playback, and other activities on a moderate level. 

‘Battery Life’ is a crucial factor that can influence one’s buying decisions. If you are looking for an excellent battery life and can overlook performance (compared to the latest Mac Air), the 2020 M1 MacBook Air is something you can consider without burning a hole in your pockets. 

Conclusion

We have to be impartial when answering such questions, right? Above are some of the reasons why you can still buy the 2020 M1 MacBook Air and why it is still worthy. However, there’s a flip side too. If you are looking for a newer design, a faster chipset that can handle almost everything you can throw at it such as the upcoming M3-powered MacBook Air, more ports, a better webcam, and better storage configurations, you might give the 2020 MacBook Air a pass especially if you have more to shell out for the newer models. With a launch price of Rs. 99,000 the 2020 Macbook Air M1 is currently available for Rs. 70,000 which is a good deal in 2024.

Also Read: Which Apple Macbook Pro Should You Buy?

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