🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 51 (from laksa105)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa051.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon","crawl_time":1774908233,"first_indexed_time":1650244482,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cnn!www,\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon s443","src_root_hash":"2312100192101524051","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Apple MacBook Air review: it’s the new standard | CNN Underscored","meta_descriptions":["The first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. Officially announced last week, we’ve spent the last six days with the MacBook Air. On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop we reviewed in the spring. Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"CNN\n — \nThe first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here.\nOfficially announced last week\n, we’ve spent the last six days with the\nMacBook Air\n. On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop\nwe reviewed in the spring\n. Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen.\nThe switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild.\nThe\nMacBook Air\nwe’ve been using is the\n$999 base model\nwith the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here.\nThe brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly.\nHistorically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs.\nApple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from\nApple is the M1\n. At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package.\nThat’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers\nthe iPhone 12 family\n, this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside.\nSummed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package.\nIn terms of speed and performance on the new\nMacBook Air\n, Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole.\nThe\nMacBook Air\ncomes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster.\nWe also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack,\nAdobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop\n, Final Cut Pro,\nMicrosoft Office 365 including Outlook\n, Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air.\nFinal Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the\nMacBook Air\n. In comparison, a\n16-inch MacBook Pro\nwith an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know.\nThere’s also no fan on the\nMacBook Air\n(more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop.\nIt’s really hard to make the\nMacBook Air\nbuckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take\nAdobe Photoshop\n. Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps.\nMicrosoft Outlook\n, a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time.\nAlongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the\nMacBook Air\nis a silent machine on par with the\niPhone\nand\niPad\n. There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs.\nThe\nMacBook Air\nis just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here.\nAnd in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat.\nSimilar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery.\nWe were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the\nMacBook Air\nkept running out of juice.\nFrom a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the\nMacBook Air\n. That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it.\nThe other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the\nMacBook Air\n, it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most.\nWe have no concerns with battery life on the\nMacBook Air\n, though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week.\nThe Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware\nAgain, the\nnew MacBook Air\nis nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air.\nIt’s the same tapered-edge\nMacBook Air\ndesign that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the\nMacbook Air\nis easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution (\nthat’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go\n) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new.\nThere are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the\n27-inch iMac\n, but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the\nprevious MacBook Air\nand\nMacBook Pro\nfamily.\nLastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format.\nThere’s also no Touch Bar on the\nMacBook Air\nlike on the\nMacBook Pro\n. Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls.\nAnd the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the\nMacBook Air\nall the way to an external display.\nLast but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system.\nApple’s macOS Big Sur\nwas designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process.\nIt has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications.\nThe top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from\niOS and iPadOS\nnow on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop.\nApple macOS on\na Silicon-powered machine\nwill look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine.\nWe had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines,\nand the MacBook Air really delivers\n.\nYou’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole,\nApple is setting a new standard here\n.\nIt keeps the same $999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the\nMacBook Air\n.","attrs_markdown":"[Amazon Prime Day](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/deals\/prime-day)\n\n[All Amazon Prime Day](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/deals\/prime-day)   [Amazon Spring Sale best deals](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/deals\/best-amazon-prime-day-deals-2026-03-29)\n\n[Gift Ideas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts)\n\n[All Gift Ideas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts)   [For Women](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts\/for-women)   [For Men](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts\/for-men)   [For Kids](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts\/for-kids)   [Holidays & Special 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When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. [Learn more](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/about)\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews)\n\n# The new Silicon-powered MacBook Air sets a new standard for Apple laptops\nBy [Jacob Krol](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/about\/jacob-krol)\n\nPublished 9:00 AM EST, Tue November 17, 2020\n\nLink Copied\\!\n\n![best laptops badged 23](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/best-laptops-badged-23.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_833,w_1480,c_fill)\n\nMichael Andronico\/CNN Underscored\n\nCNN\n\n—\n\nThe first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. [Officially announced last week](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/live-news\/apple-november-event-2020), we’ve spent the last six days with the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop [we reviewed in the spring](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/26\/cnn-underscored\/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard). Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen.\n\nThe switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) we’ve been using is the [\\$999 base model](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here.\n\n### What exactly is Apple Silicon?\n![11-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214424-11-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nThe brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly.\n\nHistorically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs.\n\nApple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from [Apple is the M1](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package.\n\nThat’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers [the iPhone 12 family](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/20\/cnn-underscored\/iphone-12-review), this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside.\n\nSummed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package.\n\n### This Mac moves\n![13-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214842-13-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nIn terms of speed and performance on the new [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html), Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) comes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster.\n\nWe also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack, [Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop](https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/products\/photoshop.html), Final Cut Pro, [Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/30\/cnn-underscored\/microsoft-365-pricing-office-outlook-word-excel), Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air.\n\nFinal Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). In comparison, a [16-inch MacBook Pro](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB081FZV45H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D198cc52bbf228fd5b2a79317ea3c1b43%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know.\n\nThere’s also no fan on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) (more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop.\n\nIt’s really hard to make the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) buckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take [Adobe Photoshop](https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/products\/photoshop.html). Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps.\n\n[Microsoft Outlook](https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=Fr\/49\/7rhGg&mid=24542&u1=1117macbookairM1&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fmicrosoft-365%3Frtc%3D1), a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time.\n\n### Did we mention there’s no fan?\n![7-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214826-7-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nAlongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) is a silent machine on par with the [iPhone](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/20\/cnn-underscored\/iphone-12-pro-review) and [iPad](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/21\/cnn-underscored\/ipad-air-fourth-generation-review). There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here.\n\nAnd in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat.\n\n### Battery life is truly exceptional\n![5-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214457-5-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nSimilar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery.\n\nWe were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) kept running out of juice.\n\nFrom a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it.\n\nThe other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183), it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most.\n\nWe have no concerns with battery life on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881), though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week.\n\n### The Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware\n![4-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214406-4-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nAgain, the [new MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) is nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air.\n\nIt’s the same tapered-edge [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) design that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the [Macbook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution ([that’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/11\/11\/cnn-underscored\/surface-laptop-go-review)) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new.\n\nThere are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the [27-inch iMac](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/08\/21\/cnn-underscored\/apple-27-inch-imac-review-2020), but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the [previous MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/26\/cnn-underscored\/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard) and [MacBook Pro](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/05\/15\/cnn-underscored\/apple-13-inch-macbook-pro-2020-review-magic-keyboard-specs) family.\n\nLastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format.\n\nThere’s also no Touch Bar on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) like on the [MacBook Pro](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5N6RSS%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D7479b411455f0d4c47ac60f71ea01101%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls.\n\nAnd the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) all the way to an external display.\n\n### Big Sur runs swimmingly\n![9-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214440-9-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nLast but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system. [Apple’s macOS Big Sur](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/11\/12\/cnn-underscored\/macos-big-sur-review) was designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process.\n\nIt has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications.\n\nThe top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from [iOS and iPadOS](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/07\/09\/cnn-underscored\/ios-14-ipados-14-preview) now on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop.\n\nApple macOS on [a Silicon-powered machine](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) will look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine.\n\n### Bottom line\n![12-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/201116214808-12-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)\n\nJacob Krol\/CNN\n\nWe had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines, [and the MacBook Air really delivers](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183).\n\nYou’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole, [Apple is setting a new standard here](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881).\n\nIt keeps the same \\$999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881).\n\n### More recommendations\n- [![best-car-vacuum-2026-badge-cnnu.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-car-vacuum-2026-badge-cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-car-vacuum?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [The best car vacuum in 2026, tried and tested](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-car-vacuum?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-umbrella-badged-lead-26.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-umbrella-badged-lead-26.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-umbrellas?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [We tested 16 umbrellas ahead of the rainy season. There’s only one we recommend for keeping dry](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-umbrellas?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-cooling-pillow-badged-lead-26.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-cooling-pillow-badged-lead-26.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-cooling-pillow?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [I tested a bunch of cooling pillows, and only two actually cooled me off as I slept](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-cooling-pillow?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![badged-lead-2026-best-fan-vornado-cnnu.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/badged-lead-2026-best-fan-vornado-cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-cooling-fans?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [The best cooling fans of 2026, tested by editors](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-cooling-fans?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-hard-shell-carry-on-luggage-lead-cnnu-badged.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-hard-shell-carry-on-luggage-lead-cnnu-badged.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-hard-shell-carry-on-luggage?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [We put these hard-shell carry-on bags through it all and only one stood out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-hard-shell-carry-on-luggage?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-budget-laptops-acer-01-1-copy.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-budget-laptops-acer-01-1-copy.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-budget-laptops?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [I’ve tested budget laptops from the top brands to find your 3 best options](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-budget-laptops?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![walensee-lead-alt.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/walensee-lead-alt.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/walensee-stand-up-weed-puller?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [I’ve had this \\$30 weeding tool for 3 years. Here’s why it should be your go-to this spring](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/walensee-stand-up-weed-puller?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![lead-best-usb-c-charger-cnnu.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/lead-best-usb-c-charger-cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-usb-c-chargers?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [I found the 4 best USB-C chargers for recharging your phones and gadgets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-usb-c-chargers?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![lead-best-iphone-power-banks-cnnu-2.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/lead-best-iphone-power-banks-cnnu-2.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-iphone-power-banks?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [We found the 3 best iPhone power banks that’ll save you from a dead battery](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-iphone-power-banks?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![lead-best-root-touch-up-spray-cnnu.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/lead-best-root-touch-up-spray-cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-root-touch-up-sprays?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [We tested all kinds of root touch-up sprays to hide grays and growth. Only 2 high-coverage products wowed us](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-root-touch-up-sprays?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![fluxphenom-magneticscreendoor3cnnu.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/fluxphenom-magneticscreendoor3cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/flux-phenom-magnetic-screen-door?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [Pets love it, bugs hate it. This magnetic screen door is the best thing I bought on Amazon this summer](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/flux-phenom-magnetic-screen-door?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-emergency-radios-lead-cnnu-badged-2026-credit-gareen-puglia.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-emergency-radios-lead-cnnu-badged-2026-credit-gareen-puglia.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-emergency-radios?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [The best emergency radios in 2026, tried and tested](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-emergency-radios?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-dyson-vacs-new-badged-lead-26.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-dyson-vacs-new-badged-lead-26.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-dyson-vacuums?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [The best Dyson vacuums of 2026, tried and tested](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-dyson-vacuums?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-tested-badge-20250102184214258.jpeg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-tested-badge-20250102184214258.jpeg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-flashlight?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [A good flashlight is a must when the power goes out. These three are the best](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-flashlight?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n- [![best-portable-chargers-2026.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/parsely\/best-portable-chargers-2026.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-portable-charger?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n  [The best portable chargers of 2026, tried and tested](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/best-portable-charger?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail)\n\n*Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.*\n\n[![best bidet product card tushy](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/211108122056-best-bidet-product-card-tushy.jpg?q=x_0%2Cy_0%2Ch_970%2Cw_1723%2Cc_fill\/h_720,w_1280,c_auto,g_auto,c_auto_pad,ar_16:9)](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTushy-Classic-Bidet-Toilet-Attachment%2Fdp%2FB08VS11Z1N%3Fth%3D1%26linkCode%3Dll2%26tag%3D033026dotd-20%26linkId%3Dc865785ff23548c6cba89d11a5a84c5d%26language%3Den_US%26ref_%3Das_li_ss_tl&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881)\n\n### Deal of the Day\n[Tushy Classic 3.0 Bidet Attachment](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTushy-Classic-Bidet-Toilet-Attachment%2Fdp%2FB08VS11Z1N%3Fth%3D1%26linkCode%3Dll2%26tag%3D033026dotd-20%26linkId%3Dc865785ff23548c6cba89d11a5a84c5d%26language%3Den_US%26ref_%3Das_li_ss_tl&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881)\n\n~~\\$129~~ **\\$93 at Amazon**\n\n28% off\n\n***\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Live TV](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/live-tv)   [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n***\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - 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All Rights Reserved.   \n CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/google-play-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/app-store-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n![CNN Logo](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn.svg)\n\n## Legal Terms and Privacy\nBy clicking Agree, you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our Privacy Policy.\n\nBy clicking \"Agree\", you have read and agree to the [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms) and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy).\n\n[Agree](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews\/apple-macbook-air-m1-silicon)","attrs_readable_markdown":"CNN —\n\nThe first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. [Officially announced last week](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/live-news\/apple-november-event-2020), we’ve spent the last six days with the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop [we reviewed in the spring](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/26\/cnn-underscored\/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard). Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen.\n\nThe switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) we’ve been using is the [\\$999 base model](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here.\n\nThe brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly.\n\nHistorically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs.\n\nApple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from [Apple is the M1](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package.\n\nThat’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers [the iPhone 12 family](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/20\/cnn-underscored\/iphone-12-review), this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside.\n\nSummed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package.\n\nIn terms of speed and performance on the new [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html), Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) comes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster.\n\nWe also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack, [Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop](https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/products\/photoshop.html), Final Cut Pro, [Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/30\/cnn-underscored\/microsoft-365-pricing-office-outlook-word-excel), Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air.\n\nFinal Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). In comparison, a [16-inch MacBook Pro](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB081FZV45H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D198cc52bbf228fd5b2a79317ea3c1b43%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know.\n\nThere’s also no fan on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) (more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop.\n\nIt’s really hard to make the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) buckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take [Adobe Photoshop](https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/products\/photoshop.html). Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps.\n\n[Microsoft Outlook](https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=Fr\/49\/7rhGg&mid=24542&u1=1117macbookairM1&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fmicrosoft-365%3Frtc%3D1), a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time.\n\nAlongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) is a silent machine on par with the [iPhone](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/20\/cnn-underscored\/iphone-12-pro-review) and [iPad](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/21\/cnn-underscored\/ipad-air-fourth-generation-review). There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs.\n\nThe [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here.\n\nAnd in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat.\n\nSimilar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery.\n\nWe were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) kept running out of juice.\n\nFrom a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it.\n\nThe other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183), it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most.\n\nWe have no concerns with battery life on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881), though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week.\n\n### The Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware\nAgain, the [new MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) is nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air.\n\nIt’s the same tapered-edge [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) design that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the [Macbook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution ([that’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/11\/11\/cnn-underscored\/surface-laptop-go-review)) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new.\n\nThere are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the [27-inch iMac](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/08\/21\/cnn-underscored\/apple-27-inch-imac-review-2020), but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the [previous MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/26\/cnn-underscored\/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard) and [MacBook Pro](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/05\/15\/cnn-underscored\/apple-13-inch-macbook-pro-2020-review-magic-keyboard-specs) family.\n\nLastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format.\n\nThere’s also no Touch Bar on the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) like on the [MacBook Pro](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5N6RSS%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D7479b411455f0d4c47ac60f71ea01101%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls.\n\nAnd the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183) all the way to an external display.\n\nLast but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system. [Apple’s macOS Big Sur](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/11\/12\/cnn-underscored\/macos-big-sur-review) was designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process.\n\nIt has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications.\n\nThe top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from [iOS and iPadOS](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/07\/09\/cnn-underscored\/ios-14-ipados-14-preview) now on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop.\n\nApple macOS on [a Silicon-powered machine](https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1604825-REG\/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) will look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine.\n\nWe had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines, [and the MacBook Air really delivers](https:\/\/expercom.com\/product_detail.html?p=2128183).\n\nYou’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole, [Apple is setting a new standard here](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881).\n\nIt keeps the same \\$999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the [MacBook Air](https:\/\/r.bttn.io\/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881).","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/Computers_and_Electronics\":996,\"\/Computers_and_Electronics\/Computer_Hardware\":993,\"\/Computers_and_Electronics\/Computer_Hardware\/Laptops_and_Notebooks\":992}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":998,\"\/Article\/Product_or_Brand_Review\":981}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":921,\"Commercial\":160}","meta_language":"en","attrs_author":"Jacob Krol","attrs_publish_time":1605621605,"attrs_original_publish_time":1605621605,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"3336","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"2024","body_ext_links_number":29,"body_int_links_number":359,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":1,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":606,"download_ttfb_msec":557,"download_size":483180}

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Apple MacBook Air review: it’s the new standard | CNN Underscored

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The first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. Officially announced last week, we’ve spent the last six days with the MacBook Air. On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop we reviewed in the spring. Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen.

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CNN — The first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. Officially announced last week , we’ve spent the last six days with the MacBook Air . On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop we reviewed in the spring . Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen. The switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild. The MacBook Air we’ve been using is the $999 base model with the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here. The brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly. Historically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs. Apple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from Apple is the M1 . At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package. That’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers the iPhone 12 family , this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside. Summed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package. In terms of speed and performance on the new MacBook Air , Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole. The MacBook Air comes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster. We also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop , Final Cut Pro, Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook , Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air. Final Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the MacBook Air . In comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know. There’s also no fan on the MacBook Air (more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop. It’s really hard to make the MacBook Air buckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take Adobe Photoshop . Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps. Microsoft Outlook , a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time. Alongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the MacBook Air is a silent machine on par with the iPhone and iPad . There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs. The MacBook Air is just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here. And in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat. Similar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery. We were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the MacBook Air kept running out of juice. From a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the MacBook Air . That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it. The other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the MacBook Air , it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most. We have no concerns with battery life on the MacBook Air , though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week. The Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware Again, the new MacBook Air is nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air. It’s the same tapered-edge MacBook Air design that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the Macbook Air is easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution ( that’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go ) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new. There are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the 27-inch iMac , but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the previous MacBook Air and MacBook Pro family. Lastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format. There’s also no Touch Bar on the MacBook Air like on the MacBook Pro . Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls. And the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the MacBook Air all the way to an external display. Last but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system. Apple’s macOS Big Sur was designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process. It has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications. The top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from iOS and iPadOS now on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop. Apple macOS on a Silicon-powered machine will look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine. We had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines, and the MacBook Air really delivers . You’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole, Apple is setting a new standard here . It keeps the same $999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the MacBook Air .

Markdown

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When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. [Learn more](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/about) [Reviews](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews) # The new Silicon-powered MacBook Air sets a new standard for Apple laptops By [Jacob Krol](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/about/jacob-krol) Published 9:00 AM EST, Tue November 17, 2020 Link Copied\! ![best laptops badged 23](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/best-laptops-badged-23.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_833,w_1480,c_fill) Michael Andronico/CNN Underscored CNN — The first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. [Officially announced last week](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/live-news/apple-november-event-2020), we’ve spent the last six days with the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop [we reviewed in the spring](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/cnn-underscored/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard). Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen. The switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) we’ve been using is the [\$999 base model](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here. ### What exactly is Apple Silicon? ![11-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214424-11-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN The brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly. Historically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs. Apple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from [Apple is the M1](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package. That’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers [the iPhone 12 family](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/20/cnn-underscored/iphone-12-review), this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside. Summed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package. ### This Mac moves ![13-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214842-13-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN In terms of speed and performance on the new [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html), Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) comes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster. We also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack, [Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html), Final Cut Pro, [Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/cnn-underscored/microsoft-365-pricing-office-outlook-word-excel), Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air. Final Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). In comparison, a [16-inch MacBook Pro](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB081FZV45H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D198cc52bbf228fd5b2a79317ea3c1b43%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know. There’s also no fan on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) (more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop. It’s really hard to make the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) buckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html). Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps. [Microsoft Outlook](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=Fr/49/7rhGg&mid=24542&u1=1117macbookairM1&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fmicrosoft-365%3Frtc%3D1), a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time. ### Did we mention there’s no fan? ![7-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214826-7-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN Alongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) is a silent machine on par with the [iPhone](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/20/cnn-underscored/iphone-12-pro-review) and [iPad](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/cnn-underscored/ipad-air-fourth-generation-review). There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here. And in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat. ### Battery life is truly exceptional ![5-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214457-5-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN Similar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery. We were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) kept running out of juice. From a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it. The other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183), it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most. We have no concerns with battery life on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881), though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week. ### The Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware ![4-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214406-4-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN Again, the [new MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) is nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air. It’s the same tapered-edge [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) design that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the [Macbook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution ([that’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/cnn-underscored/surface-laptop-go-review)) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new. There are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the [27-inch iMac](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/cnn-underscored/apple-27-inch-imac-review-2020), but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the [previous MacBook Air](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/cnn-underscored/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard) and [MacBook Pro](https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/15/cnn-underscored/apple-13-inch-macbook-pro-2020-review-magic-keyboard-specs) family. Lastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format. There’s also no Touch Bar on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) like on the [MacBook Pro](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5N6RSS%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D7479b411455f0d4c47ac60f71ea01101%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls. And the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) all the way to an external display. ### Big Sur runs swimmingly ![9-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214440-9-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN Last but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system. [Apple’s macOS Big Sur](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/12/cnn-underscored/macos-big-sur-review) was designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process. It has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications. The top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from [iOS and iPadOS](https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/cnn-underscored/ios-14-ipados-14-preview) now on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop. Apple macOS on [a Silicon-powered machine](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) will look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine. ### Bottom line ![12-macbook air review silicon underscoredjpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/201116214808-12-macbook-air-review-silicon-underscoredjpg.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill) Jacob Krol/CNN We had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines, [and the MacBook Air really delivers](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183). You’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole, [Apple is setting a new standard here](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). It keeps the same \$999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). ### More recommendations - [![best-car-vacuum-2026-badge-cnnu.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-car-vacuum-2026-badge-cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-car-vacuum?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [The best car vacuum in 2026, tried and tested](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-car-vacuum?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![best-umbrella-badged-lead-26.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-umbrella-badged-lead-26.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-umbrellas?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [We tested 16 umbrellas ahead of the rainy season. 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Only 2 high-coverage products wowed us](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-root-touch-up-sprays?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![fluxphenom-magneticscreendoor3cnnu.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/fluxphenom-magneticscreendoor3cnnu.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/flux-phenom-magnetic-screen-door?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [Pets love it, bugs hate it. This magnetic screen door is the best thing I bought on Amazon this summer](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/flux-phenom-magnetic-screen-door?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![best-emergency-radios-lead-cnnu-badged-2026-credit-gareen-puglia.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-emergency-radios-lead-cnnu-badged-2026-credit-gareen-puglia.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-emergency-radios?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [The best emergency radios in 2026, tried and tested](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-emergency-radios?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![best-dyson-vacs-new-badged-lead-26.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-dyson-vacs-new-badged-lead-26.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-dyson-vacuums?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [The best Dyson vacuums of 2026, tried and tested](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-dyson-vacuums?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![best-tested-badge-20250102184214258.jpeg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-tested-badge-20250102184214258.jpeg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-flashlight?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [A good flashlight is a must when the power goes out. These three are the best](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-flashlight?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) - [![best-portable-chargers-2026.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/parsely/best-portable-chargers-2026.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill) parsely](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-portable-charger?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) [The best portable chargers of 2026, tried and tested](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-portable-charger?utm_source=parsely_recirc_bottom_rail) *Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.* [![best bidet product card tushy](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/211108122056-best-bidet-product-card-tushy.jpg?q=x_0%2Cy_0%2Ch_970%2Cw_1723%2Cc_fill/h_720,w_1280,c_auto,g_auto,c_auto_pad,ar_16:9)](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTushy-Classic-Bidet-Toilet-Attachment%2Fdp%2FB08VS11Z1N%3Fth%3D1%26linkCode%3Dll2%26tag%3D033026dotd-20%26linkId%3Dc865785ff23548c6cba89d11a5a84c5d%26language%3Den_US%26ref_%3Das_li_ss_tl&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) ### Deal of the Day [Tushy Classic 3.0 Bidet Attachment](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTushy-Classic-Bidet-Toilet-Attachment%2Fdp%2FB08VS11Z1N%3Fth%3D1%26linkCode%3Dll2%26tag%3D033026dotd-20%26linkId%3Dc865785ff23548c6cba89d11a5a84c5d%26language%3Den_US%26ref_%3Das_li_ss_tl&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) ~~\$129~~ **\$93 at Amazon** 28% off *** Sign in My Account - 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Readable Markdown

CNN — The first Apple Silicon-powered laptops and desktops are finally here. [Officially announced last week](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/live-news/apple-november-event-2020), we’ve spent the last six days with the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). On the surface, it’s indistinguishable from the laptop [we reviewed in the spring](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/cnn-underscored/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard). Under the hood, though, is the biggest upgrade to a laptop we’ve ever seen. The switch from Intel to Silicon might seem like a small one on paper, but the efficiency and speed that it provides is, in a word, wild. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) we’ve been using is the [\$999 base model](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with the M1 chip inside (an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU) with just 8GB of RAM. It’s been zippy, even as we threw our full workload at this entry-level Mac. If you can’t tell yet, Apple is onto something here. The brains of any computer (laptop or desktop) is the processor. It controls every operation in tandem with the software. That means pulling data from and writing it onto a solid-state drive or hard drive, knowing how much RAM or memory to allocate to a specific task and making sure graphics run smoothly. Historically, Mac laptops and desktops had Intel chips inside. These were off-the-shelf chips from Intel with some Apple customizations. But Apple can only do so much customization with Intel chips. To solve that, Apple is using its own in-house processors to power future Macs. Apple now owns and builds the whole process — from conception to design to picking the hardware that goes inside. The first processor from [Apple is the M1](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). At its highest-end configuration, it’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU with 16GB of RAM. It’s unified memory that’s built in and cannot be replaced. Thhose are the basics, but the M1 goes further with a 16-core neural engine, so it’s a full system in a chip package. That’s a whole lot of tech packed into the M1 chip, and, like the A14 Bionic that powers [the iPhone 12 family](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/20/cnn-underscored/iphone-12-review), this is a 5-nanometer chip with over 16 billion transistors inside. Summed up: It’s a lot of power in a small package. In terms of speed and performance on the new [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html), Apple has some big claims: up to 3.5x faster CPU, 5x faster GPU and 9x faster in machine learning. And, after testing, we can assure you that’s no marketing hyperbole. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) comes preloaded with a suite of applications from Apple, all of which are optimized for the Silicon. Messages and Photos, for instance, open much faster, which lets you get whatever you need to get done faster. We also installed applications we need for work and personal use — Slack, [Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html), Final Cut Pro, [Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/cnn-underscored/microsoft-365-pricing-office-outlook-word-excel), Trello, Ulysses, iStats Menu, Mini Motorways and a few others. Frequently, we could keep close to 12 applications open at one time, all running processes. When we knocked that up to around 16 applications, we did receive an alert that the system had run out of memory, but it didn’t fully lock up. To be more precise, we had both Final Cut Pro (which had just finished an export of a 4K movie) and Photoshop open along with 14 other apps. That’s a lot to run on any consumer Mac, let alone a MacBook Air. Final Cut Pro is optimized for Silicon, and the experience with it was pretty snazzy. We didn’t experience any dropped frames or long rendering periods. A full project complete with 4K footage, titles, effects, motion graphics and backing audio was able to export in just 11.6 seconds on the [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). In comparison, a [16-inch MacBook Pro](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB081FZV45H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D198cc52bbf228fd5b2a79317ea3c1b43%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) with an Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM took 11.7 seconds to export. Very close, but for the Air to rival the productivity maestro known as the Macbook Pro says all you need to know. There’s also no fan on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) (more on this below), which pushes the MacBook Air beyond the everyday use case for which it’s made its name. We were able to edit 4K content on the MacBook Air without pinwheeling or any freezing occurring. At the same time it was exporting, we had Chrome, Safari, Ulysses, Slack and Outlook open. Exporting a movie didn’t stop us from using other aspects of the laptop. It’s really hard to make the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) buckle or slow down. It can really handle more use cases than before, and with better speed throughout nearly all of them. Take [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html). Creative Cloud warns you that it’s an Intel app running on Silicon. Essentially, once installed, macOS will start converting it and analyzing it to make sure it runs in an emulator mode. None of this presents itself, though; it doesn’t change your day-to-day use. But do anticipate a longer time with some Intel apps that are being converted over. Adobe Photoshop 2021, for example, opened in about 30 seconds, with us seeing the splash screen at about 24 seconds. So not the swiftest of apps. [Microsoft Outlook](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=Fr/49/7rhGg&mid=24542&u1=1117macbookairM1&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fmicrosoft-365%3Frtc%3D1), a much less intense application, took about 8.5 seconds to fully open. Mileage varies a bit after the first few opens with applications, but as the Mac learned our use cases, we saw app load times improve. Essentially, it will have the conversion processor queued up and be ready to handle new processes in real time. Alongside the M1 chip set and everything it enables, the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) is a silent machine on par with the [iPhone](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/20/cnn-underscored/iphone-12-pro-review) and [iPad](https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/cnn-underscored/ipad-air-fourth-generation-review). There’s no fan inside the MacBook Air or cooling system of any kind. No longer will it sound like you have a leaf blower if Chrome is open with just a few tabs. The [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is just silent. Twenty tabs in Chrome? Silent. Exporting a 4K file? Silent. Batch exporting images? Silent. Twenty applications open? Silent. And the Air doesn’t get overly hot either. Like other Macs before it, the bottom can get a little warm during high-power tasks, but it’s not any more of an occurrence than before. Essentially, there wasn’t a trade-off here. And in terms of cooling, the M1 runs cooler with just a 10-watt thermal envelope. Apple has said it delivers twice the power of a PC laptop while using a quarter of the power consumption. In other words: It can deliver more power while using less power and creating less heat. Similar to the performance of the M1 chip, Apple made some big claims with battery life. Specifically, up to 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video playback from a 49.9-watt battery. We were unable to complete a battery runtime test in time for this review, though. It wasn’t because the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) kept running out of juice. From a full charge on Thursday morning to Monday morning, we didn’t need to charge the [MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html). That included a full workday on Thursday and Friday, with middle-of-the-road usage on the weekend. That’s deliriously good when you think about it. The other major area of performance that stood out was efficiency. Typically on a Mac, you’ll see your battery percentage lower quite quickly. On the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183), it hit 95% about an hour and half into use. That means it got through setup, installation of a dozen apps and general usage, and it only dipped 5% — even when exporting a 4K file in Final Cut Pro. We didn’t notice a major drop in battery level, with it being a 2% to 3% drop at most. We have no concerns with battery life on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881), though — and we’re working to run the full battery test this week. ### The Magic Keyboard, a 13.3-inch Retina Display and an improved camera round out the hardware Again, the [new MacBook Air](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) is nearly indistinguishable from the previous MacBook Air. It’s the same tapered-edge [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) design that gets thinner as you reach the front. Opening up the [Macbook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) is easy, thanks to a small lip that allows you to raise the screen with just one finger. It’s still a 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone — Apple’s proprietary tech that uses sensors to adjust the color temperature to best fit your surroundings. It’s sharp, with a 2560 x 1600 resolution ([that’s higher than the Surface Laptop Go](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/cnn-underscored/surface-laptop-go-review)) and delivers 227 pixels per inch. It now supports the P3 Wide Color spectrum, which is new. There are bezels all around the 13.3-inch display. Up top is still a 720p FaceTime HD camera. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t add a 1080p camera in here like it did on the [27-inch iMac](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/cnn-underscored/apple-27-inch-imac-review-2020), but it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the M1 chip, the built-in image signal processor works to reduce noise and deliver sharper images. In our tests, it did just that by delivering a sharper view of ourselves in video calls. That goes for FaceTime, Webex, Slack, Zoom and even GoToMeeting. Ultimately, the video quality looks far better than on the [previous MacBook Air](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/cnn-underscored/macbook-air-2020-review-magic-keyboard) and [MacBook Pro](https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/15/cnn-underscored/apple-13-inch-macbook-pro-2020-review-magic-keyboard-specs) family. Lastly, the Magic Keyboard we raved about in the spring remains. It’s not only better than the previous Butterfly technology that Apple was using, but it provides an invigorating typing experience. Each keypress delivers a generous amount of recoil, which bounces the key back up. It lets you type in a fashion that’s just plain merry. Each key cap has slightly raised edges but a flat matte finish that’s comfortable on the finger. The arrow keys are a bit easier to find, as left and right take up about half the size of a normal key cap in an inverted T format. There’s also no Touch Bar on the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3Dfd71a955d16a615e17788f25e07203fe%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881) like on the [MacBook Pro](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5N6RSS%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D7479b411455f0d4c47ac60f71ea01101%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). Rather, you get a row of function keys, a physical ESC key and a Touch ID combination power button. We especially like Touch ID for easy unlocking and authenticating purchases. The function keys have new shortcuts as well: brightness, expose, spotlight, dictation and do not disturb are new. Those join media playback and volume controls. And the trackpad is still as expansive as ever and utilizes Apple’s Force Touch technology. It’s a large size, considering this is a 13-inch notebook, and we really appreciate it when using multiple monitors. You have plenty of bandwidth to drag a window from the [MacBook Air](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183) all the way to an external display. Last but not least is something we’ve hinted at along the way: the operating system. [Apple’s macOS Big Sur](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/12/cnn-underscored/macos-big-sur-review) was designed from the ground up for Silicon, and it’s the first time (on these machines) that Apple has control over the whole process. It has a new visual look that’s refined, with app icons on the dock shaped somewhere on the spectrum between a circle and a square. Even so, it’s a familiar experience for those who have used a Mac in the past. The dock is still at the bottom and is fully customizable. A Finder window is your gateway to exploring the file system. Launchpad lets you easily access other applications. The top bar is more functional than ever before with the Control Center, with the quick settings function from [iOS and iPadOS](https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/cnn-underscored/ios-14-ipados-14-preview) now on the Mac. This lets you raise or lower the brightness, control playback, adjust the backlighting on the keys and much more. You can even add any of those functions directly to the top bar with a simple drag and drop. Apple macOS on [a Silicon-powered machine](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604825-REG/apple_mgn63ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html) will look the same and might even feel the same. But it will feel smoother, faster and more instant on a Silicon machine. We had high hopes for the first Silicon-powered machines, [and the MacBook Air really delivers](https://expercom.com/product_detail.html?p=2128183). You’d not only be hard-pressed to slow it down but to find a problem with it at all. For many, this will be their go-to machine, and for laptops as a whole, [Apple is setting a new standard here](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881). It keeps the same \$999 starting price as well, so you can’t go wrong with the [MacBook Air](https://r.bttn.io/?btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5KWB9H%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3D1117macbookairm1-20%26linkId%3D146bf6829a4a0772a5ad730755643d8b%26language%3Den_US&btn_ref=org-510f6485e538e881).

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Jacob Krol

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2020-11-17 14:00:05 (5 years ago)

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