MacBook Air 2020 review - the best Mac for most people

### Article: A Comprehensive Review of the 2020 MacBook Air

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#### Introduction

In this video, we’re taking a deep dive into Apple’s latest update to its most popular laptop, the **MacBook Air**. Shot entirely from home and directed remotely by Becca over Zoom, this review aims to give you an honest and detailed look at what makes the 2020 MacBook Air worth your consideration. From its sleek design to its updated internals, we’re breaking it all down for you.

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#### The Design: A Return to Simplicity

The **MacBook Air** has undergone a significant redesign in recent years, with the most notable change being the return to a traditional scissor mechanism keyboard. After years of criticism over the flawed butterfly keyboard design, Apple has finally listened and brought back a more reliable and user-friendly keyboard.

The new keyboard, affectionately called the **Magic Keyboard**, is now standard across multiple Mac models, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro. In this review, the host shares their experience using both the MacBook Air and the 16-inch MacBook Pro, noting that the Air’s keyboard feels almost identical to the one on the larger machine.

Key highlights:

- **Millimeter of travel**: The keys offer just enough give for a satisfying typing experience without being too loud.

- **No chassis flex**: The keyboard is sturdy and responsive, even when used on uneven surfaces like a couch.

While Apple deserves some credit for finally addressing the keyboard issue, it’s clear that the company took far too long to make this change. Trust will take time to rebuild, but one thing is certain: the new Magic Keyboard is a significant improvement over its predecessor.

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#### The Case Against the Touch Bar

Another key feature of the MacBook Air is its **standard top row and function buttons**, which replace the controversial Touch Bar found on higher-end MacBooks like the 16-inch model. While some users (including Becca) swear by the Touch Bar, the host firmly believes that the standard keyboard layout is far superior for everyday tasks.

The host points out that the MacBook Air’s popularity—and its lack of a Touch Bar—says a lot about what most users truly need. For many, the simplicity of a traditional keyboard is preferable to the more complex and often unnecessary features of the Touch Bar.

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#### Performance: A Balanced Approach

Under the hood, the 2020 MacBook Air boasts **10th Gen Intel chips** with **Intel Iris Plus Graphics**, marking a significant upgrade over previous models. The review unit tested had a **quad-core Core i5 processor** and **8GB of RAM**, delivering solid performance for everyday tasks like browsing, streaming, and even some light photo editing in Adobe Lightroom.

Key takeaways:

- **General use**: The Air handles Chrome, Slack, Zoom, and other productivity apps with ease.

- **Heavy workloads**: While the processor can handle moderate multitasking, it’s not designed for sustained high-performance tasks. Heavy benchmarking tests like Cinebench will cause thermal throttling, capping the chip’s speed to prevent overheating.

Apple has explicitly stated that the MacBook Air is intended for average users rather than professionals who need constant top-tier performance. For those looking for a machine that can handle more demanding workloads, the **13-inch MacBook Pro** remains a better option—albeit with its own set of trade-offs, such as retaining the butterfly keyboard.

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#### Battery Life: Real-World Expectations

Battery life is another area where the MacBook Air has seen improvements. Apple claims that users can expect up to **11 hours of web browsing** on a single charge. However, in real-world testing with apps like Chrome, Slack, and Zoom running simultaneously, the host saw closer to **5 hours of battery life** with the screen brightness turned all the way up.

While this isn’t the most impressive showing, it’s worth noting that macOS is generally more efficient than other operating systems. Safari, for example, consumes significantly less power than Chrome, which is a major battery drain.

The host advises users to stick with Safari if they want to maximize their battery life, but acknowledges that many will still rely on Chrome due to its widespread use.

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#### Webcam and Other Features

The **720p webcam** included in the MacBook Air is nothing special, though it gets the job done for video calls. The host compares this to Apple’s superior camera technology found in iPhones and iPads, which leaves a bit of a gap for Mac users.

Other notable features include:

- **Two Thunderbolt 3 ports**: Capable of supporting 6K displays.

- **Headphone jack**: A welcome return after its brief absence.

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#### Comparison with iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard

The host also addresses the inevitable comparison between the MacBook Air and Apple’s **iPad Pro** with the new **Magic Keyboard**. While both devices are priced similarly, the host personally prefers the MacBook Air for its larger screen size and the fewer limitations imposed by macOS compared to iPadOS.

That said, if you’re considering the Magic Keyboard for your iPad Pro, stay tuned for a separate review from Dieter, which will be available on The Verge’s channel in May.

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#### Final Thoughts: Should You Buy It?

The host concludes that the 2020 MacBook Air is a solid choice for most users looking for a reliable and affordable Mac laptop. They strongly recommend upgrading to the **$1,299 model** with the quad-core Core i5 processor and 512GB of storage, as this version offers better performance and future-proofing at a relatively small cost increase.

For those on the fence about the base model (starting at $999), the host advises investing in the step-up version unless you have very specific needs that require a more powerful machine.

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#### Closing Thoughts

As someone who’s been stuck in the constant stream of coronavirus news, the host found making this video to be a welcome distraction. They also took a moment to praise The Verge Science team for their excellent coverage of the pandemic, urging viewers to check out their work on YouTube.

Finally, the host reminds everyone to stay safe and stay home during these uncertain times.

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This concludes our comprehensive review of the 2020 MacBook Air. Whether you’re an Apple enthusiast or simply looking for a reliable laptop, this machine might just be the right fit for you.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enAll right,a MacBook Air review videoshot by me,by myself, at home. ButBecca is still directingthis thing over Zoom,so I can't screw it up too bad, right?From what I can see,it looks like there'sstill a little headroom.We could tilt up like aliteral centimeter, like, yeah.Let's tilt up a little.Just a little bit more.Let's... okay.Come back to the camera, andthen zoom in like a click.Oh, wait. Wait, one click less.Okay. That looks really good.Sothere's a new MacBook Air,which is Apple's most popular Mac.The big update happened two years agowith a full redesignaround a Retina Display.This new 2020 model hasfaster 10th Gen Intel chips anda totally new keyboard.Apple's also lowered the price.The base model starts at$999 with a 1.1GHzdual-core Core i3 processor,8GB of RAM, and256GB of storage.I've been reviewingthe step-up $1,299 modelthat has a quad-core Core i5and 512GB of storage,which is the version I thinkmost people should get.It's got two Thunderbolt 3 ports,which now support running 6Kdisplays, and headphone jack,which, well... you know how I feel.Let's start with the mostimportant thing: the new keyboard.It has been a very bad few yearsfor Apple's laptop keyboards.So the switch back toa traditional scissor keydesign is very welcome.Apple is calling thisthe Magic Keyboard, andit first arrived on the 16-inchMacBook Pro last year.As it happens,I've been using a 16-inchMacBook Pro for a few months now, andI'm happy to say thatthe Air's keyboard feelsalmost exactly the same,which is to say: very good.The keys have a millimeter of travel,they're just clicky enoughwithout being too loud, andoverall, the whole thing isvery solid and very satisfying.There's also zero chassis flex,so you can pound away onthis keyboard on your lapor at a weird angle on the couch.I don't really want to give Appletoo much credit forupdating this keyboard.It took the company way too longto get away from that butterfly designafter people startedcalling out the problems.It's going to take some timeto earn back that trust. Buthistory aside,the keyboard is the singlemost important part of a laptop, andthe new MacBook Air'skeyboard is extremely good.I also have to say,I greatly prefer this keyboardwith a standard toprow and function buttonsto the Touch Bar versionon the 16-inch MacBook Prothat I've been using.I just don't understand the Touch Bar.It seems to make basic thingslike adjusting volume andbrightness more complicatedwithout making anything elseso much easier that it'sworth the trade-off.I know other people feel differently, andI legitimately know people wholove the Touch Bar, like Becca.Come on!But I don't, and I thinkit's really telling thatthe Air is Apple's most popular laptop, andit doesn't have the Touch Bar.That's the right choice.The other thing it doesn'thave is a touchscreen, andone, touchscreens on laptopsare pretty common now, andpeople seem to like them, andtwo,if Apple can figure out howto add trackpad supportto iPadOS,it can probably figure out how to addtouch support to macOS. Butfor right now, and honestly,for the near future,the Mac is mouse and keyboard only.The other new thingfrom last yearare the processors, which areIntel's new 10th Genchips with Intel Iris Plus Graphics.Our review unit has a1.1GHz quad-coreCore i5 chip and8GB of RAM in it, andit's been fairly capable.I've been working inChrome, Slack, and Zoom, anda little Lightroom on the sidelike I normally do, andit's felt totally solid.That feeling is backed up bythe single-threaded Geekbench score,which is basically in line witha 16-inch Core i9 MacBook Prothat I've been using.But this thing still isn't a rocket, andI can definitely pushthe limits pretty easily.Just opening Lightroom is enough tomake the fan speed up, andafter a couple of edits,it's going full blast.And heavy sustained workloadscause the processor to dosome thermal throttling.You can definitely see itwith heavy benchmark testslike Cinebench.I asked Apple about thermalthrottling, and they told meit's by design. Theydon't think most peopleneed hardcore sustained performance,so the Air is designedto boost the processorup to 3.2GHz as needed and thenbring it right back down. Butonce things heat up, theprocessor's clock speed is cappedat a lower numberwith the fan going so thesystem can manage heat.Again, in prettyaverage day-to-day use,I never felt any of this thermalmanagement slow things down,which is the entire point. Butit's also clear thereisn't a ton of headroomif you need a lot ofperformance all the time.You'll definitely atleast hear the fan, andyou might experience some slowdowns.I asked for questions on Twitter, andalmost all of you wanted toknow about the performance gapbetween the new Air andthe 13-inch Pro, andthat thermal design isbasically the big difference.Apple told me that the MacBook Prois the better laptop for peoplewho need to push their machineto the limit all the time.It has a more forgiving thermal design andfaster turbo boost clock speeds.It can basically run hotter andfaster for a longer period of time.The bad news is thatthe 13-inch MacBook Pro stillhas that butterfly keyboard.There are a lot of rumors ofan update coming, and yeah...we're just going to haveto keep an eye on that.All of that is to saythat the Air's performanceis totally fine for mostday-to-day tasks. Butif you regularly use a bunchof demanding applications,you're going to be hearing that fan a lot.Apple says you can get11 hours of battery lifeon the new Airif you're just runningSafari to browse the web. Butin real life, runningChrome, Slack, and Zoom,I got more like five hours of battery lifewith the screen turned all the way up.I probably could'veextended that a littleif I turned down the brightness, butthis is not the world'sbrightest screen to begin with.It averages about 400 nits ofbrightness compared to,say, 625 for the iPhone 11.Those three apps are batteryhogs. But at this point,I live in Zoom and Slackall day, every day, andI wouldn't say I'm blownaway by the battery lifeI'm experiencing. Andwhile Safari is way moreefficient than Chrome,Chrome is still just a factof life for a lot of people.As with every Apple product,there is a gap between the results you getif you live entirely withinApple's ecosystem and reality.Speaking of Zoom,the webcam in the Air is the same old720p webcamApple's been using forever.It's fine, butit's disappointing thatApple puts some of the bestcameras in the industryin the iPhone and stickswith one of the mostmedium cameras in the Mac.I just got a lot of questionsabout the MacBook Airversus the iPad Prowith the new Magic Keyboardsince the 11-inch Pro and that keyboardcost about the same asthe base-model Air. Andwell... only you can knowthe answer in your heart.For me,I'd pick the Air for now.You get a bigger screen, andmacOS has fewer limitationson what it can do.Dieter has a whole reviewof that new iPad Pro up on thechannel if you want more, butwe're going to have to revisit this debatewhen that Magic Keyboardcase ships in May.So those are the major newchanges in the MacBook Air.I haven't tested the$1,000 base modelthat a lot of people asked me about. ButI feel pretty confidentthat you should spend theextra $100to get the quad-core i5 upgrade and thatmost people should springfor the $1,299 model with thei5 and extra storageif you can afford itsince these laptops tend tostick around for a while. Andthat's really the thing: for thefirst time in several years,I feel confident in saying thatmost people in the market for a Mac laptopcan just buy a MacBook Air andexpect it to competentlyand reliably do most thingsfor a long time to come.That's a big win.Just make sure you use Safariif you want the battery to last.Making this video, for me,was a nice distraction fromthe virus news cycle, andI hope it helped you out a little bit, too.That said,I want to call out the entire Verge team,particularly the Verge Science team.They're doing an absolutely great jobcovering the coronavirus.Check it out. It's VergeScience on YouTube.That's their channel.I hope you're staying safe, andI hope you're staying home.\n"