Is Apple MacBook Air (M1) worth buying in April 2023? 

Despite its age, Apple’s MacBook Air M1 remains an inviting choice in April 2023 due to its budget-friendly price. However, there's no dearth of options when it comes to versatile laptops. Both Apple and Windows laptop manufacturers offer shining choices that can easily compete with the likes of the 2020 MacBook model. Unfortunately, this may put potential buyers in a dilemma.

While there are plenty of well-designed and powerful Windows-based laptops available on the market, Apple’s MacBook is an icon. It is largely popular among students and professionals who seek the premium edge. However, MacBooks are also quite pricey.

Considering its price tag, the MacBook Air M1 appears to be an excellent choice in 2023, with its cost dropping as low as $800 during regular sales. However, age can become a deciding factor. With Apple launching the M2-powered MacBook Air in 2022, fans may question the Air M1’s relevance in current times.

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Apple's MacBook Air M1 (2020) surprisingly stands strong against competitors even in April 2023

The MacBook Air line of laptops is the perfect pick for those looking to maintain a mobile lifestyle while keeping in touch with their business and the technical world. The series comes with features that are well-suited for daily computing needs and can even handle some multitasking.

The base MacBook Air M1 model is currently selling at $799 on Amazon, and its variants are also sporting exciting discounts. Let's take a look at the Air M1’s features in-depth to determine its worthwhile quotient.

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Specifications

The 2020 MacBook Air from Apple is powered by the M1 chip, which features an eight-core CPU, an integrated seven-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. The eight-core CPU comprises of four efficiency and four performance cores, offering clock speeds of up to 3.2 GHz.

Buyers can choose between the 8GB and 16GB unified memory variants depending on their budget and performance requirements. Multiple storage options are also available, starting from 256GB to 2TB.

The MacBook Air M1 comes with a 13.3-inch Retina display, with a brightness of up to 400 nits and 2560 by 1660 resolution. It’s an LED-backlit display with support for IPS, Wide Color, and True Tone technologies.

With support for millions of colors, the display is surely capable of delivering impressive color accuracy. It also holds a 720p FaceTime HD camera on its upper panel. Users can also latch an external display (only one) with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz to the MacBook Air M1.

Weighing 1.29 kg, the laptop is incredibly lightweight, thus making a strong case for frequent travelers and office-goers. It also has an incredible battery life of up to 15 hours (wireless web).

Category	Apple MacBook Air M1	Apple MacBook Air M2
Processor	M1 Chip (8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)	M2 chip (8-core CPU, Up to 10-core GPU,16-core Neural Engine, 100GB/s memory bandwidth)
Unified Memory and Storage	Up to 16 GB RAM, Up to 2TB storage	Up to 24 GB RAM, Up to 2TB storage
Display	13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology (Retina display), 400 nits, 2560 by 1660 pixels	13.6-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina display, 500 nits, 2560 by 1664 pixels
Audio	Stereo speakers, Wide stereo sound, Support for Dolby Atmos playback	Four-speaker sound system, Wide stereo sound, Support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
Keyboard, Trackpad, and Webcam	Backlit Magic Keyboard, Touch ID, Force Touch Trackpad, 720p webcam	Backlit Magic Keyboard, Touch ID, Force Touch Trackpad, 1080p webcam
Connectivity (Wireless and Ports)	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
Battery life	Up to 15 hours of wireless web and up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback	Up to 15 hours of wireless web and up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Charging	30W USB-C Power Adapter	30W, 35W, 67W (fast charge)

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Verdict

While the MacBook Air M2 offers comparatively powerful features, the MacBook Air M1 is still a favorable choice in April 2023. Apple's Air M1 remains a prime competitor in the market owing to its similarity with the Air M2 in terms of specifications.

The MacBook Air M2 brings better processing speeds, display, camera, and battery life to the table. Still, the difference shouldn’t be significant enough unless you are willing to purchase the 24GB unified memory variant. However, that comes at a premium cost.

Interested buyers who want to go easy on their pockets and stick to Apple products can grab the 2020 MacBook Air model without any hesitation in 2023. Nonetheless, keep in mind that it isn’t the best choice for heavy multitasking and graphically-intensive activities.

You can go for the newer Apple MacBook Air M2 or even a MacBook Pro if you don’t want to compromise on processing power. Alternatively, you can pick a versatile Windows laptop like the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga to meet your needs.