For the title of best Macbook for college, the Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch makes its case. What’s it got for us? For starters, it’s fitted with Apple’s latest M1 chip, dropping Intel for its own design (even in the Mac Minis). It also has up to 18 hours of battery life, which is mind-boggling to think of, and makes it one of the Best Laptops.
Why We Like It – Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch
Packing Apple’s latest M1 chip, the Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch is ready to multitask with its new, snappy and responsive CPU, 18-hour battery life, and its famous Retina display.
- Fast, snappy, & responsive CPU
- Up to 18 hours of battery life
- Retina display is vivid & sharp
- Lack of internal fans
Power & Performance
With the Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch, Apple ditched the Intel processor for a chip of its own design: the M1. It’s eight cores of power, directly competing with its efficiency and design. However, this new Apple Macbook Air isn’t built with fans, so throttling may occur if you run it too hard. The M1 Macbook Pro models, like the Apple Macbook Pro M1 13″, do have fans, while still benefiting from the better CPU GPU combo.
Battery
The new M1 Macbook Air makes leaps and bounds towards a better battery, and Apple nailed it by suiting it up with 18 hours of juice. With everything going on, like the Touch Bar, and background features, it’s definitely impressive for lasting that long.
Ports & Expandability
The new Macbook Air has almost no ports whatsoever, except for an audio jack and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. You can expand via adapters, but that’s another bill to add. And you can say goodbye to any upgrades to RAM or storage.
Build Quality
It’s a shame Apple didn’t take the chance to shake things up with the Macbook’s design. It’s still much of what it is, even as far back as recent Apple Macbook Air 13 models. Still, don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? It’s sleek, made of strong aluminum, and has a premium look.
Value
Being able to nab yourself an Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch for less than $1000 is a deal you should jump on right now. This is especially true considering the Apple Macbook Pro 13 Inch isn’t carrying the latest Apple silicon CPU (that’s the M1 chip). It’s a fantastic deal when taking into consideration its performance and design. If you want a cheaper Macbook, try the Macbook Air 13” i5, which is worth $655.
Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch Wrap Up
The Apple Macbook Air M1 13 Inch crushes tasks, thanks to its M1 chip. Apple could have something magical here if they continue down this path. It’s fast, snappy, and responds so well to macOS’ Big Sur. And with 18 hours of battery life, that’s a lot of tasks and editing to get down. For perfection, it needs fans, however.
