2020 MacBook Air versus the 2019 MacBook Air compared
The new 2020 MacBook Air improves on most things versus the late 2019 MacBook Air, including a better processor, more storage, and the new Magic Keyboard -- at a lower price.
The new 2020 MacBook Air
The major update to the new MacBook Air is the addition of the Magic Keyboard. Otherwise, the updated model contains much that is identical to the 2019 edition, but in concert, those specifications that have been improved enough to make this a compelling buy overall. It would be a good deal even if Apple hadn't taken $100 off the price.
It's likely that it will be the new keyboard that will drive sales by itself. Previously the MacBook Air had a butterfly keyboard which was, possibly unfairly, known for failing. Once the 16-inch MacBook Pro came out in November 2019 and featured a return to the previous scissor-style mechanism, it's been expected that the MacBook Air, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, would follow. The new mechanism gives a deeper travel, and is quieter, but it's chiefly expected to be more reliable.
With the lid closed, the 2020 and 2019 MacBook Air models are indistinguishable. The screen is the same and so are all of the dimensions. Apple has not made the case any bigger or deeper in its move from the butterfly to the scissor keyboard system.
It also hasn't increased the number of Thunderbolt 3 ports from last year's two, nor updated the front-facing camera, which remains 720p.
The 2020 MacBook Air is very slightly heavier at 2.8lbs (1.29kg) instead of the 2019 version's 2.75lbs (1.25g). As well as fractionally adding weight, the new machine has lost some battery power. Apple's claimed battery life is now up to 11 hours of general web surfing, as compared to up to 12 before.
However, the new MacBook Air comes with a choice of processors. Previously, the MacBook Air 2019 shipped solely with a 1.6Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5. The base model of the 2020 edition comes with a lower clocked 1.1Ghz dual-core Intel Core i3, but is configurable to 1.2Ghz quad-core Intel Core i7.
Geekbench 5.1 results on the new MacBook Pro
Though the new MacBook Air's processor is slower, it is significantly more powerful than the previous generation i5. In our Geekbench 5.1 test, the previous generation base unit with the 1.6GHz dual-core earned a 740 single-core and a 1663 multi-core. Our new base unit with the 1.1GHz dual-core i3 managed a 1074 and 2412 respectively. Even with those gains, we'd recommend springing the extra $100 to go up to the quad-core i5 for even better performance.
The options for both storage have been increased. As standard, the new MacBook Air ships with a 256GB SSD, or double the previous model. The maximum SSD storage has been doubled, too, with the 2020 machine able to be ordered with 2TB.
RAM does remain the same, however, with a minimum of 8GB and a maximum of 16GB.
The most notable internal hardware difference with the 2020 MacBook Air is in its ability to support external monitors. Just as with the 2019 model, it can drive one 5K external monitor at 5120 x 2880, or two 4K ones at 4096x2304, all at up to 60Hz.
However the new MacBook Air can also drive a 6K monitor at 6016x3384, up to 60Hz. Which means that the new MacBook Air is capable of driving Apple's Pro Display XDR. This ability comes from the use of Intel Iris Plus Graphics instead of the previous Intel UHD Graphics 617.
Even steeper discounts can be found on the 2019 MacBook Air, with the ultraportable laptops now up to $300 off and prices as low as $849. You can find the markdowns 24/7 in our 2019 MacBook Air Price Guide.
The new 2020 MacBook Air
The major update to the new MacBook Air is the addition of the Magic Keyboard. Otherwise, the updated model contains much that is identical to the 2019 edition, but in concert, those specifications that have been improved enough to make this a compelling buy overall. It would be a good deal even if Apple hadn't taken $100 off the price.
It's likely that it will be the new keyboard that will drive sales by itself. Previously the MacBook Air had a butterfly keyboard which was, possibly unfairly, known for failing. Once the 16-inch MacBook Pro came out in November 2019 and featured a return to the previous scissor-style mechanism, it's been expected that the MacBook Air, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, would follow. The new mechanism gives a deeper travel, and is quieter, but it's chiefly expected to be more reliable.
With the lid closed, the 2020 and 2019 MacBook Air models are indistinguishable. The screen is the same and so are all of the dimensions. Apple has not made the case any bigger or deeper in its move from the butterfly to the scissor keyboard system.
It also hasn't increased the number of Thunderbolt 3 ports from last year's two, nor updated the front-facing camera, which remains 720p.
The 2020 MacBook Air is very slightly heavier at 2.8lbs (1.29kg) instead of the 2019 version's 2.75lbs (1.25g). As well as fractionally adding weight, the new machine has lost some battery power. Apple's claimed battery life is now up to 11 hours of general web surfing, as compared to up to 12 before.
However, the new MacBook Air comes with a choice of processors. Previously, the MacBook Air 2019 shipped solely with a 1.6Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5. The base model of the 2020 edition comes with a lower clocked 1.1Ghz dual-core Intel Core i3, but is configurable to 1.2Ghz quad-core Intel Core i7.
Geekbench 5.1 results on the new MacBook Pro
Though the new MacBook Air's processor is slower, it is significantly more powerful than the previous generation i5. In our Geekbench 5.1 test, the previous generation base unit with the 1.6GHz dual-core earned a 740 single-core and a 1663 multi-core. Our new base unit with the 1.1GHz dual-core i3 managed a 1074 and 2412 respectively. Even with those gains, we'd recommend springing the extra $100 to go up to the quad-core i5 for even better performance.
| MacBook Air 2020 | MacBook Air 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price ($) | $999 | $1099 |
| Display | 13.3-inch LED backlit with IPS, 2560x1600 native resolution at 227ppi, millions of colors,True Tone | 13.3-inch LED backlit with IPS, 2560x1600 native resolution at 227ppi, millions of colors,True Tone |
| External monitor support | 1 external 6K display at 6016x3384 up to 60Hz at millions of colors; 1 external display at 5120x2880 up to 60Hz, up to 2 external displays with 4096x2304 at up to 60Hz | 1 external display at 5120x2880 up to 60Hz, up to 2 external displays with 4096x2304 at up to 60Hz |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 617 |
| Dimensions | 0.16-0.63 inches (0.41-1.61 cm) x 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) x 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) | 0.16-0.63 inches (0.41-1.61 cm) x 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) x 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) |
| Weight | 2.8lbs (1.29kg) | 2.75lbs (1.25kg) |
| Min processor | 10th generation 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 | 8th generation 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 |
| Max processor | 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 | 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 |
| RAM | 8GB base, 16GB maximum | 8GB base, 16GB maximum |
| Storage (SSD) | 256GB base, 2TB maximum | 128GB base, 1TB maximum |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours web | Up to 12 hours web |
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 | Two Thunderbolt 3 |
RAM does remain the same, however, with a minimum of 8GB and a maximum of 16GB.
The most notable internal hardware difference with the 2020 MacBook Air is in its ability to support external monitors. Just as with the 2019 model, it can drive one 5K external monitor at 5120 x 2880, or two 4K ones at 4096x2304, all at up to 60Hz.
However the new MacBook Air can also drive a 6K monitor at 6016x3384, up to 60Hz. Which means that the new MacBook Air is capable of driving Apple's Pro Display XDR. This ability comes from the use of Intel Iris Plus Graphics instead of the previous Intel UHD Graphics 617.
Deals on Apple's MacBook Air
Apple's 2020 MacBook Air is already on sale, with cash discounts of up to $104 off. It's worth checking out the AppleInsider 2020 MacBook Air Price Guide if you're in the market for the new Air to save money on your purchase.Even steeper discounts can be found on the 2019 MacBook Air, with the ultraportable laptops now up to $300 off and prices as low as $849. You can find the markdowns 24/7 in our 2019 MacBook Air Price Guide.
Comments
My clear guess is that the 2019 model will be significantly faster, and that Apple have dumbed it down to try secure a market for their more expensive (but ergonomically inferior) Pro notebooks.
[ I am not interested in the quad-core comparison running parallel benchkits, which is a spurious test for everyday computing. ]
Active Trader Pro is a Windows executable. On a Mac, it is running in a customized version of CrossOver (commercial Wine). ATP isn't particularly snappy on a typical consumer Windows machine either. At home I usually run ATP on a Wintel box connected to a flat-screen 1080p HDTV.
On my MacBook Air 2019, I run ATP pretty well. If I'm on battery I will generally use Turbo Boost Switcher to disable Turbo Boost. That might dock the performance slightly but at least the fans don't spin up much.
I would attribute ATP's poor performance between the application's inherent sluggishness itself and the virtualization layer's mediocre power management capabilities.
I may just wait until the next MacBook Air release and the successor to Catalina. At least my Mac mini 2018 still runs Mojave.
Also, a separate GPU test is warranted. The i5 should significantly outperform the i3.
"MacBook Air 2020 Nolo contendere"
Apple offering a 128GB drive (at the low end) in the old Air was embarrassing. Kudos to Apple for fixing the flaws and making substantial improvements.
Is that 696 a typo?
Something doesn't make sense here. How do you get more than double the performance from multi-core when the i3 is only dual core? That doesn't happen (lookup Amdahl's Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amdahl's_law ).
Can you guys look into this. Is the i3 dual-core but 4 threads? Even that is unlikely to more than double the multi-core score.
Edit: To answer my question, if the CPU is the Intel Core i3-1000G4 then it is 4 threads and that performance with 2 cores 4 threads is very impressive.
Definitely a better option compared to the iPad Pro, unless you’re an artist and need the touch screen and pen.