Our opinion on the MacBook Air 2020: technical sheet and prices

No matter your age, nationality or language: you definitely know the MacBook Air. Presented in 2008, the computer was intended to be “the thinnest in the world” (said the boss of Apple at the time, Steve Jobs). And even if it was not entirely true that day, the success was immediate: sales multiplied in no time, pushing the manufacturer to release the device in several new versions, the last of which was released.2020. This MacBook Air, announced via a simple press release, is the best-seller of powered laptops.

Alwaysstill very close to the MacBook Pro of similar size, the technical sheet of which you can always compare on our dedicated page, the MacBook Air 2020 continues to be popular with small budgets looking for the Mac experience such as students or nomads, who take advantage of its waspish size to take it everywhere with them. But then, what makes thisMacBook Air2020 such a special success? Details in our complete sheet.

Design: an ace still unrivaled

As we have just seen, it is above all its dimensions which allow the MacBook Air 2020 to differentiate itself from most other computers on the market. This Mac actually measures4.1 millimeters thickat its thinnest end (just under the trackpad), compared to 1.61 centimeters at its maximum: which is to say barely twice as much as a slightly overweight smartphone. The weight has also changed accordingly, since the MacBook Air 2020 has a mass of around 1.29 kg, the weight may change depending on the configuration chosen.

As for the width and length of this MacBook Air 2020, we can count on 30.41 x 21.24 cm:barely more than an A4 sheet. Therefore, it is easy to store the MacBook Air in any school backpack (Steve Jobs revealed it in an envelope during the 2008 keynote), although it is advisable to always carry a cover with you to avoid any risk of scratches or damage during an accidental fall. To finish with the design, now an Apple trademark especially since Jony Ive took charge, it must be said: this MacBook Air 2020 is probably one of the most beautiful laptops on the market. And this for all brands, thanks to itsminimalismassertive and its remarkably satisfying straight lines in the middle of which hangs a fruity logo recognizable among thousands.

Screen and camera

Since the abandonment of the variation with an eleven-inch panel (this lasted only a few years), the MacBook Air only has a13.3-inch Retina 2K display with 16:10 format (2560 x 1600 pixels) for a density of 227 ppi. The 2020 edition is thus the smallest diagonal in the range, alongside the MacBook Pro of the same size, which may pose a problem for all those for whom a large work surface is necessary (we are thinking here of editors, graphic designers, series eaters, architects or videographers). Nevertheless, it is sufficient for daily office or entertainment use,like what we can find on certain tablets like the iPad Pro also released in 2020.

With the MacBook Air 2020, on the other hand,no touch screenin the program: you will have to make do with the keyboard and mouse. There is also no notch on the front, the FaceTime HD camera with 720p definition being included at the top of the display in borders whose width has nevertheless been considerably reduced since the very first MacBook Air.

Buy the MacBook Air 2020

How is the MacBook Air 2020 controlled?

Since touch cannot control the screen, Apple has installed a physical keyboard in the MacBook Air, but which is not truly complete since we do not find thereno numeric keypad. And even if this lack is compensated by encrypted editions like QWERTZ in Germany, it is indeed a shame for consumers buying in France. However, there is one advantage with the keys of this MacBook Air 2020: they abandon (finally!) the mechanismpapillondesigned by Apple and which had attracted so much criticism because of its multiple recurring bugs. Instead, we actually find… TheMagic Keyboardhistory with the so-called technologyscissorswhich, although marketed as “new” by Tim Cook’s company, uses the same codes as on products released before 2015.

With the MacBook Air 2020, note thatno Touch Barwas not planned. We therefore indeed find the Escape key, but also a fingerprint sensorTouch ID. This allows you to configure the biometric unlocking of the device. On the other hand, without a notch, no Face ID either: we will probably have to wait a few more months before seeing this solution arrive on the MacBook Air.

Software: macOS in all its glory

Like all Macs, the MacBook Air 2020 runs on macOS, the proprietary operating system designed by Apple. The MacBook Air 2020 is also eligible for the update tomacOS 11 (Big Sur), and is expected to receive regular software improvements from its manufacturer for six to seven years after its official launch. Inside, we find many applications natively only available from this manufacturer. Among them; Mail for receiving electronic messages as its name suggests, but also the Safari browser, Stock Market to follow the price of your favorite stocks in real time or the iWork suite. As a reminder, this contains the Numbers spreadsheet, the Pages word processor andKeynotefor presentations.

On the interface side, we benefit from a veryfluid, and having tested this device for many months, it is true that the MacBook Air is rather easy to use. Of course, it is also subject to a few bugs, especially since the installation of Catalina, nevertheless navigation remains very easy even for newbies who don't know “much” about computers: the MacBook Air 2020 will therefore do an excellent gift for both your elders and your offspring. A target that is increasingly targeted by the content of subscription services such asMusic, Arcade or TV.

The only negative comments about macOS will probably come from Windows users, who - rightly so - will have difficulty getting back into their habits by changing programs for several weeks, not to mention that theapplications coded in 32-bit are simply no longer compatible with the MacBook Air 2020. It is therefore impossible to use Audacity, for example. Neither 7-Zip, not available forMac App Storeas is unfortunately the case with far too much consumer software. To remedy this, however, this application store will be your best ally, since with its millions of different titles from third-party developers it offers a plethora of alternatives at will.

Performances du MacBook Air (2020)

The MacBook Air 2020, despite its appearance which may seem frail at first glance, actually holds up very well to regular stress. So of course, we are far from what the more expensive models can do given that this is indeed a mid-range device, but the honorable mention is still in order with8 or 16 GB of RAMfor a processorIntel Core i3, i5 ou i7whose cadence reaches 3.8 GHz in its maximum configuration. Enough to run many Chrome tabs at the same time without slowing down the machine, but at the expense of particularly high heat production: be careful not to burn yourself, seriously. As for gaming, even with Apple Arcade, we strongly advise against the MacBook Air 2020 because of the same dangers.

Thebatteryof the MacBook Air 2020 has a relative official endurance grantingeleven o'clockof internet browsing, twelve hours of streaming onApple TV -concurrent direct de Disney +– even a full month on standby, data which actually seems to hold true in the long term. The MacBook Air 2020 is powered by a wall outlet into which a power adapter is connected, itself connected via USB-C to the computer, with a power of 30W. But although it has finally passed the universal standard, which is a real step forward, it still remains very cumbersome.

Buy the MacBook Air 2020

Finally, let's talk about storage. With the MacBook Air 2020, you will have the choice of an SSD256 Gb, whose capacity can be increased to 512 Gb, 1 Tb or even2 Tb. The component's writing and reading speed remains within the norm: no surprise. And if that's not enough, you can always sign up for an iCloud subscription or opt for a USB stick.

Connectivity and network

The MacBook Air does not have -brace yourself-only two USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports and a jack. If this is indeed more and more obsolete with the democratization of wireless headphones using Bluetooth, it is a real disadvantage for all external accessories still in the era of USB-A or essential tools for drone drivers like SD cards. There are many adapters compatible with the MacBook Air 2020, including some MFi certified or even marketed by Apple directly, but the price of the latter is often too off-putting.

Finally, for the network, the MacBook Air 2020 uses an 802.11a/c/b/g/n modem that easily captures theWi-Fiof any box (whether it is a Freebox or another operator), to which theBluetoothLow Energy (5-0).

MacBook Air 2020: price and availability

In short, the MacBook Air 2020 is a computerpolyvalentwhich has the advantage of being the cheapest of all Apple laptops. Furthermore, we cantransportereasily everywhere with you and it includes the latest version of macOS, easy-to-use software with simple menus, much improved with Big Sur. Sufficient for the majority of customers on the market, the MacBook Air 2020 is however not suitable for intensive use andheats up quickly: caution. Another negative point is the innovation which seems to arrive gradually, without easy recognition or a touch screen, which have become the norm for many competing brands such as Microsoft's Surface. For the rest, we can only recommend the MacBook Air 2020 to workers who need a simple, everyday computer without wanting to upgrade to the iPad.

The MacBook Air 2020 costs, depending on what you want to have inside,from 1,199 to 2,579 euros: it must be said, it is quite expensive, but the reputation of Apple and its products rewarded for their fluidity has to be paid for. It has been on sale since April 6, 2020 and can be found at many e-retailers, as you can notice in our table of the best dedicated prices updated in real time for the version with an Intel Core i3 SoC and 256 GB of storage internal :

and for the version with 512 Gb of memory with Intel Core i5 processor: