M1 MacBook Air vs. Intel MacBook Air: Which is better?
Here is a side by side comparison between M1 MacBook Air and Intel MacBook Air specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.
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M1 MacBook Air Pros
Reasons that M1 MacBook Air is better than Intel MacBook Air.
Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 MacBook Air has a 145% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1060NG7 inside Intel MacBook Air.
Intel MacBook Air Pros
We couldn't find any advantages of Intel MacBook Air over M1 MacBook Air.
Key Similars
Similar characteristics share between M1 MacBook Air and Intel MacBook Air.
Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.
Prices
Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.
Availability | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Released | 2020 | 2020 |
Release Date | Announced on November 10th, 2020 |
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Pricing |
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Generations |
Exterior | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Dimensions |
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Weight | Starting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) | Starting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) |
Colors | Gold Space Gray Silver | Gold Space Gray Silver |
Keyboard and Trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
| Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
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Display | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Size | 13.3 Inches | 13.3 Inches |
Info | Retina display
| Retina display
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Ports | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Left (2)
Right (1)
| Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
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Internal Specs | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Processor |
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Integrated Graphics |
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Memory |
| 8GB Configurable to 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory |
Storage |
| 256GB 512GB Configurable to 1TB and 2TB SSD |
Connectivity | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Wi-Fi |
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Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology |
Battery | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Size | 49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery | 49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery |
Battery Life |
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Power Supply | 30W USB‑C Power Adapter | 30W USB‑C Power Adapter |
Software | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
OS | Shipped with macOS Big Sur | Shipped with macOS Catalina |
Built-in Apps | Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player | Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player |
Camera & Audio | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
Audio |
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Misc | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
Sensors |
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Security |
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In the box |
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Warranty | Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax. | Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax. |
More | Video Support
| Video Support
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Key Features | M1 MacBook Air | Intel MacBook Air |
At Glance |
Comparison Summary
Apple has released the M1 MacBook Air, a 13.3-inch machine, in late-2020. It is powered by up to an octa-core Apple M1 (8C, 8G). The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 iGPU (8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz).
On the other hand, we have the 13.3-inch Intel MacBook Air was introduced by Apple around the same year in early-2020. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1060NG7 with a boost clock speed up to 3.80 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics (64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz).
Geekbench 5 Single Core
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
Both M1 MacBook Air and Intel MacBook Air have the same 13.3-inch display size. In addition, they both have the same weight at 2.8 lbs. Moreover, measured at 11.97” x 8.36” x 0.63”, the M1 MacBook Air share the same chassis as the Intel MacBook Air.
Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.
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