2020 MacBook Air Reviews Praise Magic Keyboard and Faster Performance at Lower $999 Starting Price

[Eorlas]

Can you explain what benefits the average user would see from this?

WiFi 6/AX routers are available right now for consumers, and a good handful of them are in the reasonable price range for a router.

From a strictly speed perspective, the average consumer will see no benefit, but then again, neither would they with AC which has been mainstream for years.

There is a longer list of benefits, especially with multiple devices being on the network, and we're only each getting more of them as time goes on.

It's just a weird Apple thing, really. Latest iPhones released in September have WiFi 6 hardware, but their new MBA released 6 months later does not?

 

[ccsicecoke]

Aint' buying it because it does not have SD card slot.

I refuse to take a dongle with a laptop. What's the point.

I'd rather take a Mac mini with a portable monitor, full keyboard and mouse along with a dongle if I have to

 

[magicschoolbus]

Love my 2019. To all of you getting this upgrade - Enjoy! It's a great little machine.

 

[satchmo]

Nice, but huge performance improvements should be expected when you have updates every 2 years.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Aint' buying it because it does not have SD card slot.

I refuse to take a dongle with a laptop. What's the point.

I'd rather take a Mac mini with a portable monitor, full keyboard and mouse along with a dongle if I have to

Right, because lugging around a Mac mini makes perfect sense, LOL...incidentally, the 2018 model doesn’t have an SD Card slot either.

FYI, I own the Transcend RDC-8 reader and it’s barely the size of big pack of gum. The cable is more unwieldy than the reader. Good luck living in 2015, the rest of us have moved on.

 

[justperry]

Meanwhile in some European countries...entry level MBA €1199, less of a good deal.
Yes, I am aware of VAT and consumer protection amongst other reasons regarding higher pricing.

 

[GadgetBen]

16 inch laptops are huge. It would be heavier for sure. A 16 inch air would make no sense at all. The whole point of it is to be small and light

It would not be heavier than the MacBook Pro. Therefore it would make sense to many people.

 

[iKwick7]

Was thinking about selling off my 2018 MacBook Air and getting the new iPad Pro. Now I’m debating selling it off and getting the new MacBook Air with 512gb hard drive instead. Decisions, decisions.

 

[mi7chy]

Waiting for a review from Joanna Stern @ WSJ since she's not an Apple puppet but knowing Apple they won't send her a review unit after this article so she'll have to buy one out of pocket.

https://www.wsj.com/graphics/apple-still-hasnt-fixed-its-macbook-keyboard-problem/
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Future-proofing!

Apple's version of future proofing is buying their new product every year.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I think calling the new keyboard magical because this one actually works is letting Apple’s marketing department get a little carried away.

Ha ha, yeah, it used to be "It just works", now it's "If it actually works, it's magical". How far has Apple fallen... next they will claim they invented gravity

 

[brdeveloper]

Less expensive only in the USA. USD exchange rate worse than ever makes this Macbook Air costs like a Pro one.

 

[retta283]

Apple's got a winner here. Best consumer MacBook in some time. Perhaps the best since the 2012 MBA or 2010 MB.

Now, I'd love to see a 12" model at $899, but that might not happen soon. Maybe with the ARM switch.

 

[Abombito]

I think calling the new keyboard magical because this one actually works is letting Apple’s marketing department get a little carried away.

Apple's marketing department getting carried away? Never!

 

[cbusbuck]

Magic Keyboard? It's magical because it works? Setting the bar low at Apple since August 24, 2011.

 

[Dave-Z]

@MakeAppleAwesomeAgain thinks they TDP-Upped the Core i5-1030G7 to 1.1GHz...I haven’t watched all the videos to see if a one has disclosed the CPUs that are being used.

This is Y

Has anyone provided definitive proof of what model CPU is actually in this? I've only seen forum posts; nothing from Apple, nor any earlier reviewers.

I'm not saying you guys are wrong, I would just like to see some first-hand report of it.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Has anyone provided definitive proof of what model CPU is actually in this? I've only seen forum posts; nothing from Apple, nor any earlier reviewers.

I'm not saying you guys are wrong, I would just like to see some first-hand report of it.

This video shows the Intel i5-1030G7

 

[Westside guy]

If I could put Mojave on this, I'd order one today. However I am still dependent on some 32-bit apps, and having to run them in a VM would be rather annoying.

But it looks like a sweet machine.

 

[Jury]

@MakeAppleAwesomeAgain thinks they TDP-Upped the Core i5-1030G7 to 1.1GHz...I haven’t watched all the videos to see if a one has disclosed the CPUs that are being used.

What's the point of using intel 7-12w CPU if the temperature reaches 90c and the thermal is very bad on the MBA whether if it is running 2-4 cores.

 

[mi7chy]

This video shows the Intel i5-1030G7

Disappointing that even the i5 is throttling under load. Not sure who is to blame, Intel 10nm that's not much of an improvement over 14nm or Apple gimping the 2020 Macbook Air so it doesn't cannibalize the Macbook Pro since fan is ineffective at full speed? I'd like to see how the 7nm 15W Ryzen 7 4800U would cope in comparison in this chassis.

 

[Jury]

WiFi 6/AX routers are available right now for consumers, and a good handful of them are in the reasonable price range for a router.

From a strictly speed perspective, the average consumer will see no benefit, but then again, neither would they with AC which has been mainstream for years.

There is a longer list of benefits, especially with multiple devices being on the network, and we're only each getting more of them as time goes on.

It's just a weird Apple thing, really. Latest iPhones released in September have WiFi 6 hardware, but their new MBA released 6 months later does not?

Agreed. Apple is wrong and planned obsolescence on MBA by not supporting WIFI 6!
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Why would they move to the U-series? This is likely the 1030G7 at 9W, cTDP'd up to 12W.

The MBA uses Intel U or Y series is a terrible low watt CPU that can hit high temperature of 90c

 

[Michael Scrip]

There is a longer list of benefits, especially with multiple devices being on the network, and we're only each getting more of them as time goes on.

I'm still a little fuzzy on the benefits of WIFI 6

I understand the general concept of an ever-growing list of devices we have connected in our homes... phones, tablets, computers, smart lightswitches, door locks, security cameras, Roku, Fire Stick, etc. And they're all fighting for bandwidth.

But wouldn't most of those devices have to be using WIFI 6 to take full advantage?

If you're upset about this new Macbook Air not having WIFI 6... what about all those other devices that don't have WIFI 6 either?

Are people prepared to replace their router... and also EVERY OTHER DEVICE in their homes?

I keep hearing "I'm not buying a laptop unless it has WIFI 6..."

Well... your current laptop doesn't have WIFI 6... is there something it cannot do without WIFI 6?

Let's face it... you're still gonna have dozens of devices that are stuck on WIFI 5 for the foreseeable future... even if you had a WIFI 6 router and a WIFI 6 laptop.

 

[supertiffany]

Disappointing that even the i5 is throttling under load. Not sure who is to blame, Intel 10nm that's not much of an improvement over 14nm or Apple gimping the 2020 Macbook Air so it doesn't cannibalize the Macbook Pro since fan is ineffective at full speed? I'd like to see how the 7nm 15W Ryzen 7 4800U would cope in comparison in this chassis.

so it means its better to get the 16gb ram rather than the i5 because of throttling?

 

[Coconut Bean]

Nice specs and good value. My biggest complaint is that it is still $200 to go from 8GB to 16GB. That is excessive.

I totally agree $100 would be more appropriate. Or give us a 16GB + 1TB option for $1499!

 

[Jury]

Nice specs and good value. My biggest complaint is that it is still $200 to go from 8GB to 16GB. That is excessive.

Agreed. Apple needs to stop overcharged by lowering the price to $100 and the RAM upgrade from 8GB to 16GB for $200 is just absurd!

 

[Coconut Bean]

I'm still a little fuzzy on the benefits of WIFI 6

I understand the general concept of an ever-growing list of devices we have connected in our homes... phones, tablets, computers, smart lightswitches, door locks, security cameras, Roku, Fire Stick, etc. And they're all fighting for bandwidth.

But wouldn't most of those devices have to be using WIFI 6 to take full advantage?

If you're upset about this new Macbook Air not having WIFI 6... what about all those other devices that don't have WIFI 6 either?

Are people prepared to replace their router... and also EVERY OTHER DEVICE in their homes?

I keep hearing "I'm not buying a laptop unless it has WIFI 6..."

Well... your current laptop doesn't have WIFI 6... is there something it cannot do without WIFI 6?

Let's face it... you're still gonna have dozens of devices that are stuck on WIFI 5 for the foreseeable future... even if you had a WIFI 6 router and a WIFI 6 laptop.

Many people use their laptop for 5+ years, so I guess that's why they want to be on the newest standard. One could also think that pioneers of the tech (Intel) would be the first to implement it. I agree however that for the average user WIFI 6 won't mean much of a difference.