The Apple 13" MacBook Air features Apple's first chip designed specifically for Mac. The Apple M1 integrates the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, I/O, and more into a single system on a chip (SoC). Tackle your projects with the fast 8-Core CPU and take on graphics-intensive apps and games with the 8-core GPU. Accelerate machine learning tasks with the 16-core Neural Engine. Complete with a silent, fanless design and up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air is still portable, but now a lot more powerful. It also has 16GB of unified RAM and a 1TB SSD.
With over 4 million pixels, the 13.3" Retina Display features a 2560 x 1600 screen resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio for 227 pixels per inch (ppi). The display also features up to 48 percent more color than the previous generation. With True Tone technology, the white balance automatically adjusts to match the color temperature of the light around you for a more natural viewing experience.
Connect to the internet via Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and use compatible wireless peripherals and accessories with Bluetooth 5.0. The two Thunderbolt 3 ports provide USB4 support and can even connect to the Apple Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution. Apple also included studio-quality mics for clear recordings and calls. There is also Apple's latest camera ISP in the M1 chip, which enables sharper images and more details in shadows and highlights in video calls. Keep your MacBook Air secure with Secure Enclave in M1 as well as Touch ID. The backlit Magic Keyboard provides a comfortable typing experience, and the Force Touch trackpad allows for precise cursor control, pressure-sensing capabilities, and Multi-Touch gestures.
Please note that this MacBook Air can only output to a single external display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz.
This Mac comes preloaded with macOS. Updates can be downloaded for free via the Mac App Store. Please check Apple's website for upgrade eligibility.
Product SKU:
1604865
133_2560_x_1600_retina_ips_display:
8-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
apple_m1_8-core_cpu:
16GB Unified RAM | 1TB SSD
aspect_ratio:
16:10
color_gamut:
100% DCI-P3
finish:
Glossy
maximum_brightness:
400 nits / cd/m2
panel_type:
IPS-Type LCD
resolution:
2560 x 1600
size:
13.3"
touchscreen:
No
Community Notes
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I have this laptop from a previous B&H sale, from around Black Friday when both Gold and Space Gray were being offered at the same $1200 price point.
First and foremost, it's an excellent performing device. This $1200 machine absolutely beats the tar out of my $2400 late-2019 16" Macbook Pro Intel i7 + 16gb ram + 512gb ssd in terms of performance.
I've run the M1 Air as a daily driver since the beginning of December 2022 - admin tasks, software development, media creation, etc. I've been nothing but thrilled with it. Best dollar-to-weight-to-performance laptop I've ever owned. Sure, the M1/M2 Pro/Max/Ultra is faster -- but if you know you need that level of processing power, you probably already have one.
Comparing this to my not-so-old 16" MBP, the keyboard + trackpad + screen are exactly the same high quality and usability (albeit smaller for the screen size & trackpad). The machine is very lightweight, and it's nothing but an afterthought to carry around daily.
The M1 Air needs to be intentionally run long and hard to even get slightly warm, whereas the i7 MBP immediately becomes a space heater when on idle upon a fresh boot -- getting so warm that you can feel the heat on the underside of your desk. This also comes with a much better battery longevity -- the 16" Pro lasts 4-6 hours, the Air is 8+ hours. And I'm not changing my behavior to conserve battery life.
You can also charge it with a 30W USB-C adapter, whereas the 16" Pro should have a 100W adapter. 30W USB-C chargers are much cheaper and more widely available. Or you can use a single higher-capacity multi-port charger to run several devices -- something that you can't do with a Macbook Pro.
Unless you know you're not a heavy user, I think you're better off getting the 16gb ram version. Furthermore, the larger 1tb storage is a nice perk to have, but can easily be mitigated by external USB-C SSDs for general file storage.
Cons: As expected, the speakers and microphone in the M1 Air aren't as robust as they are in the 16" Macbook Pro line. And you do lose 2x USB-C ports. And you can only attach a single external monitor. Granted, when I plugged in an external monitor into the 16" pro, the fan kicks on as if I'm stressing the poor device -- the M1 Air handles it calmly. The webcam is below average, but that's the case with almost every laptop.
To combat the dip in audio fidelity, you can always plug in external speakers -- or use a wired/wireless headset. USB mics, such as the AT2020usb+ are available for $100 or less that give stellar performance. Though to be fair, the built-in mic is absolutely acceptable. Webcam? Nothing built-in is going to beat a $70-200 purpose-built external camera.
The M1 Air doesn't have a touchbar. Some people really liked that atrocious thing. More power to them, I suppose. No literally, they needed the power to run the obnoxious, glitchy feature.
Final note -- Get AppleCare. For $200 more, it covers you another 2 more years in case anything goes wrong. Given how highly integrated these machines are, you're taking a gamble otherwise.
AutoCAD Electrical, and many of the other specialized AutoCAD toolsets, requires x86-64 CPU architecture. That means it will not be able to run on an M-series current/modern Mac even in a VM.
You could run this in a VM on an older Intel Mac, but they're dated and performance would be poor and probably unreliable. You are much better off going with a current Windows machine.
This is an great deal. I only wish more people realized how ideal this package was from a price/power/storage/travel perspective.
This isn't my wife's computer, it's mine. Compiling millions of lines of code and processing hundreds of gigs of data silently and without choking.
Are you a software engineer? Is this good for running multiple localhosts, and 4-5 other applications and many browser windows with video playing? I have a MacBook 2012 16gb which does it almost good enough but not to my liking.
This is a fantastic deal. But I'm struggling to justify even that extra $200-$300 for 16GB and 1 TB for my wife. She only does simple web browsing and emailing. Her current MBA is a 2015, 8GB of RAM, and 256 GB drive. She's about filled it up with just photos and videos but that's taken 7 hrs to fill.
So looking to save the $200-$300 and get an 8GB/512GB. Be awesome to get sub $900-$1,000.
I assume you mean 7 years not 7 hours. Keep in mind that we take a lot more photos and videos now than we did back in 2015. Also megapixels on phones are better but that takes up more space. Chances are you will go through more memory than you did in the first 7 years. Nothing worse than having to be cautious about space.
For some, 16GB/512GB for M1 Pro 14" may be better, with Pro-Motion display, more ports, more powerful, ability to support more external monitors.
For those who don't need those things, but value fanless design, even smaller form factor, possibly longer battery life for basic tasks, then having 16GB and 1TB may be a lifesaver if you plan to keep this for years and years.
Last edited by SmartHaddock3847 May 2, 2023 at 04:00 PM.
I am new to Apple laptops but my daughter wants one for college. How is a MacBook air different than a mbp if both have m1 processor?
Definitely get this one. MBPro will have larger battery and lasts slightly longer between charges, but the lowest price would be from yesterday at $1500 for 16GB RAM and 500GB SSD. And battery lasts probably extra 30-60 min at most, so no huge difference.
This is a deal on Apple - 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. These are very good specs for Apple
Guys. Windows guy for the past 25 years. So used to Microsoft mouse with the wheel. For MB Air, will I need a USB dongle? Are there any mouses that connects to this thru Bluetooth without requiring a dongle?
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Recent convert to the Mac world. Coming from windows after the last 25+ years....
I still have a lot of shortcuts to get familiar with, but I bought an M2 Air a couple months ago from Costco and I don't think I'll ever go back to windows for my personal laptop. I love everything about this laptop.
That being said.....this deal is bonkers good.
Like.... makes me think I should return this and get that one instead good.
Guys. Windows guy for the past 25 years. So used to Microsoft mouse with the wheel. For MB Air, will I need a USB dongle? Are there any mouses that connects to this thru Bluetooth without requiring a dongle?
Yes Bluetooth mice are common and they all will work with this MacBook.
Recent convert to the Mac world. Coming from windows after the last 25+ years....
I still have a lot of shortcuts to get familiar with, but I bought an M2 Air a couple months ago from Costco and I don't think I'll ever go back to windows for my personal laptop. I love everything about this laptop.
That being said.....this deal is bonkers good.
Like.... makes me think I should return this and get that one instead good.
I just made this switch (see my post above).
You will probably naturally use the mouse pad one way and want the mouse wheel to work the opposite way. Just guessing.
I don't think the Mac can do that natively. But there are apps that people have recommended to me in the past to solve the issue.
I will say.... I've gotten used to not even needing a mouse. The trackpad (at least on the M2) is bonkers good.
I'm still looking at these specs compared to my laptop. Twice the ram (8-16). Twice the storage (512-1TB). $200 less. Steal.
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May 2, 2023 11:35 PM
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I have MBPros and Windows workstations. Apple OS is not even close to functionality of Windows, especially Windows 11. OSX bothers me even for personal use, there are things that are just less intuitive and done slower, or simply too much tinkering required if even doable. The hardware is great but software is soooo not useful beyond basic use. I buy MBAir for the kids, and I get MS laptops for myself.
Just try to have a home network with a NAS, a server, streaming devices, shared home theatre audio systems, shared volumes on all machines, download and backup photos and videos etc etc. and you'll see Apple can't do it. Apple is really good for one machine connected to one cloud and that's it.
To each their own. I'm not trying to sell anything.
FWIW:
I have:
1. Synology NAS
2. Windows HTPC running Plex and Kodi. Ran XBMC before that.
3. Connected to a Pioneer receiver that runs AirPlay... it just works.
4. Chromecast on TVs.
5. Google tv on the a80j oled.
6. Sonos for the house.
The Mac works with all of them. but like I said... to each their own. This feels like a good deal!
I have MBPros and Windows workstations. Apple OS is not even close to functionality of Windows, especially Windows 11. OSX bothers me even for personal use, there are things that are just less intuitive and done slower, or simply too much tinkering required if even doable. The hardware is great but software is soooo not useful beyond basic use. I buy MBAir for the kids, and I get MS laptops for myself.
Just try to have a home network with a NAS, a server, streaming devices, shared home theatre audio systems, shared volumes on all machines, download and backup photos and videos etc etc. and you'll see Apple can't do it. Apple is really good for one machine connected to one cloud and that's it.
OS X can do all of that with no issues..the terminal is the same crap as Debian linux distros for the most part.
you're just incompetent
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This isn't my wife's computer, it's mine. Compiling millions of lines of code and processing hundreds of gigs of data silently and without choking.
you're just incompetent
First and foremost, it's an excellent performing device. This $1200 machine absolutely beats the tar out of my $2400 late-2019 16" Macbook Pro Intel i7 + 16gb ram + 512gb ssd in terms of performance.
I've run the M1 Air as a daily driver since the beginning of December 2022 - admin tasks, software development, media creation, etc. I've been nothing but thrilled with it. Best dollar-to-weight-to-performance laptop I've ever owned. Sure, the M1/M2 Pro/Max/Ultra is faster -- but if you know you need that level of processing power, you probably already have one.
Comparing this to my not-so-old 16" MBP, the keyboard + trackpad + screen are exactly the same high quality and usability (albeit smaller for the screen size & trackpad). The machine is very lightweight, and it's nothing but an afterthought to carry around daily.
The M1 Air needs to be intentionally run long and hard to even get slightly warm, whereas the i7 MBP immediately becomes a space heater when on idle upon a fresh boot -- getting so warm that you can feel the heat on the underside of your desk. This also comes with a much better battery longevity -- the 16" Pro lasts 4-6 hours, the Air is 8+ hours. And I'm not changing my behavior to conserve battery life.
You can also charge it with a 30W USB-C adapter, whereas the 16" Pro should have a 100W adapter. 30W USB-C chargers are much cheaper and more widely available. Or you can use a single higher-capacity multi-port charger to run several devices -- something that you can't do with a Macbook Pro.
Unless you know you're not a heavy user, I think you're better off getting the 16gb ram version. Furthermore, the larger 1tb storage is a nice perk to have, but can easily be mitigated by external USB-C SSDs for general file storage.
Cons: As expected, the speakers and microphone in the M1 Air aren't as robust as they are in the 16" Macbook Pro line. And you do lose 2x USB-C ports. And you can only attach a single external monitor. Granted, when I plugged in an external monitor into the 16" pro, the fan kicks on as if I'm stressing the poor device -- the M1 Air handles it calmly. The webcam is below average, but that's the case with almost every laptop.
To combat the dip in audio fidelity, you can always plug in external speakers -- or use a wired/wireless headset. USB mics, such as the AT2020usb+ are available for $100 or less that give stellar performance. Though to be fair, the built-in mic is absolutely acceptable. Webcam? Nothing built-in is going to beat a $70-200 purpose-built external camera.
The M1 Air doesn't have a touchbar. Some people really liked that atrocious thing. More power to them, I suppose. No literally, they needed the power to run the obnoxious, glitchy feature.
Final note -- Get AppleCare. For $200 more, it covers you another 2 more years in case anything goes wrong. Given how highly integrated these machines are, you're taking a gamble otherwise.
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You could run this in a VM on an older Intel Mac, but they're dated and performance would be poor and probably unreliable. You are much better off going with a current Windows machine.
This isn't my wife's computer, it's mine. Compiling millions of lines of code and processing hundreds of gigs of data silently and without choking.
So looking to save the $200-$300 and get an 8GB/512GB. Be awesome to get sub $900-$1,000.
For some, 16GB/512GB for M1 Pro 14" may be better, with Pro-Motion display, more ports, more powerful, ability to support more external monitors.
For those who don't need those things, but value fanless design, even smaller form factor, possibly longer battery life for basic tasks, then having 16GB and 1TB may be a lifesaver if you plan to keep this for years and years.
This is a deal on Apple - 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. These are very good specs for Apple
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I still have a lot of shortcuts to get familiar with, but I bought an M2 Air a couple months ago from Costco and I don't think I'll ever go back to windows for my personal laptop. I love everything about this laptop.
That being said.....this deal is bonkers good.
Like.... makes me think I should return this and get that one instead good.
I still have a lot of shortcuts to get familiar with, but I bought an M2 Air a couple months ago from Costco and I don't think I'll ever go back to windows for my personal laptop. I love everything about this laptop.
That being said.....this deal is bonkers good.
Like.... makes me think I should return this and get that one instead good.
You will probably naturally use the mouse pad one way and want the mouse wheel to work the opposite way. Just guessing.
I don't think the Mac can do that natively. But there are apps that people have recommended to me in the past to solve the issue.
I will say.... I've gotten used to not even needing a mouse. The trackpad (at least on the M2) is bonkers good.
I'm still looking at these specs compared to my laptop. Twice the ram (8-16). Twice the storage (512-1TB). $200 less. Steal.
Just try to have a home network with a NAS, a server, streaming devices, shared home theatre audio systems, shared volumes on all machines, download and backup photos and videos etc etc. and you'll see Apple can't do it. Apple is really good for one machine connected to one cloud and that's it.
FWIW:
I have:
1. Synology NAS
2. Windows HTPC running Plex and Kodi. Ran XBMC before that.
3. Connected to a Pioneer receiver that runs AirPlay... it just works.
4. Chromecast on TVs.
5. Google tv on the a80j oled.
6. Sonos for the house.
The Mac works with all of them. but like I said... to each their own. This feels like a good deal!
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Just try to have a home network with a NAS, a server, streaming devices, shared home theatre audio systems, shared volumes on all machines, download and backup photos and videos etc etc. and you'll see Apple can't do it. Apple is really good for one machine connected to one cloud and that's it.
you're just incompetent
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