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MacBook Air 13-inch (M1)
Choose the MacBook Air 13-inch (M1) only as a cheap, fanless Mac; the current 13-inch Air (M5) starts with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage.
Product images
MacBook Air 13-inch (M1), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Choose the MacBook Air 13-inch (M1) only as a cheap, fanless Mac; the current 13-inch Air (M5) starts with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. It has a 13.3-inch, 400-nit screen, a 720p camera, 8GB or 16GB of memory and up to 18 hours of video playback, in a 2.8-pound wedge. It charges over USB-C, has no MagSafe and runs one external display.
Who it is for
- Anyone who needs a light, silent Mac for the least money. It weighs 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg), has no fan and launched at $999.
- Owners of an Intel-era Air who want Apple silicon in the same tapered wedge shape.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who can stretch to a current Air. The 13-inch M5 starts with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, and adds a Center Stage camera and Apple's N1 wireless chip.
- Anyone who wants MagSafe or a bigger, brighter screen. The 13-inch M2 Air has MagSafe 3, a 13.6-inch, 500-nit Liquid Retina display and a 1080p camera.
- People who need more than 16GB of memory or two monitors. The M1 tops out at 16GB (the M2 Air goes to 24GB) and runs one external display.
- Anyone who wants more battery and doesn't mind a fan. The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) is rated for 20 hours of video and 17 of web browsing from a 58.2Wh battery, and has a Touch Bar.
What sets it apart
- Apple's first Apple-silicon Air: the M1 pairs an 8-core CPU with a 7-core or 8-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine.
- The wedge design of the Intel-era Airs, 0.16 to 0.63 inches thick and 2.8 pounds, with no fan.
- Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app playback and 15 hours of web browsing, the same ratings Apple gives the M2 Air.
- Gold, Silver or Space Gray; the M2 Air dropped Gold.
Caveats
- Memory is 8GB unless 16GB was chosen at purchase, and it's soldered, so a used 8GB machine stays that way.
- With no MagSafe, the 30W charger takes up one of the two USB-C ports.
Key specs
In the same order on every laptop page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chip / processor | M1: 8-core CPU (4 performance, 4 efficiency), 16-core Neural Engine | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsApple's first Apple-silicon MacBook Air. |
| Graphics | 7-core or 8-core GPU | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe base model has the 7-core GPU; Apple's battery tests used an 8-core GPU model. |
| Memory options | 8GB unified memory; configurable to 16GB (soldered) | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air goes up to 24GB. |
| Storage options | 128GB SSD listed; configurable to 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Display size | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit IPS Retina (actual viewable area is less) | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen. |
| Display type | IPS Retina, not Liquid Retina; no nano-texture option listed | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Display resolution | 2560 × 1600 at 227 ppi | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Refresh rate | No ProMotion or 120Hz mode listed | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsProMotion at 120Hz belongs to the 14-inch MacBook Pro's XDR screen. |
| Peak brightness | 400 nits | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air is rated for 500 nits. |
| Color / HDR | Millions of colors; wide color (P3); True Tone | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Dimensions | 0.16–0.63 × 11.97 × 8.36 in (0.41–1.61 × 30.41 × 21.24 cm), tapered wedge | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Chassis material | Aluminum, fanless; recycled material in the enclosure | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Finishes | Gold; Silver; Space Gray | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air comes in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray and Silver, without Gold. |
| Battery capacity | 49.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Battery, wireless web | Up to 15 hours of wireless web | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs, footnote 1Apple's October 2020 tests on preproduction M1 Airs with an 8-core GPU, 8GB and 512GB, browsing 25 websites with the brightness 8 clicks up from the bottom. |
| Battery, video playback | Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs, footnote 1Same test units, playing HD 1080p movies at the same brightness. |
| Charging | 30W USB-C Power Adapter in the box | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsIt charges over USB-C; there's no MagSafe port. |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C) ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 up to 40Gb/s, USB 4 up to 40Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10Gb/s; 3.5 mm headphone jack | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsMagSafe 3 arrived with the 13-inch M2 Air. |
| Webcam | 720p FaceTime HD camera; advanced image signal processor with computational video | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air moved to 1080p. |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers; wide stereo; Dolby Atmos playback | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe 13-inch M2 Air has four speakers. |
| Microphones | Three-mic array with directional beamforming | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID; 78 keys (US) or 79 (ISO), including 12 function keys and inverted-T arrows | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsNo Touch Bar; the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) has one. |
| Trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.0 | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsThe M3 Air moved to Wi-Fi 6E. |
| Operating system | macOS Big Sur at launch on 10 November 2020; Apple's current spec page names macOS Sequoia, with Apple Intelligence on M1 and later | Apple Newsroom, 10 November 2020; Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| External display support | One external display up to 6K@60, alongside the built-in display; Thunderbolt 3 digital video output over USB-C | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specsNo lid-closed mode for a second display is listed. |
| Security / biometrics | Touch ID | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
| Cooling | Fanless (passive) | Apple Newsroom, 10 November 2020 |
| US launch price | $999 at launch on 10 November 2020 (education $899) | Apple Newsroom, 10 November 2020 |
| Price band | Older ultraportable ($700–$1,100 at US launch) | Based on Apple's $999 launch price |
| Announced | 10 November 2020 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Orders from Tuesday, 10 November 2020; in stores from Tuesday, 17 November 2020 | Apple Newsroom, 10 November 2020 |
MacBook Air 13-inch (M1) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| 13-inch M2 Air (next model) | MacBook Air 13-inch (M2): 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, MagSafe 3, 1080p camera, 52.6Wh battery, 8-core GPU to start, 18 hours of video and 15 of web browsing | Apple 13-inch M2 MacBook Air tech specs |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) | MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2): Touch Bar, fans, 58.2Wh battery (49.9Wh in this Air), 20 hours of video and 17 of web browsing, 67W adapter | Apple 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro tech specs |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1) | MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1): Touch Bar, 500 nits, 8-core GPU, 58.2Wh battery and 61W adapter, rated for 20 hours of video and 17 of web browsing on an 8GB, 512GB test unit from October 2020; this Air has a 30W adapter and 400 nits | Apple 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro tech specs |
| In the box | MacBook Air; 30W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m) | Apple M1 MacBook Air tech specs |
Apple announced the M1 Air on 10 November 2020 as its first MacBook Air with Apple silicon, at $999, and it reached stores on 17 November 2020. It kept the tapered wedge of the Intel-era Airs; the M2 Air that followed was a redesign around a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen.
Against today’s 13-inch Air
The current MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) starts with 16GB of memory, twice the M1’s standard 8GB, and 512GB of storage. It replaces the 720p camera with a Center Stage camera and uses Apple’s N1 wireless chip. If your M1 Air still runs well, those are the reasons to move on; if you’re buying one, they’re what the M1’s lower price leaves out. MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs 13-inch (M1) compares the two in full.
What the M2 Air changed
| Spec | MacBook Air 13-inch (M1) | MacBook Air 13-inch (M2) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 13.3-inch Retina, 400 nits | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits |
| Camera | 720p | 1080p |
| Charging | USB-C, 30W adapter | MagSafe 3 |
| GPU to start | 7-core | 8-core |
| Most memory | 16GB | 24GB |
| Battery | 49.9Wh | 52.6Wh |
| Rated battery life | Up to 18 hours video, 15 hours web | Same |
| Speakers | Stereo | Four |
| Finishes | Gold, Silver, Space Gray | Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, Silver |
A used M2 Air is the natural step up if you want MagSafe and a better camera without paying for a current model. MacBook Air 13-inch (M2) vs 13-inch (M1) goes through the rest.
Screen, battery and connections
The 13.3-inch IPS Retina screen has 2560 × 1600 pixels at 227 ppi, 400 nits, P3 wide color and True Tone. Its 49.9Wh battery is smaller than the M2 Air’s 52.6Wh, yet Apple gives both the same ratings: up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback and 15 hours of wireless web.
The two USB-C ports handle Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 at up to 40Gb/s, DisplayPort and charging, and there’s a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Wireless is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. The stereo speakers support Dolby Atmos playback, and the backlit Magic Keyboard has Touch ID.
The 13-inch MacBook Pros from the same years
The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1) has a Touch Bar, a 500-nit screen, an 8-core GPU and a 58.2Wh battery rated for 20 hours of video and 17 of web browsing, with a 61W adapter. The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) has the Touch Bar, fans, the same battery rating and a 67W adapter, and it launched at $1,299. The Air gives up that battery and brightness, but it has no fan at all.
Price
The M1 Air launched at $999 in the US, or $899 with education pricing. Six years on, it’s sold as older, refurbished or education stock at whatever sellers ask, so check a few prices before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Apple Newsroom — Introducing the next generation of Mac — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — Identify your MacBook Air model — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does the M1 Air have MagSafe?
No. It charges through one of its two USB-C ports with the 30W adapter in the box. MagSafe 3 arrived with the M2 Air.
How many external displays can the M1 Air use?
One, at up to 6K and 60Hz, alongside its own screen. Apple lists no way to add a second, even with the lid closed.
Does the M1 Air have a 7-core or 8-core GPU?
Both versions exist. The base model has a 7-core GPU, and Apple's battery figures come from an 8-core GPU model with 8GB and 512GB.
Is the M1 Air too old for Apple Intelligence?
No. Apple supports Apple Intelligence on M1 and later Macs. The M1 Air launched with macOS Big Sur, and Apple's spec page for it now names macOS Sequoia.
Official product page: MacBook Air 13-inch (M1). Tech specs: MacBook Air 13-inch (M1) specs.