Apple unveiled a slew of new Macs powered by the first generation of Apple silicon. The company released updated MacBook Air, base model of MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. All these machines use the M1 chip which is based on ARM architecture. The most popular product remains to be the MacBook Air because it’s the cheapest Mac laptop which checks all the important boxes.
The new MacBook Air is a major upgrade over the previous generation model as it now uses a very efficient processor. The design of the MacBook Air did not allow the previously used Intel chip to run at the maximum speed and the machine would turn hot to the touch. Apple did pack a fan in the previous model but it was purely there for cosmetic purposes and did not really serve any important purpose.
Massively Improved Battery Backup
The story is completely different with the new M1 MacBook Air. It does not require a fan as the Apple made chip can run at high speeds without turning hot. The new chip based on ARM architecture has shocked the tech industry with its high performance without consuming much power. According to Apple, the M1 offers the world’s best CPU performance per watt – which is true (at-least in the consumer side of things).
One of the biggest advantages, the M1 brings to the Mac is that it improves the battery life of laptops immensely. Apple is promising 15 hours of web usage and 18 hours of Apple TV playback with the new M1 MacBook Air which is stupendous. MacBooks have always had pretty good battery backup and have pushed the industry forward many times. However, this jump from the previously claimed 10 hours to 15-18 hour is game changing.
The M1 MacBook Air is now on sale for $999 (USD) for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage. However, students and teachers can avail $100 off from Apple Education store.