Essential Apple User Magazine - UK (2020-04)

I

n March 2020, Apple’s best-loved notebook got an

upgrade. It has a faster processor, better graphics

and a great new keyboard. Storage capacity has been

doubled, and the price has fallen. Yes, seriously – the

updated MacBook Air is actually cheaper than the

one it replaces. Once again, two models are available.

Both have 13-inch Retina displays for vivid images and

sharp text, Touch ID for easy login and secure online

purchases, a spacious trackpad for input and all-day

battery life. And once again, the difference between the

cheaper and more expensive models is the processor

and on-board storage capacity.

Entry-Level MacBook Air, 2020:

£999 $999 1.199 €

Entry-Level MacBook Air, 2019:

£1,099 $1,099 1.249 €

The cheaper of the two 2020 MacBook

Airs costs less than the 2019 model, with

the more expensive notebook selling for

the same price as its predecessor.

The cheaper of the two MacBook Airs

has a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i

processor. When more processing

power is needed, it can Turbo Boost

for short periods, giving it a clock

speed of up to 3.2GHz. The more

expensive notebook has a 1.1GHz

quad-core Intel Core i5 (the first quad-

core processor ever in a MacBook

Air), which can Turbo Boost to

3.5GHz. The new MacBook Airs have

approximately twice the processing

power of the previous generation

and, as always, if you order online at

the Apple website, you can custom

configure them with better, faster

chips. If you really want to max out

its speed, go for a 1.2GHz quad-core

Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up

to 3.8GHz.

For graphics, the new MacBook

Airs both use Intel Iris Plus Graphics,

which is up to 80% faster than their

predecessors. They also support

Thunderbolt 3–enabled, external

graphics processors (eGPUs) for

even more graphical power.

MacBook

The New

Processing Power

A

Price

Drop!

The MacBook Air’s increased power is

especially useful for video enthusiasts.

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