Apple MacBook Air (2020): Pros And Cons

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 1, 2020

MacBook Air

  • Here are the MacBook Air (2020) pros and cons you should know about.

Apple recently released the 2020 models of the MacBook Air with a number of hardware upgrades. Here are the Apple MacBook Air (2020) pros and cons you should know about:

Pro: Faster Processor

The new MacBook Air features Intel’s 10th generation Core processors up to 1.2GHz quad-core with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8GHz. This means it delivers double the performance compared to the previous generation.

And Apple paired this processor with Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics — which delivers up to 80% faster graphics performance. So playing games and editing videos is much faster.

Pro: Traditional Scissor Switches

Out with the butterfly keyboard and in with traditional scissor switches. This means that the new MacBook Air features the same Magic Keyboard as the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new Magic Keyboard has a redesigned scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm of key travel.

Pro: Larger Trackpad

The Force Touch trackpad is 20% larger than the previous MacBook Air. And with Force Touch, you can interact with your Mac in a variety of ways based on subtle differences in pressure.

Pro: Touch ID/T2 Security/”Hey Siri”

Built into the MacBook Air is the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. This makes it easier to unlock your MacBook Air or access protected documents, notes, settings, and websites without having to manually input the passwords. Plus it makes paying with Apple Pay much more seamless.

And the MacBook Air features second-generation custom Mac silicon in the form of the Apple T2 Security Chip. When using Touch ID for unlocking your Mac, it taps into the technology for storing data on the SSD using on-the-fly data encryption. Plus the T2 Security Chip supports Siri so you can say “Hey Siri”  for opening apps, documents, websites, etc.

Pro: Retina Display

The new MacBook Air features Apple’s sharp Retina Display. Specifically, it has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 for over 4 million pixels.

Text and images look very sharp on the display. And Apple’s True Tone technology automatically adjusts the white point of the display for matching the color temperature of your environment.

Pro: Solid Audio

The Apple MacBook Air has stereo speakers that deliver twice the bass and 25% more volume than the previous MacBook Air. And it features wider stereo sound to create immersive audio while listening to audio.

There is a three-microphone array that captures your voice more accurately. This can be handy while making FaceTime calls, talking to Siri, and dictating.

Pro: 2x Thunderbolt 3 Ports

The new MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports for combining ultra-high bandwidth with the versatility of the USB-C standard. With this port, it enables the MacBook Air to support a 6K external display for the first time.

Thunderbolt 3 supports data transfer, charging, and video output in a single connector. In terms of bandwidth, the port delivers up to 40Gb/s of throughput for twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2. And Thunderbolt 3 is reversible, so no matter how you plug it in, it’s always right side up.

Pro: Multiple Color Options

The new MacBook Air was built with 100% recycled aluminum and it has three color options for you to choose from gold, silver, and space gray. Having different color options is always a plus.

Pro: Price Starts At $999 ($899 With Education Discount)

The price of the MacBook Air starts at $999 ($899 with an education discount). This makes it affordable for those of us who are on a budget. It might also be worth looking into financing or trade-in options to make the price easier to handle.

Con: Webcam Is 720p

One of the cons that pointed out by tech reviewer Marques Brownlee is that the webcam on the MacBook Air has an outdated 720p resolution. It would have been nice if it was at least bumped up to 1080p.

Pulse 2.0 Rating

Pulse 2.0 has given the new MacBook Air 4.5 out of 5 stars. Between the hardware specs and solid price, this is one of the highest scores we have given to a laptop. If the webcam was higher quality, I would have bumped it up to a 5 out of 5.

Apple MacBook Air Specifications

Apple MacBook Air (2020)

Want To Buy The New MacBook Air? Check It Out Here:

Here Are Some Similar Products Worth Checking Out:

Pulse 2.0 may receive a commission for products purchased through this article.