And it’s time for the Mac. Apple has just come out to announce its first laptop with an Apple Silicon processor and the pioneer has been none other than the MacBook Air, which has arrived accompanied by a new Mac mini and MacBook Pro. In terms of design, there are not too many changes, as Cupertino’s company continues to maintain its design language. The changes are on the inside, as it ensures that the MacBook Air (2021) is “faster than 98% of Windows laptops on the market”.
The new MacBook Air (2021) can be purchased now on the Apple website. It is available in space grey, gold, and silver, and two versions with different GPUs and internal storage capacities. The price of the most basic model is $899, while the most powerful MacBook Air is $1,499.
Apple MacBook Air (2021) Datasheet
| Apple MacBook Air (2021) | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions and Weight | 30.41 x 21.4 x 0.41 cm 1.29 kilos |
| Screen | 13.3-inch IPS Resolution 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 227 dpi, 400 nits, P3, True Tone |
| Processor | Apple M1 Chip |
| RAM | 8/16 GB of unified memory |
| Graphics Card | Integrated 7 or 8 cores, depending on the version |
| Internal Storage | 256, 512, 1 TB or 2 TB |
| Battery | 49.9 Wh Up to 18 hours of video playback Up to 15 hours of browsing |
| OS | macOS Big Sur |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | DisplayPort 2 x Thunderbolt / USB 4 headphone jack |
| Others | Touch ID Magic Keyboard 720p Camera Dobly Atmos Stereo Speakers 3 x Microphones |
| Price | From $899 |
The Apple M1 makes an appearance
The new MacBook Air weighs 1.29 kilograms and is only 0.41 centimeters thick. The design remains the same as previous models, and the colors in which it will be available are space gray, gold, and silver. Along with the chassis, there are two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, the headphone jack, and nothing else because Apple has decided to completely get rid of the ventilation system.
Apple stands firm on the size of its screen, incorporating in its new MacBook Air (2021) a 13.3-inch IPS panel and 2560 x 1600 pixels of resolution that aims to stand out for its color representation. The keyboard, of course, is the Magic Keyboard that we already know from other devices of the brand. Of course, the Touch ID is present to unlock the computer with our fingerprint.
Under the hood is the new Apple M1 processor, the first SoC of the house. It has an eight-core CPU and a seven or eight-core GPU, depending on the model we choose. According to Apple, its CPU is 3.5 times that of the previous models, and its integrated GPU is up to five times faster than the previous ones. The RAM is 8 GB, but it is possible to get a version with 16 GB, unified, of course.
Differences also in the internal storage base, which is 256 GB in the most basic model and 512 GB in the higher model. However, it can be extended up to 2 TB. Apple, again, is optimistic about their storage, since they claim that thanks to the technology of the Apple M1 their SSDs are up to twice as fast. It also incorporates the neural engine that, according to Apple, is capable of doing machine learning tasks nine times faster.
As for the battery, MacBook Air (2021) has a 49.9 Wh battery that will be charged by a 30W USB-C power adapter (included in the box, it is worth noting). According to Cupertino’s company, the battery is capable of providing up to 18 hours of video consumption, or what is the same, six hours more than the previous model. This an interesting jump that, according to Apple, is possible thanks to the new Apple M1 processor. It is, according to Apple, the MacBook Air with more battery of all time.
The operating system is none other than MacOS Big Sur, which, thanks to Apple technology, can run iPhone and iPad applications. Also, thanks to the implementation of Rosetta 2 should, in theory, run applications optimized for Intel, although it is expected that gradually the applications are going to be universal or, otherwise, launch optimized versions. All this, says Cupertino’s signature, without making any noise.
Price and Availability of the Apple MacBook Air (2021)
The new MacBook Air can be purchased now on the Apple website, although shipments will not begin until November 16-17. The price of the device depends mainly on the amount of RAM, base storage, and GPU cores.
Thus, the MacBook Air (2021) with 8 GB, 256 GB of storage, and a seven-core GPU start from $899, while the MacBook Air (2021) with 8 GB, 512 GB of storage, and an eight-core GPU starts from $1,499.
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