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MacBook Air (M1, 2020) vs MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)1MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air M1 against MacBook Air
FigureMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Price£9993launch price£1,1994launch price
ChipM1chipCore i51.6GHz dual-core Intel
CPU8-coreCPU2-coreCPU
GPU7-coreGPUNot available5GPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage256GB6storage, base128GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to13 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released10 November 20207Available online; Apple gave no in-store day7 November 20184ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2018.
Security updatesNot available8Security updates14 September 20269Security updates ended
Price
The MacBook Air M1 is £999 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Air is £1,199 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Air (M1, 2020) · 304.1 × 212.4 mm footprintMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) · 304.1 × 212.4 mm footprint

Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Dimensions4.1–16.1 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm4.1–15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm
Weight1.29 kg1.25 kg
ColoursGold, Silver, Space GreyGold, Silver, Space Gray
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.10No USB-A ports.11
HDMINo HDMI port.12No HDMI port.13
SD card slotNo SD card slot.12No SD card slot.13
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNo MagSafe port.12No MagSafe port.13
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch IDFull-size keyboard with LED-backlit keys
Touch IDYesYes

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Display size13.3 in13.3 in
Resolution2560 x 16002560 x 1600
Pixel density227 ppi227 ppi
Display typeRetina displayRetina display
Brightness400 nitsNot available5
Wide colour (P3)YesNot available5
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.12Not available5

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
ChipApple M1 chip1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconYesIntel processor, not Apple silicon.11
CPU cores82
Performance cores4Not available14
Efficiency cores4Not available14
GPU cores7Not available5
Graphics7-core GPU, 8-core GPU15Intel UHD Graphics 617
Neural Engine cores16Not available16
Chip optionsM1 with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU or 8-core GPU1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i517
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB16GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents18No, as Apple documents18
Storage (base)256GB6128GB
Storage (maximum)2TB1.5TB
Storage options128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1.5TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Battery capacity49.9 Wh50.3 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles191,000 cycles19
Video playback (claimed)2018 h13 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h12 h
Included power adapter30 W30 W
Fast chargingNo fast charging.12No fast charging.13

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax)802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth5.04.2
EthernetNo Ethernet port.12No Ethernet port.13
External displays (base)12

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingThree microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Air2
Shipped withmacOS Big Sur21macOS Mojave22
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate23macOS Sonoma24
Model identifierMacBookAir10,124MacBookAir8,124
Model year20202018

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M1 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  6. Apple UK Store (archived 16 December 2020) — MacBook Air, M1 with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, 256GB, £999.00 · Apple’s figure · read 3 Oct 2026

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  7. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  9. endoflife.date — Apple macOS · third-party figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  10. MacBook Air (M1, 2020): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  11. MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018): No USB-A ports. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  12. MacBook Air (M1, 2020): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No MagSafe port. No nano-texture display option. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  13. MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No MagSafe port. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. Doesn’t apply: this is an Intel processor, and Apple lists a total core count only

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  16. Doesn’t apply: Apple silicon feature; this Mac has an Intel processor

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  18. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  20. Two different Apple tests. MacBook Air M1: Apple TV app movie playback. MacBook Air: iTunes movie playback.

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  21. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  22. Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  23. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  24. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Air M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, memory bandwidth, storage upgradeable by user, media engine. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Air. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Air M1 (2020)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.