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MacBook Air (M1, 2020) vs MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)

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

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air M1 against MacBook Pro M1
FigureMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Price£9993launch price£1,2993launch price
ChipM1chipM1chip
CPU8-coreCPU8-coreCPU
GPU7-coreGPU8-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base8GBunified memory, base
Storage256GB4storage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to20 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released10 November 20205Available online; Apple gave no in-store day10 November 20205Available online; Apple gave no in-store day
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available6Security updates
Price
The MacBook Air M1 is £999 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro M1 is £1,299 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Air (M1, 2020) · 304.1 × 212.4 mm footprintMacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) · 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 Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Dimensions4.1–16.1 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm
Weight1.29 kg1.4 kg
ColoursGold, Silver, Space GreySilver, Space Gray
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.7No USB-A ports.8
HDMINo HDMI port.9No HDMI port.10
SD card slotNo SD card slot.9No SD card slot.10
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNo MagSafe port.9No MagSafe port.8
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch IDBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch ID
Touch IDYesYes
Touch BarNot available11Yes

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Display size13.3 in13.3 in
Resolution2560 x 16002560 x 1600
Pixel density227 ppi227 ppi
Display typeRetina displayRetina display
Brightness400 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.9No nano-texture display option.10

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
ChipApple M1 chipApple M1 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores88
Performance cores44
Efficiency cores44
GPU cores78
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM1 with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU or 8-core GPUM1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU12
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB16GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents13No, as Apple documents13
Storage (base)256GB4256GB
Storage (maximum)2TB2TB
Storage options128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Battery capacity49.9 Wh58.2 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles141,000 cycles14
Video playback (claimed)18 h20 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h17 h
Included power adapter30 W61 W
Fast chargingNo fast charging.9No fast charging.15

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax)802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth5.05.0
EthernetNo Ethernet port.9No Ethernet port.10
External displays (base)11

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers with high dynamic range
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Shipped withmacOS Big Sur16macOS Big Sur16
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate17macOS 27 Golden Gate17
Model identifierMacBookAir10,118MacBookPro17,119
Model year20202020

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationMacBook Air M11MacBook Pro M12
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,164202,16620
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)8,224208,30920
Geekbench 7 (Metal)26,9262028,27020

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 Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Pro M1 · 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 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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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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

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  7. 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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  8. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  9. 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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  10. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Doesn’t apply: the Touch Bar was only fitted to MacBook Pro

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  12. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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

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

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  15. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No fast charging. Checked: Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro. Read 9 Oct 2026

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

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

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

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

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  20. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 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 Pro M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, memory bandwidth, storage upgradeable by user, media engine. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, 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 Pro M1 (13-inch, 2020)?

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