Should I upgrade my MacBook Air (M1, 2020)?
nearly 6 years old · Runs macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS
Quick look
| Figure | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £9993launch price | £1,2994Apple UK store |
| Chip | M1chip | M5chip |
| CPU | 8-coreCPU | 10-coreCPU |
| GPU | 7-coreGPU | 8-coreGPU |
| Memory | 8GBunified memory, base | 16GBunified memory, base |
| Storage | 256GB5storage, base | 512GBstorage, base |
| Battery life | Up to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed | Up to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed |
| Released | 10 November 20206Available online; Apple gave no in-store day | 11 March 20267ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 4 March 2026. |
| Security updates | Not available8Security updates | Not available8Security updates |
Software support
- Security updates
- Not available8
- macOS
- macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS
MacBook Air M1 and the MacBook Air M5
The newest base-tier Mac in this line that Apple still sells.
Specifications
Body
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.1–16.1 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm | 11.3 x 304.1 x 215 mm |
| Weight | 1.29 kg | 1.23 kg |
| Colours | Gold, Silver, Space Grey | Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack | Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt ports9 | 2 | 2 |
| Thunderbolt version | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 4 |
| USB-A ports | No USB-A ports.10 | No USB-A ports.11 |
| HDMI | No HDMI port.12 | No HDMI port.13 |
| SD card slot | No SD card slot.12 | No SD card slot.13 |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe | No MagSafe port.12 | Yes |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Touch ID | Yes | Yes |
Display
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 13.3 in | 13.6 in |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1664 |
| Pixel density | 227 ppi | 224 ppi |
| Display type | Retina display | Liquid Retina display |
| Brightness | 400 nits | 500 nits |
| Wide colour (P3) | Yes | Yes |
| Nano-texture option | No nano-texture display option.12 | No nano-texture display option.13 |
Chip and memory
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M1 chip | Apple M5 chip |
| Apple silicon | Yes | Yes |
| CPU cores | 8 | 10 |
| Super cores | Not available14 | 415 |
| Performance cores | 4 | Not available16 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 615 |
| GPU cores | 7 | 8 |
| Neural Engine cores | 16 | 16 |
| Chip options | M1 with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU or 8-core GPU | M5 with 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU |
| Memory (base) | 8GB | 16GB |
| Memory (maximum) | 16GB | 32GB |
| Memory options | 8GB or 16GB | 16GB, 24GB or 32GB |
| Memory upgradeable by user | No, as Apple documents17 | No, as Apple documents17 |
| Memory bandwidth | Not available18 | 153 GB/s |
| Storage (base) | 256GB5 | 512GB |
| Storage (maximum) | 2TB | 4TB |
| Storage options | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB or 4TB |
| Media engine | Not available18 | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode |
Battery and power
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 49.9 Wh | 53.8 Wh |
| Rated charge cycles | 1,000 cycles19 | 1,000 cycles19 |
| Video playback (claimed)20 | 18 h | 18 h |
| Wireless web (claimed) | 15 h | 15 h |
| Included power adapter | 30 W | No power adapter in the box.13 |
| Fast charging | No fast charging.12 | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6 |
| Ethernet | No Ethernet port.12 | No Ethernet port.13 |
| External displays (base) | 1 | 2 |
Camera and audio
| Specification | MacBook Air M11 | MacBook Air M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View |
| Camera resolution | Not available21 | 12 MP |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Four-speaker sound system |
| Microphones | Three-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
The rest of the range at the price
Macs from other lines with a price read from Apple’s UK store, released within a year of the MacBook Air M5 (13-inch) and priced within a quarter of its £1,299 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, nearest price first. Each links to its side-by-side table, with your MacBook Air M1 (2020) or, where that pair is not one this site indexes, with the MacBook Air M5 (13-inch).
Trade-in and used prices
- CeX pays, grade A
- £303 cash / £352 voucher28Base configuration
- CeX sells, grade A
- £490–£51028Base configuration, cheapest of 3 listings linked, out of stock online and in store when read
- The MacBook Air M5 (13-inch) new, less CeX’s cash
- £996£1,299 new at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, less £303 cash CeX was offering on 3 November 2026 for a grade A MacBook Air M1 (2020) in its base configuration
More
Sources
Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac ·
↩Apple UK store — 13-inch MacBook Air M5, 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU — From £1,299 ·
↩- ↩
Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5 ·
↩Apple publishes no date for the end of updates, and this site does not guess one.
↩Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Air M1: Thunderbolt 3. MacBook Air M5: Thunderbolt 4.
↩MacBook Air (M1, 2020): No USB-A ports.
↩MacBook Air (13-inch, M5): No USB-A ports.
↩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.
↩MacBook Air (13-inch, M5): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No power adapter in the box. No Ethernet port.
↩Doesn’t apply: this chip has no super cores
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple names this chip’s cores differently: 4 super cores, 6 efficiency cores
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops ·
↩Two different Apple tests. MacBook Air M1: Apple TV app movie playback. MacBook Air M5: Video streaming.
↩Not published by Apple (Apple states resolution: 720p FaceTime HD camera)
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) ·
↩CeX — Trade-in, Grade A, cash ·
↩
Not published by Apple
MacBook Air M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user. 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 M5. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers, read 9 Oct 2026.
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