New MacBook Air Review Roundup

Today the MacBook Air review embargo lifted, allowing writers and YouTubers to publish their takes on Apple’s 2020 model. Unsurprisingly, considering all that the company improved this year, the reviews are strong across the board.

Jason Snell at Six Colors:

Here’s what you need to know about the 2020 MacBook Air: It’s everything that was great about the 2018 MacBook Air, but it’s cheaper and faster, with more customizable specs and—perhaps most importantly—the same Magic Keyboard as the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Despite the keyboard and the $1099 starting price, the MacBook Air was already my go-to Mac laptop recommendation. What this new model has done is eliminate almost every caveat, warning, or footnote that might have come along with that recommendation. If the MacBook Air wasn’t definitively the center of the Mac world before—and Apple says it’s been the most popular Mac model “by far”—it certainly is now.

John Gruber at Daring Fireball:

For what it is meant to be, it’s really hard to complain about anything at all regarding this machine. Now that Apple has extricated itself from its butterfly keyboard thicket, it’s clear that Apple was onto something with this design language, which debuted with the no-adjective 12-inch MacBook in 2015.

Don’t overthink it. The new MacBook Air is what it looks like: nearly perfect.

Dana Wollman at Engadget:

Everything I praised about the keyboard on the 16-inch model holds true here. I just don’t make many typos on here. And when I do, it’s not because a key got stuck and double-registered (or didn’t register at all!), but because I’m an imperfect touch typist and my finger hit the wrong button. It happens. I find myself typing quickly. Confidently. Aggressively. I pound away at the keys, knowing they’ll keep up with me. With each press I’m met with springy feedback.

Brian Heater at TechCrunch:

There are some nice upgrades here. Between the keyboard, processor and the overhaul the model got back in 2018, it’s nice to see Apple keeping the beloved line fresh a dozen years after it was first introduced.

And as always, MKBHD has you covered on the side of video: