Macbook Air Retina 13 Inches with Intel Iris Plus Graphics First Impression

Macbook Air Retina 13 Inches with Intel Iris Plus Graphics First Impression

Hello Everyone! Ceddy here and I am back for another quick first-impression review of the Macbook Air Retina 13 inches with Intel Iris Plus Graphics.

Throwback 2015

I purchased my very first Macbook Air way back in 2015, and I completely fell in love with it. As an Apple user, I've been hooked on the Apple ecosystem since then. I've been using that old MacBook for 7 years now, and as Apple releases new software updates, my Macbook works fluidly as it feels new. However, as time goes on, I have to upgrade the software tools which I am using for video editing on my vlogs and for my projects. And as the software updates itself, some features that's been currently added are no longer supported on my old MacBook, the optimization which I am expecting didn't manage my expectations and it takes hours and hours for me to render a 4-minute video, as you may know, MacBook specs are also crucial and is needed for the Final Cut Pro to work fluidly but my 2015 Macbook Air can no longer handle these tasks and it is now completely showing some aging as well and its performance is quite slow now.

Which is which?

Then I decided to purchase a new Macbook Air 2020. My original plan was to purchase the Macbook Air M1 (Silicon Chip) this is a system on a chip made exclusively by Apple on its own devices such as the Macbook 2022 lineup and above. It is commonly known as Soc, Soc architecture is also being used in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch devices, Airpods, Airtag, and Homepod. Since I'm on a tight budget, I made some research and watched some youtube reviews, and finally decided to buy their 2020 LineupSeries. I decided to purchase this beast on Amazon. 

Intel means integral or is it?

Intel has been an integral part of the Macbook lineup since day 1.  In a nutshell, the M1 processor is power efficient enough to handle tasks compared to its Intel processors. But in my opinion, as long as it is working perfectly and can handle any tasks, that would be fine for me. So I choose the i3 Intel Dual Core with Iris Graphics. 

The keyboard is mighty swift!

So far, this is my second day of using it while writing this blog. Typing on the keyboard is swift, it is so comfortable that I can't stop typing. Compared to my old 2015 Macbook Air, this keyboard, which they market as the "Magic Keyboard" works flawlessly, no wonder they called it like that, its precise typing experience is enhanced by a "scissor typed keyboard", as you may know, 2019 and previous Macbook Pro and Air lineup has been controversial due to its butterfly keyboard and they had to shell out $50 Million to its customers affected by the unreliable typing surface, these customers who purchased between 2015 and 2019 in 7 states in the US. So far my 2015 Macbook Air butterfly keyboard is not faulty at all until today. 

Aesthetic-that is all

Built and quality-wise, It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The color of my previous MacBook Air is Silver and I opted to choose the same color. It's very catchy to the eye especially if you are using it outdoors. 

LED? A defo upgrade indeed

The lid is almost thin and creamed up with a pitch-black surface. And the screen? oh well, it's LED Retina -IPS display, this is a major upgrade for me since my eyes are completely used to LCD retina display. The display of this Macbook is perfect for binge-watching on Netflix. Though I find it difficult to see some viewing accuracy outdoors as it is prone to light reflection on the screen as you can see above.

And one more thing...

All of the features I love of my previous MacBook Air adding the new Touch ID is completely bang for my bucket. Seamless experience when logging in to any site, paying online via Apple Pay is a breeze with authentication via touch i.d. 

Work like a magic

The trackpad has some new features as well, including touch force, and pressure-sensitive drawing, and the backlit keyboard remains the same. There is something in the trackpad itself that it feels so good to use. The pressure vibration response is oddly satisfying.

Aesthetic or another cash to spend?

The only thing which I feel bad about this device is the lack of a MagSafe charging port. It is easy to attach the Magsafe while charging but on this particular MacBook Air, they opted to put a 2 USB-C thunderbolt port on the left side and a 3.5 mm headset jack on the right side.  Ideally, it's very pleasing to the eye and kind of aesthetic to see few coms on it, but come on Apple, you can do better. I mean, aesthetically, it's great. No more ports, less is more as they say. However,  I can not use my other accessories which are mainly USB-A type. And sad to say, you are needed to purchase some accessories which are compatible with Macbook Air ONLY. So another is spent on these unnecessary accessories. But who cares? Apple users would do anything, I suppose? 

All-day battery indeed

Battery-wise, so far the battery is efficient. I charged it for about almost 2 hours and I've been using it for about 4 hours now straight, writing a review about it. from 100% down to 85% while Im wrapping up my review at this point. 

Verdict...

So, if you may ask me. Is the Macbook Air 2020 worth purchasing this 2023? Yes, absolutely. If you are just like me, editing videos, binge-watching on Prime or Netflix, and casually browsing the internet. This is the Macbook Air for you. Its weight is 1.29 kg. The thinness and its portability do their job very well.

Thanks for reading my first impression and I'll see you again on my next blog.

--Ceddy