MacBook Air 13” 2018 vs. M1 MacBook Air - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook Air 13” 2018 and M1 MacBook Air, including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

MacBook Air 13” 2018 vs. M1 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air 13” 2018 features the 7W 8th Generation Intel Amber Lake Y dual-core Intel Core i5-8210Y with the boost speed up to 3.60 GHz. While the 2020 M1 MacBook Air features the 10W Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M1 (8C, 7G) up to 8-core Apple M1 (8C, 8G) with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 13.3″ MacBook Air 13” 2018 and the 13.3″ M1 MacBook Air (2020), we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Air 13” 2018 vs. M1 MacBook Air: Specs Comparison

MacBook Air 13” 2018 image

MacBook Air 13” 2018

M1 MacBook Air image

M1 MacBook Air

Key Features
What's new

New Design

It's now even more compact and portable with the all-new distinct smaller wedge-shaped design. It's 10% thinner, 17% less volume, and a quarter pound lighter than the previous generation. It is also available in three different colors.

New Retina Display

Adopting the latest retina display, MacBook Air now displays over 4 million pixels with more color that make text, images, and animation look sharp and smooth.

Touch ID & Apple T2 Chip

You can now log in to your MacBook Air much faster, easier, and more securely than ever before with the latest Touch ID sensor with deep integration with Apple T2's Secure Enclave chip.

Latest Intel Core Processors

It's powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with faster-integrated graphics, faster 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory, and faster SSD.

Thunderbolt 3 ports

The most versatile port now arrives in MacBook Air, it allows you to charge your notebook, have lightning-fast data transfer, output 5K displays, and support external GPUs (eGPUs).

3rd-generation butterfly keyboard

Larger trackpad.

More immersive audio experience.

  • Better Performance. With the new Apple M1 Chip, it is now 3x times faster in exporting a project in iMovie, 5x times faster applying 3D effects in Final Cut Pro, editing multiple streams 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro with no frame drop, 2x times faster in exporting photos in Lightroom, and more.
  • Better battery life of up to 18 hours. The new M1 MacBook Air has the most extended battery life ever, with up to 18 hours of watching movies and 15 hours of web browsing.
  • Better FaceTime HD camera. With the latest Apple Image Single Processor (ISP) in the M1 chip, image quality is better in noise reduction, has a better dynamic range, and has an improved auto white balance.
  • Better display. It now supports a P3 wide color with 400 nits of display brightness.
  • Improvements
    • It supports the latest USB 4 and Wi-Fi 6.
    • It has better security with the new Secure Enclave in the M1 chip.
What's missing

Has fewer ports

No MagSafe

  • Natively supports only one external display. The new M1 chip supports only one extended 6K@60Hz display, while the older Intel version supports up to two 4K@60Hz.
AvailabilityMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Released20182020
Release Info
  • Available on October 30, 2018
Announced on November 10th, 2020
Pricing
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,399
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $999
    Apple M1 Chip (7 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,249
    Apple M1 Chip (8 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
DisplayMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Size13.3 Inches13.3 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
Retina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • 400 nits brightness
  • Supports wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
ExteriorMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Size Comparison
Dimensions11.97” x 8.36” x 0.16 - 0.61” (304.1 mm x  212.4 mm x 4.1 – 15.6 mm)
  • Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
  • Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
  • Height: 0.16–0.63 inch (0.41–1.61 cm)
WeightStarting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)Starting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)
Colors
GoldSpace GraySilver
GoldSpace GraySilver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED-backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
Internal SpecsMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Processor
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
  • Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  • Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
Integrated Graphics
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  • Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    Apple M1 iGPU
    7 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  • Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Discrete GraphicsSupport for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Memory
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
  • 8GB
    unified memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
Storage
128GB256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD
  • 256GB512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
ConnectivityMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 4.2 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
BatteryMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Size50.3 Wh lithium‑polymer battery49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 13 hours Apple TV app video playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
  • Up to 15 hours wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply30W USB‑C Power Adapter30W USB‑C Power Adapter
SoftwareMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
OSShipped with macOS MojaveShipped with macOS Big Sur
Built-in Apps
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
Camera & AudioMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Stereo speakers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
MiscMacBook Air 13” 2018M1 MacBook Air
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Up to two external displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at up to 60Hz
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output using adapters (sold separately)
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

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