As expected, Apple today has launched the first Mac processor from the new Apple Silicon family which comes in the form of the Apple M1 chip. For starters, the 5nm SoC will be featured in three Mac products including the MacBook Air.
In terms of design, the new model looked almost no different from the existing MacBook Air which has just been refreshed earlier this year with larger base storage and Magic Keyboard. However, the new Apple M1 chip apparently brings together several improvements in terms of performance.
Here is the list of performance upgrade that the M1-based MacBook Air is able to deliver as compared to its predecessor, according to Apple:
– Export a project for the web with iMovie up to 3x faster.
– Integrate 3D effects into video in Final Cut Pro up to 5x faster.
– Playback and edit multiple streams of full-quality, 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro.
– Export photos from Lightroom up to twice as fast.
– Access to ML-based features like Smart Conform in Final Cut Pro to intelligently frame a clip up to 4.3x faster.
Additionally, Apple also stated that the new image signal processor inside the M1 chip will enhance the image quality from the MacBook Air’s FaceTime HD camera as well as its face detection capability. While the company is still using the 13.3-inch 2560×1600 IPS Retina display on the new model, the display now supports P3 wide colour gamut which apparently allows it to have more vibrant output.
The two USB-C ports on the new M1-based MacBook Air not only continue to support Thunderbolt but also USB 4. The new model also has a longer battery life with up to 15 hours for web browsing and 18 hours of video playback through Apple TV app.
Before you ask though, yes, the M1-based MacBook Air will be accompanied by a 30W USB-C power adapter as standard. In Malaysia, the variant with 7-core GPU and 256GB solid state drive carries the same starting price tag of RM 4399 as per its predecessor while the 8-core GPU variant with 512GB SSD can be obtained from RM 5399 onwards.
However, the M1-based MacBook Air is not yet available for purchase in Malaysia at the moment though. We will keep you posted once we hear more from Apple regarding the laptop’s availability in our market.
