Apple

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)

Ranked #17 in Laptops

76 LP on the category ladder what's LP?

Announced November 2020 by Apple

A famously durable machine, but buying one new in 2026 means 8GB of RAM and a macOS support clock with little left on it. The MacBook Neo or M5 Air is the correct cheap-Mac answer.

Consolidated from 3 cited sources across 2 outlets

Where the cited sources landed, as we read them

See the sources

Flagged as a product to avoid

3 of 6 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. A trap is a product buyers genuinely cross-shop but should not buy, ranked honestly alongside the real picks rather than dropped to the bottom. Why the boards include them

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Pros & cons

✓ Famously durable hardware
✓ Cheapest Mac still on shelves

✗ Base config still ships with 8GB of RAM, which 2026 buyer guidance says to avoid
✗ Six years old with little macOS support left on the clock
✗ Fits the exact cheap-outdated-model risk profile Which? warns against

The sources behind this ranking

We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found.

3 stance not read sources

F Facebook Facebook post View post W Which? Facebook post View post F Facebook Facebook post View post

Frequently asked questions

It ranks #17 (F tier) on our consolidated laptops board, drawn from 3 cited sources across 2 outlets.

Base config still ships with 8GB of RAM, which 2026 buyer guidance says to avoid. Six years old with little macOS support left on the clock. Fits the exact cheap-outdated-model risk profile Which? warns against.