MacBook Air (2020) 13″ – Intel Core i5 1.1GHz 4‑core CPU – 8GB RAM – SSD 128GB – Silver

A MacBook Air 2020 13″ with an Intel processor can still be worth buying if you want an affordable way into the macOS world and mainly need a laptop for everyday tasks such as browsing, office work, studying, streaming and light photo editing. This model gives you the comfortable Magic Keyboard, a nice Retina display and enough performance for typical daily use, although it clearly falls behind newer MacBook Air models with M chips in both speed and battery life because the newer machines are much more efficient. On our platform you are getting a refurbished device that has been checked and refreshed by trusted partners, which means a lower price and a more sustainable choice, but there is no promise that it will look brand new, that every part will be original or that any original water resistance will still be there. Support for future macOS versions on Intel Macs will gradually decrease, so this is more of a good option for the next few years than a very long term investment. If you find a MacBook Air 2020 Intel at a clearly lower price than an M based Air and you mainly care about a light laptop for simple tasks while taking advantage of a refurbished device or a swap, it can definitely be a sensible purchase.

The difference between Apple Silicon and Intel processors mainly comes from the architecture and how efficiently each chip uses power. Apple Silicon from the M family is based on ARM technology and is built as a custom system on a chip that combines CPU, graphics and unified memory in one tightly integrated design. This allows MacBooks with Apple Silicon to offer high performance while staying cool, running quietly and delivering much longer battery life than most Intel based models. Intel processors use the long established x86 architecture, which is very compatible with traditional desktop software and for many years was the easiest option if you wanted to run Windows on a Mac. They usually draw more power and produce more heat, so fans spin up more often and battery life is shorter. In everyday use Apple Silicon is the better choice if you care about speed, silence, long battery life and future macOS updates, while an Intel Mac can still make sense if you rely on specific older apps and want a cheaper refurbished laptop for simple tasks.

In the MacBook Air 2020 13″ that is described as the Intel version you get an Intel processor, not an M1 chip. For this generation Apple released one MacBook Air with Intel and a separate one with the new M1 chip, and the M1 model is clearly labeled with M1 in its name. So if the product name says MacBook Air 2020 13″ Intel you are looking at the Intel version, on our platform offered as a refurbished device, and not at the M1 variant.

When a MacBook is described as refurbished, it means it has been used before and then sent to our trusted partners, who clean it thoroughly, test it carefully and replace selected parts if needed so that it is ready again for comfortable everyday use. The device can show light signs of previous use and we do not promise that it will look brand new or that every single component will be an original Apple part, and because it has gone through a refurbishment process we also cannot guarantee that any original water resistance is still intact. In return you get a fully working MacBook at a lower price, you help reduce electronic waste by giving the device a second life and on our platform you can even combine this with a swap by trading in your old device for a refurbished one.