The battery doesn’t need to be replaced yet, but it probably will need to be done later this year. So unless you’re pining for the latest version, we’d recommend waiting until 2020 – or seeing if prices start to drop for the 2018 model.The MacBook in our example has a cycle count of 695. This leads us to think that next year will see a more substantial update. The timing of this release also means the MacBook Air (2019) doesn’t take advantage of Intel’s new Ice Lake processors, some of which seem ideal for a thin and light laptop such as the MacBook Air. With Apple continuing to add new features to macOS, you might find the MacBook Air (2019) start to feel a bit slow and outdated far too soon. However, despite the price cut, this is still a very pricey laptop, and the low powered components pale in comparison with modern Windows 10 laptops at the same price. This makes it cheaper than ever to get a MacBook. The thing we like most about the MacBook Air (2019) is the new price. While True Tone is a nice feature to have, it’s far from critical – though Apple’s continued improvement of the keyboard’s reliability is definitely welcome. It hasn’t been that long since the release of the MacBook Air (2018), and this new model only adds a few new enhancements. (Image credit: Future) Final verdictĪpple’s refresh of the MacBook Air (2019) is a bit puzzling. Overall, if you like previous MacBook Airs, you'll like this year's model. That didn’t happen with the MacBook Air (2019).īattery life is the one place – outside of design – where the MacBook Air (2019) really shines. That’s often ended in us picking up a laptop after a day or so without use, only to find the battery completely drained. Many Windows laptops, in our experience, keep draining battery even while in sleep mode. The MacBook Air (2019) also does a good job of holding its charge when it’s placed into sleep mode (where you just close the lid of the MacBook Air, instead of fully shutting down macOS.) Apple claims up to 30 days of standby time, and while we didn’t have time to verify that, we were once again blown away by how well the MacBook Air (2019) holds onto its battery when not in use. If battery life is of the highest importance, you may find that it’s worth compromising on performance. The low powered internals are mainly to thank here, along with Apple’s more energy-efficient software. This makes it an ideal choice for students who require a laptop with a battery that can last over several lectures.

Reaching 10 hours is a great achievement, and depending on how you use the MacBook Air (2019), you might easily squeeze more than a whole work day’s use out of it without charging.

This involves running a looped 1080p video with the screen set to 50% brightness. One place that the MacBook Air (2019) particularly shines in – and easily beats many Windows 10 rivals at this price point – is battery life, with this year’s model lasting spot on 10 hours in our battery life tests.

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