The M1 MacBook Air, five years later

When the M1 MacBook Air came out in late 2020, the headline was simple: no fan, all-day battery, and performance that embarrassed the Intel machines it replaced. Five years on, one of ours is still a daily driver for writing, browsing and light photo editing.

What has held up

• Silence. A fanless laptop never gets old. Video calls, a dozen tabs, a Lightroom import — it stays quiet.
• Keyboard and trackpad. Comfortable, consistent and still among the best on any laptop.
• Software support. It keeps receiving current macOS releases, and everyday apps still feel quick.

What has not

• Battery capacity. Ours reports a little over 80% of its original capacity after roughly 700 cycles. It still lasts a working day, but no longer a day and a half.
• Two ports, one display. Two USB-C ports and a single external monitor felt tight in 2020. They feel tighter now.
• 8GB of memory. The base configuration copes, but if you are buying used today, look for 16GB.

Should you buy one used?

Yes, with conditions. Check the cycle count in System Information, avoid units with a worn keyboard coating, and pay accordingly. If your budget stretches to a new M4 Air, the extra memory, second display support and much better camera are worth it.