Quarantine or not, the men and women people of iFixit remain teardowns produce. That is how they also disassembled the MacBook Air 2020. The computer stands out of course by its new keyboard, but there is more. For example, the price has been lowered and 256 GB SSD storage is the standard.
On the outside, the MacBook Air 2020 looks almost unchanged. Still, there are some changes under the hood of this laptop.
Just a little bit thicker
A MacBook Air thicker than its predecessor? This year, Apple’s obsession with the thinnest possible products seems to have weakened a bit. The iPhone 11 was thicker than its predecessor and the MacBook Air 2020 also gets a few millimeters. The laptop is still as thin at the thinnest point, but the thickest point at the top is, do not be alarmed, half a millimeter thicker.
How did that happen? The teardown of iFixit shows it well. The new Magic Keyboard has keys with a scissor mechanism and key travel of 1 millimeter, which is more pleasant to type than the keyboard with butterfly mechanism. The new mechanism is slightly thicker, but the laptop only had to be one millimeter thicker at its thickest point.
Processor better cooled
Unlike its predecessor, the MacBook Air 2020 is again available with three CPU options. You can choose from the dual-core Core i3, quad-core Core i5 or quad-core Core i7. It is the first time that the MacBook Air has a quad-core CPU. That more powerful chip needs more cooling, but Apple can still handle it without an extra fan. The metal cooling block, which has to dissipate the heat, has become larger.
Keyboard and top still connected
You should not have to replace the new keyboard. All reliability problems that the butterfly keyboard had are a thing of the past. Does the keyboard still have to be replaced? Then it is not very easy. It is still attached to the top case (top) of the MacBook. That makes it an expensive and complicated repair.
Battery and trackpad easier to replace
If something is often replaced in a laptop, it is the battery. According to iFixit, it is easier than ever to replace the battery and also the trackpad. The battery is easy to replace because it is attached with adhesive strips. The speakers have to be removed for it, but they are now also attached with screws in addition to adhesive strips. The trackpad can now also be replaced without having to disassemble the entire laptop. That is a profit, both for the consumer and the employee who has to carry out a repair.
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