The 2013 MacBook Air models offer much faster flash storage than any other Mac. Based on our tests we can confidently say that the battery in the new MacBook Air lasts much, much better than before. We ran two tests to compare this year’s new models with last year’s MacBook Air models and a 2013 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. This is because we run slightly different tests to assess battery life. In our testing in the Macworld Lab didn’t quite replicate Apple’s battery life claims. Does the MacBook Air match Apple’s battery life claims? That’s 12-hours for the new MacBook Air compared to seven hours for last year’s machine.

With the new MacBook Air Apple has aimed its sights on this problem.Īpple claims that the 13-inch MacBook Air offers battery life that will last a full working day. Many laptop owners are frustrated that they don’t get adequate battery life from their portable, and the popularity of the iPad with its 10-hour battery has lead many to start to expect the same of their laptop. The big news is the longer battery life that the Haswell processor makes possible, and for many longer battery life will be at the top of their wish list. Note that the difference between the 20 11-inch model is more marked than the difference between the 13-inch models, with the 11-inch MacBook Air jumping 9 percent in its Speedmark score to almost equal that of the 13-inch model.

That said, the 2012 model beat the 2013 model in the following tests: folder compression, iMovie, iPhoto, Photoshop, Aperture and MathematicaMark 7.ĭespite the difference in processor speeds between the two generaitons, the faster graphics and faster flash storage in the newer MacBook Air was enough to result in the two generations earning identical Speedmark 8 scores. However, Macworld’s tests show that the 2012 13-inch, 1.8GHz Ivy Bridge MacBook Air was faster than the 2013 13-inch, 1.3GHz Haswell MacBook Air in 8 of 14 tests. Many have noticed that the Haswell processors in the new MacBook Airs run at a slower clock speed than the Ivy Bridge processors found in the 2012 models and presumed that the new machines are slower. 1.3GHz Haswell processor vs 1.8GHz Ivy Bridge

Update macbook air 2013