However, actually using the laptop, it does feel quite different. Mention of the keyboard brings up an important question: is the 11in MacBook Air too small to type on? The keyboard itself is pretty much the same size as you’ll find on the larger models, so key size is no issue. As both still feel pretty great, that’s not a huge complaint, but the sense that this is a slightly neglected model is growing. Instead, the Air uses the traditional keyboard and pad. Given the general treading-water vibe of the Air, it’s little surprise that it misses out on the MacBook Pro’s new pressure sensitive trackpad, and the snazzy Butterfly keyboard of the 12-inch MacBook.

Buy a MacBook Air 11 then try out a friend’s 2015 MacBook Pro and you will be jealous, make no mistake. However, the DPI difference is obvious, no matter what you’re doing. If you want a small laptop to work on while you’re in Starbucks or wherever, perhaps screen quality doesn’t matter so much. There are far worse TN screens out there – the Air benefits from Apple’s usual natural handling of colours and is all-round a very fine example of the tech – but for £750 in a laptop this size you’re now entitled to expect more.Īpple was one of the companies to really big-up IPS as a screen tech so it’s disappointing to see the Airs hold off using it for so many years. Tilt it back and everything gets shadowy. Tilt it forward, it goes more ‘washed out’. The MacBook Air 11, though, still uses TN LCD.Īs a result, the display’s character changes with every extra degree it’s tilted back or forwards. They let you turn the screen any which way without it looking as though the image is about to curl up and die.

If you have a few recent devices with screens, most probably use IPS LCD panels, or something like it. For years now we’ve made do with laptops with worse screens than our phones and tablets, but most ‘premium’ laptops have now caught up, at least a bit. Resolution is just 1366 x 768 pixels, which is a lot lower than many of the 5-inch phones we review these days. Here it’s pretty obvious from three feet away. Pretty much everyone seems to know this term by now, but it means Apple reckons you can’t see pixellation when viewing the screen from a ‘normal’ distance. Just like the 13in MacBook Air, the MacBook Air 11 falls well behind the standards of current top laptops. Where the upgrade does start to become a bit more convincing is screen quality.

Macbook 11 inch vs 13 review