Not quite. It scores 75 and a Keeper needs 80. It's close, and how hard it is to repair is what holds it back. We'll score it again as the numbers settle.
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Where the 75 comes from
Reviews23/30
Engadget 90, PCMag 4.5 of 5, Tom's Guide 4.5 of 5. That averages 90 out of 100; a 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.
Updates21/25
Apple publishes no update period, but the M1 MacBook Air from late 2020 still runs macOS 27, which came out in September 2026.
Repairable12/20
The battery sits in a tray held by 18 screws with no glue. iFixit calls it the most repairable MacBook in about 14 years.
Timing19/25
It came out March 11, 2026 as the first of its line, so there's no refresh history yet. A second model is rumored with no date. Apple raised the price in June.
One short email when something new makes the list: an album to play, a game to buy, a film to watch, a book to read, tech worth buying, a thing that lasts. Nothing else.
How the score works
Tech
Reviews, 30. The average of the published scores from outlets that score, like Engadget, CNET, PCMag, Tom's Guide and TechRadar. A 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.
Updates, 25. Years of software updates, from the maker's promise or, where there isn't one, what its last comparable model got. Seven years earns all 25.
Repairable, 20. iFixit's repairability score, doubled. Where iFixit hasn't scored it, we read the parts and guides.
Timing, 25. Where it is in its line's usual refresh cycle, the MacRumors question. Full points for the first half; nothing once the next model is due.
A Keeper is our bet on what lasts. Some releases show it right away: the reviews, the players and the people behind them all point the same way, the way they did for Elden Ring. For albums, games, films, shows and books, 85 or above is a Keeper and 75 to 84 is worth your time. Things and tech need 80. We score everything again as time goes by, and a Keeper that fades loses the label. Nobody pays to be here or pays for a score. Every score links to where its numbers came from. Each one has a link to find it on Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate, Keepers earns from qualifying purchases.
