This version of the Apple MacBook Air has been replaced and is no longer available. Read our review of the most recent model.

The 2015 Apple MacBook Air 11-inch ($899 as tested) is all about ultraportability. This year's model gets a modest CPU update from last year's iteration, but while its Editors' Choice-winning stablemate, the 2015 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch, is aimed at pleasing a wider range of users, the 11-inch ultraportable makes a few tradeoffs to become even thinner and lighter. Even so, its Intel Core i5 processor means that it breezes through tasks that would slow an Intel-Core-M-equipped system, and that's on top of its 11.5 hours of battery life. The MacBook Air 11-inch is a wonderful commuter laptop, and it should be on your short list if you're constantly on the move.

Design and Features

If the all-aluminum exterior of the MacBook Air 11-inch looks familiar, that's because the design has basically remained unchanged since 2010. It measures 7.5 long by 11.8 wide, and its thickness tapers from 0.68 inches from the back to 0.11 inches at the front. The laptop weighs 2.38 pounds, which is ever-so-slightly heavier than the last year's model (2.31 pounds). It's significantly smaller and lighter than other ultraportables like the Asus Zenbook UX305FA-ASM1 and the HP EliteBook Folio 1020, although those two are slimmer.

The new 12-inch MacBook lays claims to being the most svelte Apple laptop, but it sacrifices I/O ports in favor of shaving off a few millimeters. It should be noted that the MacBook Air 11-inch's Intel Core i5 processor needs a fan to keep itself cool, while the thinner laptops listed above all have Intel Core M processors that don't require active cooling.

Ports remain unchanged from last year's MacBook Air. On the left side are a headset jack, two microphones, a MagSafe 2 power jack, and a USB 3.0 port. The right side sports a Thunderbolt 2 port and a second USB 3.0 port. That's a little sparse, but still far more than the MacBook with its single USB-C port. In comparison, the Asus X305FA and the HP Folio 1020 each offer a wider selection of ports, thanks to their larger side panels. You'll need an adapter cable for HDMI or other display connectors, but the Thunderbolt port works just fine with mini-DisplayPort monitors. Wireless connectivity comes via integrated 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

As with its 13-inch counterpart, the keys on the 11-inch MacBook Air's backlit, chiclet-style keyboard feel excellent, and multitouch gestures work smoothly on the glass-covered trackpad. The trackpad doesn't have the Force-Click capability of the MacBook or the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, but that feature is still unsupported in most third-party applications. Like all Mac laptops, the Air lacks a touch screen, but given that OS X doesn't support touch gestures, it's certainly not a deal breaker.

The 11-inch MacBook Air's largest drawback is its 1,366-by-768-resolution display. The screen is bright and quite legible, but seems cramped in comparison with the Retina Display on the MacBook or any number of Windows laptops with 1080p- or higher-resolution screens, such as the Asus Zenbook UX305FA. That said, you'll still find 1,366-by-768 screens on some ultraportables, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e.

The system comes with 4GB of RAM, upgradable to 8GB for $100 extra, but only when you order the laptop directly from Apple. That's still enough for multitasking in Mac OS X, but consider upgrading if you like to keep dozens of windows open simultaneously. There's 128GB of flash storage on our base system, which is adequate for day-to-day use, particularly if you supplement that with online cloud storage or an external drive. An upgrade to 256GB of storage, which our review unit from last year had as standard, is available for $200 more. Thankfully, the system is unencumbered by bloatware.

The flash storage is PCIe-based, which makes it faster than the SATA-based solid-state drives (SSDs) and flash storage in older ultraportables. This helped the system boot in only a few seconds and apps to load quickly in testing. The MacBook Air comes with a one-year warranty, which is the same as most midrange Windows laptops.

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Performance

The system is equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-5250U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000. Multimedia performance was good, completing the Handbrake test in 2 minutes 49 seconds and our Adobe Photoshop CS6 test in 5:13. Both scores are faster than the Dell XPS 13 Touch (2:58 on Handbrake; 5:54 on CS6) and the Lenovo Yoga 3 14 (3:04 on Handbrake; 5:16 on CS6). Systems with Intel Core i7 processors, like the Acer Aspire S7-393-7451 and the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition Laptop (7352) were predictably quicker in our tests. The MacBook Air was much faster than the Apple MacBook, which scored 3:39 on the Handbrake test and 6:24 on Photoshop CS6.

Results on the 3D tests were mediocre, but that's to be expected, given the integrated graphics. The laptop should be fast enough for simpler games like Diablo III, but you wouldn't want to run Grand Theft Auto V at Ultra-quality settings.

With its 38-watt battery, the MacBook Air 11-inch lasted 11 hours 33 minutes on our rundown test. That's far less than the astounding 17:36 of the 13-inch MacBook Air and its larger 54-watt battery, but a much longer runtime than the Acer Aspire S7-393-7451 (9:57). The Air should last throughout a cross-country flight, and have juice left for another work session afterward.

Since the 11-inch MacBook Air packs the same memory, processor, and storage as its 13-inch big brother, it's no surprise that the two returned almost identical performance scores save for battery life. If you can handle the larger size and the $100 premium, go for the 13-inch, the extra juice is worth it.

Conclusion

The latest 11-inch Apple MacBook Air might be one of the smallest ultraportable laptops on the market, but its powerful Intel Core i5 processor and long-lasting battery life help it stay ahead of its Core-M-equipped rivals. It also offers better connectivity options than the Apple MacBook. Consider buying one if you're replacing a three-year-old or older MacBook Air or Windows ultraportable, but you can probably skip it if you have last year's model. The newest Apple MacBook Air 13-inch remains our Editors' Choice for midrange ultraportable laptops with its larger screen and astounding battery life for only $100 more.

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