The battle for laptop supremacy is on, and this time we’re looking at very different competitors: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1.
Is Chrome OS capable enough to play with the big boys, or is Apple going to show everyone why they’re on a different level? We’ll soon find out.
For this head-to-head comparison, please keep in mind that this is our personal opinion, and we’re looking at it as objectively as possible.
Without further ado, let’s see what each competitor has in store for you.
In this Article
Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1 – Tale of the Tape
For this head-to-head, we’re going to compare the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook vs. MacBook Air M1 from Apple.
Apart from being similarly priced, both also contain flagship specs at a very compelling price point.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Samsung Galaxy Chromebook | Apple MacBook Air M1 | |||
| PRICE (USD) | $999 | $999/$1,249 | ||
| CPU | Intel Core i5 10210U | Apple M1 Chip | ||
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 SDRAM | 8GB Unified Memory | ||
| STORAGE | 256GB SSD | 256GB SSD/512GB SSD | ||
| BATTERY | 8 Hours | 18 Hours | ||
| DISPLAY | 13.3” 4K AMOLED Touchscreen | 13.3” 2560 x 1600 IPS display | ||
| I/O PORTS | 2 USB-C Ports | 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 Ports | ||
| WEIGHT | 2.29lbs | 2.8lbs | ||
| OS | Chrome OS | macOS |
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook – A Closer Look
About the Galaxy Chromebook
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is undoubtedly the champion of Chromebooks because of its hardware, peripherals, and overall performance.
Priced at $999, it’s also the most expensive Chromebook ever. Luckily, the 4K AMOLED display, along with the flagship specs are good enough.
Does it have what it takes to start a Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1 battle? We’ll soon find out. Let’s see how it fares up to Apple’s beast – the M1 MacBook Air.
Also see: The Best Chromebook for Drawing
Apple MacBook Air M1 – A Closer Look
About MacBook Air M1
When Apple first unveiled its very first desktop-class Silicon chip, the tech world was in disbelief.
A few months later, everyone had a chance to experience the power of M1 firsthand – and Apple didn’t disappoint.
When compared to Intel-based MacBooks, the M1 Silicon smoked out the competition, and it’s not even close.
Now imagine having a desktop-class processor on a fanless MacBook Air? All in the same form factor we’ve all gotten to know and love.
Experience next-generation performance for only $999. Are you ready for the future?
Galaxy Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1 Showdown
In this section, we’re going to talk about different aspects of both laptops. From design all the way to price.
We’ll choose a clear winner for each category in order to tally up the score and base the verdict from there.
Let’s get it on!
Design
New decade, new design concepts. This has always been the norm. Interestingly, Apple chose to stick to their classic and tried and tested design, where everything is beautifully cramped inside a classy aluminum chassis. Simple, elegant… yet boring.
On the other side of the fence, we have the Galaxy Chromebook with its aggressive thin-and-light design.
Weighing just around 2.29lbs (vs. 2.8lbs), this can make a difference if you carry your laptop with you regularly. Oh, and we forgot to mention that it can turn itself into a tablet, giving you that 2-in-1 functionality.
Looks like we have a clear winner here.
Winner: Galaxy Chromebook
Hardware
When it comes to hardware, I think it would be impossible to outperform the M1 MacBook Air simply because it’s in a league of its own.
Multiple benchmarks have already shown just how powerful the new chip is. Let’s just put it this way: most Mac users didn’t hesitate to become guinea pigs for 1st generation hardware.
Don’t get me wrong, the 10th Gen. Intel i5 is powerful, and it has been an industry standard for quite a while.
But like all good things in the world, they always face the bitter end, one way or another. Today, it’s Intel’s time to step down.
Winner: MacBook Air
Input/Output
Both the Galaxy Chromebook and MacBook Air have two USB ports. However, what sets them apart is the protocol: USB-C for Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1 USB4/Thunderbolt. That alone gives you unprecedented speed and versatility in favor of Apple’s device.
If you are a professional who uses a bunch of Thunderbolt accessories, then you already know who is the clear winner here.
Winner: MacBook Air
Display
The MacBook Air M1 has a 16:10 aspect ratio (2560 x 1600), powered by a 500-nit LCD IPS screen.
On paper, these specs are perfect for a 13.3-inch display, however, when compared to the beautiful 4K AMOLED display from Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, you’ll be amazed at how dull the colors are on an IPS display.
Having a 4K AMOLED display comes at a cost, though – battery life. But let’s save that for another topic. Besides, we already know the winner here.
Winner: Galaxy Chromebook
Operating System
macOS vs Chrome OS. Both are capable of doing the day-to-day task. However, one is far more versatile than the other.
Even if you combine the recently added feature of Linux support on Chrome OS, macOS is still a more superior operating system.
From professional apps to seamless integration with your other devices (provided you use an iPhone or iPad), macOS can do it all, plus more!
To be fair, Chrome OS is still fairly new, and we’re very excited to see what they would offer in the future. I’m pretty sure that the big dogs at Google will have a massive overhaul soon.
But for today, Apple is still king. Sorry, Google.
Winner: MacBook Air
Battery Life
Apart from the price, what made Chromebooks so appealing for me is their promise of an all-day battery.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the Galaxy Chromebook. With a rated battery life of 8 hours, we found that 4-5 hours is what we usually get with this device.
Sadly, that’s far from an all-day battery.
The culprit? The 4K AMOLED display.
Now, let’s talk about the M1 MacBook Air and its promise of delivering up to 18 hours of non-stop video playback.
18 hours sounds like it’s too good to be true, right? Well, it’s pretty up there. On average use, you can get up to 12-15 hours of constant use on a single charge.
That’s nearly thrice as long as the Galaxy Chromebook! I guess we found our winner here.
Winner: MacBook Air
Peripherals
This is a no-brainer. Apple didn’t become a Trillion-dollar company by offering a bunch of freebies.
Nope, you have to pay for it. Samsung, on the other hand, is more than generous to give you an S-Pen, an SD card, or even a wireless mouse.
Having extra stuff is always nice, that’s why we give the award to Samsung for this one.
Winner: Galaxy Chromebook
Price
When a product reaches the 1,000-dollar range, that means they invested a lot in the product and they believe it’s worth the asking price. Now, imagine buying a thousand-dollar Chromebook.
Does it feel right? Sure, the Chromebook in question is powered by 10th Gen Intel, and all the flagship specs you could ask for, but you’re limited to Chrome OS. Does that sound like a good deal?
Now, picture the Apple MacBook Air. For 1,000 bucks, you’re going to get more performance, more battery life, and more versatility.
Sure, you’ll lose the glorious 4K AMOLED display and touchscreen capability, but you will get more out of the MacBook than any Chromebook available today.
Winner: MacBook Air
Final Verdict
When it comes to Galaxy Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1, it’s safe to say that we have a clear winner: Apple.
Let’s put it in this perspective: For $999, you’re going to get a laptop with desktop-class performance, 18 hours of battery life, a superior operating system, and most importantly, reliability that lasts years.
While Samsung Galaxy Chromebook has very promising specs, the bottleneck is Chrome OS and its very limited environment.
Don’t get me wrong, the 4K AMOLED was one of the best displays I’ve seen. I just wished the battery was able to keep it going for more than 10 hours, at the minimum.
At the end of the day, we got to give credit to Samsung for pushing the envelope of what Chromebooks are.
Unfortunately, Apple’s M1 is just too good of a deal to pass up especially if you’re already sucked into their ecosystem.
Summary
How do you feel about the outcome of the Chromebook vs MacBook Air M1 showdown? Did you expect a total beatdown from one side, or were you expecting it to be neck-to-neck? Either way, let us know in the comments your take.
We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it. If you want to learn more about Chromebooks and Apple products, be sure to check out some interesting articles we’re featuring down below:
Last update on 2023-12-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API