What you need to know
- Intel has a new website dedicated to comparing Intel-powered PCs to Apple's M1 MacBook.
- The website states that Apple over promises when it comes to battery life.
- The website then highlights the Acer Swift 5 getting 10 hours of battery life, which is 7 hours less than stated by Acer's website.
Intel has a new website that compares Windows-powered PCs to Apple's M1 MacBooks (via iMore). The website launched around the same time as Intel's new series of video ads starring Justin Long. The website compares the devices in several ways, but only some comparisons are done in good faith.
The top of the website talks about how PCs offer form factor choice, full screen touch support, hundreds of games, and multi-4K display support. Those are all notable differences between Intel-powered PCs and Macs with Apple's M1 chips.
If you scroll down further, however, you see a curious case of inconsistency. Intel's website compares the battery life of the Acer Swift 5 to Apple's MacBook Air with an M1 chip. First, the site clearly states that the MacBook Air gets better battery life than the Acer Swift 5. If you're trying to highlight how good the battery life of an Intel-powered device is, you should probably find one with better battery life than the laptop you're comparing it to.
Intel's main point may not be the raw battery life figures, though. The text states that "Apple boasts their new M1 laptop has an 18hr battery life," but that it delivers much less in real-world usage. In a hypocritical twist, Intel is also calling out Acer here.
Acer's own website for the Swift 5 clearly states that it gets up to 17 hours of battery life. But Intel's website says that it only gets 10 hours and 6 minutes. That's eerily similar to Intel stating that Apple claims 18 hours for the MacBook Air but that it only delivers 10 hours and 12 minutes.
Why I hate Intel's attack ads on Apple's M1 MacBooks
Battery life claims are always a bit suspect. It's normal to see high claims for any of the best Windows laptops. There isn't a standard for battery life testing used across the industry. Many companies will do battery testing under very controlled conditions to be able to state high battery life figures. Case in point, Acer and Apple both do it, as accidentally highlighted by Intel.
Our sister site iMore has a full MacBook Air with M1 review that includes real-world battery usage. Spoilers, it is neither 10 hours nor 18 hours. We also have an Acer Swift 5 review that goes over battery life of the laptop.
