MacBook Air M1 future software support

No one knows until Apple releases the next version of macOS.

Historically Apple supports the hardware for five years after a model is discontinued, then it becomes Vintage where hardware support remains available as long as the necessary parts are still available to fix the device. The M1 MBAir 2020 was discontinued in March 2024 according to MacTracker. This means the hardware will be fully supported until March 2029 and will become obsolete in 2031.

As for how many more new major versions of macOS this laptop will see is anybodies guess. I would expect macOS 28 will likely be the last major OS version for it, but we will just need to wait and see.

Darthjaydog10 wrote:

interesting. I didn’t know that. In my opinion, the M1 MacBook Air should be supported just as long as the MacBook Neo is because they’re so similar in performance.

The date that Apple discontinues a model matters.

Only four models of Intel-based Macs received macOS Tahoe. They are all ones that stayed in the new product line for some time after plain-M1-based Macs became available

• 15" Intel-based 2019 MacBook Pro? No Tahoe for you!
• 16" Intel-based 2019 MacBook Pro? You can install Tahoe, although it's the last upgrade you'll ever get. The first 16" Apple Silicon Macs, based on M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, appeared almost a year after the first 13" M1 MacBook Airs and Pros did.

Even having some variants that stuck around until January 2023 was not enough to get the Mac mini (2018) onto the Tahoe compatibility list.