Verdict
The MacBook Air M4 is an first-class laptop , suitable for most substance abuser . It offers a good symmetricalness of public presentation and price , and is one of Apple ’s ware that offer exceptional note value .
While not compelling for those with M2 or M3 models , it ’s a worthwhile upgrade for M1 users due to design , functioning , and stamp battery gains . The independent drawback is the screenland , which is ageing compared to rival and lack feature like ProMotion , matte options , and OLED form .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Apple has get its groove with the MacBook Air , and this M4 version tweak things ever so slightly once again . While not a groundbreaking update , there are a few changes here that make this a wondrous laptop that I can easily recommend .
Apple ’s laptop line - up sense as concise as it has been in a decade . There ’s the MacBook Pro with either an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip for those wanting a customisable workhorse , then there ’s the stock MacBook Pro M4 for those who value screen quality .
The £ 999/$999 MacBook Air sits at the bottom of the range . This is the laptop for most citizenry . It ’s a machine ideal for day-by-day use , thanks to its lite chassis and excellent shelling life , but do n’t be put on into think the MacBook Air M4 ca n’t execute with thebest laptopsandbest ultrabooksout there because of its entrance - point Leontyne Price .
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Design and Keyboard
The most notable conception change for this twelvemonth ’s refresh of the MacBook Air is the addition of a new colouring – Sky Blue . Hardly the most exciting change , but it is a clean new gloss that ’s completely new for Apple ’s laptop computer , so that ’s skillful .
There are a few thing to note about this vividness , which can be see in the follow-up images attached . For one , the body of the laptop does n’t get too fingermark - razz , an issue I have found with the darker Midnight interpretation of the Air . Even after a week of use , I have n’t had to pass over any annoying smudges off the lid .
It ’s also worth noting that this is n’t a bright bluing like some iPhone hues – it ’s incredibly subtle , even calculate silver in some instances . I care it , but I ’d prefer a richer colour , like those available with theiMac M4 . If the blueness is n’t for you , there ’s Silver and Starlight for the light choice and Midnight for something drab .
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The eternal rest of the machine follows the same blueprint set by theMacBook Air M2andMacBook Air M3 . There are two size options : 13 - inch and 15 - inch , both of which have the same interior options and the same interface natural selection .
It ’s a slim , light car that can slip easily into a handbag . There ’s been no weight reductions in a few years though , and you will find Windows machines , like theAsus ZenBook A14 , that weigh less than the 1.24 kg 13 - inch does .
That interface selection is adequate , if not standout . On the left side there are twoThunderbolt 4ports with the USB - coulomb trapping , plus a magnetic MagSafe interface for the included charger . you’re able to use either of the Thunderbolt 4 ports for charging , but I like keeping them gratis for peripherals and using the MagSafe charger alternatively . On the right side there ’s a earpiece jak .
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The lack of an SD Card reader , additional USB - C ports and HDMI are get at omissions , even though they ’re hardly a surprise . Apple has restricted these port to the Pro laptops since they re - added them a few long time ago , and I doubt they ’re break down to trickle them back down to the debut - level Air .
The want of HDMI is in part remedied by the inflow of monitors that apply Thunderbolt to yield video , and there are always Mount Rushmore State card dongles .
More irritating , at least for me , is that both ports are on the same side of the laptop computer , whereas experience one on each side would be preferable . Now , if I have larger matter to stop up in I can inadvertently stymy both larboard .
Apple ’s laptop keyboard and trackpad have n’t always been the best , but they ’re very good now . The keyboard here has a full - breadth office row , clicky keys and an embedded fingermark detector for secure unlocking . It ’s great to typecast on , and has an even backlight for when it ’s obscure .
The trackpad is Brobdingnagian , super reactive and like other MacBook trackpads it does n’t really move ; there are just small tactile responses when it is squeeze down .
Neither the keyboard nor the trackpad are new or updated for the 2025 theoretical account , so whether they ’ll be learn as an upgrade will at long last depend on which machine you ’re come in from . Anyone who ’s still using one of the 12 - inch MacBooks , or the latter Intel machine with the Butterfly keyboard , will notice a huge difference here .
Display
If there was one panorama of the MacBook Air M4 I ’d like to be slightly better , it would be the display . The 60Hz IPS panel here , with its 2560×1664 ( 13.6 - inch ) or 2880×1864 ( 15.3 - inch ) resolution , is good – but it feel outdated compare to a lot of the competition .
There ’s no organic light-emitting diode orMini LEDtech here , no searingly high level of brightness for HDR employment and no faster ProMotion technical school to pump the refresh pace to 120Hz . There ’s not even the option for the nano - grain glass that adds a matte finish to the screen to reduce glare , despite the feature film being commonplace on Apple products recently , even on the iMac M4 .
Put the MacBook Air up against the latest MacBook Pros , and it ’s not really a competition . TheMacBook Pro M4has the Air ’s screen door beaten in every area . Of course , I understand that Apple need to withhold certain features to push people towards the pricier simple machine , but I do think that more could be done here to give the strain a encouragement .
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Switching to an OLED panel , for instance , would at least keep the MacBook Air on parity with many of the best ultrabooks on the market , while still pass the Pro the upper hand overall with ProMotion and a higher firmness of purpose .
Anyone who used one of the OLED - totingiPad Proswill have sex how wonderfully vibrant and immersive they are . The Air , in comparison , appear a little drab .
It ’s still burnished – I measured 450 nits in standard exercise , which is in business line with Apple ’s claims and is more than bright enough for most indoor position . I tried to use it outdoors on a sunny mean solar day and the screen was hard to read , even with that brightness turned all the mode up .
Performance
Apple ’s latest Air laptop amount with its entry - level atomic number 14 , the M4 . This is a chip that has been used in numerous products before , and many of them – include the iMac M4,Mac Mini M4 , and iPad Pro – have been excellent performers . The Air M4 is no different .
For the legal age of consumers , this grade of power is all you need . The M4 can blue-pencil 4 K television , edit photo in Lightroom and even play a raise listing of compatible game at around 30fps . It ’s a very complete , immensely capable check .
While Apple made this change towards the terminal of the M3 model ’s lifespan , all models now come in with 16 GB of retention as banner . The base 8 GB variant is , thankfully , gone , and that ’s great newsworthiness for everyone .
Hopefully , the 256 GB base store is next to go , with 512 GB a far more desirable start pointedness for most people .
Even though the MacBook Air can only be select with the M4 chip shot ( no M4 Pro alternative here ) , there are some slight differences between the model .
The foundation £ 999/$999 one has a 10 - substance central processing unit but only an 8 - core GPU . For an extra £ 200/$200 you’re able to get the 10 - core GPU and 10 - core processor example with 512 GB storage and a quicker , threefold - port wine charging brick . This latter choice is the role model I would go for , and for £ 1199/$1199 it still represent excellent value . All the models have the same 16 - core neuronal engine for AI labor .
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Some parts can be upgrade when consecrate too . Memory can be maxed up to 32 GB and the SSD pushed to 2 TB . Apple ’s upgrade prices stay high-pitched , with the jump from 16 GB memory board to 32 GB costing £ 400/$400 . It ’s then £ 800/$800 to go from the 256 GB SSD to the 2 TB selection . And as always with Apple Silicon Macs , none of these upgrades can be made by third - political party retailer .
The poser I have for brushup is the mid - tier option , so all the benchmarking stats all relevant to the 10 - core processor and 10 - gist GPU example with 16 GB memory .
It ’s a fast , equal to laptop that performs well in both real - earth usance and in our suite of benchmarking apps . The enceinte praise I can heap upon this machine is that I do n’t really ever think about performance on a solar day - to - Clarence Day basis . There ’s so rarely a spin ball beach or a lingering app trying to open .
The M4 is n’t a Brobdingnagian leap onward in any metric compared to the M3 , although the redundant operation is n’t to be sniff at . However , there ’s a bigger dispute , specially in unremarkable single - core task , compare to theMacBook Air M1 . you’re able to see our benchmark tests below .
Test Data
Benchmarks are only a small part of the history , but the results do prove this is a political machine that is very capable – peculiarly at its damage . It ’s not move to replace a Pro political machine for professional , as the M4 Max and M4 Pro are far more equal to in multi - core tasks like intensive video processing and exporting , but for everyday chore the Air does n’t miss a beat .
50 tab in Chrome , 4 K video redaction with footage imported from an iPhone , and even gage at or so 30fps in deed like Shadow of the Tomb Raider are all reach here . I still would n’t advocate this machine purely for gaming , even if the Mac is get better with more titles like Assassin ’s Creed Shadows available on the Mac App Store and Cyberpunk 2077 come presently .
The MacBook Air M4 has the notch digging into the screen , however the camera itself has been upgraded with the same 12MP sensor found in the Pro MacBooks . This ply a acute , well - lit image with good skin reproduction .
There ’s a feature called Desk View enabled by the new tv camera . This permit you showcase both a brass and a desk during a video call , making it a neat solution for ware demos . It cultivate well , even if the desk icon can be a little grainy .
Wi - Fi 6Eis on board , so noWi - Fi 7 , and it ’s Bluetooth 5.3 . The talker do n’t pack quite as much poke as those on the MacBook Pro , with a piddling less bass . Still , considering the sizing of the laptop computer ’s chassis , they ’re still good .
Battery Life
compare to the MacBook Air M3 , the battery life of the M4 model is slightly better . In the same looped video recording test , my follow-up M4 political machine lasted between 45 minutes to an hour longer .
In tangible - world tests , the conflict are minuscule – although endurance look on how you use the car . When I reviewed the Air M3 last class , I stated that after an intensive piece of work day of browsing , writing documents , some light image redaction and video recording call , I was entrust with 25 % leave in the army tank . I mirror the same trial run , as much as I possibly could , with the M4 and found I ended up with around 30 % get out .
On more intensive days , the battery managed to last eight full hours – a expert result for a laptop that ’s this portable and capable .
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All MacBook Air M4 options come with a MagSafe port wine for tear , plus a braid cable system and plug . You also charge the machine with either of the USB - C ports , although you ’ll need to supply a battery charger for this . If you have a late iPad , that courser will work .
The gaudy 13 - in good example ( the £ 999/$999 option with the 8 - core GPU ) comes with a 30W USB - degree centigrade great power adapter . All other options , let in all version of the 15 - inch model , come with a fast 35W plug with two USB - C ports . So you’re able to charge up both an iPhone and a MacBook with a single plug . The machine also supports 70w fast charging with the correct plug .
In my examination , the battery take just under 75 minutes to go from completely depleted to 50 % when using the 35w plug .
AI and Apple Intelligence
The car ’s AI functionality is twofold . Many third - party apps can employ AI , like Pixelmator Pro , to promptly edit photo . Apple also has its own AI service calledApple Intelligence , and this works likewise to how it does on iPhones and iPads .
Apple Intelligence integrate features to help you compose , such as tweaking your tone or proofreading . In Photos , you may remove errant objects with Clean Up , similar to Google ’s Magic Eraser . This can run well with larger , obvious object ; however it struggles in other situations .
There ’s Image Playground , a productive AI - based app that whips up cartoon - style motion picture depending on your command prompt . The results can be fun , although I just ca n’t see this app being anything more than a gimmick you might use once or twice to put a chapeau on your andiron .
The most utile Apple Intelligence feature I ’ve found so far is that the system - wide hunt now includes steer and how tos . So , if I search ‘ how to connect my AirPods ’ , a handy total listing pops up with instructions . Oddly , you ca n’t practice natural language to look for through Indian file . If I search , ‘ show me PDF Indian file I ’ve opened in the past week , ’ nothing happens . This is the form of AI functionality I want .
Like I said in myiPhone 16ereview , Apple Intelligence is n’t a reason yet to upgrade or specifically grease one’s palms a Modern Apple product . There ’s nothing here in its current incarnation that I suspect anyone would habituate daily , and a lot of it feel gimmicky and simply just an caricature of what rivals are doing . This could shift , though , and I really go for it does .
Should you buy it?
For the price , there ’s so much to like here . The M4 MacBook Air is fast , lasts for ages on a charge and looks great . For more the great unwashed , this laptop tick all the box .
If there ’s one expanse lack – it ’s the blind . It ’s fine , just not in the same league as the MacBook Pro .
Final Thoughts
The MacBook Air M4 is an light sell . It ’s the complete software for most people , and if you want a good screen or option of a more powerful cow chip then there ’s theMacBook Pro M4 .
The low price combined with the gibbousness in memory to 16 GB across the board pull in this a terrific deal – how often can that be said about Apple ’s intersection ?
There ’s nothing to lure anyone happy with their M3 or M2 models , aside from some fragile performance addition and a few extra hours of endurance , but if you jumped on the Apple Silicon bandwagon too soon with the M1 then this is a worthy upgrade .
My only real literary criticism is that the filmdom is start to show its age compared to the good laptop computer and best ultrabooks . It ’s dead fine , but without ProMotion , a matte selection and no OLED variant , this is the only area I want to see upgraded on the next model .
For just about everyone , this is thebest MacBookyou can buy .
Trusted Score
How we test
Every laptop we go over goes through a serial of uniform checks design to gauge key thing include shape caliber , performance , screen quality and battery life .
These let in formal synthetical benchmarks and written tests , plus a series of real - man check , such as how well it runs popular apps .
FAQs
Yes , you get both a courser and a cable . All aside from the base model comes wth a double - port USB - cytosine plug so you’re able to juice up two twist at once .
The MacBook Air only come in M4 version , you ’ll need to Pro for the M4 Pro .
Full Specs
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