Why I highly recommend the M4 MacBook Air to most people (and now it’s on sale)

The MacBook Air M4 (13-inch) is on sale at Amazon, beginning at $850 for the 16GB model.

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Earlier than Apple introduced the MacBook Air M4 in early 2025, rumors abounded on what new options the ultraportable would include. 

Partly as a result of it was the final of Apple’s core line of devices to get the M4 chip, and partly as a result of, effectively, final yr’s MacBook Air M3 was (and nonetheless is) the most effective laptops we have examined — a future-proofed “AI computer for the masses” that might be seen as a profitable end result of Apple’s design. 

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At no level can the Apple machine cease producing, nonetheless, so with the MacBook Air M4, it was obvious it might be an incremental improve, refining what made final yr’s model nice whereas providing a bit of bit extra for much less value to the patron.  

The MacBook Air M4, for instance, begins at $999 for the 13-inch configuration with 16GB of reminiscence — $100 lower than final yr’s M3. On the similar time, the {hardware} expands on each the high and low finish, with the lowest-tier configuration of the M4 geared up with a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, in distinction to the 8-core M3 chip from final yr.

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Then again, the high-end configuration presents 32GB of unified reminiscence, which was beforehand capped out at 24GB on final yr’s M3. This mixture of enhancements for base elements and a decrease beginning value is strategic positioning on Apple’s half to incentivize the brand new gadgets and keep aggressive in an more and more crowded market. 

The MacBook Air M4 is a unbelievable gadget, but it surely’s additionally a pure continuation of the product line, which some may see as a “boring” replace. Relying on who you ask, that might be or a not-so-good factor. You may’t repair what is not damaged, however I feel there’s some room right here for a couple of extra daring design decisions. 

Some of the apparent is the MacBook Air M4’s new colorway, Sky Blue, which is a very delicate blue; a really cautious determination once I was anticipating one thing a bit of nearer to Microsoft’s Surface Laptop. All that being mentioned, there are actually some options on the M4 MacBook Air that set this yr’s ultraportable aside. Let’s break them down. 

Triple-screen menace

Some of the anticipated and sought-after options of the MacBook Air M4 is its potential to help two exterior displays whereas the lid is open. This alone opens up new prospects for work, productiveness, and artistic duties and makes the MacBook Air extra aggressive with three working shows. 

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The laptop computer’s personal show nonetheless seems nice, as effectively. Apple’s Liquid Retina expertise gives crisp, well-defined textual content, easy, vibrant video, and help for 1 billion colours. Maxing out at 500 nits of brightness, the show on the Air M4 would not get as vibrant because the MacBook Professional, but it surely’s nonetheless vibrant sufficient for almost all of use circumstances. 

I’m a bit of stunned there is not an choice to improve the M4 Air with the nano-textured glass we saw on the M4 MacBook Pro, nonetheless. Perhaps we’re a bit spoiled now, however the glare is noticeable sufficient for me to surprise why, of all of the attainable issues you possibly can improve this laptop computer with, that is not one among them. 

The opposite factor in regards to the show I do not love is the notch for the digital camera, which leads to a bit of in any other case worthwhile display screen actual property blacked out the place the lens is positioned. For those who preserve the toolbar toggled on, it is one thing you may get used to, however with apps in full-screen it is undoubtedly noticeable.

Productiveness powerhouse 

Whereas on the subject of productiveness, the MacBook Air M4 excels at extra than simply a number of shows. For one factor, videoconferencing on the Air is a pleasure. The webcam’s {hardware} acquired an improve, from the 1080p FaceTime digital camera from final yr to a 12MP digital camera on the M4 Air with Apple’s new Heart Stage function. 

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We first noticed Heart Stage on the MacBook Professional and iMac final fall, and its addition to the Air is without doubt one of the many options that deliver the ultraportable a bit of nearer to its older Professional sibling. For those who’re unfamiliar with it, Heart Stage retains you centered and centered within the body regardless of the way you’re positioned, dealing with the visible logistics of the decision with minimal enter from the person. 

To me, it appears much less like a standalone function in its personal proper and extra just like the inevitable way forward for webcam expertise. That is how webcams ought to work, and Apple’s innovation right here presents a cultured expertise that’s equally gratifying for work or private calls on FaceTime. 

The mix of top-tier {hardware}, a seamless and well-integrated product, and quality-of-life options simply makes the video name expertise general higher on a Mac. 

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I exploit a Home windows gadget as my day by day driver, and though I’ve used Macs for years previously, I forgot how effortlessly the MacBook Air can deal with multitasking by way of a mix of the Launchpad, break up display screen, and speaking on to Siri. Moreover, enhancements to how home windows are tiled are satisfying for these of us who like our desktops organized in a selected means. 

Dependable, all-day battery

The MacBook Air remains to be a battery-efficient gadget, and though Apple’s Silicon line of processors set the usual for battery efficiency in ultraportable laptops, the remainder of the market has had a while to catch up. 

That does not imply the MacBook Air has fallen behind, but it surely does have some opponents now. Throughout my testing of the M4, I acquired over 14 hours of battery life with the gadget working a 4K video at half brightness, which is about the place I anticipated it to be and about the same as last year’s MacBook Air M3. 

Against this, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop acquired over 15 hours throughout the identical check, and Asus’ Zenbook A14 got here in nearer to twenty. The latter, in fact, would not match the ability on board the MacBook Air M4, however it’s lighter, thinner, and packs a stunning show. That alone places it in competitors territory. 

Sure, the MacBook Professional M4 will last more as effectively, however the Air is thinner and lighter and far much less variable: the distinction in battery drain is minimal relying on what duties you are placing it by way of (barring persistent, intense workloads).

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The underside line is that for customers who commute into the workplace a couple of instances per week, you possibly can reliably depend on the MacBook Air M4 to final the entire day for those who neglect your charger, even for those who’re taking a couple of video calls. 

Benchmarking

Placing all that {hardware} to the check, the MacBook Air M4 carried out very effectively in our benchmarking, coming in very near each the MacBook Professional M4 and MacBook Professional M3. As these gadgets depart their predecessors from only a few years in the past within the mud, they get a bit of bit nearer to one another. 

	Cinebench 24 MC	Geekbench 6.2.2 SC	Geekbench 6.2.2 MC
Apple MacBook Air M4	888	3,587	14,972
Apple MacBook Professional M4	1,000	3,823	14,849
Apple MacBook Professional M3	906	3,072	11,623
Apple MacBook Professional with M1 Professional	828	2,211	12,482

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So what in regards to the issues I want Apple did in a different way? Nicely, a lot of my gripes in regards to the MacBook Air M4 are nothing new. For one, there are nonetheless solely two USB-C ports, each of that are on the left-hand aspect of the gadget. If this felt limiting for you earlier than, not a lot has modified. 

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Second, Apple’s gadgets stay among the most locked-down on the subject of repairability, preserving customers strictly certain to Apple’s restore and repair mannequin by barring using salvaged elements. The corporate has made strides towards a greener enterprise mannequin on the subject of manufacturing, however a loosening of the strict management over components alternative would go even additional. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The MacBook Air M4 remains to be one of the crucial full packages you possibly can ask for on the subject of creativity, productiveness, and on a regular basis use. The M4 Air’s glossy and light-weight type issue set the usual for ultraportables, and never a lot has modified with its design since, for higher or for worse. 

When you have an iPhone and revel in Apple’s ecosystem of merchandise, the MacBook Air is a strong selection as a essential driver. If you have already got a Mac that is quite a lot of years previous, the MacBook Air M4 will really feel like a major improve. When you have an M2 Professional or M3, the leap will really feel much less noticeable. For those who’re coming from an older Home windows gadget, effectively, you will surprise the way you ever took calls in your 720p webcam in any respect. 

Contemplating all of this, the MacBook Air M4 is a modest improve from its predecessor however pushes the road ahead general. Actually, with burgeoning Apple Intelligence options, the identical digital camera expertise because the MacBook Professional M4, upgraded {hardware}, and a decrease beginning value, the MacBook Air looks like probably the most logical selection for a brand new Apple laptop computer in 2025.