Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
With the M4 MacBook Air , Apple addressed the major flaws with its predecessor , which was an excellent laptop computer in the first place . Is the M4 MacBook Air flawless ? It might be – key its flaws is an drill in personal preferences . This is the laptop computer for everyone .
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The new Sky Blue option for the MacBook Air replaces the Space Gray color.
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Best Prices Today: Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M4, 2025)
While the MacBook Air is Apple ’s most popular laptop , it ’s not the first in melodic line to get Apple ’s late M - series chip . That purity break down to Apple ’s most muscular laptop computer , the MacBook Pro , which wasupdated with the M4 chiplast October . The MacBook Air traditionally catch the chip update a few months afterward and aright on schedule , the Air ’s time has come for its M4 update .
The MacBook Air is a great laptop with an M4 or even with the senior M3 chip . But even with the four major changes in the M4 MacBook Air , only one of them is a compelling understanding to ditch anM3 MacBook Airthat you recently bought . And if you ’re still relying on an Intel - based MacBook Air , the M4 MacBook Air is an offer you ca n’t refuse – it has performance that will save you a significant amount of time .
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Our model’s specifications
Apple offers three standard form each for the 13- and 15 - in MacBook Air . The 15 - inch MacBook Air in this critical review is customize with more RAM and storage than the top - end standard constellation , which starts at 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of entrepot . Here are the specs for our review unit :
The new Sky Blue option for the MacBook Air replaces the Space Gray people of color .
Foundry
The new Sky Blue option for the MacBook Air replaces the Space Gray color.
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Performance
The new MacBook Air spotlights its new M4 chip , which has a 10 - core CPU ( 4 performance Congress of Racial Equality , 6 efficiency cores ) , 8 - sum or 10 - core GPU , and a 16 - core Neural Engine . compare to the M3 it replaced , the M4 has two more efficiency sum , two more GPU cores , and general CPU tweaks to make it a better performer .
Geekbench 6.4
Results are express as Geekbench scores . mellow scores / foresighted bars are firm .
Our performance psychoanalysis originate withGeekbench 6for a general , overall view . In both the Single - Core and Multi - Core test , the M4 MacBook Air was 23 percent quicker than the M3 MacBook Air . That ’s along the line of what we usually get from one check genesis to another .
The senior the chip , the better the operation comparison gets with the M4 . The M4 offers a 46 pct hike over the M2 MacBook Air ; if you have an M2 Air , that boost is attractive , but you might shrug and settle you do n’t need to raise . If you have a M1 MacBook Air , however , the M4 upgrade is a lot more attractive from a pure operation perspective .
The new Sky Blue option for the MacBook Air replaces the Space Gray color.
If you have an Intel MacBook Air , well , I ’ve urged you to upgrade to an M - serial Air since the M2 , but I understand if you ’ve hedge then , even with the M3 . But raise to an M4 will being substantial clock time saving no matter what you ’re doing .
Apple ’s trackpad has long been a strength of its MacBook lineup .
Cinebench 2024
answer are expressed as Cinebench oodles . high score / longer bars are riotous .
Cinebench 2024is a test that performs 3D rendering . Most people who do the kind of work tested by Cinebench are using a mellow - need MacBook Pro , but the MacBook Air is up to the project . Again , as we saw with Geekbench , the resolution show an solid incremental 21 per centum boost from the M3 to the M4 .
HandBrake 1.9.2 video encode
Results are times in second . Lower times / short bar are loyal .
We usedHandBraketo encode theTears of Steelvideo from 4 K to a 1080p H.265 file . When doing the encoding altogether in software system using the H.265 ( x265 ) video encoder , the M4 is a intelligent 31 percentage quicker than the M3 . When using the available hardware acceleration through HandBrake ’s H.265 ( VideoToolBox ) encoder , the M4 was 40 per centum faster .
iMovie 4K video exports
We export a 10 - hour 4 K video at two setting in iMovie to estimate mainframe performance . The M4 was 16 percentage faster than the M3 when exporting the single file using the ProRes codec . When we change the quality setting of the exportation to High , the M4 advantage shrank to 6 percent .
Blackmagic Disk Test
Results are megabytes per second . high rate / long bars are fast .
The SSD termination between the M3 and M4 MacBook Air are practically the same . There ’s a little boost from the M2 to the M4 , but you need to do long , sustained disk read and writes to tell the difference .
With the M1 and M2 MacBook Air with 256 GB of depot , Apple used a individual 256 GB SSD chip , which adversely impress public presentation . The companychanged that to a span of 128 GB SSD chipsin the M3 MacBook Air , which improved performance . Our review unit has a 512 GB SSD ( presumptively installed as multiple SSD chips ) , so we ca n’t verify the performance of the laptop with a 256 GB SSD , but it would seem unwise for Apple to go back to its honest-to-goodness way . We do n’t think you call for to worry if you ’re eyeing an Air with a 256 GB SSD .
Apple’s trackpad has long been a strength of its MacBook lineup.
Geekbench 6 Compute
Geekbench ’s Compute benchmark tests GPU performance using Metal or OpenCL genus Apis . If a secret plan has been written natively for the Mac , it should be using the Metal API for the best performance . The M4 MacBook Air offers a 16 percent boost over the M3 – both of these chips have a 10 - Congress of Racial Equality GPU , so Apple has meliorate the M4 ’s GPU .
Videogame frame rates
Results are frame per secondly . Higher rate / longer bars are fast .
examination was done using the built - in benchmarks forBorderlands 3 , Total War : Warhammer III , andCivilization VI.Game Mode for macOSautomatically trigger off when a game launches to optimize public presentation .
Geekbench AI
Apple Intelligenceis a major marketing message from Apple . Whether you ’re using the AI - ground features or not , they ’re part of Apple promotions get going forward . Apple Intelligence started to appear in macOS Sequoia 15.1 and more features will be deliver over time .
Geekbench extend an AI benchmark that checks the performance of Apple Neural Engine in its chips . But the way Apple Intelligence is implement now does n’t feel super processor intensive so you ’re not run low to feel a difference in say , using Image Playground on an M4 than on an M1 .
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Ports, external display support, and connectivity
Apple still offer two USB Type - C ports on the M4 MacBook Air , but they ’ve been upgraded from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4 . This lead to the most compelling reason to upgrade from an M3 or one-time melodic line : the M4 Air can run up to two extraneous displays at 6k resolution and 60Hz . That ’s in addition to the laptop video display , so there ’s no more clamshell compromise as was with the M3 Air . That ’s a adult bargain for a lot of users who bought a MacBook Pro rather or turned to anexternal hub result .
Other than the better video display financial backing , users are n’t going to notice much of adifference between Thunderbolt 3 and 4 . As usual , the Thunderbolt ports are also USB - century ports and these ports support the USB 4 specification , thus Apple calls them Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports .
If you want , you may connect two 6K/60Hz display to the MacBook Air ’s Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports , and still be able to use the laptop ’s display .
If you want, you can connect two 6K/60Hz displays to the MacBook Air’s Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and still be able to use the laptop’s display.
The M4 MacBook Air habituate Wi - Fi 6E ( 802.11ax ) and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity . Apple has not commented on why it did n’t upgrade to Wi - Fi 7 like it did with the iPhone 16 , but it ’s nothing to be concerned about . You require to be connecting to Wi - Fi 7 hot spot to take advantage of the faster speed , and they ’re not readily useable right now .
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Camera
The M4 MacBook Air discharge the ageing 1080p FaceTime tv camera for something more modern : a 12MP Center Stage camera . It ’s the same camera that Apple offers in the MacBook Pro , and it has much - improved image quality . Center Stage is a blessing , too ; I only realized recently how much I shift around while record theMacworld Podcast(excuse me for the plug ) , and Center Stage help make certain I ’m centered in the frame , which matters when you ’re in a television with multiple drug user . picture conference are now the average , so own a high - quality television camera in the MacBook Air is a keen and necessary feature .
The 12MP photographic camera on the Mac has been a foresightful metre coming . It wasonly four years agothat Apple inaugurate the 1080p camera to replace the 720p one part with the iMac , while in the meantime , the 12MP front - facing photographic camera has been on the iPhone since theiPhone 11 in 2019 . So yeah , finally . ( That also signify longtime reader of Macworld can now stop hearing us harp about the Mac cameras . At least until 12MP becomes passé . )
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Battery life & charging
The M4 MacBook Air has the same stamp battery as before : a 66.5 - watt - hour lithium polymer battery that Apple says offers 15 hours of “ wireless web ” and 18 hours of “ video streaming . ”
Battery life
Results are times in moment . Longer bars / high effect are better .
Our battery life-time mental testing involved toy a grummet of the 4 K Tears of Steel video with the show set at 150 nits . The new laptop did n’t last quite as long as the M2 and M3 MacBook Airs , but it still took nearly 18 minute to drain its bombardment . While using the M4 Air for workplace all day ( mostly to write this reappraisal ) , I never had a business organization for electric battery life sentence and did n’t need to secure it in until I was done for the day .
The included 35W superpower adapter has two USB - C ports , so you’re able to plug in another gadget and charge it along with the Air . Apple include a braided MagSafe cable that is color - correspond to the laptop computer .
Apple includes a high-quality color-matched braided MagSafe cable and a 35-watt power adapter with two USB-C ports.
Apple include a high - quality colouration - match braid MagSafe cablegram and a 35 - watt business leader adapter with two USB - C port wine .
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Enter Sky Blue, exit Space Gray
Apple introduces a new Sky Blue color that replaces Space Gray . It almost feel like Apple introduce Sky Blue and drop Space Gray to emphasize the color scheme it does with consumer - level product , which are offer in a “ rainbow ” of colors .
Sky Blue is abstemious than the Blue iMac ( the one Ireviewedlast November ) and it ’s a gracious shade that looks fine on a laptop computer . It ’s not the same as Ultramarine on the iPhone 16 , but it ’s close enough if you ’re into coordinating your Apple gimmick colouration .
How a Silver MacBook Pro ( left ) compare to the Sky Blue MacBook Air .
How a Silver MacBook Pro (left) compares to the Sky Blue MacBook Air.
If you require a darker MacBook Air , your only choice now is Midnight . I ca n’t say I ’m going to miss Space Gray , but I did n’t hate it , either . It varied in timbre over the years , and I favor it in darker shades . Apple will probably work it back someday ; maybe they ’ll spell it as “ Grey ” to give it fresh life story .
15-inch M4 MacBook Air: What didn’t change
This recapitulation pore on what Apple changed from the M3 to the M4 MacBook Air . The following element did not alter but should be mentioned since they do dally a role in your purchasing decision . I ’ve included links to our original posts , in font you ’re interested in more detail .
The Mute icon reach a comeback with the M4 MacBook Air .
Should you buy the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air?
In myM3 MacBook Air reviewlast year , I say it was “ the best laptop choice for just about anyone . ” With the M4 MacBook Air , that holds , but this laptop is better . The M3 Air ’s grapple compromise with the outside display financial backing was a deal killer for a circle of users . So , the M4 Air ’s expanded international show support is a more important upgrade than the performance improvements . Do n’t get me incorrect , though – faster is always full . The 12MP Center Stage camera is an delinquent rise that makes Apple ’s general consumer laptop finger more professional .
It ’s also bum by $ 100 across the card . The model we tested that sells for $ 1,399 would have been $ 1,499 for the same specs with an M3 chip . That ’s a decent and surprising discount , specially considering you get twice the RAM you got when the M3 launched in March 2024 .
That all being said , if you have an M3 or M2 MacBook Air in a product environs and its outside display keep is a major hinderance to your productiveness , then this is a no - brainer upgrade . But if that ’s not the case , then it ’s also potential that you are not doing the case of work where the speed difference would have a noticeable effect . The MacBook Air you have will capably function you for years to come .
The Mute icon makes a comeback with the M4 MacBook Air.
If you have an M1 MacBook Air , well , that ’s when this M4 mannikin take care very appealing . The M4 Air is n’t just about a fast poker chip , it ’s also a fresh design , an upgrade from a 720p FaceTime tv camera , and better international display support . Plus , the M1 Air was available only in a 13 - inch design , and now there ’s also a 15 - column inch model available . So there ’s a lot more here to enjoy if you settle to advance .
And finally , my testimonial to Intel - establish MacBook Air proprietor is the same as with the M3 MacBook Air : Make the investment funds . Even if you require an Intel machine becuse you ’re relying on some tool or software that is n’t Apple atomic number 14 - compatible , you need to rectify that billet because you are hindering your productivity . Make the modification . You wo n’t regret it .
