Apple has once again introduced a stunning innovation in its MacBook Air series. Released in March 2025, the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 offers excellent performance, a sleek design, and an attractive price with the latest M4 chip. This new laptop reflects Apple's technological prowess and ability to understand the needs of users. In this review, let's analyze the main features, performance, and why it can be an ideal choice for users.
Design and Build Quality
Although there are not many changes in the design of the MacBook Air M4, its sleek appearance still impresses. Weighing 2.7 pounds, this laptop is extremely lightweight and portable, making it ideal for students and travelers. Apple has introduced a new "Sky Blue" color this time, which is available in addition to Silver, Starlight, and Midnight colors. This new color, while subtle, adds a sleek appeal to the laptop. The aluminum unibody construction provides a solid and premium feel that is a signature of Apple products.
As for the display, the 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display offers excellent clarity with a resolution of 2560 x 1664. With a P3 wide color gamut and 500 nits of brightness, this display is ideal for watching videos, photo editing, and everyday tasks. However, the 60Hz refresh rate feels somewhat outdated, especially in the face of competitors offering 120Hz screens.
Performance
The heart of the MacBook Air M4 is its M4 chip. This chip features a 10-core CPU and an 8-core GPU (in the base model) or a 10-core GPU (in the upgraded version), which offers a significant performance improvement over the M3. The laptop is fast enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming. It also handles demanding workloads like video editing and graphics-intensive tasks effectively. Despite the fanless design, there may be some thermal throttling during prolonged heavy use, but this is not a noticeable issue for regular users.
The fact that it comes with 16GB of unified memory as the base configuration is a big plus. Compared to previous models that started with 8GB, this will keep this laptop capable for the future, especially with support for AI features like Apple Intelligence. Storage starts at 256GB, but those who need more space should consider upgrading to 512GB or more.
Battery life
Battery life is, as always, the MacBook Air M4's strong point. Apple promises 18 hours of video playback, but in tests, it lasted for almost 20 hours. This makes it a great choice for those who work all day or are on the go. However, it's worth noting that some competing laptops offer even longer battery life.
Camera and Audio
The new 12-megapixel center-stage webcam is a significant upgrade on this model. With improved clarity on video calls and a wide-angle lens, it's easy to fit more than one person in the frame. In terms of audio, the four-speaker system delivers clear sound, but bass is a bit lacking. It's adequate for listening to music or watching videos, but it may not fully satisfy audiophiles.
Ports and Connectivity
The port selection remains unchanged—two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This setup is adequate for general use, but an additional USB-C port or SD card slot would have been more convenient. Wi-Fi 6E support provides fast wireless connectivity, keeping up with modern needs.
Price and Value
The base model of the MacBook Air M4 starts at $999, $100 less than the M3 model. This price cut, combined with 16GB of RAM and the M4 chip, makes it one of the most valuable laptops. While the upgrades (24GB of RAM or a 512GB SSD) are expensive, the base model will meet the needs of most users.
Verdict
The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4 is an excellent choice for those looking for a balance of performance, portability, and price. While it doesn't bring revolutionary changes, it succeeds in improving an already great design. It's worth recommending to those looking to upgrade from M1 or Intel-based MacBooks or those looking for a new laptop. However, M3 owners may not need this upgrade. Overall, this laptop effectively combines Apple's trusted quality and modern technology.
Score: 8.5/10
Pros: Fast M4 chip, excellent battery life, sleek design, improved webcam
Cons: Limited ports, 60Hz display, expensive upgrades