MacBook Air M4 (2025)
- Processor: Apple M4
- Display: LED-backlit, 2,560 x 1,664 native resolution (13.6in), 2,880 x 1,864 native resolution (15.3in), 500 nits brightness
- RAM: 16, 24, 32GB
- Storage: 256/512GB/1TB/2TB
- Dimensions: 30.41cm x 21.5cm x 1.13cm (13in), 34.04cm x 23.76cm x 1.15cm (15in)
- Weight: 1.24kg (13in), 1.51kg (15in)
- Colour: Midnight, starlight, silver and sky blue
- Why we love it
- Snappy design and new colour
- Outstanding performance
- Knockout battery life
- Keen price cut
- Take note
- No touchscreen
Design
There’s little to report on the way this new machine looks compared with the last MacBook Air, but this is fine because it already had the most attractive laptop design you could find, Apple or otherwise, in my opinion.
The only big cosmetic change is the colour. Previously, you could choose between starlight, silver, midnight and space grey, the latter two of which were hard to tell apart in some lighting conditions. So, goodbye, space grey, and a big welcome to sky blue, which brings a brilliantly different colour to the range. Like the others, it appears different according to the lighting. Sometimes almost silver, it suddenly shines with a light blue intensity when the ambient light changes. It’s perhaps the most attractive new colour Apple has introduced in several years, managing to be both businesslike and whimsical at the same time. Expect Apple’s usual attention to detail, too – the braided power cable is colour-matched to the laptop.
The webcam that sits at the top of the screen has been improved to what Apple calls Centre Stage, meaning the 12MP camera uses clever software to ensure that, if you are on a video conferencing call, you stay front-and-centre, even when you move around. Centre Stage has another useful feature called Desk View, which can show others in the call what’s on your desk.
The display size is one of the few differences between the two new MacBook Air models – weight and price being two of the others, as even the battery life is the same in both the 13in and 15in versions.
Personally, I really prefer the 15in MacBook Air – its bigger screen makes a real difference, while the weight is only around a quarter of a kilo more. One other tiny thing: with the 15in model, the supplied power adapter has two USB-C ports, so you can charge another device at the same time as the laptop.
In other ways, the new laptop is just like the one it replaces: the same flat-lid, super-slim profile; Apple’s ultra-comfortable Magic Keyboard with just the right amount of travel in the keys and useful fingerprint sensor in the power button; and the trademark MagSafe connector, which links the power cable to the laptop by magnets. If someone trips on the cable, it simply detaches, instead of sending the laptop flying.
It's worth noting the MacBook Air, like all Mac laptops, does not have a touchscreen, which is something many Windows laptops offer. Also, the Air display doesn’t have the super-fast refresh rate of the MacBook Pro but the Air’s display looks so great, I didn’t find this an issue.
The big internal change is the move from the M2 or M3 processors found in previous MacBooks Air models to the latest-generation of Apple silicon: the M4.
Performance
The addition of the M4 chip is key here. Until now, the M4 was only available in the much pricier MacBook Pro. While it’s true the previous MacBook Air with the M3 processor was fast, this new machine is quicker, making everything run a bit smoother.
As well as speed, the power of the M4 processor also means more-demanding apps such as video editing will keep working at pace for longer. There are improvements in graphical performance – everything looks its best. Tests of the M4 have also shown improvements in the neural engine, designed to accelerate machine learning tasks and play their part in AI features – something that will become increasingly important as Apple Intelligence develops in the coming months and years.
Even if the power of the M4 processor could seem like overkill for now, extra headroom now makes for longevity of use in the future.
Battery life
Battery life has been one of the consistently satisfying features of the MacBook Air over recent years. I now rarely bother to carry a charging plug with me, unless I’m travelling long-distance, and even then it’s only to recharge at the far end.
The MacBook Air battery lasts a long time, and while it doesn’t match the battery life of the bigger (and more expensive) MacBook Pro, the Air is a lot lighter and thinner, which adds extra value if you’re likely to be lugging it about to and from the office or on your travels.
Price
One of the key things to note about this new release is a significant price drop, compared with the previous model. Apple’s MacBook Air range previously comprised an older Air with the M2 processor revealed a couple of years ago, with an RRP starting from £999. The models with the more advanced M3 chip were priced from £1,099 for the 13in model, and £1,299 for the 15in.
Apple has now brought its M4 chip to every model in the MacBook Air series, but matched the price of the entry-level laptop, so £999 now buys you a laptop with a much more powerful chip. Meanwhile, the 15in Air is now £100 more affordable than it’s ever been, at £1,199.
If the pricing had stayed the same as before, it would have been a great deal. With this price cut, it makes for a more tempting buy.