Review: Apple MacBook Air (13-Inch, M4)

i've been devoted to the MacBook Air since 2012, when I bought my first one with money I saved up from a summer job before my first semester of college. (You can read more about that journey here.) As someone always working on the go, I've always been drawn to how lightweight it is. When Apple revamped it back in 2022 with a new design, bigger and brighter display, MagSafe support, and a 1080p webcam, I was thrilled—this was my dream MacBook come to life.

But as I said in last year's review, the 13-inch MacBook Air has reached its peak in terms of design. Apple continues to release the same model while mainly focusing on the internals—and the same logic applies to this latest version. The standout features are the M4 chip (the entry-level chip of the lineup) and double the base memory (also available on its predecessor). Apple did throw in an updated 12-megapixel webcam and a new blue color option, but aside from that, the chassis remains the same.

Typically, when a next-generation model lacks any major additions, Apple keeps the price the same as previous versions. This time, however, the price sees a welcome reduction to $999—$100 less than its predecessors. It's what the MacBook Air cost before the launch of the M2 model (Apple did sell the M2-powered MacBook Air for $999 once the M3 Air came out, but the M4 replaces both models). So, that means the highest configuration will cost $2,199.

Although there are still a few additional things I had on my wish list for this next-gen version (a nano-texture glass option being one of them), the MacBook Air with M4 continues to live up to its reputation as a reliable, lightweight machine and the best MacBook for most people. The fact that it's as affordable as it used to be is the cherry on top.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Subtle Alterations

As with previous generations, the 13-inch MacBook Air has a square chassis, a big and bright 13.6-inch LCD panel (complete with a 60-Hz refresh rate), a four-speaker sound system, and a three-mic array. Coming in at 2.7 pounds, it also remains super lightweight and comfortable to commute with. You'll also get the same port selection, which includes two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack.

I fully understand that an extensive port selection is usually reserved for the MacBook Pro, but I truly wanted Apple to add at least one extra USB-C port here—especially since you can connect the MacBook Air to up to two external monitors (we'll get to that later). Instead, you'll have to use a chunky USB-C hub, which is just another accessory you'll have to buy (if you don't already have one) and carry around.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

It would've also been nice to see Apple offer the option to add nano-texture glass‚ which helps to reduce glare in bright environments. It's found on high-end products like the Studio Display and MacBook Pro, but Apple offers it with the M4-powered iMac. It's an extra $150 to $200, depending on the device, but it would've been worth the cost. Having used it on the 14-inch MacBook Pro for months now, I find it tough to use a standard display.

Apple did update the webcam from a 1080p sensor to 12 megapixels, with support for Center Stage, which automatically keeps you in the frame during video calls. (This was originally a feature found only on iPads, but it's since expanded to both Macs and MacBooks). While I'm all for a higher-resolution webcam, I always turn Center Stage off. I find the feature too awkward and sensitive—it'll sometimes pan and zoom at the slightest hint of movement.

There's a new Sky Blue color option, in addition to Midnight, Starlight, and Silver (gone are the days of the traditional Space Grey color). It's a very subtle but pretty shade. Depending on how the light hits it, it can sometimes skew silver, but for the most part, you can tell it's blue. While I love to see Apple adding a splash of color to the MacBook Air lineup, it only makes me wish for more options. I'm talking about brighter shades like pink and yellow—you know, the same ones that the base iPad model comes in. We can continue to reserve the subtle shades for the Pro line, but the Air should be fun. Hopefully, this an omen of more colors ahead.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Power and Productivity

The MacBook Air is the last of the Macs to receive the M4 treatment (it's also available on the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and 24-inch iMac). The entry-level chip is built on a second-generation, 3-nanometer process, delivering enhancements to both power efficiency and speed when it comes to CPU functions, machine intelligence, and graphics rendering. It also comes with ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching for improving graphics-intensive tasks like video or photo editing and gaming. The M3 is built on a first-gen nanometer process, but it packs the same features, so you'll likely only see a difference in performance if you come from the M1 or an older Intel MacBook.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

This also helps to power Apple Intelligence—the company's artificial intelligence features—more smoothly. As with all M-series MacBooks, you'll have access to the suite of capabilities that come with MacOS Sequoia 15.1 and newer. This includes Writing Tools (which will proofread your writing and change the tone of sentences), Clean Up Tool (to erase objects from the background in Photos), a revamped Siri with ChatGPT integration, and more.

Each configuration has a 10-core CPU, but you can pick between an 8-core or 10-core GPU. If you pick the 8-core GPU, you'll get 16 GB of unified memory (Apple doubled the memory as of October with the M3 MacBook Air) and 256 GB of storage; the 10-core base model comes with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. You can increase both models up to 32 GB of unified memory and 2 TB of storage for an additional cost. But you'll automatically be upgraded to the 10-core GPU if you choose the higher memory and storage options. Apple sent me the MacBook Air with a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU for review, along with 16 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage.

During testing, the MacBook Air delivered smooth performance throughout my work days. On a typical day, I'd have about 30 to 35 tabs open in Google Chrome across three to four different windows. At the same time, I'd have apps like Slack, Spotify, Telegram, and Messages running in the background. There was one day where I felt the MacBook Air get super hot (palm rest included), at which point the rainbow wheel appeared, and I had to force-quit Google Chrome. But I've been using the MacBook the same way since then and haven't run into this issue again.

I was surprised this happened, since I've only ever experienced this with the 8-GB RAM configurations. Usually, increasing it to 16 GB does the trick. While I'm glad that Apple did away with its 8-GB memory option and bumped up the base model, I'd recommend upgrading to 24 GB or 32 GB if you plan on pushing this laptop beyond basic tasks like sending emails, browsing the web, taking video calls, and light photo or video editing.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

As with the M3 model, you can use the MacBook Air with two external displays (with support for one display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz and another with up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz). But unlike with its predecessor, you no longer have to keep the lid shut on the laptop—with the M3, one of the displays will go dark if you open the MacBook. It's been great to be able to, technically, have three displays at my disposal. It truly does wonders for productivity.

Battery life has also been great. Apple claims the same 15 hours of wireless web browsing as on the M3 MacBook Air. I hit about 24 percent after 10 hours, while on its predecessor, I reached the same level after eight hours. In total, I hit 13 hours before having to connect the MacBook Air to the charger. It's worth noting that I typically test the MacBook Air on days that I have Zoom calls, which takes a toll on the battery. So, I attribute the longer battery life to the fact that I didn't have any calls scheduled throughout testing. Either way, you'll easily get a full workday (and then some) out of it.

A Trusty Lil’ Laptop

It's hard not to love the new MacBook Air. It packs everything we loved about the previous version while also addressing almost all the critiques. The lack of ports continues to be my biggest gripe, but I digress. Of course, it's important to note that these are minor improvements. So I'd only recommend upgrading if your older Intel model is on its last legs or you have an M1 and want access to the M4 features to use for video and photo editing, gaming, and other graphics-intensive tasks. (If you need more power, you'll want to look into the MacBook Pro.) Need a bigger display? Apple launched a 15-inch version (9/10, WIRED Recommends) with M4 as well.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

You shouldn't rule out the M3-powered MacBook Air model either, but only if you can find it at a significant discount through third-party retailers. (I wouldn't spend more than $750 for the 16-GB model.) It came out only a year ago and packs most of the same features. But I suggest cross-checking the price with the current version to make sure you're saving enough money that it wouldn't make more sense to future-proof your purchase and spend a little extra for the newer model—especially now that the M4 MacBook Air starts at a slightly cheaper price.

Although this new model doesn't qualify as my dream version (I'll continue to wait for the extra ports, nano-texture glass, and fun color options), it's still an excellent laptop for basic tasks—whether that's for work, school, or fun. Sure, the upgrades continue to feel iterative, but it's nice to see the MacBook Air priced at under $1,000 again without skimping on features.