M4 MacBook Air Review: The Best Value MacBook Air Yet

The new M4 MacBook Air has arrived, and it’s easily one of the best value-for-money updates Apple has offered in years. With more RAM, stronger performance, and a lower starting price, it’s making waves in the laptop world. But is now the right time to buy? And can its fanless design handle heavier tasks like video editing?

Let’s dive into what makes the M4 MacBook Air stand out — and where it still lags behind.

Visible Upgrades and Design Changes

At first glance, the M4 MacBook Air might not seem drastically different. The most noticeable change is the gorgeous new blue color and a subtle update to the key cap coating. The keyboard now has a slightly rougher feel and resists oily fingerprints much better, helping it stay clean over time.

Internal Upgrades That Matter

The real game-changer lies inside. The base model now comes with 16GB of RAM, addressing a common slowdown issue in older MacBook Airs with 8GB. Even better, the starting price is now under $1,000.

For those needing extra storage, upgrading to 512GB also includes a free processor upgrade and a 70W charger, doubling the charging speed.

Another notable improvement is the new display engine, which allows the use of two external displays while keeping the built-in screen active — a useful feature for multitaskers.

Battery Life and Efficiency

The M4 chip is slightly more efficient, offering around 15% longer battery life under heavy workloads compared to the M2 MacBook Air. For video playback, expect about 12.5% longer runtime. While these improvements are solid, Apple Silicon MacBooks already boast excellent battery performance, making this more of a bonus than a breakthrough.

With macOS now fully optimized for Apple Silicon, software compatibility is no longer a concern, ensuring smooth performance across most applications.

Design and Chassis Strengths and Weaknesses

The familiar MacBook Air chassis remains thin, light, and sturdy. You can easily open the lid with one finger, and thanks to its fanless design, it stays whisper-quiet even during demanding tasks. It also stays cool to the touch, with minimal palm rest heating.

However, the three-year-old chassis shows its age in a few areas:

• The 500-nit LCD display at 60Hz is good but falls short against the high-refresh-rate OLED screens found in many Windows laptops.

• The anti-reflection coating is decent, but Apple’s superior nano-texture coating is still missing on this model.

• The speakers, tucked inside the hinge, lack bass and fall short of the MacBook Pro’s class-leading sound.

• With only two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports on the same side, cable management can be awkward.

• Notably, the M4 MacBook Air lacks Wi-Fi 7, which is now standard on the latest iPhones and some laptops.

Performance and Thermal Limitations

The M4 MacBook Air delivers impressive performance. Compared to the M2, it’s over 20% faster in both single- and multi-core tasks, with a 7% GPU boost. For everyday activities like browsing, office work, or media consumption, it feels just as fast as high-end models.

However, when it comes to more demanding tasks like 4K video editing, the fanless design makes a difference. In a cool, shaded environment, it handles editing smoothly without throttling. But under heat or direct sunlight, performance dips as the laptop heats up, slowing tasks like video rendering.

Adding a small external fan can help reduce thermal throttling, but it’s worth noting that the MacBook Pro remains the better choice for sustained professional workloads, offering superior cooling, a 1600-nit mini LED display, and industry-leading speakers.

Is It Worth the Upgrade?

For everyday users, students, and even casual creators, the M4 MacBook Air offers an outstanding price-to-performance ratio. If you own an M1 or older MacBook Air, this upgrade will feel like a major leap forward. However, for M2 owners, the improvements are notable but may not justify upgrading.

Final Verdict

The M4 MacBook Air is one of Apple’s smartest laptop updates in years. It offers excellent performance, improved specs, and solid battery life — all at a lower price point. While it’s not a MacBook Pro replacement for professionals, it covers almost everything most people need and does it beautifully.