Ultimate MacBook Air Comparison (M1, M2, M3, M4): Which One Should You Buy in 2025?

When it comes to sleek design, reliable performance, and seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem, the MacBook Air has long been a top choice for students, professionals, and creatives alike. But with four generations of MacBook Air available—the M1, M2, M3, and the latest M4 MacBook Air—choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.

In this comprehensive guide, I’m breaking down every key difference between these models to help you decide which MacBook Air is the perfect fit for your needs and budget. Whether you’re considering the highly affordable M1 MacBook Air or eyeing the latest M4 powerhouse, you’ll find everything you need to know right here.

Price Comparison: How Much Do They Cost?

Before diving into specs and benchmarks, let’s talk about pricing. Apple has kept older models in circulation, which makes for an interesting price landscape:

• M1 MacBook Air (2020): Around $649 in the U.S., or ₹60,000 in India for the base 8GB RAM and 256GB storage model.

• M2 MacBook Air (2022): Starts at $799 or ₹80,000.

• M3 MacBook Air (2023): Priced at $899, roughly ₹90,000.

• M4 MacBook Air (2024): The latest model starts at $999, crossing the ₹1 lakh mark in India.

While the M1 seems like an absolute steal for its price, the real question is whether the performance and features justify upgrading to the newer chips.

Performance Breakdown: M1 vs M2 vs M3 vs M4

The Revolutionary M1: Still Holding Its Own

When Apple introduced the M1 chip back in 2020, it was nothing short of groundbreaking. Moving from Intel’s x86 architecture to their own ARM-based silicon resulted in a dramatic leap in efficiency and speed.

Even in 2025, the M1 MacBook Air remains surprisingly fast for casual tasks. If you primarily browse the web, stream videos, handle documents, or send emails, the M1 still delivers a snappy and smooth experience.

However, as software gets more demanding, the gap between M1 and the newer chips becomes clearer, especially in professional workloads.

Incremental Gains: M2 and M3

The M2 chip introduced around a 9% boost in CPU performance over M1 in benchmarks like Cinebench 2024 and Geekbench 6. Not earth-shattering, but noticeable for heavier multitasking or large spreadsheets.

The M3 chip brought a more significant jump—about 17% faster than M2 in the same CPU tests. More impressively, it introduced new GPU architecture that outperformed the M2 by up to 25% in 3D rendering tasks like Blender animation rendering.

If you’re editing photos, light video projects, or occasionally using design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro, the M2 or M3 models will feel much smoother than the M1.

The Powerhouse M4: A Leap Forward

Enter the M4 MacBook Air, Apple’s latest silicon marvel. It boasts a 10-core CPU, two more efficiency cores than its predecessors, and a refined 3nm process (TSMC’s enhanced N3 node). The result?

In real-world use and benchmarks, the M4 Air is about 21% faster in CPU tasks compared to the M3, and delivers 10% better GPU performance.

In high-intensity apps like DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and 4K video editing suites, the M4 consistently outpaces the M3. And if you’re dabbling in AI models or machine learning workloads, the M4’s neural engine is more than twice as fast as the M3’s, three times faster than M1.

This makes the M4 a clear choice for video editors, designers, programmers, or anyone needing robust multitasking power.

Thermals and Power Efficiency: Cooler, Quieter, Longer

Interestingly, despite its superior performance, the M4 runs cooler and more power-efficient than the M3. Thanks to the improved manufacturing process, the M4 Air maintained lower CPU temperatures and drew less power even under load.

In thermal tests, the M3 Air ran the hottest, while the M4 Air stayed comfortably cooler, leading to quieter fans and fewer thermal throttling issues. Battery life also sees modest improvement—expect up to an extra hour of screen time on the M4 compared to the M3 under similar workloads.

If you’re someone who frequently works unplugged, the M4 Air offers the best balance of performance and battery life in the lineup.

Graphics and Gaming: M4 Leads the Pack

Let’s be real—MacBooks aren’t gaming laptops. But over the years, Apple’s GPU improvements have made casual gaming and 3D work more feasible.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• M1 MacBook Air: 7-core GPU

• M2, M3, M4 MacBook Air: 8-core GPU (with architectural improvements in M3 & M4)

In basic graphics tasks and video playback, all four perform similarly. But in demanding apps like Blender, Unity, or ray-traced rendering tools, the M3 and M4 show their advantage.

In AAA games like Resident Evil 4, the M4 delivered smoother frame rates compared to the M3, thanks to its enhanced GPU architecture.

Design & Ports: Modern Look, Classic Taper

Design-wise, the M2, M3, and M4 Air share the same flat-edged chassis, while the M1 retains Apple’s classic wedge-shaped design.

A notable upgrade in the M4 MacBook Air is its Thunderbolt 4 ports, replacing the Thunderbolt 3 ports found in earlier models. This means the M4 Air can support two external 6K 60Hz monitors simultaneously, a first for MacBook Air.

While the M3 Air technically supports two displays, the second only works if you close the MacBook’s lid. Meanwhile, the M1 and M2 Air can only drive one external monitor at a time.

If dual-monitor setups are part of your workflow, the M4 is the obvious winner.

Webcam, Display, and Extras

Starting with the M2 generation, Apple upgraded the webcam to 1080p resolution, improving video call quality over the older 720p camera in the M1. So, both the M2, M3, and M4 Air share this sharper webcam.

Display quality across all models is similar—Liquid Retina displays with 500 nits of brightness, P3 color gamut, and True Tone technology.

However, if you’re jumping from an Intel MacBook Air or older non-Retina models, any of these will feel like a significant upgrade in screen quality.

Who Should Buy Which MacBook Air?

After weeks of testing all four models, here’s who I think each MacBook Air is best for:

✅ Get the M1 MacBook Air if…

• You’re on a tight budget

• Your work is mostly web browsing, emails, documents

• You don’t need external monitors or high graphics power

✅ Get the M2 MacBook Air if…

• You want a modern design + better webcam

• You occasionally work with photo editing or light video editing

• You need a small boost over M1, but don’t need the latest

✅ Get the M3 MacBook Air if…

• You use creative apps regularly

• You want noticeably better GPU and CPU performance than M2

• You sometimes connect two external monitors (but don’t mind closing the lid)

✅ Get the M4 MacBook Air if…

• You want the best MacBook Air ever made

• You do serious creative work (video editing, coding, AI tools)

• You need dual monitor support without compromises

• You want better battery life, thermals, and future-proofing

Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Upgrading?

The M1 MacBook Air remains a phenomenal budget laptop in 2025. But if you’re buying a MacBook Air for the next 3–5 years, the M4 Air offers the best balance of power, features, and longevity.

Apple’s M4 silicon shows how far their chips have evolved since 2020, with significant improvements in CPU, GPU, AI processing, and thermals.

For casual users, students, and office workers, the M1 and M2 still deliver excellent value. But if you rely on your laptop for creativity, programming, multitasking, or want dual monitors without compromises, the M4 MacBook Air is hands-down the best choice.

No matter which model you choose, the MacBook Air lineup continues to define what a lightweight, powerful laptop can be—and there’s never been a better time to buy one.

✅ What’s your pick? Let me know in the comments if you’re leaning toward the M1, M2, M3, or M4 MacBook Air!