Apple MacBook Air M4 Review: A Perfect Balance of Power, Portability, and Affordability
Apple has once again raised the bar for ultra-thin laptops with the launch of the MacBook Air M4. Featuring a powerful new Apple M4 chip, an upgraded display, support for multiple monitors, and an improved webcam, the MacBook Air M4 is designed to cater to students, professionals, and creative users alike.
With a starting price of $999 for the 13-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch variant, Apple has made the MacBook Air more affordable while delivering significant upgrades in performance and usability.
But is the MacBook Air M4 worth the upgrade? How does it compare to the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models? In this detailed review, we’ll explore its design, performance, display, battery life, and new features, helping you decide whether it’s the right laptop for you.
MacBook Air M4: Design and Build Quality
Apple has always excelled in design and craftsmanship, and the MacBook Air M4 continues that tradition. The laptop remains incredibly thin and lightweight, making it one of the most portable and travel-friendly laptops on the market.
Key Design Highlights:
- Ultra-thin chassis: Measuring just 11.5mm thick and weighing 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) for the 13-inch model, the MacBook Air remains one of the slimmest and lightest laptops in its category.
- Premium aluminum build: Crafted from 100% recycled aluminum, giving it a premium yet eco-friendly design.
- New Sky Blue Color: Apple introduces a beautiful Sky Blue color, alongside the classic Midnight, Silver, and Starlight options.
Unlike some ultra-thin laptops that compromise on durability, the MacBook Air M4 retains excellent structural integrity, ensuring a solid and premium feel. The Midnight color now comes with a more fingerprint-resistant finish, addressing one of the biggest complaints about the previous models.
Display: A Stunning Liquid Retina Screen
The MacBook Air M4 features Apple’s latest Liquid Retina display, delivering superb color accuracy, deep blacks, and high brightness levels. Whether you’re editing photos, watching movies, or working on documents, the display remains one of the best in its class.
Display Specifications:
| Feature | MacBook Air M4 13-inch | MacBook Air M4 15-inch |
|---|---|---|
| Display Type | Liquid Retina | Liquid Retina |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels | 2880 x 1864 pixels |
| Brightness | Up to 500 nits | Up to 500 nits |
| Color Accuracy | P3 Wide Color Gamut | P3 Wide Color Gamut |
| True Tone Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
The higher brightness and improved contrast make the M4 MacBook Air’s display great for outdoor use and professional workloads like video editing and color grading. Apple has also refined its True Tone technology, which adjusts the screen’s white balance based on ambient lighting for a more comfortable viewing experience.
Performance: The Power of the Apple M4 Chip
At the heart of the MacBook Air M4 is the Apple M4 chip, which delivers significant performance improvements over previous models.
Key Performance Upgrades:
✅ Up to 50% faster than the M2 MacBook Air
✅ Better power efficiency for longer battery life
✅ Up to 10-core CPU for faster processing
✅ 8-core GPU with advanced graphics performance
✅ Supports up to 32GB Unified Memory
The M4 chip is built on a more advanced 3nm architecture, delivering better speed, efficiency, and thermal management. This allows for faster app loading times, improved multitasking, and smoother performance in creative applications like Final Cut Pro and Photoshop.
Users can now comfortably run multiple demanding apps at once without experiencing lag, making it ideal for students, professionals, and content creators.
Benchmark Performance Comparison
| Benchmark | MacBook Air M4 | MacBook Air M3 | MacBook Air M2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) | ~2,700 | ~2,350 | ~2,000 |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | ~10,500 | ~9,000 | ~7,500 |
| Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) | ~10,200 | ~8,800 | ~7,000 |
With 50% better performance compared to M2, the M4 MacBook Air can handle intensive tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, and programming with ease.
Dual External Display Support: A Game-Changer
One of the biggest limitations of previous MacBook Air models was their inability to support more than one external monitor. Apple has finally addressed this issue with the MacBook Air M4, which now supports two external displays when the laptop is closed.
This is a huge productivity boost for professionals, allowing users to extend their workspace across multiple screens.
Improved Webcam and Audio
In an era where remote work and video conferencing are more important than ever, Apple has upgraded the MacBook Air’s webcam and audio system.
New Webcam Features:
📸 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera for clearer and sharper video calls
🔍 Center Stage Technology that automatically keeps you in the frame
🎙️ Studio-quality triple-mic array for better voice clarity
Apple has also enhanced the speaker system, delivering louder and more immersive sound quality, making the MacBook Air M4 great for music, movies, and conference calls.
Battery Life: All-Day Power
Despite its powerful performance, the MacBook Air M4 maintains its industry-leading battery life.
Battery Performance:
| Usage | MacBook Air M4 | MacBook Air M3 | MacBook Air M2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Browsing | 18 hours | 17 hours | 15 hours |
| Video Playback | 20 hours | 18 hours | 16 hours |
Apple’s optimized power efficiency allows the MacBook Air M4 to last all day on a single charge, making it an excellent choice for students, professionals, and frequent travelers.
Pricing and Storage Options
Apple has made the MacBook Air M4 more affordable despite offering significant upgrades.
Pricing:
💰 MacBook Air M4 (13-inch) – Starts at $999
💰 MacBook Air M4 (15-inch) – Starts at $1,199
Storage and RAM Options:
- Base model: 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Upgrades: Up to 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD
The 256GB base storage remains a minor drawback, as 512GB would have been a better starting option for most users.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the MacBook Air M4?
The MacBook Air M4 is the best ultraportable laptop Apple has ever made. It combines lightweight portability, powerful performance, a stunning display, an improved webcam, and dual-monitor support, all at a more affordable price.
Who Should Buy It?
✅ Students & Professionals: Great for note-taking, document editing, and multitasking.
✅ Content Creators: Handles video editing, graphic design, and coding efficiently.
✅ Business Users: Dual-screen support and an improved webcam make it great for work.
✅ Frequent Travelers: Lightweight design with 18+ hours of battery life.
If you need a powerful, portable, and future-proof laptop, the MacBook Air M4 is one of the best choices in 2024. 🚀
The MacBook Air M4 features the Apple M4 chip with 50% faster performance than M2, dual external monitor support, a brighter Liquid Retina display, an improved 12MP webcam with Center Stage, and a better battery life of up to 20 hours.
Yes! Unlike previous models, the MacBook Air M4 now supports two external displays when the laptop is closed, making it a great option for multi-tasking professionals.
If you’re using an M2 MacBook Air, upgrading to the M4 is worth it for the better performance, dual-screen support, improved webcam, and longer battery life. If you already have the M3 model, the differences are less drastic, but professionals may still benefit from the M4’s power and features.