- RATING
The MacBook Air with M4 combines design, power and performance into an irresistible package that will meet your computing needs anywhere and anytime.
The new MacBook Air with M4, the world’s most popular laptop, just got even more attractive to customers with improved speed and performance so you can work and play from anywhere.
Available in 13-inch and 15-inch models, the new MacBook Air with M4 has precisely the same design from the previous iteration that’s still thin enough to fit under a door at 1.13cm (13-inch) and 1.15cm (15-inch).
And it tips the scale at just 1.24kg (13-inch) and 1.51kg (15-inch). It is unmistakably thin and light.
The most important boxes a customer ticks when shopping for a laptop are design, performance and battery.
The new MacBook Air certainly earns a large tick in each of those categories.
The big upgrade is the new M4 chip developed in-house by Apple which has a 10-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine and capacity for up to 32GB of unified memory which provides 120GB/s bandwidth – that’s a 17 per cent improvement over the previous generation.
With these credentials the MacBook Air with M4 is faster doing things like scene detection while video editing and AI image upscaling.
Gamers, 3D creators and AI researchers will also notice a distinct improvement with the MacBook Air with M4.
For us we noticed a performance bump when it came to handling large files and video editing.
Of course the MacBook Air with M4 is also built for Apple Intelligence which unleashes a huge toolbox to allow users to be more creative, efficient and productive with things like Writing Tools and Image Playground.
The MacBook Air with M4 also includes the 12MP Centre Stage camera which will help keep users centred in the frame and help you look your best with support for Desk View which is able to show the user and a top down view of their desktop.
When it comes to battery life, the MacBook Air with M4 can provide up to 18 hours of use between charges.
That’s six hours longer than previous models.
The MacBook Air with M4 is an ideal solution for most users including students, professionals, business users, graphic designers and other creatives.
It now has the sort of power that you can rely on for completing those more strenuous tasks.
And being so thin and light makes it ultraportable so it can be by your side wherever you go.
One disappointment with the MacBook Air with M4 is the lack of Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
Apple has decided to keep the device at the Wi-Fi 6E level which means users are missing out on the extra speed Wi-Fi 7 can provide when connected to a Wi-Fi 7 network.
In a product that’s all about speed and performance, that’s one area where Apple falls behind the competition.
One new welcome addition is the new sky blue colour which joins midnight, Starlight and silver.
Our MacBook Air with M4 review unit was the new sky blue looks fresh and tasteful.
It’s a very subtle sky blue that’s not too bright or garish. It has just the right level of understatement for users to appreciate the new hue which we think will be a popular choice among customers.
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 start at $1699 and the 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at $2,099. They are available now.
VERDICT
The MacBook Air with M4 combines design, power and performance into an irresistible package that will meet your computing needs anywhere and anytime.
