MacBook Air M4: A Familiar Comfort with a Hint of Blue (or Not?)
The anticipation of reviewing a new MacBook Air is akin to slipping into your most comfortable pajamas. There’s a sense of ease and familiarity that comes with it. If you’re simply seeking a reliable MacBook with commendable performance at a budget-friendly price, the M4 MacBook Air is undoubtedly a contender. Apple has positioned it as their best bang-for-your-buck MacBook yet, starting at $1,000 for the 13-inch model and $1,200 for the 15-inch. Notably, the base model now boasts 16 GB of RAM, a significant upgrade from the previous 8 GB standard.
The M4 MacBook Air offers moderate performance gains compared to the 2024 Air, potentially justifying an upgrade for those with older M-series or Intel-based MacBooks. Apple is clearly targeting users with these older machines, enticing them with the improved capabilities of their latest silicon. One standout feature is the ability to connect to two external monitors with the lid open, enabling a full three-screen experience – a capability absent in previous models.
However, beyond the performance enhancements, the design remains largely unchanged. You still have the option of 13-inch or 15-inch displays, and the divisive webcam notch continues to occupy space on the upper bezel. The chassis is identical to the one we’ve seen for the past three years. It’s a point of frustration, especially when competitors are pushing the boundaries of design with innovative materials and finishes. Imagine a MacBook Air in a vibrant pink or green, akin to the iPhone 16 colors!
For basic to advanced productivity tasks, the M4 MacBook Air handles them with ease. Considering the base MacBook Pro 14 M4 starts at $1,600, the 13-inch MacBook Air feels like a compelling purchase. The Apple M-series continues to dominate in benchmarks, solidifying the MacBook’s position as a quality all-rounder since the introduction of the M1 chip. If Apple could just address the notch and offer more exciting color options, it would be a near-perfect MacBook.
There is a noticeable performance difference between the M3 and M4 MacBook Air, although not as significant as the leap from M1 to M2. While the M3 MacBook Air was comparable to the M3 MacBook Pro in many aspects, the M4 MacBook Pro now holds a slight edge over its thin and light counterpart. Nonetheless, the M4 MacBook Air is a tempting upgrade for those still using an M1 MacBook. In benchmark tests, the performance gains over M2 and M3 are substantial.
In Geekbench 6, the MacBook Air M4 achieved a single-core score of 3,720 and a multi-core score of 14,891, surpassing the M3 MacBook Air by approximately 600 and 2,800 points, respectively. It also outperformed the M3 in Cinebench 2024’s single-core and multi-core CPU rendering benchmarks. Impressively, the M4 MacBook Air’s CPU performance was within a few points of the MacBook Pro 14 in these tests. When compared to the M2, the M4 demonstrates significant improvements in capabilities across various benchmarks.
The 10-core GPU also delivers enhanced performance. In Geekbench 6 Metal benchmarks, the M4 exhibited nearly 10% better performance than the M3. In a Blender rendering benchmark, where the Mac renders a BMW scene, the M4 MacBook Air completed the task in 3 minutes and 1 second, 53 seconds faster than the M3. Moreover, it was over 3 minutes faster than the M2 when rendering on the GPU.
In Handbrake tests, transcoding a 4K movie to 1080p, the M4 MacBook Air finished almost 1 minute and 20 seconds faster than the M3, completing the task in just over 2 minutes and 7 seconds. In summary, the M4 MacBook Air is well-equipped for everyday productivity tasks and even some more demanding rendering or graphics-intensive workloads. While it may not match the performance of an M4 Pro or M4 Max on a Mac mini or MacBook Pro, it provides sufficient power in a lightweight package.
While the M4 MacBook Air performs admirably in synthetic and non-synthetic benchmarks, gaming performance is another area of interest. Apple has been promoting its latest Mac products as gaming machines, but results can vary. In Resident Evil 4, at a resolution of 2560 by 1664, the laptop maintained a stable frame rate between 50 and 60 FPS with default mid-to-high settings and MetalFX upscaling set to performance. Lowering the settings may result in frame rate drops as low as 30 FPS, but the game remains playable and visually appealing. This performance is comparable to that of the MacBook Pro 14 with M4.
The transition from Intel to M1 CPUs marked a significant leap in performance. Subsequently, the move from M1 to M2 further improved task completion times. However, the performance gap has narrowed since then. The M3 and M4 are more closely matched in capabilities than the M1 and M2. For those waiting to upgrade from earlier Apple silicon, the M4 offers the most substantial performance gains in recent generations of Apple laptops.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the "Sky Blue" color. Apple describes it as a "metallic light blue" that should exhibit different hues depending on the lighting conditions. However, in reality, it often appears more silver than blue, particularly in darker environments. When compared to a clear sky on a bright day, it resembles a cool gray with a faint hint of blue. Next to a truly blue device, the MacBook Air’s "Sky Blue" appears distinctly less saturated.
The M4 MacBook Air retains the same shell as the M2 MacBook Air. The previous significant color addition was the "Midnight" blue-ish black, which unfortunately attracted fingerprints. The sky blue finish also seems prone to scuffs, even after being carried in a backpack. Unlike the anodized Midnight black, which offered some protection against scratches and fingerprints, the sky blue finish lacks this protective coating.
Ultimately, the judgment of the color rests with the individual. However, it’s undeniable that the "Sky Blue" is far from a vibrant blue, and it may disappoint those seeking a more expressive color option.
Aside from the color, the design remains familiar. The 13-inch model is .44 inches thick and weighs 2.7 pounds. While not the lightest laptop on the market, it strikes a good balance between portability and functionality. The variant tested featured a 10-core GPU, which comes at a slightly higher price point than the base model with an 8-core GPU. Regardless of the model, you get two Thunderbolt 4 USB ports, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. The absence of Thunderbolt 5 is disappointing, as it remains a Pro-exclusive feature.
The MacBook Air M4 features the standard Liquid Retina IPS LCD and the divisive Magic Keyboard. The display is sufficiently bright for both dimly lit and brightly lit environments. However, reflections on the screen can be a minor issue in certain lighting conditions.
One notable upgrade is the ability to use three displays simultaneously, including two external monitors up to 5K resolution and the MacBook Air’s display. Previous models required the lid to be closed for a dual-screen setup. However, this configuration necessitates using all available ports unless a port dock is employed.
The audio quality of the MacBook Air is surprisingly impressive, particularly considering the absence of speaker grilles compared to the MacBook Pro. The 13-inch version features a 4-speaker setup, while the 15-inch version boasts 6 speakers. The sound is clear and loud enough for enjoying media, and the laptop is lightweight enough to be easily transported.
Despite the misleading color description, the M4 MacBook Air is a solid choice for those entering the Apple laptop ecosystem or upgrading from an older device. The $1,000 version with an 8-core GPU offers excellent CPU performance for daily productivity tasks, making it a suitable option for most users.
When choosing between the M4 MacBook Air and the base MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, the $1,200 MacBook Air model is a compelling option. Upgrading to a 1 TB SSD on the 10-core GPU model increases the price to around $1,400, still significantly less than the MacBook Pro. While you miss out on features like the mini-LED display, higher resolution, speaker cutouts, and additional ports, the MacBook Air offers better value for basic productivity tasks.
Apple continues to focus on attracting Intel users with performance benchmarks, but this may not resonate with all users. While performance improvements are always welcome, design and aesthetics also play a crucial role. The MacBook Air’s shell design, last updated in 2022, is starting to feel outdated compared to the innovative materials and finishes offered by competitors.
