Apple's latest iteration of its popular ultraportable laptop has arrived with the new M4 chip, continuing the company's tradition of annual updates focused primarily on processor improvements. The MacBook Air has long been the go-to laptop for productivity on the move, and this 2025 model maintains that legacy while pushing performance boundaries in an incredibly slim package.
Design Continues to Impress
The MacBook Air M4 maintains the iconic ultraportable design that has made it a standard-bearer in the laptop industry. Weighing just 3.3 pounds for the 15-inch model, this remarkably thin unibody aluminum chassis measures less than half an inch thick. The clean aesthetic extends to hidden speakers that fire from within the hinge toward the display, a clever design choice made possible by the fanless configuration. This approach not only maintains the Air's minimalist appearance but also allows the lid to act as a natural sound amplifier, producing surprisingly robust audio from such a slim device.
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| The MacBook Air M4's sleek and minimalistic design is highlighted against a vibrant yellow backdrop |
Display Quality Remains Top-Tier
While not quite reaching the professional-grade standards of the MacBook Pro, the Air's display continues to impress. The 15.3-inch, 1880p screen achieves 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100% sRGB coverage, making it exceptional for an all-purpose laptop. With brightness reaching 426 nits in testing (slightly below Apple's advertised 500 nits), it handles most lighting conditions admirably, though direct sunlight remains challenging. The vibrant colors and sharp resolution make content consumption a pleasure, whether you're working on documents or streaming your favorite shows.
Performance Balances Productivity and Portability
The M4 chip in the MacBook Air represents Apple's latest silicon advancement, though in a fanless configuration that prioritizes silent operation over maximum performance. This isn't a gaming machine by any stretch—struggling to reach playable framerates in demanding titles like Total War: Warhammer 3 and Assassin's Creed Shadows even at medium settings. However, that's not what the Air is designed for.
Where this laptop truly shines is in everyday productivity. The review unit with 32GB of RAM handled multitasking with ease, comfortably managing dozens of browser tabs alongside background applications without noticeable slowdown. Light creative work in applications like Photoshop runs smoothly, though more intensive tasks like Lightroom's noise filtering can push the system to its limits. For the target audience—professionals, students, and casual users who need reliability and portability—the performance profile hits the sweet spot.
Battery Life Sets New Standards
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the new MacBook Air is its extraordinary battery endurance. Apple claims up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 hours of web browsing, but testing revealed even better results. Local video playback lasted an astounding 19 hours and 15 minutes, exceeding Apple's official estimates. Real-world usage confirms this exceptional longevity, with the laptop easily handling multiple days of intermittent use without needing a recharge.
This remarkable battery performance makes the MacBook Air M4 an ideal travel companion. Even long-haul international flights won't outlast this laptop's endurance, and the compact charger adds minimal weight to your bag when you do need to power up.
Port Selection Remains Limited
If there's one area where the MacBook Air continues to disappoint, it's the port selection. The left side houses two USB-C ports alongside the MagSafe charging connector, while the right side offers only a headphone jack. While it's commendable that Apple maintains the audio port (unlike on their mobile devices), the lack of an SD card reader or additional USB ports limits connectivity. Apple likely justifies this minimalist approach by citing the ultra-thin design constraints, but competitors have managed to include more diverse I/O in similarly slim profiles.
Keyboard and Trackpad Excellence
The MacBook Air M4 continues Apple's streak of excellent input devices. The keyboard offers surprisingly deep key travel for such a thin laptop, and the reliability issues that plagued older MacBook keyboards are firmly in the past. The TouchID sensor integrated into the top-right corner provides fast, accurate biometric authentication, typically unlocking the device within a second.
The trackpad remains best-in-class, spanning the width of the space between the Command keys while maintaining excellent palm rejection. Apple's haptic feedback and tracking precision continue to set the standard that Windows competitors struggle to match.
Value Proposition
As always with Apple products, the value equation depends heavily on your ecosystem investment and specific needs. The MacBook Air M4 commands a premium price compared to similarly-specced Windows alternatives, but the combination of build quality, battery life, and seamless integration with other Apple devices creates a compelling package for many users. For those who prioritize portability, reliability, and all-day battery life over gaming performance or port variety, the MacBook Air remains the benchmark ultraportable laptop.