Apple’s MacBook Air is one of the company’s most popular laptops, thanks to its relatively affordable price and ultra-portable design. On Wednesday, March 5, the Cupertino-based tech giant unveiled the next-generation MacBook Air, now powered by the new M4 chip.
This marks Apple’s second major announcement of the week, following the debut of the M3-powered iPad Air and a new 11th-gen iPad. Just last week, the company also introduced the iPhone 16e, its most affordable iPhone yet.
Here’s what you need to know about the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip.
Table of Contents
1. MacBook Air M4 Brings a Performance Boost
The new MacBook Air comes with a faster M4 chip. It features a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. Pair that with 8-core and 10-core GPU options, a 16-core Neural Engine, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
The base model includes 16GB of unified memory, while higher-end models offer 24GB and 32GB options, all with 120GB/s memory bandwidth. The base variant comes with 256GB of storage, configurable up to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.
We’ve already seen the M4 chip in last year’s iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac. On the software front, it runs the latest macOS Sequoia. This also means the MacBook Air M4 supports Apple Intelligence features, which are currently available in the U.S. and expected to arrive in India by April.
2. A Fresh Sky Blue Color
Yep, the MacBook Air now comes in Sky Blue—a metallic light blue that looks fresh and stands out. I have a feeling this one’s going to sell really well. It’s unique, and since it’s a lighter shade, you won’t have to worry much about smudges or discoloration. It actually reminds me of the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro, which was a total hit.
You still get Silver, Starlight, and Midnight as usual, but sadly, Space Gray is gone. If that was your go-to, well, Sky Blue is here to take its place.
3. Same Thin and Light Design
The overall design is unchanged from previous models. It still has the same thin and light flat profile, crafted from an all-aluminum unibody, weighing just 1.24 kg and measuring 1.13 cm thick.
On the left, you get a MagSafe 3 charging port and two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports that support charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40 Gbps), and USB 4 (up to 40 Gbps). On the right, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The MacBook Air features a full-size backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, an ambient light sensor, and a Force Touch trackpad. The four-speaker sound system supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, and it comes with a three-microphone array for better voice clarity. Other specs include fast Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
4. Finally! MacBook Air Supports Two External Displays
The MacBook Air M1, M2, and M3 all had the same frustrating limitation—they could only connect to one external display at a time.
For example, the M3 MacBook Air (with Thunderbolt 3) supports full native resolution on its built-in display and just one external monitor at up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. If you wanted to use two external displays, you had to close the MacBook’s lid, and even then, the second display was limited to 5K at 60Hz.
Thankfully, the MacBook Air M4 finally fixes this. The new model comes with Thunderbolt 4 and now supports two external displays at up to 6K resolution at 60Hz—without having to close the laptop’s lid. That means more screen space for multitasking, making it a great upgrade for anyone who relies on multiple monitors for work.
5. Display, Battery Life, and Charging Stay the Same
The MacBook Air M4 comes in the same two display size options as before: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches. Both feature LED-backlit IPS panels with a 500-nit brightness limit.
- The 13.6-inch model has a 2560×1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch (PPI).
- The 15.3-inch model has a higher 2880×1864 native resolution, maintaining the same 224 PPI.
The display supports 1 billion colors, the Wide P3 color gamut, and True Tone. These are the same display specs as the previous M3 MacBook Air.
Battery capacity remains unchanged from the M3 Air, with a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery on the 13.6-inch model and a 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery on the 15.3-inch model. Battery life is also identical to last year’s model, offering up to 18 hours of Apple TV app video playback and 15 hours of wireless web browsing.
Apple ships a 30W USB-C Power Adapter with the M4 model featuring an 8-core GPU, while the 10-core GPU variant includes a 35W Dual USB-C Power Adapter. The 8-core GPU model can be upgraded to the 35W adapter if desired. A USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable comes in the box, and users can opt for Apple’s 70W USB-C Power Adapter for faster charging.
6. A Sharper 12MP Camera for Better Video Calls
One big improvement is the new and sharper 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support. It records in 1080p HD and features an advanced image signal processor with computational video. So expect better webcam quality in your FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Meet calls.
7. Suprise: It is Cheaper Than MacBook Air M3
Yes, despite launching a year later—and factoring in all the upgrades and inflation—the MacBook Air M4 starts at $999 for the 13-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch model. Surprisingly, this is cheaper than last year’s MacBook Air M3, which launched at $1,099 for the 13-inch and $1,299 for the 15-inch models.
In India, the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 starts at ₹99,900, while the 15-inch version costs ₹124,900. That’s ₹15,000 cheaper than the MacBook Air M3 models from last year, which launched at ₹114,900 for the 13-inch and ₹134,900 for the 15-inch.
In short, the MacBook Air M4 keeps everything great from the previous model while improving on it with a better camera, improved performance, and support for two external displays. Plus, there’s a fresh Sky Blue color option—all for a slightly lower price. I have no doubt this one’s going to be a hit. What do you think?
