They said Apple's M4 MacBook Air was a 'boring update' – my tests told a different story

Before Apple announced the MacBook Air M4 in early 2025, rumors abounded on what new features the ultraportable would come with. 

Partly because it was the last of Apple’s core line of devices to get the M4 chip, and partly because, well, last year’s MacBook Air M3 was (and still is) one of the best laptops we’ve tested — a future-proofed “AI computer for the masses” that could be seen as a successful culmination of Apple’s design. 

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At no point can the Apple machine stop producing, however, so with the MacBook Air M4, it was apparent it would be an incremental upgrade, refining what made last year’s version great while offering a little bit more for less cost to the consumer.  

The MacBook Air M4, for example, starts at $999 for the 13-inch configuration with 16GB of memory — $100 less than last year’s M3. At the same time, the hardware expands on both the low and high end, with the lowest-tier configuration of the M4 equipped with a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, in contrast to the 8-core M3 chip from last year.

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On the other hand, the high-end configuration offers 32GB of unified memory, which was previously capped out at 24GB on last year’s M3. This combination of improvements for base components and a lower starting cost is strategic positioning on Apple’s part to incentivize the new devices and stay competitive in an increasingly crowded market. 

The MacBook Air M4 is a fantastic device, but it’s also a natural continuation of the product line, which some might see as a “boring” update. Depending on who you ask, that could be a good or a not-so-good thing. You can’t fix what isn’t broken, but I think there is some room here for a few more bold design choices. 

One of the most obvious is the MacBook Air M4’s new colorway, Sky Blue, which is a very subtle blue; a very cautious decision when I was expecting something a little closer to Microsoft’s Surface Laptop. All that being said, there are certainly some features on the M4 MacBook Air that set this year’s ultraportable apart. Let’s break them down. 

Triple-screen threat

One of the most anticipated and sought-after features of the MacBook Air M4 is its ability to support two external monitors while the lid is open. This alone opens up new possibilities for work, productivity, and creative tasks and makes the MacBook Air more competitive with three working displays. 

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The laptop’s own display still looks great, as well. Apple’s Liquid Retina technology provides crisp, well-defined text, smooth, vibrant video, and support for 1 billion colors. Maxing out at 500 nits of brightness, the display on the Air M4 doesn’t get as bright as the MacBook Pro, but it’s still bright enough for the majority of use cases. 

I am a little surprised there isn’t an option to upgrade the M4 Air with the nano-textured glass we saw on the M4 MacBook Pro, however. Maybe we’re a bit spoiled now, but the glare is noticeable enough for me to wonder why, of all the possible things you can upgrade this laptop with, that isn’t one of them. 

The other thing about the display I don’t love is the notch for the camera, which results in a chunk of otherwise valuable screen real estate blacked out where the lens is located. If you keep the toolbar toggled on, it’s something you can get used to, but with apps in full-screen it’s definitely noticeable.

Productivity powerhouse 

While on the topic of productivity, the MacBook Air M4 excels at more than just multiple displays. For one thing, videoconferencing on the Air is a joy. The webcam’s hardware got an upgrade, from the 1080p FaceTime camera from last year to a 12MP camera on the M4 Air with Apple’s new Center Stage feature. 

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We first saw Center Stage on the MacBook Pro and iMac last fall, and its addition to the Air is one of the many features that bring the ultraportable a little closer to its older Pro sibling. If you’re unfamiliar with it, Center Stage keeps you focused and centered in the frame no matter how you’re positioned, handling the visual logistics of the call with minimal input from the user. 

To me, it seems less like a standalone feature in its own right and more like the inevitable future of webcam technology. This is how webcams should work, and Apple’s innovation here presents a polished experience that is equally enjoyable for work or personal calls on FaceTime. 

The combination of top-tier hardware, a seamless and well-integrated product, and quality-of-life features just makes the video call experience overall better on a Mac. 

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I use a Windows device as my daily driver, and although I’ve used Macs for years in the past, I forgot how effortlessly the MacBook Air can handle multitasking through a combination of the Launchpad, split screen, and talking directly to Siri. Additionally, improvements to how windows are tiled are satisfying for those of us who like our desktops arranged in a particular way. 

Reliable, all-day battery

The MacBook Air is still a battery-efficient device, and although Apple’s Silicon line of processors set the standard for battery performance in ultraportable laptops, the rest of the market has had some time to catch up. 

That doesn’t mean the MacBook Air has fallen behind, but it does have some competitors now. During my testing of the M4, I got over 14 hours of battery life with the device running a 4K video at half brightness, which is about where I expected it to be and about the same as last year’s MacBook Air M3. 

By contrast, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop got over 15 hours during the same test, and Asus’ Zenbook A14 came in closer to 20. The latter, of course, doesn’t match the power on board the MacBook Air M4, but it is lighter, thinner, and packs a gorgeous display. That alone puts it in competition territory. 

Yes, the MacBook Pro M4 will last longer as well, but the Air is thinner and lighter and much less variable: the difference in battery drain is minimal depending on what tasks you’re putting it through (barring persistent, intense workloads).

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The bottom line is that for users who commute into the office a few times a week, you can reliably count on the MacBook Air M4 to last the whole day if you forget your charger, even if you’re taking a few video calls. 

Benchmarking

Putting all that hardware to the test, the MacBook Air M4 performed very well in our benchmarking, coming in very close to both the MacBook Pro M4 and MacBook Pro M3. As these devices leave their predecessors from just a few years ago in the dust, they get a little bit closer to each other. 

So what about the things I wish Apple did differently? Well, many of my gripes about the MacBook Air M4 are nothing new. For one, there are still only two USB-C ports, both of which are on the left-hand side of the device. If this felt limiting for you before, not much has changed. 

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Second, Apple’s devices remain some of the most locked-down when it comes to repairability, keeping consumers strictly bound to Apple’s repair and service model by barring the use of salvaged components. The company has made strides toward a greener business model when it comes to production, but a loosening of the strict control over parts replacement would go even further. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The MacBook Air M4 is still one of the most complete packages you can ask for when it comes to creativity, productivity, and everyday use. The M4 Air’s sleek and lightweight form factor set the standard for ultraportables, and not much has changed with its design since, for better or for worse. 

If you have an iPhone and enjoy Apple’s ecosystem of products, the MacBook Air is a solid choice as a main driver. If you already have a Mac that’s more than a few years old, the MacBook Air M4 will feel like a significant upgrade. If you have an M2 Pro or M3, the leap will feel less noticeable. If you’re coming from an older Windows device, well, you’ll wonder how you ever took calls on your 720p webcam at all. 

Considering all of this, the MacBook Air M4 is a modest upgrade from its predecessor but pushes the line forward overall. In fact, with burgeoning Apple Intelligence features, the same camera technology as the MacBook Pro M4, upgraded hardware, and a lower starting price, the MacBook Air seems like the most logical choice for a new Apple laptop in 2025.