Video Review: Two Months With the M4 MacBook Air

It's been nearly two months since the M4 MacBook Air launched, so we thought we'd take another look at the machine now that it's been out long enough to do some serious testing with it.


Introduced in March, the ‌MacBook Air‌ is equipped with Apple's latest and greatest M4 chip, so it's more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks from web browsing and watching videos to getting work done. It's even powerful enough for photo editing and some light video editing work.

All Macs have a minimum of 16GB RAM now, so the base M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ that starts at $999 is a really good deal for what you get. You can upgrade the RAM and the SSD, which may be worthwhile depending on what you want to do on your Mac.

In terms of design, Apple hasn't changed the look of the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ compared to the M3 model, but it does come in a subtle blue shade that's new this year. The ‌MacBook Air‌ continues to be Apple's most portable Mac, with the 13-inch model weighing just 2.7 pounds. The 15-inch model is heavier at 3.3 pounds, but both models are lighter than the equivalent MacBook Pro models.

There's an upgraded 12-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls this year, which is a nice upgrade over the prior 1080p camera. The ‌MacBook Air‌ is limited to two USB-C ports and it doesn't have the port selection of the ‌MacBook Pro‌, nor the ability to support as many displays, but it's perfect for on-the-go use and it is the Mac that we recommend for most people.

With the ‌MacBook Pro‌, you're going to get a better mini-LED display, ProMotion support, and the option for nano-texture, but those all come with a much higher price tag.

Make sure to watch our review video for more on our thoughts on the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ after spending almost two months with it.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.5 Coming Soon, Here is What's New

Monday May 5, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
In its press release for the new Pride Band today, Apple said that iOS 18.5 is "upcoming," following more than a month of beta testing. We expect the iOS 18.5 Release Candidate to be released this week, and this should be the final beta version, barring any last-minute bugs or changes. The software update should then be released to the general public next week. iOS 18.5 is a relatively...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

Friday May 2, 2025 3:52 pm PDT by
We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes. Apple is adding new camera features, and changing the design of the camera bump for some models. You might be skeptical of dummy models, but over the years, they've proven to be a highly accurate...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Said to Have Two Key Advantages

Monday May 5, 2025 6:41 am PDT by
Apple plans to release its first foldable iPhone next year, according to several reporters and analysts who cover the company. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will offer two key advantages over other foldable smartphones. First, he said the foldable iPhone will have a "nearly invisible" crease when unfolded. This means the device's...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID

20th-Anniversary iPhone Will Reportedly Feature an All-Screen Design

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
Apple's former design chief Jony Ive long dreamed of an iPhone with a truly all-screen design, and his wish might finally become reality in a few more years. The Information today cited multiple sources who said that at least one new iPhone model launching in 2027 will have a truly edge-to-edge display. The device's front camera and Face ID system would both be placed under the screen....
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple Watch 2025 Pride Feature

Apple Announces 2025 Pride Band, Watch Face, and iPhone Wallpaper

Monday May 5, 2025 6:08 am PDT by
Apple today announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face, and a matching wallpaper for the iPhone and iPad. Ahead of Pride Month in June, Apple says its Pride Collection celebrates the strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities around the world. The new Pride Edition Sport Band is now available to order on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm,...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

iPhone 17 Air Expected to Have Battery Case Due to 'Worse' Battery Life

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air model will have "worse" battery life compared to previous iPhone models, according to a paywalled The Information report. In internal testing, Apple determined that the percentage of users who will be able to use the iPhone 17 Air for a full day without needing to recharge the device throughout the day will be between 60% and 70%, according to the report. For...

Top Rated Comments

nathansz Avatar
13 hours ago at 01:38 pm

But let’s hope macOS gets not just a big sur surface makeover but a profound rethink of what the Mac is in a world where there is the iPhone and iPad.
this is my greatest fear

much prefer macOS be left alone
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poematik13 Avatar
14 hours ago at 12:58 pm
at this point the laptops are perfect, its just the OS bugs that hold everything back

compared to 10 years ago when it was the opposite
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poematik13 Avatar
12 hours ago at 02:07 pm

But let’s hope macOS gets not just a big sur surface makeover but a profound rethink of what the Mac is in a world where there is the iPhone and iPad.
NO. leave macOS alone! finder.app, disk utility, having multiple apps open at once, and terminal and all that are the last good things in modern computing

we dont want an iphone or ipad and the reloading full screen app BS. go away!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluecoast Avatar
13 hours ago at 01:17 pm
The mba hardware is Apple at its best. I mean it’s just superb.

And at that starting price. Wow.

But let’s hope macOS gets not just a big sur surface makeover but a profound rethink of what the Mac is in a world where there is the iPhone and iPad.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Allen_Wentz Avatar
8 hours ago at 06:12 pm

Dual-35W in 2025 should mean all Apple execs get the firing squad. So stingy to make it just 35W in total between both ports. Dual 60W GaN chargers are tiny and affordable. Should be at least 30W per port.
Just curious, why does it matter so much? Modern Mac laptops do so well on battery I never even think about charging specs.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CausticSoda Avatar
12 hours ago at 02:45 pm
I think he rather undersells it, and I'm not sure we learn much from a "2 months in" review compared with the reviews when it was released anyway. Also, it doesn't tell us much about its capabilities given he says he uses it mainly for admin work. The message seems to be, yeah, it's good for basic stuff, it works fine. No S**t Sherlock! Design is a personal preference, but I still prefer the wedge design. I'm still loving my M1 16Gb MBA, but the Devil on my shoulder keeps telling me to upgrade just for the hell of it even though it makes no sense at all.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)