M2 vs. M3 vs. M4 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared

Apple just announced a new MacBook Air, introducing its latest chip, an enhanced camera, and a striking new color option. Simultaneously, it discontinued the two previous generations. So how does the new model compare?

macbook air blue
Before the introduction of the latest model, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air started at $1,099 and the 15-inch model started at $1,299. The 13.6-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with the M2 chip from 2022 remained in the lineup at a price of $999. Now, the 13-inch M4 model starts at $999. It is also worth remembering that it is possible to shave at least $100 off the price of a new ‌MacBook Air‌ directly from Apple with education pricing.

The main upgrade offered by the three ‌MacBook Air‌ models are their chips. In benchmark tests, the M3 outperforms the ‌‌M2‌‌ by about 17% in single-core tasks and approximately 21% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance measured by Metal benchmarks, the M3 exhibits a notable improvement of around 15% over the ‌‌M2‌‌. The M4 outperforms the M3 by about 25% in single-core tasks and 30% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance, the M4 offers improvement of around 21% over the ‌M3‌.

There are a number of other notable differences between the three ‌MacBook Air‌ generations beyond their chips. While these upgrades are fairly small, they are worth bearing in mind when contemplating whether to get the latest model, or a used or refurbished unit for a lower price.

Read on to find out about all of the differences between the ‌M2‌, M3, and M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ models to help you decide which model will suffice for you, as well as if it may be worth upgrading.

‌MacBook Air‌ (2022 and 2023) ‌MacBook Air‌ (2024) ‌MacBook Air‌ (2025)
1080p FaceTime HD camera 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera 12MP camera
Support for Center Stage and Desk View
Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls
Apple ‌M2‌ chip
(based on A15 Bionic chip from 2021's iPhone 13)
Apple M3 chip
(based on A17 Pro chip from 2023's iPhone 15 Pro)
Apple M4 chip
(based on A18 chip from 2024's iPhone 16)
Made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm node (N5P) Made with TSMC's first 3nm node (N3B) Made with TSMC's enhanced ‌3nm‌ node (N3E)
20 billion transistors 25 billion transistors 28 billion transistors
3.49 GHz CPU clock speed 4.05 GHz CPU clock speed 4.3 GHz CPU clock speed
8-core CPU
(4 performance + 4 efficiency cores)
8-core CPU
(4 performance + 4 efficiency cores)
10 CPU cores
(4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
Up to 10-core GPU Up to 10-core GPU 10-core GPU
Same GPU architecture as M1 Redesigned GPU architecture with improved efficiency Same GPU architecture as M3
Dynamic Caching Dynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth 100 GB/s memory bandwidth 120 GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024) 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024) 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB memory
16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
Dedicated display engine Dedicated display engine
Support for one external display Support for up to two external displays when the lid is closed Support for up to two external displays when the lid is open
Support for AV1 decode Support for AV1 decode
Wi-Fi 6 connectivity Wi-Fi 6E connectivity Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only) Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only)
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue
Introduced in June 2022 (13-inch) and June 2023 (15-inch) Introduced in March 2024 Introduced in March 2025
Started at $1,099, dropped to $999 in 2024 Started at $1,099 Starts at $999

Overall, the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs represent minor upgrades over their predecessors, largely focusing on enhanced performance rather than new capabilities. Their main target audiences are those who have an older ‌MacBook Air‌, such as an ‌M1‌ or Intel-based model, or no ‌MacBook Air‌ at all.

Unless you can leverage the specific advantages of the M4 chip and require maximum performance from its highly portable form factor, it is likely not worth buying the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ over the previous ‌MacBook Air‌ for most users, providing you can get it for a good enough price.

However, if future-proofing is a major priority because you tend to keep your computer for many years, the extra cash to get the latest model will probably be warranted. The M4 model's significantly improved camera and enhanced support for two external displays may also justifiably swing your buying decision if you make a lot of video calls or have multiple monitors.

It is certainly not worth upgrading from the ‌M2‌ or M3 to the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ for the overwhelming majority of customers. Upgrading from an ‌M2‌ 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ to an M4 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ may be more justifiable owing to the display size increase, but there is little that the latest generation meaningfully offers over its predecessor. The two older machines are still highly capable.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Tags: M2 Guide, M3, M4
Related Forum: MacBook Air

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Top Rated Comments

arcite Avatar
15 weeks ago
Great chart. I agree, the M2 is still more than capable. I will look forward to upgrading once the transistor count is double what I have now, that should be a considerable and noticeable performance increase....which will take me another 1-2 years.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AusMness Avatar
15 weeks ago

"Support for up to two external displays when the lid is open"

Does this mean the internal display is also available or is it off? Also interested if the M4 delivers better/same/worse battery life over the M2/M3.
M2: One external display
M3: Two external displays in clamshell mode, one with laptop open
M4: Two external displays
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EugW Avatar
15 weeks ago

it’s been a while since I got a new Mac, but will these support 2 external monitors?
I guess you didn't read the article. :confused:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Heckles Avatar
15 weeks ago
it’s been a while since I got a new Mac, but will these support 2 external monitors?
Edit: it does.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
15 weeks ago

which is why they should have released the MBA with an M5 in the spring, which will be a more significant jump than the M4.
You keep saying the M5 in the spring like it's a fact, it's not..it happened one time (releasing an M chip in the spring), and during a 3nm fab change that Apple was in a hurry to move away from as it was expensive and low-yield.

I don't think we will see another until WWDC at the earliest, but likely with the Pro model releases in the fall. Either way, you're speculating.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JungleNYC Avatar
15 weeks ago
Wonderful. Decent upgrade, lower price.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)