The M4 MacBook Air is faster and cheaper
A new colour, a new chip and a new webcam - the M4 MacBook Air is a predictable update. The only surprise is the slight price reduction.
The MacBook Air gets Apple's latest chip: the M4 offers around 20 per cent more performance than the M3. According to the specifications, the battery life remains the same (18 hours of video playback). The 12-megapixel webcam can now actively follow you with "Centre Stage".
The casing of the MacBook Air has not changed. This is no surprise, as it has only been around for three years. But there is a new colour called "Sky Blue", which joins "Silver", "Midnight" and "Polar Star". "Space grey" is no longer available for selection.
Source: Apple
Apple is also lowering prices - by 100 US dollars in the USA, 100 euros in Germany and 50 francs in Switzerland. The cheapest M4 MacBook Air with a 13-inch display costs 1049 francs or 1199 euros. The entry-level version comes with the slimmed-down M4 with 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, 256 GB SSD and 16 GB RAM. Apple had already introduced the new RAM lower limit for the M3 MacBook Air last autumn
If you want a larger display, more GPU cores, more SSD or more RAM, the prices rise quickly as usual:
- 13" 8-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD: 1049 francs / 1199 euros
- 13" 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: 1249 francs / 1449 euros
- 13" 10-core GPU, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: 1449 francs / 1699 euros
- 15" 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD: 1249 francs / 1449 euros
- 15" 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: 1449 francs / 1749 euros
- 15" 10-core GPU, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: 1649 francs / 1999 euros
The LED display of the MacBook Air still has 224 pixels per inch, a maximum brightness of 500 nits and no local dimming. The better black levels of this technology are reserved for the more expensive MacBook Pro. The M4 chip supports two external displays with resolutions of up to 6K at 60 hertz - even when the laptop is opened.
Source: Apple
With the launch of the new MacBook Air, Apple is dropping both the M2 and M3 generations from the official line-up. This means that only the remaining stock will be available from dealers. In other years, the Californians kept some of the last model in the range as a budget option.
The M4 MacBook Air will begin shipping on 12 March 2025 and pre-orders are now possible.
Header image: Apple
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Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
