Apple did refresh the MacBook Air with its M4 chip and new AI capabilities—but the announcement happened on March 5, 2025. The 13-inch and 15-inch models went on sale March 12, starting at $999 in the United States.
As of August 18, 2026, however, the M4 MacBook Air is a previous-generation laptop. Apple introduced the M5 MacBook Air on March 3, 2026, with availability beginning March 11. That makes the M4 a sensible purchase mainly when clearance or refurbished pricing puts it well below the newer model.
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What Apple launched in March 2025
Apple announced both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip on March 5, 2025. Retail availability began March 12. The update was not a major chassis redesign. Instead, Apple concentrated on the processor, camera, external-display support, base memory, color options and launch price.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
- 16GB of unified memory in the base configuration, configurable to 24GB or 32GB
- 12MP Center Stage camera
- Support for two external displays while retaining the built-in display
- New sky-blue finish, alongside midnight, starlight and silver
- Up to 18 hours of battery life according to Apple’s testing
- U.S. launch price of $999
Apple’s announcement contains the launch dates, pricing and headline features.
#1 Best Overall
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
The upgrades that mattered most
A better camera for calls
The 12MP Center Stage camera was one of the most immediately useful changes. Center Stage can keep a person centered during supported video calls, making the Air better suited to remote work, online classes and meetings than the previous camera system.
Two external displays plus the laptop screen
The M4 Air can drive up to two external displays while continuing to use its built-in display. That is a meaningful change for desk-based users who want a multi-monitor setup. The precise resolution and refresh-rate limits depend on the connected displays and configuration, so buyers with specialized monitors should check Apple’s 13-inch specifications or 15-inch specifications.
More memory at the entry point
Apple made 16GB of unified memory standard. Because memory is shared by the CPU, GPU and other parts of the system—and cannot be upgraded after purchase—this is more important than a simple specification-sheet change. Buyers planning to use virtual machines, large creative projects, software development tools or local AI models may want 24GB or 32GB instead.
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The M4 Air launched at $999 in the United States, lower than the preceding generation’s starting price. That was the March 2025 launch MSRP, not a guaranteed current price. By August 2026, Apple’s M5 model has replaced it in the current lineup, and remaining-stock or refurbished M4 pricing varies by retailer, condition, storage and memory.
M4 MacBook Air specifications
| Feature | 13-inch M4 Air | 15-inch M4 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina | 15.3-inch Liquid Retina |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1664 | 2880 × 1864 |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Chip | M4, 10-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU | |
| Neural Engine | 16 cores | |
| Memory | 16GB standard; configurable to 24GB or 32GB | |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe, 3.5mm headphone jack | |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 | |
| Colors | Sky blue, midnight, starlight and silver | |
Both models use Apple’s thin, fanless aluminum design. Fanless operation keeps the computer quiet, but sustained heavy workloads can favor a MacBook Pro with active cooling.
Rank #2
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
What “AI features” meant in practice
The AI features were primarily Apple Intelligence, not an AI system exclusive to the M4 MacBook Air. Apple Intelligence also supports other Macs with Apple silicon, provided the required software, language, region and account conditions are met.
Apple highlighted:
- Writing Tools for proofreading, rewriting and summarizing
- Image Playground for generating images in supported styles
- Genmoji
- More capable Siri interactions
- Siri answers about Mac features and settings
- Optional ChatGPT integration in Siri and Writing Tools
The M4’s Neural Engine was designed to accelerate AI-related processing. Apple said it could be up to three times faster than the Neural Engine in the M1 MacBook Air, but that is an Apple claim based on specified testing—not an independent benchmark.
Availability has never been uniform. Apple Intelligence features can depend on the installed operating-system version, supported language, geography, account settings and staged software releases. Neural-engine hardware also does not guarantee that every third-party AI application runs locally; performance depends on the model, memory, software optimization and workload duration.
How the M4 compares with the current M5 Air
Apple’s current MacBook Air is the M5 generation, announced March 3, 2026. The M5 continues to come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes but adds newer hardware and a more generous base configuration.
| Area | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | 2025 | 2026, current generation |
| Chip | M4 | M5 |
| AI hardware | 16-core Neural Engine | Neural Accelerator in each GPU core, according to Apple |
| Starting storage | 256GB-class launch configuration | 512GB standard |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 |
| Sizes | 13-inch and 15-inch | 13-inch and 15-inch |
| Battery claim | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
The M5 also supports storage configurations up to 4TB and uses a newer CPU and GPU architecture. Apple claims up to four times the AI performance of the M4 Air, but that comparison reflects Apple’s testing conditions and should not be treated as an independent real-world benchmark. Details are in Apple’s M5 announcement.
Rank #3
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Should you buy the M4 MacBook Air in 2026?
Buy the M4 if the discount is substantial
The M4 remains a capable laptop for school, office work, web browsing, programming, photo editing and everyday creative tasks. It is especially attractive if you find a certified-refurbished or remaining-stock model with a meaningful discount, warranty coverage and the memory and storage you need.
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It can also be a good upgrade from an Intel MacBook Air, particularly for buyers who want Apple-silicon performance, longer software support potential, a better camera and Apple Intelligence compatibility. M1 owners have a stronger reason to upgrade if they need two external displays, a better camera or more than their current memory capacity.
Prefer the M5 when prices are close
If an M4 costs nearly as much as an M5, choose the M5. Its newer platform, 512GB standard storage, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and newer AI hardware are more valuable for a laptop you expect to keep for many years. Check Apple’s live MacBook Air store page for current pricing and availability rather than assuming the 2025 $999 price still applies.
Choose the right size and configuration
- 13-inch: Better for portability and typically the lower-cost option.
- 15-inch: Better for split-screen work, spreadsheets and multitasking.
- 24GB or 32GB memory: Worth considering for development, virtual machines, demanding creative work or local AI experimentation.
- More storage: Important for video and photo libraries, large applications, virtual machines and local models. External storage can help, but it is less convenient.
Memory and storage decisions matter because the Air’s components are not user-upgradeable after purchase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Alternatives
MacBook Pro
A MacBook Pro is the better choice for sustained professional workloads, demanding video production, 3D work, higher-end display requirements, more ports or workloads that benefit from active cooling. It is unnecessary overkill for many students and office users whose needs fit the Air.
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Rank #4
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
See Apple’s MacBook Pro page for current configurations and pricing.
iPad Air with M4
The iPad Air with M4 is worth considering if touch input, tablet portability and Apple Pencil support matter more than macOS. It is not a universal laptop replacement for users dependent on Mac applications, traditional desktop multitasking or extensive peripheral connectivity. Apple identified the iPad Air with M4 as a current AI-capable product in its March 2026 availability update.
Windows AI laptops
Windows laptops may be a better fit for Windows-only applications, gaming compatibility or a broader selection of ports and form factors. Specific performance and value comparisons require current model-by-model testing rather than general assumptions.
Trade-in and financing considerations
Owners upgrading from Intel, M1, M2 or M3 Air models can check Apple’s Trade In estimator. The value depends on the exact model, memory, storage, condition, location and timing.
Eligible U.S. Apple Card customers may be able to use Apple Card Monthly Installments and receive 3% Daily Cash, subject to eligibility and Apple’s terms. Details are available on Apple’s financing page. Financing should be compared with the total cash price and other available terms.
Verdict
The M4 MacBook Air was a meaningful March 2025 refresh. Its strongest practical improvements were the 12MP Center Stage camera, 16GB starting memory, support for two external displays alongside the built-in screen and lower U.S. launch price. But it is no longer the newest Air. In August 2026, buy the M4 only when its discount is large enough to compensate for the M5’s newer chip, 512GB standard storage and updated wireless hardware.
Quick Recap
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