M4 MacBook Air Reviews Are Now Out, Plus Sky Blue Unboxing Videos

[pspdead]

the only thing tempting me to replace my 15’ m2 is the 16GB RAM… cannot regret more for buying a 8GB RAM and always worrying about opening too many tabs🥲

 

[Aeronauts]

I was going to buy the Space Grey version but as that’s gone now I don’t know what to do.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Nothing more than an entry model?

Are you sure? This is a powerful notebook for any consumer.

It’s a premium laptop with a cutting edge SoC with extremely powerful ML capabilities and 16 GB RAM.

This is way more than an entry level model. It may be Apples lowest priced laptop. But no way is it entry level.

You're confusing performance for specs. It most definitely is Apple's entry model, spec-wise. The MBA has always been Apple's entry-level model laptop. That doesn't mean it's a slug compared to other laptops, it means that it's the cheapest laptop with fewest top-end features of any Apple laptop.

 

[Ethan Coohill]

Had the 15” air 16gb 512gb pre ordered for 1299… planning on canceling because I got an M3 MacBook Pro 16gb 1TB for $1296 at Best Buy yesterday… still kinda torn because I absolutely don’t need the pro, but feels like the much better value.

 

[PsykX]

Nothing more than an entry model?

Are you sure? This is a powerful notebook for any consumer.

I agree, but when you look at Apple's lineups, they position it as an entry model themselves. I'm not the one who says that.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

the only thing tempting me to replace my 15’ m2 is the 16GB RAM… cannot regret more for buying a 8GB RAM and always worrying about opening too many tabs🥲

If you live near a Best Buy, I did a quick check on your 15" M2 8GB MBA and see you can get $600 trade-in towards a new M4 16GB MBA. Seems like a decent deal to me.

 

[Fuzzball84]

You're confusing performance for specs. It most definitely is Apple's entry model, spec-wise. The MBA has always been Apple's entry-level model laptop. That doesn't mean it's a slug compared to other laptops, it means that it's the cheapest laptop with fewest top-end features of any Apple laptop.

The MBA has not always been the entry level model laptop. The MacBook was until the Air brand was positioned as the cheaper model. Then the MacBook was repositioned as a luxury laptop with a price the same as the Pro.

Each category is targeted at a different consumers workload.

Apple only say it’s the “cheapest laptop” as an entry level laptop is dictated by needs. For example the base MacBook Pro would be the entry level laptop for someone who needs sustained performance.

 

[KPOM]

These do look nice. Feeling a bit regretful about buying the M4 MBP instead of waiting on this, but I wanted to get in before the tariffs which, in this case, looks like Apple is eating. I didn't except that.

Might end up selling and going for a 1tb 13".

One rumor about why the base iPad has an A16 chip instead of an A17 or A18 capable of Apple Intelligence is that the A16 is made in Arizona. On a $349 device Apple likely doesn’t want to absorb the tariff. On a $999 MacBook Air they likely can (since there is more absolute margin), at least for now. We’ll see the effects in other ways, as reseller discounts are likely to be smaller (I.e. Apple will pass along some of the tariffs to resellers).

 

[prism]

I’m surprised that none of the reviewers tested the ssd speeds with blackmagic, especially on the entry 256. If you remember, apple had crippled the ssd on the m2 mba by only providing a single 256 chip. That was fixed with the m3 but now that they cut the price of the m4, I’m wondering if they cut corners again.

 

[Fuzzball84]

I was going to buy the Space Grey version but as that’s gone now I don’t know what to do.

Apple gives and takes.

 

[roguester]

The $999 MBA looks really good now.

 

[imamacperson]

It should have Thunderbolt 5 ports on it.

 

[andiwm2003]

But is it? I'm sure it's a great machine, but I don't see why it is an "excellent update for most people" when it is a minor spec bump. It's good that you can now connect two monitors, but most people don't need that.

I agree totally about the wedge design, which is why I chose to buy the M1 after I looked at it side-by-side with the M2 when that came out and I have absolutely no need to change it yet, nor any desire. It still works flawlessly. And that is another reason I would question if the M4 is really an excellent update for most people.

Most people upgrade from a Mac that’s more than three years old. It’s an Excellent upgrade for them. If you are on an M2 or M3 MBA then I would save my money.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

The MBA has not always been the entry level model laptop. The MacBook was until the Air brand was positioned as the cheaper model. Then the MacBook was repositioned as a luxury laptop with a price the same as the Pro.

Each category is targeted at a different consumers workload.

Apple only say it’s the “cheapest laptop” as an entry level laptop is dictated by needs. For example the base MacBook Pro would be the entry level laptop for someone who needs sustained performance.

So first you say it's not an entry level model and now you say it is an entry level model for a certain consumers workload?

I'm getting confused...

 

[neuropsychguy]

But is it? I'm sure it's a great machine, but I don't see why it is an "excellent update for most people" when it is a minor spec bump. It's good that you can now connect two monitors, but most people don't need that.

Most people update computers infrequently. That means most people buying this are coming from an M1 Mac or older computer. It's far from a minor spec bump for most people.

Edit: Just saw a commenter posted much the same thing shortly before I did.

 

[Cervisia]

It's a good upgrade for those still on intel, otherwise keep what you have.

Not just Intel. M1 had a max of 16gb ram, and with proper dual external display support, the m4 is a huge upgrade over m1.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Most people update computers infrequently. That means most people buying this are coming from an M1 Mac or older computer. It's far from a minor spec bump for most people.

Edit: Just saw a commenter posted much the same thing shortly before I did.

Unless you want the new body style, I wouldn't even upgrade from a M1. I moved from the M1 Air (16gb) to my current M4 MBP (also 16gb), and I can tell zero difference. Not a single day-to-day thing I do feels faster. I do use an external display, but never dual.

Everyone's needs are different, obviously, and when messing with video I can tell a difference. It's infrequent, though.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I’m surprised that none of the reviewers tested the ssd speeds with blackmagic, especially on the entry 256. If you remember, apple had crippled the ssd on the m2 mba by only providing a single 256 chip. That was fixed with the m3 but now that they cut the price of the m4, I’m wondering if they cut corners again.

Speed tests from other benchmarks on the M4 MBA show speeds similar to the M3 MBA. Still not great (low PCIe Gen 3 speeds compared to Gen 4), but not slow like M2.

 

[Bobdigi76]

Ordered a 13" in Sky Blue with 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD. Coming from a 2020 Intel Air so this will blow me away.

 

[Pabloi]

The new MacBook Air with the M4 chip launches this Wednesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by selected publications and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features and changes.

While it is a minor spec-bump year for the MacBook Air, the new model does offer a few upgrades beyond the M4 chip. There is an improved 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, support for two external displays even when the MacBook Air's lid is open, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a new Sky Blue color option. And in the U.S., the latest-generation 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $999, down from $1,099 previously.

Since the M4 chip existed prior to the new MacBook Air, we already know that it offers up to 30% faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M3 chip in the previous model. Geekbench 6 results for the new MacBook Air already confirmed this 30% performance increase, before Apple's review embargo lifted.

Highlights

Center Stage Camera

Engadget's Devindra Hardawar said the Center Stage camera offers a small but noticeable quality-of-life improvement during video calls:$999 Value

Jason Snell of Six Colors said it is "generous" for Apple to offer 16GB of RAM in the MacBook Air at the base $999 price point:Sky Blue

Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham likes Sky Blue, but he wishes the color was more saturated:Reviews and Unboxings

More Articles

• The Verge
• CNET
• WIRED
• TechRadar
• CNN Underscored

Videos

Article Link: M4 MacBook Air Reviews Are Now Out, Plus Sky Blue Unboxing Videos

So, I guess it will still only have ports on one side? Ridiculous.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I’m surprised that none of the reviewers tested the ssd speeds with blackmagic

These aren’t reviewers, they are Apple PR shills

 

[ghostface147]

Apple sheep in full force. Especially iJustine.

And making a ton of money with access to Apple directly when necessary for reviews or maybe an interview. I’m not a fan of her channels or work, but can’t knock for being successful at what she slopes.

 

[DribbleCastle]

It should have Thunderbolt 5 ports on it.

Would be nice, but def feels more like pro feature. Even 6 months after the MBP's got TB5 there aren't a ton of devices that support it. I'd bet the 80%+ of MBA users don't plug anything into them except for power.

Just wait 2-4 years though and you'll get it.

 

[Cervisia]

Unless you want the new body style, I wouldn't even upgrade from a M1. I moved from the M1 Air (16gb) to my current M4 MBP (also 16gb), and I can tell zero difference. Not a single day-to-day thing I do feels faster. I do use an external display, but never dual.

Everyone's needs are different, obviously, and when messing with video I can tell a difference. It's infrequent, though.

The main difference is not computing power. Remember, for the m1 air the 16gb version was cto. In my country without an apple store people could only trade-in for non-cto machines at premium resellers. And at the height of covid the 16gb cto version had a wait time of over a month. There are a lot of m1s out there with inadequate ram that people can trade in for a non-cto air with 24gb and dual display support.

 

[ChrisChaval]

the only thing tempting me to replace my 15’ m2 is the 16GB RAM… cannot regret more for buying a 8GB RAM and always worrying about opening too many tabs🥲

I feel you ...

to me, the biggest upgrade was last year's ram upgrade from 8 to 16GB for the m2 and m3 base configurations at no additional cost

I found 8GB to be quite limiting even with mundane tasks