macOS Sequoia 15.2 Confirms New M4 MacBook Air Models Are Coming

[Kobra]

Fingers crossed that the M4 Air has an upgraded camera

 

[huge_apple_fangirl]

Hope it releases soon. My Intel 2020 MBA sucks. The fan is constantly going off. Can’t wait to buy this!

 

[QCassidy352]

Thanks team for the reminders about chip RAM limits. Forgot. By multitasking I mean someone like a teammate who uses tons of browser windows and tabs, 100s, and also travels a ton where every kg saved counts. Sounds like the 2026 or so macbook pros will get a weight reduction. But yeah until then I'll steer them to a M4 Pro/Max 14"

I have never understood the “100s of browser windows/tabs” thing, even though my wife does it. How can you remember what’s in all those tabs, much less what order they’re in, in order to get back to them? Surely it’s faster to just open them again than look for a tab 250 sites ago?

 

[lilkwarrior]

The M4 maxes out at 32GB of DRAM. You need to move to an M4 Max to get to 64GB of DRAM. For the target market, 24-32GB of DRAM is plenty. Regarding 24GB of DRAM, it is also plenty for power users, multitasking and video editing.

…Actually Apple literally publicly apologized for not offering 64GB RAM for a reason: 32GB RAM has long been the new recommended minimum amount of RAM for creative professionals and 64GB recommended. 16GB-24GB is variable OK for everyday computer users.
M4 is after all entry level for productive computer users making sense its RAM caps; it would be also silly for a laptop form factor to be only as powerful as a tablet (iPad Pro) and so on.

Keep in mind current-gen consoles just for gaming use 16GB RAM and 32GB RAM is often now recommended for PC current-gen-oriented PC ports at resolutions on par with TVs, high PPI gaming, so on

 

[BigJohno]

I think there was the remote possibility that a new MBA in March/April would go straight to M5.

True but it feels like the m4 is a tank of a chip and doesn't exhibit the same issues the m3 had.

 

[DownUnderDan]

How do you know what is plenty of ram for power users?

There was a conference. Sorry, you were supposed to be invited.

 

[Mity]

The base M4 chip is so amazing that all I need for my personal machine is an M4 Air with 32GB of RAM and a 120hz screen.

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

We know M4 MBAs are coming ... what's the point of the post? Obviously obvious. We also know the M4 Mac Studio is coming by Summer 2025. Click bait I guess ....ohh I clicked! LOL....

 

[titanium69]

Wait.. so youre telling me the air M3 isnt their last air laptop?

 

[kiranmk2]

True but it feels like the m4 is a tank of a chip and doesn't exhibit the same issues the m3 had.

I agree about M4 - this will be the iPad 2 or iPad Air 2 of chips - will be put into devices for years and receive more years of updates than M3 (and possibly M5)

 

[Zest28]

From a reliable source, a M5 MacBook Air is also coming.

Wait, there is more. A M6 Macbook Air is also coming. I'm Nostradamus.

 

[svish]

Should be available soon then. Maybe a couple of weeks into January, just like how the M2 MacBook Pros were released in January 2023.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

For video editing, even if, hypothetically, the MacBook Air had 64GB of RAM, problems could arise from CPU heat due to lack of a fan. Desktop Macs are best for video editing, but if you need the portability of a laptop, then a MacBook Pro would be an OK choice since they have a fan.

It depends, I suppose, but I did plenty of 4k HDR GoPro video editing on my 16gb M1 Air and never had any issues whatsoever.

 

[Compote]

YAY ! I may have criticized all the plastic on the SE, but the Macbook Air is flawless. VERY happy with my M3 8GB.
The M4 16GB is going to be KILLER.

Make it a glitzy color, like Lilac, and I'll DIE.

 

[Compote]

I’m surprised they’re going with the M4 on the Air and wondered if they’d go M5 instead seeing as the 4 will be ~1 year old by the time of release.

I don't think they're trying to establish the Air as the cutting-edge, but rather as an outlet for stock unmoved or binned parts. The business model is evident when you consider they are targetting students with significant rebates and the lure of free Airpods tossed in. So I guess the M5 will be coming Spring 2026 on the Air.

 

[Putzi360]

YAY ! I may have criticized all the plastic on the SE, but the Macbook Air is flawless. VERY happy with my M3 8GB.
The M4 16GB is going to be KILLER.

Make it a glitzy color, like Lilac, and I'll DIE.

Fun colors would be fun. The colorful iBook G3 from more than 20 years ago is still on display in my study room, alongside the iMac G4.

 

[Jonas Danielsson]

True but it feels like the m4 is a tank of a chip and doesn't exhibit the same issues the m3 had.

What issues had m3?

 

[Kendo]

What issues had m3?

The fact that it is now "outdated".

People say the same thing every year - "The M3 is much more of an upgrade than M1 to M2".

Next year it'll be how M4 came out when Apple Intelligence was in its first year so the M5 truly takes advantage of AI better than the M4.

 

[Jonas Danielsson]

Apple Will have some problem with the easy naming of apple silicon chip compared to intel xxxxxxxx chip which was is almost impossible to compare.

The problem now is that MacBook is much faster fast than a Mac Pro both in single and multi ä core

 

[Corefile]

I was sure they'd skip M4 MBA as they increased RAM to 16GB in the M3 MBA.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I’m surprised they’re going with the M4 on the Air and wondered if they’d go M5 instead seeing as the 4 will be ~1 year old by the time of release.

The M5 is going to be spaced out to the end of 2025 or even 2026. The M4 has lots of life left and will probably stick around for quite a while in the Apple ecosystem whereas it looks like the M3 won’t. I think the iPad Air will get the M4 at the end of 2025 and the iPad Pro will be released with M5 alongside it.

 

[chucker23n1]

I don't think they're trying to establish the Air as the cutting-edge, but rather as an outlet for stock unmoved or binned parts.

Are you talking strictly previous-gen Air?

Because the current-gen Air is the most popular Mac by a mile, and has been for years. Sure, it isn't high-end, but it's absolutely cutting-edge.

 

[BigJohno]

What issues had m3?

There were yield issues and quality control problems. They also produced quite a lot of heat compared to their output performance. We didn't see an m3 ultra. M3 pro was a joke of an update.

 

[Harry Haller]

What issues had m3?

The same one in the M1 and M2 chips.

Unpatchable security flaw in Apple Silicon Macs breaks encryption - 9to5Mac

University researchers have found an unpatchable security flaw in Apple Silicon Macs, which would allow an attacker to break encryption...

9to5mac.com

 

[coolkid93]

Fingers crossed that the M4 Air has an upgraded camera

It already has 1080p camera. Same as MacBook Pro. I doubt it will. I’m glad it’s not that horrible 720p camera anymore it was for years and years