Hands-on Review: MacBook Air M4 - Apple’s lightest laptop gets smarter

Apple's MacBook Air has always been the gold standard for ultraportable laptops, and with the 2025 arrival of the MacBook Air M4, the world's most popular notebook feels more refined and future-proofed than ever, without breaking the bank. Featuring the latest Apple Silicon, a slick new sky blue finish, and enhancements for multitasking, video calls, and AI, the M4 Air quietly raises the bar for everyday computing.

Design and Colours: Familiar, Yet Fresher

On first impressions, not much has changed on the outside—the MacBook Air M4 maintains Apple's signature thin and light aluminium unibody, available in 13- and 15-inch sizes. But look closer and you'll spot an all-new sky blue option, a subtle metallic that shimmers gently in the light, joining midnight, starlight, and silver. This is a laptop you'll want to show off, whether working from a café or sliding it into your backpack.

Despite the fresh hue, the core design is comfortingly familiar: less than half an inch thick, featherweight, and completely fanless, so it's silent in use. The build quality remains top-notch, with a robust feel and a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports, and a headphone jack. It's a pity that you're still limited to two USB-C ports—both on the same side—especially if you regularly juggle peripherals.

Performance: M4 Means Business

Under the bonnet, Apple's new M4 chip is the star. With up to a 10-core CPU, GPU, and up to 32GB of unified memory, the Air now packs enough power for content creators and multitaskers. Benchmarking puts it roughly twice as fast as the M1 Air and up to 23 times faster than the last Intel-based model. Spreadsheet crunching in Excel, photo editing in Photoshop, and video work in iMovie all see notable gains.

In everyday use, this translates to instant wake, seamless app switching, and no stutter—even with a dozen browser tabs open, Spotify playing, and a video call running. Demanding users will appreciate support for up to two external 6K displays alongside the built-in screen. This long-requested feature finally makes the Air a legitimate option for multi-monitor productivity setups.

Display and Camera: Brighter and Sharper

The Air's Liquid Retina display remains a highlight, with up to 500 nits brightness, punchy colours, and super-crisp text. While it doesn't quite reach the MacBook Pro's dazzling peak brightness, it's more than sufficient for work and entertainment. There's still a notch at the top for the webcam, which some may find distracting, but it fades into the background with regular use.

Speaking of webcams, Apple has upped its game here, too. The new 12MP Centre Stage camera delivers excellent clarity and natural colours on calls, ensuring you're always in frame, even if you shift about. Desk View, which simultaneously displays your face and a top-down view of your workspace, is a clever addition for showing off sketches, prototypes, or paperwork during meetings.

macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence

The MacBook Air M4 ships with macOS Sequoia, Apple's latest OS. This OS brings iPhone Mirroring, smarter window tiling, a revamped Safari, and handy features like a new Passwords app. Most notably, Apple Intelligence—Apple's privacy-centric take on AI—is built in, leveraging the M4's neural engine for on-device image generation, writing tools, and ChatGPT integration for quick queries and smarter Siri interactions.

It's genuinely helpful, especially for students and professionals. Generating graphics, summarising articles, or tweaking written assignments feels intuitive and secure, with the assurance that most data processing happens on your device, not in the cloud.

Battery Life and Real-World Use

Apple claims up to 18 hours of battery life, and while real-world figures are a touch lower—around 14-15 hours streaming 4K video at half brightness—the Air still comfortably lasts a working day with juice to spare. That puts it neck-and-neck with the latest competition from Microsoft and Asus, but the Air's power-to-weight ratio remains unmatched.

The Air's battery performance is remarkably consistent, regardless of task—whether you're editing photos, taking Zoom calls, or browsing the web, there's little battery anxiety.

Sustainability and Repairability

Apple touts its green credentials, with the Air made from over 55% recycled content, including 100% recycled aluminium and rare earth elements. Packaging is fibre-based, inching closer to Apple's goal of removing all plastic by the end of 2025. However, as ever, Apple controls repairability tightly, so you can't expect to swap out parts at home.

Is It Worth Upgrading?

If you're on an M1 Air or an older Intel MacBook, the M4 model is a leap forward—faster, more capable, and notably better for video calls and multitasking. Those on an M2 or M3 Air may notice more incremental gains, but the new lower price point makes it a strong value proposition, especially for students and business users.

For Windows switchers, the Air's effortless ecosystem integration (especially if you own an iPhone), peerless build quality and longevity make it a compelling choice.

Verdict

The MacBook Air M4 isn't a radical redesign but is the most refined, capable, and forward-thinking version yet. Its combination of a stunning new colour, meaningful hardware upgrades, extended multi-display support, and on-device AI makes it a no-brainer for most users.

It's still the lightest, smartest laptop in Apple's lineup—and, for most, the best value, too.