M4 MacBook Air: The Ultimate Tech Value Explained

Finding a laptop that delivers premium performance without a premium price tag can feel like a challenge, but the M4 MacBook Air manages to strike that perfect balance. Released in March 2025, this model doesn’t reinvent the wheel with flashy new features, offering instead a refined package with a better FaceTime camera and improved external display support. Its true appeal, however, lies in the incredible value it provides. You can now purchase a brand new unit for under $750, a price point that makes its combination of power, efficiency, and quality construction seem almost unbelievable.

To fully grasp what you receive for that $749 investment, it helps to break down the specifications. The base configuration includes Apple’s M4 chip with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It comes equipped with 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is crisp and vibrant, housed in a sleek 2.7-pound unibody aluminum chassis. Connectivity is handled by MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and a headphone jack, alongside Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Perhaps most impressive is the real-world battery life, which reliably lasts between 14 and 16 hours on a single charge.

This is a complete system, meaning the excellent keyboard, spacious trackpad, and brilliant display are all part of the package. When you compare it to the M4 Mac mini, which starts at $499, the value becomes even clearer. The mini requires you to separately purchase a display, keyboard, and trackpad, which can easily add $300 or more to the total cost. With the MacBook Air, you get an identically powerful computer that is ready to use the moment you open the box.

After months of use, the M4 MacBook Air continues to perform flawlessly for everyday tasks. It handles communication apps like Gmail, Slack, and Discord with ease, while also managing heavy web browsing across 20 to 30 tabs in Chrome and other browsers. It runs productivity software such as Excel and personal finance apps without a hiccup, and even handles lighter creative work in Canva and Affinity Photo. For general daily work, this machine demonstrates it has the stamina to remain capable for many years.

For creators curious about more demanding applications, this laptop holds up remarkably well. Editing video in iMovie or Final Cut Pro is a smooth experience for the vast majority of users. Testing with multiple layers of 4K footage at both 30 and 60 frames per second, complete with audio tracks, transitions, and text overlays, showed that playback and rendering happened in real time without stuttering. While working with extremely high-bitrate 8K or RAW files might cause render times to slow, editing standard iPhone or mirrorless camera footage is a breeze, especially if you use a fast external SSD to supplement the internal storage.

Battery life and portability are standout features. Although Apple advertises up to 18 hours of video playback, real-world use typically yields a solid 12 to 14 hours of mixed usage. You can comfortably work through an entire day on communications and document creation without needing a charger. Even during intensive video editing sessions, the battery can last for eight to ten hours, which is exceptional when compared to other premium devices. The physical design is another high point; it feels every bit as premium as laptops costing twice as much, with a thin, light, and rigid aluminum build that many Windows competitors still can’t match.

There are, of course, a few minor compromises. The base 256GB of storage feels somewhat limiting as we move further into 2026, and the port selection, while high-quality, is sparse. With only two Thunderbolt ports, users who regularly need HDMI, an SD card reader, or Ethernet will need to rely on adapters. Despite these small shortcomings, the laptop delivers more than enough performance and convenience for about 95% of potential buyers.

Eight months after its release, the M4 MacBook Air still feels like a new, modern device. It hasn’t slowed down, even with the latest macOS updates, and it tackles every task with speed and remarkable battery endurance. Whether you’re a student, a remote worker, or a creator with moderate demands, this laptop represents one of the best deals available today. For those wanting a larger screen, the 15-inch model is also a compelling option, often available for around $950.

(Source: 9to5 Mac)