MacBook Air M4 Review: The Best Laptop for Most People

Introduction

The MacBook Air has long been Apple's most popular laptop, and with the M4 chip, it reaches new heights. This 2025 refresh brings the same powerful chip found in the latest iPad Pro to Apple's thinnest and lightest notebook, creating what might be the perfect laptop for the vast majority of users.

At its core, the MacBook Air M4 is about refinement rather than revolution. Apple has taken an already excellent formula and made it even better with improved performance, enhanced machine learning capabilities, and the same gorgeous design that made the M1 and M2 models so popular.

Design and Build Quality

The MacBook Air M4 maintains the beloved wedge design that Apple refined with the M2 generation. Available in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver, the all-aluminum unibody construction feels premium and solid despite weighing just 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg).

At just 11.3mm thin, it slips easily into any bag. The Midnight color, while stunning, still shows fingerprints more than other options, though Apple has improved the fingerprint-resistant coating compared to earlier models.

M4 Chip Performance

The star of the show is Apple's M4 chip, built on a second-generation 3-nanometer process. This brings significant improvements over the M3:

In real-world usage, the M4 handles everything from web browsing and office work to photo editing in Lightroom and even 4K video editing in Final Cut Pro with ease. The improved Neural Engine makes AI-powered features in macOS significantly faster.

MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4

The question many buyers face: is the Air enough, or do you need the Pro? Here's how they compare:

For most users, including students, professionals doing office work, content creators with moderate workloads, and even casual gamers, the MacBook Air M4 is more than sufficient. The Pro makes sense only if you need sustained performance for heavy tasks like 8K video editing or 3D rendering, or if you require the additional ports and brighter XDR display.

Display Quality

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display remains excellent with a resolution of 2560 x 1664 pixels. It supports P3 wide color gamut, True Tone technology, and reaches 500 nits of brightness. While it lacks the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate of the Pro models, it's still a beautiful panel for everyday use.

The thin bezels and notch design (housing the 1080p FaceTime camera) give it a modern look while maximizing screen real estate.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Apple's Magic Keyboard continues to be one of the best laptop keyboards available. The keys have excellent travel and a satisfying click. The Touch ID sensor in the top-right corner provides quick and secure authentication.

The Force Touch trackpad is massive and incredibly responsive, with haptic feedback that simulates a physical click anywhere on its surface.

Battery Life

Apple claims up to 18 hours of video playback, and in real-world mixed usage, I consistently got 12-14 hours of actual work. This means you can genuinely leave the charger at home for a full day of work or study.

The included 30W USB-C adapter charges the laptop, and you can use MagSafe or either Thunderbolt port for charging. Fast charging with a higher-wattage adapter can get you to 50% in about 30 minutes.

macOS and Software

The MacBook Air M4 ships with macOS Sequoia, which brings enhanced window management, iPhone mirroring, and deeply integrated AI features through Apple Intelligence. The Neural Engine's improved performance makes on-device AI tasks noticeably faster.

Who Should Buy the MacBook Air M4?

• Students: Lightweight, long battery life, handles all academic software
• Remote Workers: Excellent webcam, great keyboard, portable
• Content Creators: Capable of photo/video editing, silent operation
• General Users: Perfect balance of performance, portability, and price

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 16GB RAM enough in the MacBook Air M4?

For most users, yes. The M4's unified memory architecture uses RAM more efficiently than traditional laptops. 16GB handles web browsing with many tabs, office work, photo editing, and even light video editing comfortably. Only upgrade to 24GB or 32GB if you do heavy professional work.

Can the MacBook Air M4 run Windows?

Yes, through virtualization software like Parallels Desktop. It runs Windows 11 ARM smoothly, and most Windows applications work well. However, some specialized software or games may not be compatible with ARM-based Windows.

Is the MacBook Air M4 good for gaming?

It's capable of casual gaming and runs many Mac-native games well. Apple Arcade titles run flawlessly, and some AAA games like Resident Evil Village are now available for Mac. However, serious gamers should consider a dedicated gaming laptop or console.

Should I wait for the MacBook Air M5?

The M4 is the latest chip as of 2025, and Apple typically updates the Air annually. If you need a laptop now, the M4 is an excellent choice that will remain capable for many years.

Final Verdict

The MacBook Air M4 is simply the best laptop for most people. It combines incredible performance with all-day battery life, a gorgeous display, and Apple's signature build quality, all in a package that weighs under 3 pounds.

At $1,099 for the base model (now with 16GB RAM), it offers tremendous value. The only reasons to look elsewhere are if you need more ports, sustained heavy workloads, or a larger screen, in which case the MacBook Pro 14" is the answer.

For everyone else, from students to professionals to casual users, the MacBook Air M4 is the laptop to buy in 2025.