The switch to Apple silicon brought enhanced speed to Apple’s Air series, but the 2025 model is now twice as fast inside Photoshop compared to the original M1 chip. Announced on March 5, the Apple MacBook Air M4 upgrades the processor and camera while dropping the list price for the brand’s more affordable compact laptop series.
Announced alongside the desktop Mac Studio M4 Max and M3 Ultra, the MacBook Air M4 is a moderate update compared to the 2024 variant with the M3 chip. But, the company says the new MacBook Air M4 is up to twice as fast as the first Air with Apple silicon, the M1 variant, including doubling speeds in Photoshop and iMovie. Users that upgrade from an older MacBook Air with an Intel processor can see as much as 23x faster performance overall and up to 3.6x faster performance inside Photoshop.
Most of Apple’s recent launches include Apple Intelligence, and the MacBook Air M4 is no exception. Apple says the neural engine on the M4 chip delivers up to three times more speed at AI tasks compared to the M1 chip, including using AI to edit photos and videos. That focus on Apple Intelligence also includes the Image Playground software and Genmoji.
The built-in camera for videoconferencing also sees an upgrade. The 12MP camera includes a new “Center Stage” design. Center Stage is an Apple feature that keeps the user centered in the video when using FaceTime. Support for Desk View will allow users to share a top-down view of their desk during video calls as well.
While the specs for the laptop’s display remain the same as on the M3 variant, Apple says the new model now supports up to two external monitors. The laptop uses two Thunderbolt 4 ports (which also support USB-C connections). The new MacBook Air M4 also shares the same size, weight, keyboard, speakers, aluminum enclosure and battery life as the model released last year.
The new MacBook Air M4 comes with a starting list price that’s $100 less than the M3 version. The new laptop will be available in a 13-inch or 15-inch size and four different colors, including a new sky blue option. The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699, with the 15-inch starting at $1,099 / £1,199 / AU$2,099.
Pre-orders are already open, with shipping and retail store availability beginning March 12.
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