Apple simply introduced a brand new MacBook Air, introducing its newest chip, an enhanced digital camera, and a hanging new colour possibility. Concurrently, it discontinued the 2 earlier generations. So how does the brand new mannequin evaluate?
Earlier than the introduction of the newest mannequin, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air began at $1,099 and the 15-inch mannequin began at $1,299. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip from 2022 remained within the lineup at a value of $999. Now, the 13-inch M4 mannequin begins at $999. It is usually price remembering that it’s potential to shave no less than $100 off the worth of a brand new MacBook Air instantly from Apple with schooling pricing.
The principle improve provided by the three MacBook Air fashions are their chips. In benchmark assessments, the M3 outperforms the M2 by about 17% in single-core duties and roughly 21% in multi-core duties. In GPU efficiency measured by Steel benchmarks, the M3 displays a notable enchancment of round 15% over the M2. The M4 outperforms the M3 by about 25% in single-core duties and 30% in multi-core duties. In GPU efficiency, the M4 provides enchancment of round 21% over the M3.
There are a selection of different notable variations between the three MacBook Air generations past their chips. Whereas these upgrades are pretty small, they’re price taking into account when considering whether or not to get the newest mannequin, or a used or refurbished unit for a lower cost.
Learn on to search out out about the entire variations between the M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air fashions that can assist you determine which mannequin will suffice for you, in addition to if it might be price upgrading.
| MacBook Air (2022 and 2023) | MacBook Air (2024) | MacBook Air (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p FaceTime HD digital camera | 1080p FaceTime HD digital camera | 12MP digital camera |
| Assist for Middle Stage and Desk View | ||
| Voice Isolation and Extensive Spectrum microphone modes | Voice Isolation and Extensive Spectrum microphone modes | |
| Enhanced voice readability in audio and video calls | Enhanced voice readability in audio and video calls | |
| Apple M2 chip (primarily based on A15 Bionic chip from 2021’s iPhone 13) | Apple M3 chip (primarily based on A17 Professional chip from 2023’s iPhone 15 Professional) | Apple M4 chip (primarily based on A18 chip from 2024’s iPhone 16) |
| Made with TSMC’s enhanced 5nm node (N5P) | Made with TSMC’s first 3nm node (N3B) | Made with TSMC’s enhanced 3nm node (N3E) |
| 20 billion transistors | 25 billion transistors | 28 billion transistors |
| 3.49 GHz CPU clock pace | 4.05 GHz CPU clock pace | 4.3 GHz CPU clock pace |
| 8-core CPU (4 efficiency + 4 effectivity cores) | 8-core CPU (4 efficiency + 4 effectivity cores) | 10 CPU cores (4 efficiency + 6 effectivity cores) |
| As much as 10-core GPU | As much as 10-core GPU | 10-core GPU |
| Similar GPU structure as M1 | Redesigned GPU structure with improved effectivity | Similar GPU structure as M3 |
| Dynamic Caching | Dynamic Caching | |
| {Hardware}-accelerated ray tracing | {Hardware}-accelerated ray tracing | |
| {Hardware}-accelerated mesh shading | {Hardware}-accelerated mesh shading | |
| LPDDR5 reminiscence | LPDDR5 reminiscence | LPDDR5X reminiscence |
| 100 GB/s reminiscence bandwidth | 100 GB/s reminiscence bandwidth | 120 GB/s reminiscence bandwidth |
| 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB reminiscence (8GB discontinued in 2024) | 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB reminiscence (8GB discontinued in 2024) | 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB reminiscence |
| 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second | 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second | 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second |
| Devoted show engine | Devoted show engine | |
| Assist for one exterior show | Assist for as much as two exterior shows when the lid is closed | Assist for as much as two exterior shows when the lid is open |
| Assist for AV1 decode | Assist for AV1 decode | |
| Wi-Fi 6 connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E connectivity |
| Anodization seal to scale back fingerprints (Midnight end solely) | Anodization seal to scale back fingerprints (Midnight end solely) | |
| Obtainable in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Area Grey | Obtainable in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Area Grey | Obtainable in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue |
| Launched in June 2022 (13-inch) and June 2023 (15-inch) | Launched in March 2024 | Launched in March 2025 |
| Began at $1,099, dropped to $999 in 2024 | Began at $1,099 | Begins at $999 |
General, the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs symbolize minor upgrades over their predecessors, largely specializing in enhanced efficiency moderately than new capabilities. Their most important goal audiences are those that have an older MacBook Air, akin to an M1 or Intel-based mannequin, or no MacBook Air in any respect.
Until you possibly can leverage the precise benefits of the M4 chip and require most efficiency from its extremely transportable kind issue, it’s seemingly not price shopping for the M4 MacBook Air over the earlier MacBook Air for many customers, offering you may get it for a ok value.
Nonetheless, if future-proofing is a significant precedence since you are likely to preserve your pc for a few years, the additional money to get the newest mannequin will most likely be warranted. The M4 mannequin’s considerably improved digital camera and enhanced assist for 2 exterior shows can also justifiably swing your shopping for resolution in case you make plenty of video calls or have a number of screens.
It’s definitely not price upgrading from the M2 or M3 to the M4 MacBook Air for the overwhelming majority of consumers. Upgrading from an M2 13-inch MacBook Air to an M4 15-inch MacBook Air could also be extra justifiable owing to the show measurement enhance, however there’s little that the newest technology meaningfully provides over its predecessor. The 2 older machines are nonetheless extremely succesful.
