When it comes to favourite laptops, the MacBook Air has been on my must-have list for more than a decade. I’ve only recently switched away from an older Intel-based MacBook Air through necessity – the software no longer updated, and it was starting to sound like a jet engine when carrying out even the simplest of tasks.
But do the newer MacBook Airs have the same pulling power? In a word, yes.
The past few years have seen a change in design to bring it in line with the MacBook Pro, and a switch to Apple’s own silicon with the M series of chips. For most people, the MacBook Air is the ideal laptop: compact yet powerful, without going overboard – and over budget.
Like the 2024 model, very little has been changed. It has a new chip, with the M4 finally coming to the Air. That makes it more powerful and more efficient, so your battery life won’t suffer. It also has double the RAM for the base model.
The 2025 model gets an updated camera too, moving away from the 1080p standard webcam of last year and instead offering a 12-megapixel camera that supports Centre Stage. It also supports Apple Intelligence, the company’s toe-dip in the AI waters.
And Apple has changed the price, but more on that later.
The version tested here was the mid-range 13-inch MacBook Air, which comes with the M4 chip, a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, with 512GB of storage on the solid state drive and 16GB of RAM. It also comes with a 35W dual USB-C adapter in the box.
Port-wise, the MacBook Air has a MagSafe 3 charging port, plus two Thunderbolt 4 enabled ports, which also double up for USB-C charging. On the right side, you have a single headphone jack, and that is it. I’d have preferred to have the option of charging from either side, but Apple has chosen to locate everything on one side.
[ Apple’s AI patience may be paying offOpens in new window ]
On the whole, though, I loved the design of the 13-inch model. It is light and compact, but still easy to use for working all day. The display is a 13.6-inch liquid retina display (translation: high quality) that manages to stay compact but yet feel roomy. The laptop tops out at 500 nits of peak brightness, which might be a problem in bright sunlight, but that is not usually a problem for Irish users – at least not in our native habitat.
Once thing I am still not keen on is the large notch at the top of the screen. Yes, you get a little extra screen space but the notch that accommodates the webcam is a little too big.
The new camera upgrade means you get a higher-resolution webcam, closer to the iPad offering in terms of resolution. The Centre Stage feature is one you might be familiar with from the iPad too, panning to make sure you are centred in the frame at all times, as if you have your own personal camera crew. It’s a feature that not everyone likes, but it can be easily disabled.
You still can’t use Face ID, though, which is an continuing source of frustration here. If you are going to take that much of a chunk out of the screen, at least let it be for something more useful. Instead, we are stuck with Touch ID, which is fine but less convenient than facial recognition.
The really important thing, though, is the new chip. So how does the M4 stack up? If you have been using a 2024 model, don’t expect to see a huge performance jump. Yes, it is faster, but the more startling comparison would be with the M1 MacBook Air, or an Intel machine.
It is impressive, though. As a work laptop, it went above and beyond, dealing with everything from word processing to video editing with ease. It didn’t heat up too much either, even though it has a finless design. In fact, that is one of my favourite things about the redesigned MacBook Air: even when you are pushing the machine to work harder, it manages to keep its cool.
Apple has made one other notable change. The computer supports up to two external displays – and this time, it means it. Unlike last year’s MacBook Air, you don’t have to keep the lid closed to get two displays working; essentially, you can work across three displays.
With all the upgrades and additions, you would expect a change in the price. Apple has indeed introduced a new price for the MacBook Air, but it has made it cheaper, shaving €100 off both the 13-inch and 15-inch models’ base price.
Good
Apple knows what works, and has largely stuck to the formula. That means no real design changes – not since the new design debuted in 2022 – apart from the introduction of the new Sky Blue colour.
But the changes to the camera are welcome, and the decision to finally support two external displays in addition to the notebook’s screen was a welcome one.
The MacBook Air is silent too, with a fanless design that means even under the heaviest workloads it is silent.
Bad
Not a huge upgrade from last year’s M3-powered MacBook Air. There is still no Face ID support, and the camera notch on the display is a bit on the large side.
Everything else
The new Sky Blue colour is a very delicate shade of blue, and seems a lot more resistant to smudges and fingerprints than last year’s colour options. At times it looks almost silver, so if you are hoping for a stronger pop of colour, this won’t keep you happy.
It is made for Apple Intelligence too, if that is important to you.
Verdict
If you are in the market for an Apple laptop, the new MacBook Air might just be the best laptop out there.
