The new MacBook Air with the M4 chip launches this Wednesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by selected publications and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features and changes.
While it is a minor spec-bump year for the MacBook Air, the new model does offer a few upgrades beyond the M4 chip. There is an improved 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, support for two external displays even when the MacBook Air's lid is open, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a new Sky Blue color option. And in the U.S., the latest-generation 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $999, down from $1,099 previously.
Since the M4 chip existed prior to the new MacBook Air, we already know that it offers up to 30% faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M3 chip in the previous model. Geekbench 6 results for the new MacBook Air already confirmed this 30% performance increase, before Apple's review embargo lifted.
Highlights
Center Stage Camera
Engadget's Devindra Hardawar said the Center Stage camera offers a small but noticeable quality-of-life improvement during video calls:
The leap to a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera isn't exactly Earth-shattering, but I appreciated having a slightly better picture during video calls. I typically turn off the actual Center Stage feature on Macs, but I'm sure some will appreciate its ability to track you around a room. The new camera also supports Desk View, which projects a slightly skewed view of the area directly in front of the MacBook Air.
$999 Value
Jason Snell of Six Colors said it is "generous" for Apple to offer 16GB of RAM in the MacBook Air at the base $999 price point:
That's why perhaps the most important change in the M4 MacBook Air is its base configuration, which starts at $999. When Apple introduced a winning new flat-with-rounded-corners Air design in 2022, it had to keep selling older models in order to get down under a thousand dollars. Three years later, Apple is finally able to sell a brand-new Air—with a generous 16GB of unified memory—at that important price.
Sky Blue
Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham likes Sky Blue, but he wishes the color was more saturated:
The laptop comes in four finishes—the traditional silver, the gold-ish Starlight, Midnight (still a bit smudge-prone), and a new Sky Blue option that replaces Space Gray. I like Sky Blue, and it's probably my favorite of the three light-colored options, though I do wish it was more saturated. It's similar in hue to the blue finish Microsoft offers for its Surface devices, but I prefer Microsoft's version because it's more noticeably blue.
Top Rated Comments
Miss the wedge design however.
This should be a considerable upgrade from her base 13" M1 Air (which will go to a child for schoolwork).
We wouldn’t have normally upgraded so soon but our child needed a computer and this was a good time to pass the computer on to him and get my wife a new one.
Edit: Out for delivery today after being in Hong Kong yesterday. That's quite impressive!