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MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Get the 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 if you find it discounted: it has 16GB of memory and the Center Stage camera, but starts with 256GB of storage.
Product images
MacBook Air 13-inch (M4), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get the 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 if you find it discounted: it has 16GB of memory and the Center Stage camera, but starts with 256GB of storage. It's fanless, weighs 1.24 kg and runs two external displays with the lid open; Apple rates it for up to 18 hours of video. Pick the M5 instead if you need 512GB or Wi-Fi 7; the screen is the same, so M4 owners can stay put.
Who it is for
- Bargain hunters who find one refurbished or at education pricing. It launched at $999, or $899 for education, with 16GB of memory as standard.
- M3 Air owners who video-call a lot or work with two monitors: those are the two things the M4 fixed.
- Anyone whose files live mostly in the cloud or on an external drive. If 256GB is enough, you get the same 13.6-inch, 500-nit screen as the M5 Air.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who needs room for a big library out of the box. The M4 starts at 256GB and tops out at 2TB; the M5 Air starts at 512GB and goes to 4TB.
- Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7. The M5 Air's N1 chip brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, against Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 here.
- Anyone who'd trade some weight for screen size. The 15-inch Air (M4) has a 10-core GPU as standard and a 66.5Wh battery, and weighs 1.51 kg.
What sets it apart
- 16GB of memory as standard, with 24GB or 32GB optional; the M3 Air still lists an 8GB model.
- A 12MP Center Stage camera, in place of the M3 Air's 1080p FaceTime HD camera.
- Two external displays at up to 6K with the lid open; the M3 Air has to close its lid to add a second one.
- Up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 of web browsing from a 53.8Wh battery, in a 1.24 kg fanless body.
Caveats
- Memory is soldered, so a 16GB model stays 16GB; look for 24GB or 32GB if you'll need more.
- The 13.6-inch screen peaks at 500 nits and has no ProMotion or 120Hz mode.
- Fast charging needs Apple's 70W adapter. The box has a 30W adapter with the 8-core GPU, or a 35W Dual USB-C Compact with the 10-core GPU.
Key specs
In the same order on every laptop page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M4: 10-core CPU (4 performance, 6 efficiency); 16-core Neural Engine; 120GB/s bandwidth | Apple tech specs120GB/s is the memory bandwidth. |
| Graphics | 8-core GPU standard, 10-core optional; hardware ray tracing | Apple tech specs |
| Memory | 16GB unified memory standard; 24GB or 32GB optional | Apple tech specsSoldered to the board. |
| Storage | 256GB SSD standard; 512GB, 1TB or 2TB optional; no 4TB option | Apple tech specs |
| Display size | 13.6 inches diagonal; rounded top corners trim the viewable area | Apple tech specs |
| Display type | Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; not touch, not mini-LED XDR | Apple tech specs |
| Display resolution | 2560 × 1664 at 224 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| Refresh rate | No ProMotion or 120Hz; refresh rate not given | Apple tech specs |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | Apple tech specs |
| Color | 1 billion colors; P3 wide color; True Tone | Apple tech specs |
| Dimensions | 1.13 × 30.41 × 21.5 cm (0.44 × 11.97 × 8.46 in), height × width × depth | Apple tech specs |
| Weight | 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds) | Apple tech specs |
| Chassis material | Aluminum unibody, fanless | Apple Newsroom, 5 March 2025 |
| Finishes | Sky blue, midnight, starlight, silver | Apple tech specs; Apple Newsroom |
| Battery capacity | 53.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer | Apple tech specs |
| Battery, wireless web | Up to 15 hours | Apple tech specsApple's January 2025 test on a preproduction 13-inch M4 (10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB, 256GB) across 25 websites, brightness 8 clicks from the bottom. |
| Battery, video streaming | Up to 18 hours | Apple tech specs |
| Charging | 30W USB-C adapter with the 8-core GPU, 35W Dual USB-C Compact with the 10-core GPU; USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable (2 m); fast charging with the 70W USB-C Power Adapter | Apple tech specs |
| Ports | MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack; two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) | Apple tech specs |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View; 1080p video | Apple tech specs |
| Speakers | Four speakers; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | Apple tech specs |
| Microphones | Three mics with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes | Apple tech specs |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID; 78 keys (U.S.) or 79 (ISO); 12 function keys; inverted-T arrows | Apple tech specs |
| Trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Apple tech specs |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple tech specsThe M5 Air moved to Apple's N1 chip and Wi-Fi 7. |
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia at launch, with Apple Intelligence | Apple Newsroom, 5 March 2025; Apple tech specs |
| External displays | Up to two at up to 6K at 60Hz, alongside the built-in display | Apple tech specs |
| Security | Touch ID in the keyboard | Apple tech specs |
| Cooling | Fanless | Apple Newsroom, 5 March 2025 |
| US price | 13-inch from $999, $899 education; 15-inch from $1,199, $1,099 education | Apple Newsroom, 5 March 2025Apple's US prices at launch, 5 March 2025. |
| Price band | Previous-generation ultraportable ($900–$1,200 at US launch) | Based on Apple's $999 starting price |
| Announced | 5 March 2025 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Pre-orders from 5 March 2025; in stores from Wednesday, 12 March 2025; now the previous model | Apple Newsroom |
MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| What M5 changed | The M5 Air: 512GB base storage and up to 4TB, 153GB/s memory bandwidth, N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max | Apple tech specs for the M4 and M5 Airs |
| What M4 changed from M3 | 16GB as standard, Center Stage camera, two displays with the lid open, sky blue finish; the M3 still lists 8GB and a 1080p FaceTime HD camera | Apple tech specs for M4 and M3 |
| MagSafe 3 | Dedicated MagSafe 3 port, plus USB-C charging over the Thunderbolt ports | Apple tech specs |
What the M5 changed, and what it didn’t
The M5 Air replaced this one and kept its screen. On paper, the gap looks like this:
| Spec | 13-inch Air (M4) | 13-inch Air (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Base storage | 256GB | 512GB |
| Maximum storage | 2TB | 4TB |
| Memory bandwidth | 120GB/s | 153GB/s |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (N1 chip) |
| Charger in the box | 30W, or 35W Dual USB-C Compact with the 10-core GPU | 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max |
| Screen | 13.6-inch, 2560 × 1664, 500 nits | Same |
If you own an M4, there’s little here to chase unless a 256GB model has run out of space or you’ve moved to a Wi-Fi 7 router. If you’re buying, the M4 makes sense only at a real discount, and only if its storage is enough for you; the base model has 256GB. MacBook Air M4 vs M5 has the full comparison.
Screen, size and battery
The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is an LED-backlit IPS panel at 2560 × 1664 and 224 ppi, with 500 nits, P3 wide color, 1 billion colors and True Tone. There’s no ProMotion and no touch. The fanless aluminum body is 1.13 cm thick and weighs 1.24 kg, in sky blue, midnight, starlight or silver; sky blue was new with M4.
| Mode | 13-inch Air (M4) |
|---|---|
| Video streaming | Up to 18 hours |
| Wireless web | Up to 15 hours |
| Battery | 53.8Wh |
Apple’s ratings come from its January 2025 tests on a preproduction 16GB, 256GB model with the 8-core GPU, browsing 25 websites with brightness 8 clicks from the bottom.
Ports, camera and wireless
You get MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports that can also charge it, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. With the lid open, it drives two external displays at up to 6K and 60Hz next to its own screen, something the M3 Air couldn’t do.
Video calls go through a 12MP Center Stage camera that records in 1080p. Four speakers support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, three microphones offer Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes, and Touch ID sits in the backlit Magic Keyboard. Wireless is Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Apple shipped it with macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence.
13-inch or 15-inch
The 15-inch Air (M4) started at $1,199, or $1,099 for education, against $999 for the 13-inch, and comes with a 35W Dual USB-C Compact adapter. You pay in weight and price for its bigger screen, 10-core GPU and 66.5Wh battery.
Price
Apple launched the 13-inch M4 Air at $999 in the US on 5 March 2025, or $899 with education pricing, and it reached stores on 12 March 2025. That bought 16GB, 256GB and the 8-core GPU. Now that the M5 has replaced it, look for it refurbished or at education prices, and compare any deal against a new M5 before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Apple Newsroom — MacBook Air with M4 and sky blue — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Should I upgrade from the M4 Air to the M5?
Only if you've outgrown 256GB or want Wi-Fi 7. The M5 starts at 512GB and goes to 4TB, adds Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and raises memory bandwidth from 120GB/s to 153GB/s. The 13.6-inch, 2560 × 1664, 500-nit screen is unchanged.
Does it support two monitors with the lid open?
Yes. It drives two external displays at up to 6K and 60Hz alongside its own screen. That arrived with M4; the M3 Air has to close its lid to add a second display.
Does it fast-charge?
Yes, with Apple's 70W USB-C Power Adapter, which isn't the one in the box. You get a 30W adapter with the 8-core GPU or a 35W Dual USB-C Compact with the 10-core GPU, plus a 2-meter USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable.
Is $999 what I'll pay?
No. $999 was Apple's US starting price on 5 March 2025, or $899 with education pricing. As the previous model, it's now a refurbished or education buy, and the price depends on where you find it.
Official product page: MacBook Air 13-inch (M4). Tech specs: MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) specs.