Apple is kicking off 2025 with a wave of new product launches. The highlight so far is the iPhone 16e: a device that delivers the core iPhone experience without unnecessary extras. It keeps the price as competitive as Apple wants while staying true to its simplicity. Up next, you have MacBook Air, now powered by the M4 chip. Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Everything We Know About the M4 MacBook Air
1. Release Date
Back in April 2024, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicted that Apple would introduce the Mac’s version of the M4 chip in the MacBook Pro and iMac later that year, and he was right. At the time, he also suggested that the M4 MacBook Air wouldn’t arrive until spring 2025, about a year after the M3 MacBook Air.
By June 2024, Gurman reaffirmed that the M4 MacBook Air wouldn’t launch before spring 2025. In October, he reported that Apple was preparing for production, hinting at a release between January and March 2025. Then, in January 2025, he revealed that the laptop was already in production and would ship “relatively soon.” By early February, he pointed out that Apple was targeting a March release and that M3 MacBook Air stock was running low in stores.
So, when can you expect the update? A strong clue comes from Apple’s 2025 Higher Education Offer in Australia, which runs until March 13. Since Apple is unlikely to update a device mid-promotion, the new MacBook Air probably won’t launch before then. A reasonable timeline suggests a March 4 or 5 announcement, pre-orders on March 7, and an official release on March 14, just in time for Apple’s fiscal quarter-end.
2. Rumored Design
According to Gurman’s sources, the upcoming MacBook Air M4 models will look similar to the version introduced in 2022. Apple is set to begin manufacturing new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models, identified by the codenames J713 and J714. This information lines up with an earlier report from display analyst Russ Young, who noted that shipments of display panels for the new MacBook Airs would start in October.
If you’ve used a modern MacBook, you’re already familiar with Apple’s flat, utilitarian design, first introduced with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2021. Apple seems committed to this aesthetic for the foreseeable future, so it’s no surprise that the M4 MacBook Air won’t be getting a redesign anytime soon.
3. Price
When considering the price, you can expect Apple to stick with the same $1,099 starting price for the M4 MacBook Air, just like it did for the M3 model. As you’ll soon see, this is mainly because the M4 version appears to be only a minor upgrade.
The real question is what Apple will do with its more affordable option. Currently, you can buy the M3 MacBook Air, while the M2 model is still available at a lower price of $999. According to Gurman, Apple might keep the M2 model instead of replacing it with the M3, citing “manufacturing challenges” affecting the M3 chip.
4. Performance and Features
You can be sure that the next MacBook Air will come with the M4 chip. Since it’s designed for consumers, anything more powerful would be unnecessary. High-end chips like the M4 Pro, M4 Max, and M4 Ultra offer more performance than you’d ever need in a MacBook Air, and with its passive cooling system, those chips would likely overheat.
So, what can you expect from the M4? Looking at the M4 MacBook Pro gives you some clues. That model features a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, so the MacBook Air will probably have something similar. Apple may also offer a lower-binned version as a more affordable option, just as it has in previous years.
You’ll also see improvements in the Neural Engine, with more efficient cores compared to the M3. Memory bandwidth could increase from 100GB/s to 120GB/s, and you can likely configure up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. However, because both the M3 and M4 use the same 3nm process, the performance jump won’t be as dramatic as the leap from the M2 to the M3. Expect a modest speed boost rather than groundbreaking changes.
If you use multiple displays, there’s good news. The M3 MacBook Air only supports two external monitors when the lid is closed, but the M4 might lift that restriction. Since the M4 MacBook Pro handles two high-resolution displays at higher frame rates, the MacBook Air may now support its built-in screen plus two external monitors simultaneously.
While Apple plans to introduce OLED screens across its laptops, you’ll have to wait until at least 2029. In the meantime, you can look forward to an improved LCD display. Additionally, a new “Front Ultra-Wide Camera” could bring features like Center Stage and Desk View to improve your video calls.