A Comprehensive Review of the Apple MacBook Air M4 (15-inch, 2025)

Introduction: A Balanced and Portable Powerhouse

The Apple MacBook Air M4 (15-inch, 2025) strikes an excellent balance between performance, portability, and affordability, making it a standout choice in Apple’s MacBook lineup. With a starting price of $1,199, this laptop is $100 cheaper than its predecessor, the M3 model, and offers a 15.3-inch display that bridges the gap between the 13-inch MacBook Air and the more premium MacBook Pro line. The M4 processor provides a seamless blend of power and efficiency, making it ideal for everyday tasks and multimedia consumption. While it may not match the MacBook Pro in features like ProMotion or a nano-texture display, the 15-inch Air is a compelling option for those who don’t need the absolute top-tier performance but still want a high-quality laptop.

Performance: Incremental Improvements, Solid Results

The M4 chip in the 15-inch MacBook Air delivers incremental performance improvements over the M3 model, with a 10-core CPU (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU. This setup ensures smooth multitasking, efficient handling of demanding tasks like video editing, and a responsive overall experience. While the M4 doesn’t offer a significant leap in performance, it’s more than capable of handling mainstream applications and outperforms competitors like the HP OmniBook X 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 in benchmarks like Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024. However, battery life isn’t the strongest suit of the 15-inch Air, lasting around 16 hours and 41 minutes in testing, which is decent but shorter than some Windows competitors.

Design and Features: A Refinement of Excellence

The 15-inch MacBook Air retains the sleek, lightweight design Apple is known for, weighing in at just 3.3 pounds and measuring less than half an inch thick. The larger screen real estate is a major advantage, offering more space for multitasking and media consumption. The laptop also features a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage support, which keeps you centered during video calls, and a Desk View feature that allows for a dual-screen presentation. However, Desk View feels somewhat gimmicky and awkward to use. The addition of Thunderbolt 4 ports is a welcome upgrade, enabling support for up to two 6K external displays. The new sky blue color option is subtle but underwhelming, with the classic silver and midnight black remaining the more attractive choices.

Display: Bright and Colorful, But Missing ProMotion

The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display is bright and vibrant, with a peak brightness of 525 nits and 100% coverage of the P3 color gamut. It’s excellent for watching videos and working with photos, though it lacks the ProMotion feature found in the MacBook Pro, which offers a higher refresh rate for smoother scrolling and animations. While most users won’t notice the absence of ProMotion during video playback, the 60Hz refresh rate can feel limiting when scrolling through web pages or switching between apps. The webcam notch also remains a design choice that some may find distracting, especially given the slightly wider bezels on the 15-inch model.

Choosing Between 13-inch and 15-inch: What’s Right for You?

For potential buyers deciding between the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, the choice largely comes down to portability versus screen real estate. The 13-inch model is lighter and $200 cheaper, making it ideal for students and those who prioritize mobility. However, the 15-inch Air offers a significantly better experience for multitasking and media consumption, and its larger screen makes it a versatile option for hybrid workers and anyone who doesn’t plan to use an external display. While the 13-inch Air remains a solid choice, the 15-inch model feels like the default option for most users due to its larger display and the added value it provides.

Conclusion: A Strong Choice for Most Users

The 15-inch MacBook Air M4 is a well-rounded laptop that checks most of the boxes for everyday users. Its larger screen, lightweight design, and lower starting price make it an excellent value, especially when compared to the more expensive MacBook Pro. While it may lack some premium features like ProMotion and a nano-texture display, the Air more than makes up for these omissions with its practicality and performance. For anyone upgrading from an older MacBook or looking for a reliable, portable laptop, the 15-inch M4 Air is a smart and satisfying choice.