MacBook Air M4 Early 2025: A Comprehensive Review

Apple continues its annual tradition with the release of the new MacBook Air in 2025, maintaining its focus on the system on a chip (SoC) upgrade. The MacBook Air 15, powered by the new M4 chip, remains the epitome of sleek, portable productivity, boasting exceptional battery life and a stunning display. While not designed for heavy gaming, this MacBook Air excels at facilitating efficient office work, making it the perfect companion for professionals on the go.

The MacBook Air (M4, Early 2025) is now available, starting at $999 for the 13-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch version I reviewed. As with all Apple products, customization options abound, allowing you to upgrade to a 15-inch MacBook Air with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for $2,399.

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The MacBook Air has become synonymous with the concept of a laptop, and it's easy to see why. The 2025 model maintains the iconic thin and lightweight design, weighing just 3.3 pounds, which is remarkable for a 15-inch laptop. The unibody aluminum chassis, less than half an inch thick, contributes to this featherweight build. Despite its slim profile, the MacBook Air offers a clean and elegant design, with speakers cleverly hidden in the hinge, enhancing audio quality by using the lid as a natural amplifier. This design choice is possible due to the fanless M4 configuration, which not only contributes to a sleek look but also to the laptop's silence during operation.

The MacBook Air retains its beloved keyboard, offering deep key travel despite the laptop's thinness. The inclusion of a fast and accurate TouchID sensor in the top right corner adds a layer of convenience and security. The expansive touchpad, known for its excellence, provides reliable palm rejection, ensuring smooth navigation even during extended use.

On the connectivity front, the MacBook Air offers two USB-C ports and a MagSafe connector on the left, with a headphone jack on the right. While the inclusion of a headphone jack is appreciated, the absence of an SD card slot or additional USB-C port on the right side might be a limitation for some users.

The display of the MacBook Air, while not as advanced as that of the MacBook Pro, remains impressive. The 15.3-inch, 1880p screen covers 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100% of sRGB, making it ideal for everyday tasks and entertainment. With a peak brightness of 426 nits, it's sufficiently bright for indoor use and performs well in most lighting conditions.

Performance-wise, the MacBook Air is tailored for productivity rather than gaming. Benchmarking on macOS can be challenging, but the fanless M4 chip ensures the laptop remains cool and quiet during everyday use. It handles multitasking with ease, even with numerous browser tabs open and background music playing, thanks to the 32GB of RAM in the review unit. Light Photoshop work is manageable, though more intensive tasks like noise filtering in Lightroom may push its limits.

Battery life is a standout feature of the MacBook Air, with Apple claiming up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 hours of web browsing. My tests, using local video playback, exceeded these claims, with the laptop lasting over 19 hours. This makes the MacBook Air an excellent choice for travelers, offering the freedom to work unplugged for extended periods.