Apple’s new M4 MacBook Air is an easy product to recommend to just about everyone—even M3 owners. But if you’re currently holding on to an M1 MacBook Air, what exactly will the new M4 model get you? Here’s what you should know.
Design: Modern look will be an advantage for most
The MacBook Air hasn’t changed its design since the M2 model debuted in 2022. You’ll get that same modern design with the new M4 model.
The M1 MacBook Air, however, features the more classic tapered finish that dates back to the very first Air.
Depending on your preferences, the M4’s design could either be a pro or con.
For me personally, while I appreciate a lot about the new design, I’ve always loved that classic MacBook Air look and feel, and the newer models don’t hit the same way. I’d love to see a next-gen design arrive in the future that’s more like the classic 12-inch MacBook: inspired by the original MacBook Air, but significantly thinner and more modern.
Display: Bigger and brighter, with one drawback
There are several key advantages you’ll get with the M4 MacBook Air’s display.
For starters, it comes in two sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches.
Both of these are bigger than what the M1 Air offers with its 13.3-inch display.
You also get a brighter screen on the new M4 Air, with up to 500 nits of brightness versus only 400 on the M1 Air.
There’s one drawback of the new model though: the notch.
Most users forget the notch is even there after a short period of use. But your experience may vary.
M4 vs M1 processor: All upside for all users
As you would expect for a chip three generations down the line, the M4 in Apple’s new MacBook Air offers big performance improvements over the M1.
- The M4 features a 10-core CPU, versus only 8 in the M1
- M4 also has an up to 10-core GPU, beating out the M1’s 7 cores
- the 16-core Neural Engine is also much more powerful, well equipped for AI
Based on Apple’s claims for other M4 products, you’re looking at up to 1.7x gains for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x for more demanding tasks like photo editing and gaming.
The M4 supports more unified memory too, starting at 16GB of RAM and maxing out at 32GB. The M1 model offered half that at both the low and high end.
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is also supported by the M4, which gamers will care about. And hardware-accelerated ProRes and ProRes RAW is another M4 advantage.
Camera, microphone, and speaker improvements
If video calling is important to you, the M4 MacBook Air has a big upgrade in store. Here’s how the cameras compare:
- M4: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View and 1080p HD video recording
- M1: 720p FaceTime HD camera
Many of us use AirPods Pro or other headphones with our Mac, but it’s always good to have strong built-in speakers and microphones too.
On that front, the M4 MacBook Air has a four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support. The M1 Air only has stereo speakers and no Spatial Audio.
The M4 also powers some key microphone features not found in the M1 model, like Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes for enhanced clarity.
MagSafe charging, external displays, and wireless connectivity
Charging: One nice advantage of the M4 MacBook Air is that it supports MagSafe charging. This not only provides a safer way to charge your device, but it also means you get to free up one of the two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Additionally, the M4 Air is fast-charge capable with a 70W or higher USB-C adapter.
External displays: The M1 MacBook Air infamously only supports one external display. With the M4 model, you can drive two external monitors plus continue using the MacBook Air’s built-in display.
Wireless connectivity: Apple’s new MacBook Air supports more modern wireless standards than the M1.
- M4: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
- M1: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
M4 MacBook Air vs M1 MacBook Air: wrap-up
It’s pretty clear that a lot has changed in the MacBook Air lineup since the M1 model debuted in 2020.
The M4 MacBook Air brings advantages in basically every category.
The biggest reason not to upgrade? I’d say simply: if you don’t feel the need (or want) to. Almost five years on, the M1 MacBook Air is still holding up fine. Thanks to Apple Silicon, it’s a very capable computer even to this day.
But if you want a faster computer, with a more modern design, an extra port thanks to MagSafe, a much improved camera, better display capabilities, and more—the M4 MacBook Air is fantastic. Especially at $999.
Do you plan to upgrade to an M4 from your M1? Let us know in the comments.
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