New blue color in M4 MacBook Air, photo credit Apple
The first hands-on reviews of the new MacBook Air with M4 processor have appeared, and so has a consensus that it’s a worthy but not special upgrade.
Given that the previous model, the M3 MacBook Air was described by AppleInsider as the best Mac for most people, its M4 update was never likely to tarnish that reputation. Especially not since the new edition comes in at $100 cheaper than the 2024 model.
So across the board, there is a lot of praise for the new MacBook Air. It is certainly a good buy and it appears to remain the sweet spot in Apple’s lineup.
But just as with the first reviews of the newest iPad Air updates, no one is claiming the new MacBook Air is dramatic. All of the reviews recommend it, except that none of the reviews say it’s worth upgrading to from the previous M3 model.
Familiar and does the job
Gizmodo describes the new MacBook Air as “like slipping into a warm pair of your favorite pajamas.” After listing specifications and the site’s own testing figures, the review has most to say about the color.
“I have tipped over the edge of delirium staring at Apple’s latest laptop refresh in different lights, hoping to determine its actual hue,” writes Kyle Barr. “The latest MacBook Air colorway is not ‘Sky Blue,’ as Apple intended… If you compare it to a cloudless sky on a bright, sunny day, at most, it’s a cool gray color with a bare hint of blue.”
“The Apple MacBook Air M4 is a fast, quality productivity machine and it now starts at its lowest base price,” concludes the review. “I just wish it were more blue.”
On YouTube, iJustine also devotes time to the color, but she’s far more enamored of it. “Wow, this color is just so stunning,” she says
CNET is possibly even a bit more enthusiastic, to an extent, beginning its review with “still fantastic, even if not much has changed.
WhereasWired chiefly summarizes the new MacBook Air by saying “this lightweight machine comes equipped with a bit more power and some necessary improvements, all for a more affordable price.”
Perfect size
No reviews so far are negative, but Laptop Magazine is among the most gushing. “[It] may look like its predecessor, but a powerful new chip, an excellent new webcam, and a lower price make it a worthy upgrade.”
This review even describes the new 15-inch MacBook Air as potentially being in “the Goldilocks zone” for laptop buyers, “a perfect size.”
Perhaps the one review that most sums up all of the opinions about the new MacBook Air is the one by The Verge. “Small improvements and a price reduction go a long way for the MacBook Air and Macs as a whole,” it says.
The new M4 MacBook Air is available to preorder now, and will be shipping — and in Apple Stores — from March 12, 2025.
It comes in two sizes, with 13-inch and 15-inch versions. The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999, and the 15-inch model starts at $1,199.
