MacBook Air Gets M4 Chip, 18-Hour Battery, and Sky Blue Color
Apple introduces MacBook Air with M4 chip, 18-hour battery, AI features, and a lower $999 price. Pre-orders start now, with availability on March 12.
image for illustrative purpose
Apple has introduced the latest MacBook Air, powered by the new M4 chip, delivering improved performance, extended battery life, and additional features. The updated model supports up to 18 hours of battery life, introduces a 12MP Center Stage camera, and starts at a reduced price of $999. Educational pricing begins at $899.
The latest MacBook Air lineup, available in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, can be pre-ordered immediately, with availability beginning March 12. A new color, sky blue, joins the existing lineup of midnight, starlight, and silver, with each option including a color-coordinated MagSafe charging cable.
Apple’s M4 chip brings significant improvements to performance, handling tasks such as multitasking and video editing with greater efficiency. The chip features a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, with support for up to 32GB of unified memory. Performance comparisons indicate that the M4-powered MacBook Air is up to twice as fast as the M1 model and up to 23 times faster than the last Intel-based MacBook Air.
Battery efficiency has also been optimized, offering users transitioning from Intel-based models up to six additional hours on a single charge. The M4 chip’s Neural Engine accelerates AI-driven tasks, processing functions such as automatic photo enhancement and background noise reduction up to three times faster than the M1 MacBook Air.
Performance Metrics Compared to Previous Models
- Spreadsheet calculations in Microsoft Excel run up to 4.7 times faster than the last Intel-based MacBook Air and 1.6 times faster than the M1 model.
- Video editing performance in iMovie is up to eight times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air and twice as fast as the M1 version.
- Adobe Photoshop operations execute 3.6 times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air and up to twice as fast as the M1 model.
- Web browsing is 60 per cent faster than a PC laptop equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and provides twice the speed for resource-intensive tasks.
The new MacBook Air is designed to integrate Apple Intelligence, offering features that boost productivity and creativity. Users can access tools such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and Writing Tools, with Siri now supporting both spoken and typed requests. Additionally, ChatGPT is integrated within Siri and Writing Tools, providing AI-generated responses without requiring an account. Privacy features include IP address masking and Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, which ensures data remains secure and is not stored or shared.
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, highlighted the enhancements in a statement: “MacBook Air remains the world’s most popular laptop, and now it’s even better with the M4 chip, a Center Stage camera, and a new sky blue color. With its lightweight design, fanless operation, all-day battery, and seamless integration with macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence, this is the best time to upgrade or switch to Mac. The new lower price makes it an even more compelling option.”
The MacBook Air with M4 chip aims to set a new standard for portable computing, providing a balance of power efficiency, AI integration, and an accessible price point for users looking to upgrade.
