Apple is trying to push the boundaries of innovation with its upcoming M4 MacBook, which is expected to bring good performance and efficiency upgrades. As the successor to the M3 lineup, the M4 laptop is rumored to feature the next-generation Apple silicon chip, which provides better battery life and cutting-edge AI powdered optimization.

Whether you are a teacher, a student or tech-exhausted, this M4 Macbook provides you with a good and faster experience as compared to their previous series, as claimed by Apple. Let's understand the expectations and expected date for the M4 Macbook series release.

New Features In M4 Macbook Air

Apple's just-announced M4 MacBook Air introduces a number of significant improvements while retaining the streamlined design that's made the Air series so beloved. Here are six things you should know about the new version of Apple's super-portable laptop.

Availability and Launch Date

The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air powered by the M4 chip can be pre-ordered today and will go on sale officially on Wednesday, March 12. With Apple's latest technology innovations, this version is expected to deliver improved performance, advanced AI features, and increased efficiency.

Two External Displays Support

One of the largest upgrades is native support for two external displays with the laptop's lid open. This makes it possible to work with up to three displays at once—the MacBook's own display and two external monitors.

Apple's technical specs verify the new MacBook Air "also supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz." It also features Thunderbolt 4 digital video output and native DisplayPort 1.4 output over USB-C.

This is a big leap forward from the earlier M1 and M2 models, which officially supported just a single external display. Even the M3 model, which supported two external displays, demanded the laptop's lid to be closed. The M4 MacBook Air eliminates this limitation altogether.

12MP Center Stage Camera

The M4 MacBook Air features a 12-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, up from the old 1080p model. In addition to higher resolution, this new camera also supports Center Stage, which keeps users in the middle of the frame during video calls even if they are walking around.

Additionally, the camera includes Desk View, a feature that offers an overhead perspective of your desk during video calls—useful for presentations and content creators. Given past complaints about MacBook webcam quality, this upgrade is a welcome change for frequent video conferencing users.

Easier Setup with Proximity Pairing

Apple has simplified the new Mac setup process. From April when macOS Sequoia 15.4 rolls out, new MacBook Air owners will be able to set up their device just by holding their iPhone or iPad near the laptop.

This new proximity-based configuration allows rapid sign-in to your Apple ID and the auto-migration of files, photos, messages, passwords, and other information. Your iPhone or iPad should, however, be running iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 for the feature to be functional.

New Sky Blue Color and MagSafe Charger

Apple has added a new "sky blue" color variant, supplanting the earlier space gray version. This is accompanied by the launch of a corresponding sky blue USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable. As with other MacBook Air models, the M4 variant comes packaged with a color-matched MagSafe cable. The magnetic charging guarantees safety because it easily detaches if anyone accidentally tugs at the cord, avoiding the damage of the laptop. For a separate MagSafe 3 charging cable if you need or prefer a different color, Apple retails them at $49.

Battery Life and Performance Efficiency

Battery life is comparable to previous M2 and M3 models, even with the performance improvements brought about by the new M4 chip. It shows that Apple has focused power efficiency gains on performance increases instead of increasing battery life.

Interestingly, the new MacBook Air has a marginally bigger 53.8-watt-hour battery than the 52.6-watt-hour battery found in earlier models. This probably ensures battery longevity even with the upgraded processor.

Price Drop and Base Configurations

Apple has lowered the starting price of the M4 MacBook Air. The 13-inch model now starts at $999, which is $100 less than the previous-generation M3 MacBook Air’s launch price of $1,099. Additionally, the base configuration now includes 16GB of RAM, doubling the previous 8GB standard.

The 15-inch version carries over its $1,199 price tag but enjoys the same internal upgrades. Both begin life with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of SSD storage, with higher spec options for more advanced users.

Is the M4 MacBook Air Good for Gaming?

Mac users have often seen gaming as a lower priority compared to Windows PC users, who benefit from better hardware and a wider selection of games with optimized performance. Mac users had to wait years for less effective game versions.

Apple is looking to improve its gaming presence with its M-series chips, particularly with the anticipated M4 MacBook Air set to release in 2025.

M4 MacBook Air Hardware

Apple has not built the M4 MacBook Air specifically for gaming needs. The M4 MacBook Air does not include a dedicated graphics card along with a high refresh rate screen display. Also, Apple continues to prioritize general computing functions above gaming. Apple Silicon shows fantastic advancement in how its graphics perform.

The Apple M4 integrated GPU has 10 cores and performs similarly to an NVIDIA graphics card. Apple improved their integrated graphics a few years ago. The benchmarks for the M4 Mac Mini can help us guess how well the MacBook Air, which uses the same Apple chip, will perform in games.

A Comparison Between M4 MacBook Air & Other M4-powered Apple devices

Device	CPU	Memory Bandwidth	RAM
Air Macbook M4	10-core (4 performance, 6 efficiency)	120 GB/s	16GB/24GB (up to 32GB)
MacBook Pro, iMac & Mac mini M4	10-core (4 performance, 6 efficiency)	120 GB/s	16GB/24GB (up to 32GB)

Crossover and Cloud Gaming

Users of macOS have alternative options when a game fails to support the operating system.

• You can play some Windows games on macOS using the Crossover app. Games like Portal 2 and Skyrim Special Edition run well, but Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom Eternal have performance problems or won't launch at all.
• Users can run Windows on their Mac through virtualization with Parallels but these solution combinations are both costly and lead to major performance losses.
• The M4 MacBook Air demonstrates top performance when users emulate consoles. Ryujinx offers effective Nintendo Switch emulation alongside the PS3 game Skate 3 which can maintain 60 FPS performance.
• Users who have fast internet connections can access big cloud gaming libraries through platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. Although cloud gaming works on all devices, computing platforms make it impossible to declare this as exclusive to Mac computing systems.

Final Thoughts

The M4 MacBook Air isn't a complete redesign, but it has some significant improvements. It can now support two external monitors, has a better camera, a quicker setup, and comes in a new sky blue color. With a lower starting price and better hardware, this MacBook Air is a good upgrade for Apple's best-selling laptop. If you're thinking about upgrading, now might be a great time.