MacBook Air 15-inch M4

A Laptop That Actually Gets Better and Cheaper

Here's what I love about the MacBook Air 15-inch M4: it doesn't try to be something it's not. It's not a gaming beast. It's not the thinnest thing ever. But it's a laptop that handles your actual life beautifully, and now it costs less than before.

The battery life is the real star here. Over 15 hours means you can genuinely work all day without plugging in. Whether you're bouncing between the office, coffee shop, and home, or you're a student moving between classes, you don't have to think about charging. That's huge for busy people.

The display is bright and clear, perfect for working outside during nice weather or catching up on work in different rooms. It's not going to blow your mind like an OLED screen, but the colors are accurate and you can actually see it in daylight, which matters more than you'd think.

What reviewers really appreciated is how comfortable it is to use for hours. The keyboard feels natural, the trackpad is responsive, and the whole experience is smooth. Apps open instantly, switching between tasks is snappy, and nothing feels sluggish. It's the kind of laptop that gets out of your way so you can focus on your actual work.

The M4 chip is noticeably faster than the M3, which means if you're upgrading from an older MacBook, you'll feel the difference. Video editing, photo work, heavy spreadsheets—it all runs beautifully. The only thing it won't do is serious gaming, but honestly, if you need that, you're not buying a MacBook anyway.

The port situation is the main compromise. You get two USB-C ports and MagSafe, which is nice, but if you want to plug in multiple things at once, you'll need a hub. It's annoying, but it's Apple being Apple.

The price is the other real consideration. At $1,299, it's actually $100 cheaper than it used to be, which is genuinely nice. But it's still a significant investment. If you upgrade to more storage or RAM, prices climb quickly. For what you get, it's fair, but it's definitely not a budget laptop.

Bottom line: if you need a laptop that works beautifully, lasts all day on battery, and doesn't require constant fiddling, this is it. It's especially great if you're upgrading from something older. Just know you're paying for quality and reliability, not the absolute latest specs.

The M4 MacBook Air 15 is a Competent Update That Doesn't Justify Its Price

Apple's MacBook Air 15 with M4 is a textbook example of incremental hardware refresh. The company dropped the price $100 to $1,299, added a new chip, swapped Space Gray for Sky Blue, and called it a day. The problem is that incremental doesn't cut it at flagship prices anymore.

Let's start with what works. Battery life is legitimately impressive at over 15 hours, which means you can realistically work a full day without hunting for power. The display is bright at 476 nits with solid color accuracy (0.22 Delta E), making it practical for content creation and outdoor work. The M4 itself is a proper upgrade from the M3, showing measurable gains in video encoding and creative workloads. Geekbench scores hit 14,921, and the HandBrake conversion test completed at 4.57, indicating real-world performance improvements.

But here's where the business case falls apart. Thermal management shows the M4 hitting 90 degrees Fahrenheit under sustained load. That's not catastrophic, but it signals Apple is running the chip close to its thermal limits. Gaming performance is still weak (19 fps in Borderlands 3 at 1080p), so if you ever want to play anything demanding, this isn't your machine. The design is literally unchanged from the M3. Same chassis, same port configuration, same industrial design. At $1,299, that feels lazy.

The port situation is genuinely problematic. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and MagSafe 3 means you're buying a dock on day one if you use external displays, storage, or peripherals. This is a professional-tier price point, and professionals need connectivity.

Value is the real issue. A $1,299 starting price puts this squarely in flagship territory, competing with Windows ultrabooks and the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4. The $100 price cut from the M3 is appreciated but doesn't change the fundamental math. You're still paying premium dollars for an incremental upgrade with a design that's stagnant and ports that force you into an ecosystem tax.

The MacBook Air M4 is a solid machine if you already own one and want a modest performance bump. For new buyers, the value proposition is weak. You're paying flagship prices for an incremental refresh with design that hasn't evolved in two generations.