Apple MacBook Air Apple 15" MacBook Air (M4, Starlight) Review
The 15-inch MacBook Air M4 delivers a gorgeous big screen in a thin design, but its GPU holds it back from being a true powerhouse. Here's who should buy it.
Overview
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip is a big-screen laptop that doesn't feel heavy. It's got a gorgeous 15.3-inch display and enough power for most work, but it's still clearly an Air at heart. You're getting the classic thin-and-light design, just stretched out to a more comfortable size for multitasking and media.
Performance
The M4 chip is quick for everyday tasks and creative work, landing in the 66th percentile for CPU performance. The 32GB of RAM is a sweet spot for keeping dozens of tabs and apps open. But the GPU is its weak spot, sitting in the 18th percentile. That's why its gaming score is so low. It's fine for light gaming, but don't expect to run the latest AAA titles smoothly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The 15-inch screen is bright and beautiful. 97th
- 32GB of RAM handles heavy multitasking easily. 95th
- Build quality and reliability are top-notch. 89th
- It's surprisingly portable for a 15-inch laptop. 83th
Cons
- GPU performance is weak for serious gaming. 19th
- Only two USB-C ports limits connectivity.
- The 60Hz display feels dated next to 120Hz options.
- It's expensive for what you get.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Apple M4 |
| Cores | 10 |
Graphics
| GPU | Apple (10-Core) |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Storage Type | NVMe SSD |
Display
| Size | 15.3" |
| Resolution | 2880 |
| Panel | IPS |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits |
Connectivity
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 4 |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
Physical
| Weight | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs |
| Battery | 66 Wh |
| OS | macOS |
Value & Pricing
At $1999, the value proposition is tricky. You're paying a premium for the Apple ecosystem, the sleek design, and that excellent screen. The performance is solid for an Air, but you can get more raw power for the money elsewhere. It's a great laptop, but it's not a great deal.
Price History
vs Competition
Compared to the 14-inch MacBook Pro, you lose the ProMotion display, extra ports, and the more powerful M4 Max chip, but you gain a bigger screen in a lighter body. Next to a Windows machine like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, you're giving up all gaming performance and a high-refresh-rate screen for better battery life and macOS. The ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a unique dual-screen setup for similar money, which might be better for productivity.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air Apple 15" MacBook Air (M4, Starlight) | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M5, Silver) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus ASUS - ROG Zephyrus G14 14" 3K OLED 120Hz Gaming | Lenovo Legion Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 Intel Laptop, | MSI Creator MSI Creator M14 A13V A13VF-081US 14" 2.8K Laptop, | HP ZBook HP 14" ZBook Ultra G1a Multi-Touch Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Apple M5 | AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX | Intel Core i7 13620H | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 32 | 128 |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 4096 | 1000 | 1024 | 2048 | 2048 |
| Screen | 15.3" 2880x1864 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 14" 2880x1800 | 16" 2560x1600 | 14" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | Apple (10-Core) | Apple (10-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | AMD Radeon |
| OS | macOS | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business) | Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight (kg) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Battery (Wh) | 66 | 72 | - | 80 | - | 74 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
Verdict
Buy this if you're a macOS user who wants a big, beautiful screen for work and media in the thinnest possible package. It's perfect for business users, students who need screen real estate, and anyone who values portability. Just look elsewhere if you need to game or want the absolute most power for your dollar.