The Macbook Air M4 Brought Me Back To Apple (and At This Price, I Have No Regrets)

MacBook Air M4 successful Sky Blue

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The MacBook Air M4 (15-inch) is connected waste astatine Amazon during Prime Day, starting astatine $1,049 for nan 16GB version. 

When Apple announced nan MacBook Air M4 earlier this year, it was clear that nan laptop would beryllium an incremental upgrade from past year's model, pinch the latest successful Apple silicon and a big of package and AI-powered features. The truth that nan 13-inch type was $100 little was a pleasant surprise, however, positioning it arsenic a competitory prime successful nan existent market. 

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I had a chance to trial retired nan caller MacBook Air M4, and my first findings bespeak a instrumentality that's snappier, a small much polished, and, for MacBook users, an incremental improvement. But if you're coming from Windows, nan MacBook Air M4 mightiness consciousness moreover much awesome arsenic a afloat realized ultraportable laptop with an elegant group of hardware. 

Hardware upgrades: much for less

One of nan large improvements to nan hardware connected nan Air M4 is nan description connected some nan debased and precocious end. The lowest-tier configuration of nan M4 comes pinch a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, arsenic opposed to nan 8-core M3 spot from past year.

Video calls are really enjoyable

One of nan first things you announcement erstwhile switching from Windows to Mac is conscionable really bully nan webcam is connected nan M4 MacBook Air. Image value is crisp, smooth, and well-lit, and audio is conscionable arsenic good. The full videoconferencing acquisition is simply amended connected a Mac. 

Sure, location are Windows devices retired location pinch awesome webcams, but nan bottommost statement is that image value is highly adaptable based connected nan make, model, and hardware. Whether you're taking calls for activity aliases FaceTiming a friend connected nan M4 MacBook Air, it's an enjoyable, seamless acquisition that looks awesome connected nan show pinch small to nary input from nan user, which leads maine to my adjacent point. 

The show still rocks

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

I tested nan 15-inch MacBook Air, and while it's surely bladed and light, a fistful of competitors person popped up complete nan past fewer years, peculiarly successful nan 15- and 16-inch categories, to situation its lightweight supremacy. The LG Gram Pro 16, for example, features an moreover larger surface and is thinner and lighter than nan 15-inch MacBook Air M4. 

So, it's not conscionable nan shape facet anymore. The Air has a fistful of typical features that group it apart, some successful position of package and hardware. The astir evident are its banger of a show and support for 2 further outer monitors pinch nan lid open. 

Also: Looking for a bully bundle? Get 3 years of Apple Care+ pinch a caller MacBook Air M3

You conscionable can't reason pinch nan show here. Apple's Liquid Retina surface looks arsenic bully arsenic ever connected nan Air M4, pinch crisp, well-defined text,  smooth, vibrant video, and support for 1 cardinal colors. It's each here, and it's made moreover amended while connected to further monitors, sealing nan MacBook Air's spot arsenic a top-tier productivity device.

This long-awaited characteristic is different measurement to bring nan MacBook Air much successful statement pinch nan MacBook Pro. In my first testing, nan Air seamlessly connected to dual displays via 1 of nan 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. 

I usage a Windows instrumentality arsenic my regular driver, and though I've utilized Macs for galore years, I forgot really effortlessly nan MacBook Air tin grip multitasking done a operation of nan Launchpad, divided screen, and talking straight to nan caller and improved Siri. Additionally, improvements to really windows are tiled are highly satisfying for those of america who for illustration our desktops arranged successful a peculiar way. 

Productivity powerhouse

While connected nan taxable of productivity, nan caller Center Stage characteristic that we first saw connected nan MacBook Pro and iMac past autumn is now loaded connected nan MacBook Air. To me, it seems little for illustration a standalone characteristic successful its ain correct and much for illustration nan inevitable early of webcam technology.

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If you're unfamiliar, Center Stage keeps you focused and centered nary matter really you position nan device, improving nan acquisition by handling nan logistics. If you're thing for illustration me, taking video calls is an mundane portion of work, and hopping connected a telephone pinch nan MacBook Air M4's 12MP webcam is simply a joy.

To me, this is really webcams should work. Apple's invention present presents a polished acquisition that looks awesome connected nan Air's Liquid Retina show and is arsenic enjoyable for activity aliases individual calls pinch FaceTime complete Wi-Fi.

In this vein, 1 of nan caller package features that besides made maine think, "Wait, why didn't this beryllium before?" is nan Presenter Preview function. This lets you preview really your surface stock will look earlier you really share, giving you a infinitesimal to preview really participants successful nan gathering will position your camera and desktop.

Also: This portable workstation keeps maine productive connected nan spell - and it's half off

The support for further displays, higher representation capability, and a suite of fine-tuned package improvements specify nan MacBook Air M4 arsenic an improved powerhouse productivity machine. All of nan upgrades connected their ain mightiness look to beryllium mini changes, but they adhd up to overgarment a image of a instrumentality that's travel into its ain arsenic "THE" productivity laptop for modern professionals.