The days when Apple announced their product launch events well in advance are long gone, when people were eagerly waiting to see what new features were coming.
Now, it feels more like a movie trailer—nothing special, just a quick rundown of specs.
Come on, Apple!
Apple has just announced the new M4 MacBook Air as well as the M4 Max and M3 Ultra equipped Mac studio.
Quite frankly, this looks really appealing now. Interestingly, these announcements come off the heels of Apple’s announcement of the new iPhone 16e and the new M3 iPad Air, as well as an upgrade to the base model configuration of the standard iPad.
Apple’s MacBook lineup is now the best it’s ever been, featuring powerful, portable, and practically perfect laptops in every way.
Whether it is the incredible battery life, stunning displays, or just how cool (literally) they run, Apple has nailed it.
If you are thinking about buying a MacBook right now, you are at the right time. Let’s see what makes sense and what to get for the most bang for your buck.
The modern marvel: Air 13
The MacBook Air is Apple’s bread-and-butter laptop for everyday users. For most people, this is the top recommendation since Apple Silicon arrived back in 2020.
The 2025 model looks strikingly similar to its predecessors, but it now sports a cool sky-blue colour, reminiscent of a serene morning sky.
While Apple continues to be afraid of using big, bold, and saturated colours in devices other than its durable iMac, I must concede that sky blue looks pretty nice on the MacBook Air.
But if not for this colour, you would have a tough time telling it apart from last year's M3 and even the previous M2 MacBook Air.
All the other changes are on the inside. What's new for the MacBook Air 13 is that it is getting the M4 chip, starting with a 10-core CPU (up from 8-core in M3) and 8-core GPU, but you can upgrade to 10 core GPU version by upgrading the storage to 512, but it will cost you $200 extra of course.
Boosted by 20% memory bandwidth (now 120GB/s), the M4 MacBook Air is now more responsive, especially when multitasking or handling larger files.
Apple even squeezed in a slightly larger battery, increasing it to 53.8Wh from 52.6Wh, which is an impressive achievement considering the already amazing battery life of the MacBook Air.
Your video calls are also upgraded thanks to the 12-megapixel centre-stage webcam. It's the same one that's on the M4 generation MacBook Pros.
Also, the air can be used with two external monitors and still keep its lid open for a triple monitor setup.
But the update you care most about is that both Air 13 and 15 are now $100 cheaper than last year's M3 model.
This price drop, coupled with the performance boost and 16GB unified memory as standard, makes it an incredible value proposition.
With the M4 MacBook Air 13 at $999, Apple just created the best-value MacBook of all time; it is a no-brainer recommendation. Just as I said about the M4 Mac Mini in my earlier review.
The expansive air: Air 15
If you feel a little cramped on a 13-inch screen, yearning for more digital breathing room without the bulk of a MacBook Pro, then say hello to the MacBook Air 15.
Now supercharged with the M4 chip, the MacBook Air 15 comes with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU as standard.
This model is all about boosting productivity with a 15-inch display, giving you more room to juggle multiple apps, documents, and spreadsheets.
It is still lightweight but remember you will be trading some of that legendary Air portability for a larger screen.
But a word of thoughtful consideration: Before you jump on the 15-inch Air simply for the bigger screen, take a moment to assess your future needs.
Ask yourself, do you need more power down the line for demanding tasks like video editing or complex machine learning coding? If so, consider the MacBook Pro 14.
Let’s talk strategy
First, always consider buying the base model. Customizing your MacBook with more memory, storage, or a faster processor can get insanely expensive. Apple charges a premium for these upgrades.
Second, don’t try to make a MacBook Air into something it is not.
Yes, the M4 MacBook Air is an amazing all-rounder for daily tasks, but don’t expect it to handle the heavy lifting without breaking a sweat.
No matter how much you upgrade it, keep in mind that the Air models aren’t designed for high-performance workloads.
They lack the memory bandwidth, cooling and performance cores needed for demanding tasks, and that’s not something you can change by throwing more money at it.
Instead of maxing out, consider stepping up to the next model.
For context, if you think about contrast, the base MacBook Air 15 starts at $1,199, but spec up the Air 15 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage will cost you $1,399, whereas the same configured MacBook Pro 14 comes as standard will cost you $1,599, just a $200 price up.
But you are stepping up to Pro-level performance and a more advanced cooling system that allows it to sustain demanding workloads for longer.
Plus, it is as portable as Air 15, and you will get a better display, superior speakers and a keyboard that feels better for extended typing sessions.
And if the MacBook Pro 14 is not enough performance, then get the ultimate performer the MacBook Pro 16, the mightiest of them all.
This is the one to get if you want the absolute best performance a MacBook can offer. The 16-inch display is not just big—it is luxurious.
You will be more productive simply because you can fit more on the screen.
Combined with phenomenal battery life for a machine of its calibre, the MacBook Pro 16 is in a league of its own.
Verdict
Here’s the deal, MacBooks hold their value incredibly well.
So don’t feel pressured to go all-in on the most expensive configuration just to "future-proof" yourself.
It is often smarter to save that extra cash and upgrade to a newer model in a few years.
However, when you offer new improvements and lower the price, that's a huge surprise, especially from Apple.
Apple made up for my disappointment with the iPhone 16e with the MacBook Air, and I thank them for that.
The writer is a contributor and a tech enthusiast
