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Mar 5, 2025 – by Tech Enthusiast
OK so I’ve been using the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip for about 2 weeks now, and I’ve got ALOT of thoughts. Like, ALOT. You know Apple and their marketing – “revolutionary this” and “groundbreaking that” – but is this thing actually worth dropping $999 on? Specially when the M3 models are getting cheaper now? Let’s dive in!
The Unboxing Experience (yeah, I’m one of THOSE people)
First off – the unboxing. I’m a sucker for Apple packaging, not gonna lie. There’s something about peeling off that plastic wrap that gets me every time lol. I got the midnight blue version, which looks WAY better in person than in those online photos. Trust me on this.
The box had the usual stuff – laptop, charging brick, cable. Nothing fancy. But the laptop itself? Chef’s kiss The build quality is typical Apple – solid, premium, no rattles or weird creaky sounds when you pick it up. BUT (and this is a small but), the edges feel kinda sharp? Like, when I’m typing for a long time, which I do CONSTANTLY for work, my wrists definitely notice. Not sure if it’s just my unit or what.
Display & Sound – Netflix Binging Approved
The screen is gorgeous. Like, stupidly good. I watched the entire new season of Bridgerton on this thing (don’t judge me) and the colors just POP. Text is super crisp too, which matters since I stare at Google Docs all day. The notorious notch is still there, and while it bugged me for like the first day, now I literally don’t even see it anymore.
Oh and brightness? Totally usable outdoors. I tried working from my backyard one day (until my allergies said NOPE) and could see everything perfectly fine, even in direct sunlight. Well, mostly direct sunlight. There was some glare, but show me a laptop that doesn’t have that problem…
The speakers surprised me. They’re actually pretty darn good for something this thin! I was making dinner the other night and played my Spotify cooking playlist without bothering to connect my bluetooth speaker. Bass isn’t earth-shattering or anything, but it’s there, which is more than I can say for my previous Dell XPS.
Performance – But Can It Run Crysis? (jk, kinda)
So the big question – how does the M4 chip actually perform? Short answer: it’s a beast.
Long answer: it really depends what you’re doing with it. For regular stuff – ya know, Chrome with 47 tabs open (I have a problem, I know), Slack, Spotify, Word, Excel – this thing doesn’t even break a sweat. Like, literally ZERO fan noise because, well, there IS no fan. Still blows my mind.
I do some video editing on the side for my YouTube channel (nothing fancy, just tech reviews and my cat doing dumb things). Using Final Cut, I was genuinely shocked at how smooth the experience was. My last MacBook would sound like it was about to take off whenever I tried to export a 4K video. This one? Silent. And FAST. My 12-minute video about mechanical keyboards took like 8 mins to export, which is crazy.
I even tried some gaming! Not really what you buy a Mac for, but I was curious. Played some Baldur’s Gate 3 on medium settings and it was totally playable. Got warm, but not “cook an egg on it” warm like my old laptop.
One thing to note tho – I got the 16GB RAM model. Really think the base 8GB would struggle with my workflow. If u do anything more intense than basic browsing and documents, spend the extra $$$ for 16GB. Future you will thank me!
Battery Life – I’m Legit Confused Where The Battery Even FITS
This is honestly the craziest part. The battery life is INSANE. Like, I’ll use it all day for work (9ish hours), close it, then open it the next morning AND IT’S STILL AT 29%. What kind of witchcraft???
My typical day includes:
- Way too much time on Zoom calls (camera on)
- Constantly switching between Chrome, Slack, and Notion
- Spotify running in background
- Occasional Photoshop for quick edits
- Screen brightness at about 75% because my eyes are terrible
Even with all that, I’m easily getting 15+ hours. No joke. Sometimes I forget to charge it overnight and don’t even panic in the morning, which is a whole new experience for me lol.
Charging is super quick too. I timed it – 30 mins gets you roughly 50% battery. The charger can charge two devices at once, which is handy for topping up my phone, but TBH I kinda wish they included the faster charger instead.
Keyboard & Trackpad – The Unsung Heroes
Can we talk about the keyboard for a sec? It’s SO GOOD. I write a lot, and keyboard feel is make-or-break for me. The keys have this perfect amount of travel – not too shallow, not too deep. Goldilocks zone. After a 3-hour writing session yesterday, my fingers weren’t screaming at me, which is my very scientific test for keyboard quality.
The trackpad is massive and perfect as usual. Apple has this on lock. I brought a mouse with me to a coffee shop yesterday and realized I’d left it in my bag the entire time. Didn’t even need it. Force Touch is still kinda magic to me – how does it FEEL like a click when it’s not actually moving?!
The Little Things That Matter (to me, anyway)
The webcam is actually decent now! 1080p makes a big difference. My coworkers commented that I “looked less potato-like” on our morning standup call, which I’m taking as a compliment?
The Touch ID button is super reliable. My last MacBook would fail to recognize my fingerprint if I so much as looked at it wrong. This one works even when my fingers are slightly damp from washing hands (ew, I know).
Port situation is… fine. Two Thunderbolt ports plus MagSafe for charging. I still need a dongle for my external monitor and SD card reader, but at least charging doesn’t take up one of the two ports anymore. MagSafe also saved my laptop when my cat decided the charging cable looked like a fun toy to pounce on. Thanks Apple, you’ve cat-proofed my expensive purchase!
Bugs & Annoying Stuff (because nothing’s perfect)
There are a couple of weird things I’ve noticed:
- Sometimes when I connect my external monitor, the laptop gets confused about which is the primary display. I have to go into settings and fix it.
- Twice now, it wouldn’t wake from sleep properly. Black screen, had to hard restart. Hoping this gets fixed in a software update.
- The fingerprint magnet is REAL. The midnight blue shows every single touch. I’m constantly wiping it down because I’m that person.
- Still no Face ID??? Come onnnn Apple, my iPhone has had this forever!
Should You Buy It? Depends…
So here’s the million-dollar (or rather, thousand-dollar) question: Should you buy the MacBook Air M4?
If you’re using an Intel MacBook or anything pre-M1, YES. 100%. The difference will blow your mind.
If you’re on an M1 Air, it’s a decent upgrade. You’ll notice the speed bump and better battery life.
If you’re rocking an M2 Air already? Probably not worth it unless you’re doing more intensive stuff like video editing or you really need the battery life gains.
For me, coming from a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro, this feels like I’ve jumped 10 years into the future. Everything is faster, smoother, and the battery life is from another dimension.
Is it perfect? No. Do I regret spending $1,199 (base model + 16GB RAM upgrade)? Also no. It does exactly what I need it to do, without fuss, without noise, and without being tethered to a charger all day.
Final thought: This might be the best laptop for most people right now. Not the most powerful, not the cheapest, but the perfect balance of everything that matters. Unless you’re a hardcore gamer or doing serious 3D rendering, this little machine will handle whatever you throw at it.
And that midnight blue color? Fire emoji Worth it just for the aesthetics!
Let me know in the comments if you have any specific questions about the M4 Air. I’ll be hanging around procrastinating on my actual work lol.
Rating: 9/10 – Would happily drain my bank account again!
P.S. Apple, if you’re reading this, please send me free stuff. My cat needs a new iPad to ignore.
