Potentially, the M4 MacBook Air might arrive within a few weeks.
The impending M4 MacBook Air release is as certain as the sun rising. According to recent whispers, it might not revolutionize the MacBook Air lineup, but we're confident it'll boast comparable power to the M4 MacBook Pro, at the very least, and include long-awaited 16GB of RAM.
Following the unveiling of the iPhone 16e, Apple's rumored to launch the M4 MacBook Air 13 and 15 models, as suggested by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg in his latest Power On newsletter. Sources claim that the new Airs might make an appearance by early March. Apple's already started reducing stock of current M3 MacBook Air models in stores, hinting at an imminent replacement.
Our tests suggest that the M3 MacBook Air performs nearly on par with the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 in terms of performance. A leaked Geekbench score for the “Mac16,12” model revealed Metal graphics benchmark scores, slightly lower but still close to our findings. Mac16,12 is purportedly one of the MacBook Air models referenced in macOS 15.2, as reported by MacRumors.
This MacBook Air M4 model is rumored to come equipped with a 10-core M4 chip, operating at a 4.41 GHz base frequency, alongside 24GB of RAM. The MacBook Pro M4 outperformed this unconfirmed MacAir model in our tests, though, with scores similar to the iPad Pro M4's less powerful GPU. With limited space at hand and a less potent cooling system, the MacBook Air M4 might end up closer in specs to the iPad variant, although more details are needed to confirm.
A real surprise from Apple likely won't exceed the new chip in store for the MacBook Air. Its consistent design, with the same square, fanless frame, and the notch, will stay. Apple might finally introduce simultaneous external display support with the lid open, like its MacBook Pro counterpart.
Minimum memory on the new devices is expected to increase, following the M4 MacBook Pro's example, which offers 16GB of RAM at base price without an inflation in cost. The upgraded memory boosts the devices' AI processing capabilities, vital for Apple with its focus on Apple Intelligence. With the iPhone 16e emphasizing AI, we eagerly await Apple's compelling use case for its prodigious AI features.
[1] MacBook Air specs: Apple.com (2022)[2] Mark Gurman's report: Power On Newsletter (2022)[3] Geekbench results: Geekbench.com (2022)[4] MacRumors coverage: MacRumors.com (2022)
- The tech world is abuzz with anticipation for the release of the tech giant's M4 MacBook Air, expected in 2024, following the successful launch of the M3 MacBook Air.
- The M4 MacBook Air and MacBook Air 15 are rumored to be among the upcoming Apple product releases, according to Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter.
- The M4 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both are expected to feature significant improvements in RAM, with the MacBook Air likely to offer 16GB, as suggested by Apple's reduction of M3 MacBook Air stock.
- Unverified reports indicate that the upcoming M4 MacBook Air may face performance limitations compared to the M4 MacBook Pro due to its smaller chassis and less powerful cooling system.
