Apple's MacBook Air M4: A Powerful Upgrade for the Lightweight Laptop
MacBook Air M4 might offer MacBook Pro-like performance, according to leaks
The upcoming MacBook Air M4 is set to make a significant impact in the world of Apple laptops, promising a substantial performance boost over its predecessor, the MacBook Air M3.
According to leaked benchmarks, the MacBook Air M4, equipped with 10 GPU cores, matches the performance of the M4 chip found in the MacBook Pro 14 (2024) in Geekbench Metal benchmarks. The M4 MacBook Air scored an impressive 54,806 points, a 33.5% improvement over the MacBook Air 13 M3's score.
While the base MacBook Air M4 is not expected to rival the MacBook Pro 14 in terms of raw power, it is still set to be a formidable laptop. If Apple follows the same pricing pattern as the M3 models, a similarly configured MacBook Air M4 would cost approximately $1,499. This is a reasonable price considering the performance it offers.
The MacBook Air M4's impressive performance is even more notable given its fanless laptop design. This means that it can deliver such high performance without the aid of a cooling fan, making it a remarkably efficient machine.
In terms of Geekbench scores, the MacBook Air M4 lags behind the MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) by just 4.8%. However, it's important to note that the MacBook Pro 14 starts at $1,599, and with upgraded RAM to 24GB, it would cost about $1,999.
The MacBook Air M4 is expected to be released as early as March 2025, making it an exciting prospect for Apple enthusiasts and laptop users seeking a powerful, lightweight machine. The upgrades it offers, including improved media handling, AI tasks, and support for two external displays, make it an attractive option for users of older Macs or those who do not require the heavy-duty performance of the MacBook Pro models.
| Model | Geekbench Score (approx.) | Relative Performance Notes | |---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | MacBook Air M3 | ~12,087 | Previous generation baseline | | MacBook Air M4 | ~14,849 | ~23% improvement over M3; strong Air class performance | | MacBook Pro M4 Pro | ~22,000 (multi-core est.) | Significantly faster than Air; faster than M3 Pro | | MacBook Pro M4 Max | ~26,675 (multi-core est.) | Highest performance, far surpassing Air models |
In conclusion, the MacBook Air M4 offers a solid performance boost over the previous Air M3, making it a strong lightweight choice. However, it does not match the much higher performance levels of the MacBook Pro M4 Pro or Max models, which are designed for professional and highly demanding workloads.
- The MacBook Air M4, due for release in March 2025, promises to outperform the MacBook Air M3 and boasts impressive Geekbench scores, marking a powerful upgrade for the lightweight laptop, especially considering its fanless design.
- The M4 MacBook Air has been shown to match the performance of the M4 chip found in the MacBook Pro 14 (2024) in Geekbench Metal benchmarks, indicating that it can deliver high performance without the aid of a cooling fan.
- While the base MacBook Air M4 might not rival the MacBook Pro 14 in terms of raw power, it is still set to be a formidable laptop, offering an impressive score of 54,806 points on Geekbench, a 33.5% improvement over the MacBook Air 13 M3's score.
- If Apple follows the same pricing pattern as the M3 models, a similarly configured MacBook Air M4 would cost approximately $1,499, making it a reasonable price considering the performance it offers.
- The MacBook Air M4 offers improved media handling, AI tasks, and support for two external displays, making it an attractive option for users of older Macs or those who do not require the heavy-duty performance of the MacBook Pro models.
