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USA Today
10-04-2025
- USA Today
Apple delivers a near-perfect ultraportable with the 13-inch MacBook Air M4
Pros Solid performance, sleek design Great battery life Starts at $999 ($899 for education) Cons Base model's 256GB is not enough storage, upgrades are pricy AI not yet realized, behind competitors Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Their Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ About Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025) Base Price: $999 ($899 with educational discount) SoC: 10-Core CPU 8-Core GPU | 10-Core CPU 10-Core GPU Memory: 16GB Unified Memory | 24GB Unified Memory (options for up to 32GB) Storage: 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD (options for up to 2TB) Display: 13.6-inch IPS LED Display Resolution: 2560 x 1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch Ports: MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5-mm headphone jack, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3 Battery: Built-in 53.8‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) Dimensions: 0.44 inches x 11.97 inches x 8.46 inches Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View, 1080p HD video recording Warranty: 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty Credit: Marc Saltzman / Reviewed The exterior design of the M4 is largely unchanged from the M3: same great keyboard, but the 13.6-inch LCD screen is outclassed by the optional anti-glare screen for the Pro M4 as well as OLEDs on competing laptops. The Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 comes in three basic configurations starting at $999, $1,199, and $1,399, each with options to upgrade the SoC, memory, and storage. Apple users are of course familiar with the brand's predilection for discouraging post-purchase mods, so it's recommended that you think ahead when spec'ing out your Mac. Upgrading the memory, in particular, can be a great long-term investment, though the new 16GB baseline might be enough if you're on a tight budget. The most significant upgrade from the M3 is the processing power. The M4 has a 10-core CPU, versus an 8-core on the M3. While Apple states that the M4 is twice as fast as the M1, the performance gap between the M4 and M4 is less dramatic. The new chip also powers the Neural Engine, which they call Apple Intelligence, to accelerate AI-based tasks. Apple lags the competition in built-in AI features, but expect them to build out these tools in the coming years. An improved 12MP webcam is one of the other upgrades from the M3. It uses a wide-angle lens and some smart processing to follow your image as you move around the field of view. The fanless cooling—one of the key differences from the MacBook Pro—has its upsides and downsides While it makes for near-silent operation, you could experience throttling during CPU- and GPU-intensive applications. The exterior design is nearly identical to the M3: super slim and lightweight. It's a commuter's dream that, unfortunately, leaves little room for ports. The LED-backlit 13.6-inch screen gets the job done, but is outpaced by competitors and makes one wonder when Apple will make the switch to OLED. All versions of the M4 Air 13-inch are identically spec'd with a MagSafe 3 power port, a headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt ports. Color options include Silver, Starlight, Midnight, and (new for the Air) a very subtle Sky Blue color. What We Say Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Thin is in with the latest MacBook Air M4 (2025), the 0.45-inch thin yet impressively powerful laptop powered by Apple's own M4 chip. If my hands-on time with the hardware is any indication, it's super comfortable, quiet, and with battery life that's very close to the estimated 18 hours. Just don't fall for the touted Apple Intelligence features, as the AI isn't fully realized—yet. That, and 512GB should be the minimum storage configuration instead of 256GB (which really isn't enough these days). But at $100 less than the previous MacBook Air, this middle-of-the-road machine is a worthy consideration for those itching for an upgrade. Available in 13- or 15-inches and a new color (metallic light blue), longtime Mac users will appreciate the familiar look and feel (which is cool to the touch), but with peppier performance than you might expect. Granted, content creators may opt for a MacBook Pro, but this M4-powered MacBook Air proved surprisingly capable, evident in first- and third-party apps, like iMovie and Adobe Photoshop, respectively. Given the entry-level price—starting at $899 for education pricing on the 13-inch model (before any trade-ins)—students in particular will get a lot out of this MacBook. Plus, there's an upgraded Center Stage camera for crisp FaceTime video calls, support for multiple monitors, and several useful MacOS Sequoia features. Offering good bang for the buck, I can attest MacBook M4 (2025) is a stellar pick for Apple fans who want more for less. What Other Reviewers Say Average Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Across the board, professional reviewers love the Apple MacBook Air 13 M4. Several reviews name it as a best-in-class laptop. At worst, you'll find some chiding of Apple iterating rather than innovating—a fair criticism, in our opinion, though one that hardly detracts from the value of the M4. ArsTechnica: 'I have no notes' ArsTechnica did not hold back on its praise of the MacBook Air M4, boldly proclaiming 'I have no notes' in the headline. Their benchmark testing showed that the Air M4 performed identically to the Pro M4 in lighter tests, only slowing in longer-running tests due to throttling. They ultimately conclude that 'For anyone other than people who absolutely need or require an operating system that isn't macOS, this is the default laptop.' Tom's Guide: 'The top laptop value' Tom's Guide gave the Air M4 all its laurels, topping their list of the Best Laptops. Praising its performance, portability, battery life, and low entry price, the only sticking point (shared by other reviewers) was the outdated display. While the screen is bright and colorful, they write, 'The bezels are starting to look a bit thick after a few generations. I also wouldn't mind a slightly smaller notch at the top of the display.' Credit: Apple RTings dubs the MacBook Air 13 M4 as best for students. Apple's own marketing materials appear to agree. RTings: 'Isn't ideal for gaming' Rting's extensive benchmark testing highlighted one notable weak spot for the MacBook Air M4: GPU-intensive applications, especially gaming. The fanless design means that performance is sometimes throttled to prevent overheating. 'If you want the smoothest experience or the fastest render times, it's best to get an Apple MacBook Pro with more GPU cores or a Windows laptop with an NVIDIA dedicated GPU that supports Optix.' The 60Hz refresh rate also caused noticeable ghosting. Among several possible use cases, RTings final verdict is that the MacBook Air 13 M4 is best for students and business. PCMag: 'A better Air than ever, but here come the PCs' PCMag declared the Air 13 M4 as the MacBook that's right for most people. 'But why not a higher Editors' Rating than last year's M3 Air earned? Its Windows-ultraportable competition has been hitting the gym double-time.' They praise all the same points as other reviewers, and uncover the same strengths and weaknesses in benchmark testing, but emphasize the pressure that competing AMD- and Intel-based Windows notebooks have put on Apple to make bigger improvements in the next-gen model. What Owners Say The Apple MacBook Air M4 13-inch is relatively new, so at this time there are more user comments that speculate or opine than those that give a first-person account of ownership. MacRumors Forums For MacRumors forum members, the question is rarely Should I buy a Mac? It's Which Mac should I buy? The MacBook Air M4 will miss this thread does a particularly good job of breaking the differences between the Air M4 and the Pro. It comes down, of course, to personal preferences and budget. Incidentally, a user poll for MBA M4 color choice puts Sky Blue in a commanding lead over other colors. Reddit On the r/hardware subreddit, in a conversation about the Air M4, one of the top-rated comments highlights that the laptop is now able to run two external monitors at the same time while also running the built-in display—a practical but narrow use case. Further down the page, however, I saw a particularly savvy observation from user fntd. 'I think there is a very huge percentage of people who simply need a laptop that runs their web browser as good as possible. In theory that's the market where competition should happen because the underlying OS really doesn't matter that much.' If true, the M4 is bang on the money for that market. Over on the r/apple subreddit, user Izian summarizes the Air M4 nicely. 'Price cut. Better chip. Better cam. 2 external displays plus the MacBook display? I mean, right now I think I ran out of excuses to point any family members at anything else for their needs. Should you buy the Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025) Yes, this is the best Mac for most users right now When compared to all available MacBooks right now, the MacBook Air M4 offers a stunning value prop: great performance, incredible battery life, and a light and quiet design—all for under $1,000. Zooming out and looking at it in the context of all ultraportables, there is quite a bit of competition from Windows notebooks, which can beat the MacBook Air M4 on various points, including AI integration, screen quality, and sheer performance. Of course, most Mac users are entrenched in the Apple ecosystem and won't even consider peaking over the fence, but for those that might, ultraportables from Dell, Acer, and Lenovo may be worth checking out. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more. Meet the testers Marc Saltzman Contributing Writer @marc_saltzman Along with Reviewed and USA TODAY, Marc has been a freelance journalist for more than 20 publications, is a 16-time author (including Apple Watch For Dummies and Game Design: Secrets of the Sages), hosts the syndicated Tech It Out radio (and podcast), and is host of Tech Impact television show (on Bloomberg TV and FOX Business). Based in Toronto, Marc specializes in consumer electronics, games and apps, smart home innovations, automotive tech, and future trends. See all of Marc Saltzman's reviews David Kender Editor in Chief / Business Lead @davekender David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count. See all of David Kender's reviews
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I wanted Nintendo to wow me with the Switch 2 – instead it's made me hug my ROG Ally X handheld even closer
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you were following our live blog ahead of Nintendo's big Switch 2 event, you might have seen my contribution, where I said I was hoping Nintendo would blow me away with its new hardware, and finally convince me to buy one of its consoles for the first time since the GameCube. Now that the dust has settled after the event, I can safely say that unfortunately, Nintendo failed. I was holding out for a killer gaming handheld, an affordable price and exclusive games that would make me fall in love with Nintendo again. We got none of that. The hardware itself, from what Nintendo showed, was fine. I like the new, larger 7.9-inch screen in particular, as I think the larger the screen the better for gaming on, and I'm seeing an encouraging trend with PC gaming handhelds coming with larger screen options. The 1080p resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate support were also big ticks for me, though I was disappointed that the screen was LCD, not OLED. The optimist in me thought this might be a sacrifice for a more tempting overall price of the console. The pessimist in me, however, expects that this is more so Nintendo can flog an OLED version later on. I also like the look of the new Joy-Con controllers that attach via magnets (hopefully they'll have the same satisfying pull that you get when you attach a MagSafe 3 charger to a MacBook), and being able to use them like mice means the Switch 2 could be a great platform for oft-neglected genres such as real time strategy games. Of course, you'll need to be sitting near a flat surface to use them like a mouse, which seems to defeat the object a bit of the Switch 2. After those few bright spots, my interest in the Switch 2 plummeted, however. The new C button means Nintendo has finally realized that online chat between friends is a thing, and the Switch Camera, which just looks like a Nest Camera, isn't that exciting either. The demonstration video also seemed to show that video streams suffer from low frames per second, leading to rather janky and distracting footage. The game footage shown was also a disappointment to me, with some very underwhelming graphics that looked distinctly last-gen. Now I know a lot of people say 'but it's Nintendo, it's never about pure power' but while that's been true of recent generations, that wasn't always the case – both the SNES and N64, for example, were more powerful than the competition. Anyway, graphical fidelity certainly isn't the be-all and end-all (the game I'm still mostly obsessed with is Balatro, which isn't exactly cutting-edge), as long as there's a charming art style. But when third-party games look noticeably worse than on competing devices, you need to pull out all the stops in other departments to get people to pick your console. One of these is with first-party exclusive games that you can only play on the console. Traditionally, this is something Nintendo has excelled at, and with its refusal to port games to PC, if you want to play a Mario or Zelda game you have to buy a Nintendo console. The problem with this week's announcement was that there was a real lack of first-party exclusives. Unless I missed something, the big announcements were a new Mario Kart (oh yey a franchise that has now had well over 10 instalments) and a Kirby racing game which… well, it's Kirby. Consider me distinctly underwhelmed. Another way to win people over is with an extremely competitive price that undercuts the competition. Again, Nintendo has done this well in the past, and again with the Switch 2 it seems to have forgotten that. With a launch price of $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95, this is an expensive console. Sony's rival PS5 now regularly sells for less than that, and the problem for Nintendo is that the Switch 2 isn't just competing with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but also PC gaming handhelds such as the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X. PC gaming handhelds are a rapidly growing product category, and because companies like Valve, Asus and Lenovo are all building their own devices, there's already a lot of choice for people looking for a handheld gaming console. This means there are handhelds out there that have more powerful hardware than the Switch 2, so offer better gaming experiences, and there are lower-powered models that are cheaper than the Switch 2. I was also shocked at the price of Switch 2 games, with the new Mario Kart World apparently being sold for $79.99 / £74.99, and I've seen some people speculate that we could get Switch 2 games as expensive as $90. This is horrendously expensive, and would mean if I were to get a Switch 2, my library of games would be pretty small, as I just couldn't justify spending that kind of money on games regularly. Nintendo games also have a habit of stubbornly keeping their prices, even several years after their release, so I probably wouldn't be able to pick up a Switch 2 later on in the generation and buy older games at lower prices. This is another area where PC gaming handheld beat the Switch 2. PC games on the whole are cheaper than console versions, and because PC is an open platform, there's a wide range of stores you can buy your games from (such as Steam, Epic Games Store or Amazon), which increases competition that leads to sales and special offers to tempt gamers. On the Switch 2, if you want to buy a digital game there's only one company you will be able to buy it from: Nintendo. So you'll be relying on it cutting prices for its games, and that's something Nintendo doesn't like doing. So, throughout the Switch 2 event, I was just thinking how glad I am that I have an Asus ROG Ally X, which offers a convenient handheld gaming experience with excellent performance and a huge library of affordable games. Best of all, the games I buy for the Ally X can also be played on my gaming PC and Steam Deck without having to rebuy them – another big tick when it comes to affordability compared to the Switch 2. Of course, the one thing the ROG Ally X can't do – nor any of the rival PC gaming handhelds – is officially play Nintendo games. This is the Switch 2's biggest advantage, and while I've not been excited about the first party games that have been shown so far, if Nintendo brings out some brilliant new Mario, Zelda or Pokemon games (or even, god forbid, make a new franchise) that I'll be desperate to play but won't be able to unless I buy the new console, then it could win me over. Until then, I'll be sticking with my ROG Ally X, thank you very much. Here are the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games that you'll be able to pick up and play on June 5 Furious fans hijack Nintendo Treehouse: Live stream with demands to 'drop the price' Nintendo confirms that certain Switch 2 game cards will just have a download key, but I don't think it's as bad as we first thought
