Why you should cop the latest Apple Macbook Air M4

It’s the laptop you carry ‘just in case’. The one you pack thinking, “I probably won’t open this,” only to find yourself grateful it’s there — just in case it turns into just the tool you needed. That’s exactly where the Apple MacBook Air M4 has found its place in my life. Unobtrusive, unbelievably light, and yet, capable of more than you’d expect—even when you throw a bit of chaos its way.

Let’s talk value. Starting at $1,499 ($1,349 for students), Apple’s latest MacBook Air isn’t just a minor improvement of the Macbook Air with M3 chip — it sets the benchmark of what a solid laptop should be in 2025. It comes with 16GB of unified memory by default—a generous jump from older base models with only 8GB — and is powered by the brand new M4 chip. That means a 10-core CPU, an up to 10-core GPU, and enough headroom for up to 32GB of memory if you ever need it. Translation: the performance is fast, fluid, and effortlessly efficient. And I’m still trying to wrap my head around the price — a laptop that is better but $100 cheaper than its previous version? When does that happen?

Everyday multitasking is a breeze. Switching between Microsoft Office, Lightroom, Chrome tabs (dozens of them), and image previews doesn’t phase it. I did experience a bit of stuttering when resizing large TIFF files in Preview, which caught me off guard — but that turned out to be the exception, not the rule. In Adobe Photoshop, it ran smoothly. Multiple layers, adjustment brushes, and filters responded without lag, even on heavier files. The kind of stability that doesn’t break your flow — and in creative work, that matters.

On the video front, I’ve thrown it basic edits in Adobe Premiere Pro and CapCut, and again, it handled the tasks without complaint. If you’re not doing colour-grading-heavy 4K timelines, this machine is more than enough. For the kind of work emergencies that pop up while you’re abroad — last-minute deck edits, a client asking for social crop changes, unexpected requests for a ‘quick’ video — this laptop doesn’t just keep up, it gives you peace of mind. It’s what I’d call a travel safety net: light enough to forget it’s there, powerful enough that you’re relieved it is.

Its battery life deserves its own love letter. Apple quotes up to 18 hours, and for once, it’s not a stretch. On days when I’ve worked untethered — editing images, attending back-to-back calls, and flipping through presentations — I’ve still had juice by nightfall. On days with lighter use, I’ve gone nearly two full days without charging. It feels liberating, almost radical, not to constantly scan for power sockets when I’m working at a cafe.

Design-wise, not much has changed — but it didn’t need to. The aluminium unibody is as sleek and sturdy as ever. It still has that satisfying balance between ultra-portable and reassuringly solid. The new sky blue colour adds a playful edge — a soft metallic hue that shifts beautifully depending on the light, subtle yet expressive. It joins midnight, starlight, and silver — all paired with colour-matched MagSafe cables, because yes, even your charging cable deserves to be pretty.

For those who like to expand their digital workspace, the Macbook Air now supports up to two 6K external displays in addition to its built-in screen — a welcome shift for multi-monitor users. The 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display remains one of the best in class: bright at 500 nits, accurate, and crisp, with support for 1 billion colours and double the resolution of typical PC laptops in the same category. Text is razor-sharp, images pop, and video playback feels immersive, thanks to the support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

Other essentials round off the package: a three-mic array that ensures clarity on calls, a 12MP Centre Stage camera that follows your face as you move, a Magic Keyboard that’s backlit and deeply comfortable to type on, and Touch ID for quick, secure logins and purchases. There’s even a 3.5mm headphone jack, which feels increasingly rare but appreciated.

And then there’s the weight — or the lack of it. Even the larger 15-inch model remains under half an inch thin and fits easily in any bag. The 13-inch version, which I use, is featherlight. I often forget it’s there — until I need it, and it reminds me why I keep reaching for it over flashier, more spec-heavy laptops.

So no, I didn’t expect to fall for a MacBook Air again. But here we are. It’s the quiet companion that holds its own — sleek, durable, quietly powerful. A machine that doesn’t beg for attention but rewards it when you need it most. Whether you’re editing on the fly, replying to last-minute emails, or just watching a film at 35,000 feet, it shows up. Consistently.

And yes — the battery life really is that good.

You can buy the MacBook Air from $1,499 from Apple stores or the Apple LazMall store.

This article was originally published in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.

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