Apple's New M4 MacBook Air Delivers Impressive Performance at a Very Nice Price

The M4 processor and $999 starting price give you a compelling reason to upgrade

Nicholas De Leon, Consumer Reports Senior Home & Tech Writer.

By Nicholas De Leon
Senior Home & Tech Writer

Updated April 25, 2025

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

A 13-inch and a 15-inch MacBook Air. — The M4 MacBook Air sells for $999, the same price the M1 model was introduced at back in 2020.

In late 2020, Apple released the M1 MacBook Air, a laptop so jam-packed with value that we continued to recommend it even after the 2022 launch of the M2 Air and the 2024 launch of the M3 Air. If you were a consumer in need of a solid, everyday laptop, you could buy the older M1 model, get comparable performance, and pocket hundreds of dollars in savings.

But with the release of the M4 MacBook Air, it’s time to revise that advice.

There are three clear reasons why.

Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.

Nicholas De Leon

Nicholas De Leon is a senior reporter for Consumer Reports, covering laptops, wireless routers, tablets, and more. He has been at CR since 2017. He previously covered tech for Vice, News Corp, and TechCrunch. He lives in Tucson, Ariz. Follow him on X for all things tech and soccer @nicholasadeleon.