Apple M4 MacBook Air Rumors: Release Date, Specs, Battery Life, and More
- Apple’s next MacBook Air could arrive as soon as March—here’s what we know so far.
- Expect faster speeds and longer battery life from Apple’s rumored M4 chip.
- Major upgrades could mean a new standard: 16GB of RAM in the base model.
Apple’s MacBook Air is due for a refresh, and rumors are swirling around the potential for an M4 chip upgrade in early 2025. This highly anticipated release could bring enhancements in processing power, battery life, and a possible upgrade to the base memory, following in the footsteps of recent Apple updates.
Here's what we know so far about the rumored MacBook Air M4, from specs and release window to performance expectations.
Photo via Renders by Ian // A blue MacBook Air concept. Apple's 2025 MacBook Air with M4 is expected to launch in Q1 2025.
MacBook Air M4: Potential Release Date
Analysts and industry insiders point to a Q1 2025 release for the MacBook Air M4. Apple reporter Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has suggested that Apple plans to release the MacBook Air M4 within the first quarter of 2025, likely in March, aligning with the timeline of display shipments reportedly starting in October 2024.
"Apple could launch the MacBook Air earlier in the first quarter," Gurman noted, but added that Apple has historically preferred March-April windows for past releases. This aligns with sources at MacRumors, which indicate that screen shipments are already underway.
Photo via Macworld // The Midnight MacBook Air now has an anodization seal to reduce fingerprints.
Quick Facts
- Release Window: Q1 2025 (likely March)
- Confirmed by: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, MacRumors sources
MacBook Air M4: Expected Specs
The MacBook Air has seen steady evolution in its specifications, and the M4 version may introduce further enhancements:
- Chipset: M4 chip, featuring a 10-core CPU and GPU, with a Neural Engine designed for 38 TOPS of AI processing.
- Memory Options: Expected to start at 16GB RAM (up from previous models’ baseline), with up to 24GB of configurable memory.
- Storage Options: Up to 2TB SSD.
- Display Sizes: Both 13-inch and 15-inch Liquid Retina displays, consistent with the last generation’s offerings.
This base M4 chipset, previously tested in the MacBook Pro 14 (2024), has shown significant performance gains, particularly in AI-driven tasks and multicore capabilities. Notably, Laptop Mag’s tests on the MacBook Pro M4 recorded impressive results in Geekbench 6.3, outperforming many competitors in the premium laptop market.
Photo via Renders by Ian // Another concept of Apple's upcoming M4 MacBook Air.
Performance and Battery Life Expectations
While the M4 chip brings substantial power, the fanless design of the MacBook Air could mean slight performance limitations due to thermal throttling—a necessary compromise to maintain the Air’s ultra-slim profile. Nonetheless, the MacBook Air M3 lineup already offered up to 15 hours of battery life, and with the M4’s efficiency improvements, the upcoming MacBook Air M4 may push this even further, possibly up to 16 hours.
| Model | Battery Life |
|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13 M3 | 15 hours, 13 min |
| MacBook Air 15 M3 | 15 hours, 03 min |
| MacBook Pro 14 M4 | 18 hours, 32 min |
While exact benchmarks remain to be seen, Apple’s performance focus has been clear with each iteration of the M-series chips.
MacBook Air M4: Outlook
Apple has historically announced new models shortly before pre-order periods, so we may not get an official confirmation of the MacBook Air M4 until early 2025. However, if Apple maintains the recent trend of upgrading base specs, we could see a memory bump with 16GB RAM becoming standard.
Apple’s recent base spec increases for MacBook Air M2 and M3 have added value without price hikes, so it’s worth watching if Apple holds this line with the M4. “Apple didn’t increase the price of the base MacBook Air M2 and M3 models when the change was announced,” notes Ricchiuto.
With rumors and industry insights converging on an early 2025 launch, the MacBook Air M4 could set a new benchmark in Apple’s lightweight laptop lineup.
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