Apple MacBook Air M4
Best Laptop for Most People
Electronics Girl Score
Based on 12 criteria
The MacBook Air M4 is the laptop that most people should buy. It's not the most powerful Mac — that's the MacBook Pro — but for the vast majority of users, the M4 Air delivers more than enough performance in a package that's lighter, quieter, and longer-lasting than almost anything else on the market.
DESIGN & BUILD
Apple's MacBook Air design language is mature and refined. The aluminum unibody chassis is rigid and premium, the MagSafe 3 charging port is a welcome convenience, and the color options (Midnight, Starlight, Sky Blue, Silver) are all tasteful. At 1.24kg it's genuinely light enough to carry all day without noticing.
PERFORMANCE
The M4 chip is a significant step up from M3. The 10-core CPU handles everything from video editing to software compilation with ease, and the 10-core GPU enables smooth performance in creative applications. The fanless design means it's completely silent — and unlike the M1 and M2 Air, the M4 sustains performance under load without throttling.
DISPLAY
The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is bright, accurate, and sharp at 2560×1664. It's not the ProMotion 120Hz panel found in the MacBook Pro, but for most users the 60Hz refresh rate is perfectly adequate. The 500-nit brightness is comfortable for outdoor use.
BATTERY LIFE
Apple claims 18 hours of battery life and our testing consistently hit 16–17 hours in mixed use. This is the best battery life of any laptop we've tested at this price point. The 30W USB-C charger included in the box is compact and charges the Air from 0–80% in about 90 minutes.
VERDICT
The MacBook Air M4 is the best laptop for most people. The combination of M4 performance, all-day battery life, silent operation, and Apple's software ecosystem is unmatched at $1,099. If you don't need the Pro's display or ports, save the money and buy the Air.
PROS & CONS
Pros
- M4 chip delivers exceptional performance
- Completely silent — no fan
- 16–17 hours real-world battery life
- Thin and light at 1.24kg
- MagSafe 3 charging
- macOS Sequoia is polished and capable
Cons
- Only 2 USB-C ports
- No HDMI, SD card slot, or MagSafe on base model
- Base 256GB storage is tight in 2026
- 60Hz display (no ProMotion)