The fact that it costs $100 less than the previous model makes it irresistible.
However, those who own the M3 model dont need to upgrade.
Like theMacBook Air 15-inch M3, this updated laptop features a thin design in a sturdy aluminum frame.
And while larger and heavier than its 13-inch counterpart, its still portable enough to travel with comfortably.
The new Sky Blue color also makes this elegant laptop look more luxurious.
Dont let its familiar design fool you into thinking this is the exact same laptop as before.
It also supports up to two external monitors and all the latestApple Intelligencefeatures formacOS Sequoia.
The MacBook Air 15-inch M4 earns a spot in ourbest MacBooksandbest laptopslists.
Find out more in my full review.
Im not complaining since Im still a fan of that sleek and minimalist design.
Though thin and light, the laptops sturdy frame ensures it doesnt bend or flex.
The lid is just as firm and doesnt wobble even when youre walking with the laptop open.
And while sturdy and rigid, the lid is easy to open and close with one hand.
Port selection is as thin as the laptop, but you get what you need.
This includes a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a headphone jack and a MagSafe charging port.
This laptop supports dual external monitors at the same time, even when you have the lid open.
Sometimes, the laptop appears blue, while other times, it might seem more silver-ish.
Its a small detail that sets this laptop apart from similar devices.
Its perfect for watching videos, surfing the web, gaming and more.
The display does a great job of making everything pop off the screen.
The green hues of a lizards scales appear sharp and defined in a 4K video I fired up.
Though this isnt an OLED display, the Liquid Retina panel delivers nice contrasts between dark and light elements.
We also see good color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E).
These values are similar to theSamsung Galaxy Book 5 Proand far better than theAcer Swift 14 AI.
Overall, the MacBook Air 15-inch provides fantastic picture quality.
During work, where I usually have Slack and dozens ofChrometabs open, the laptop never once slowed down.
Even when I fired up aYouTubevideo, I never experienced a hint of slowdown.
Gaming performance can be good for some games while questionable for others.
The graphics look awesome thanks to M4 features like hardware-accelerated mesh shading, ray tracing and Dynamic Caching.
Conversely, the 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the same M4 chip delivers better gaming performance.
Still, I doubt many people will complain about a laptop thatonlyendures for 15 hours.
The Center Stage feature keeps you in-frame by zooming and panning whenever you move around.
I tested this feature during aGoogleMeet call and the featured worked as advertised.
Overall, the 12MP camera is a nice upgrade to the old 1080p camera of the previous model.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is a prominent feature onmacOS Sequoiathat could be useful for some folks.
This includes asmarter Siri, image generation, assistive writing features and more.
As Ive written before,Writing Tools is my favorite Apple Intelligence feature.
It can proofread, rewrite and change the tone of what youve written.
For example, it’s possible for you to make your writing sound friendly, professional or concise.
Writing Tools can also summarize long documents.
Though I thinkOpenAIsDall-E 3does a better job of generating images,Image Playgroundis still fun to use.
Youre also able to drop AI images into Notes and other programs.
Siriis now more conversational, but Apples digital assistant isnt perfect.
It does a decent enough job of telling you the weather or showing nearby restaurants.
If youre a professional photographer or videographer, these tools could be useful.
If youre not, then theyre at least fun to toy around with.
That said, there is one glaring problem that undermines one of its unique features.
This feature works well on the latestiMac M4, but the same isnt true for the MacBook Air.
This might be difficult or impossible if your desk isnt big enough.
If the laptop is too close, all anyone will see is your chest.
Trying to bang out while the laptop is so far can also be challenging.
In short, youre not missing much by not upgrading.
Its one of my favorite laptops of the year so far.
