Apple MacBook Air 13-inch

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's base-model review unit with the M4 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD.

The Apple M4 has 10 cores (4 performance and 6 efficiency), boosting to 4.5 GHz. That handles photo editing, 4K video and coding comfortably; very long exports are where the Pro chips pull ahead.

Across the 5 systems NotebookCheck has tested with the Apple M4, it averages 921 points in Cinebench 2024 multi-core (range 815 to 986) and 174.2 single-core. Where this laptop lands in that range depends on how much power it lets the chip draw. Because it is passively cooled, the M4 chip bursts to about 20 W and then settles near 8 W within a few minutes. Single-core speed is the standout, and performance holds steady on battery for both the CPU and GPU.

PugetBench (creative apps). These are Puget Systems' public results for the Apple M4 (10 Cores) in its standard test, pooled across every system it was tested in, so this laptop's power limits can move them up or down. Higher is better.

The 8-core GPU shares the 16GB unified memory pool with the CPU at 120GB/s, so large 3D scenes and high-resolution timelines are not squeezed into a small VRAM buffer. The catch for gaming is software: many Windows games still do not run on macOS.

Memory: fixed. 16GB of LPDDR5X-7500 is built into the chip package, so buy the amount you will need for the life of the laptop; configurations go up to 32GB.

Storage: fixed. The 256GB SSD (Apple SSD AP0256Z) cannot be replaced or added to later.

The included 30W charger briefly limited power draw during the combined stress test.

The 13.6-inch IPS panel runs at 2560x1664 (225 pixels per inch) and 60Hz. It is rated at 500 nits. No PWM flicker was detected.

It covers the P3 color space, but it draws a lot of power at high brightness and there is no 120Hz option.

The Apple M4 is a system on a chip: CPU, GPU and memory share one package, which is why nothing can be upgraded later. Apple's own pro apps run natively, but check your Windows-only tools before switching.

There is no fan at all, so it is silent in every workload. The hottest surface reached 44.9 °C.

The test unit showed no coil whine or other electronic noise. Surfaces stay comfortable: the keyboard deck peaked just under 45 C and the underside just under 43 C at full load, while the palm rests stayed around skin temperature, so lap use is fine.

The battery is 53.8Wh, smaller than 80% of the thin and light laptops we list. NotebookCheck got 16 hours 12 minutes of Wi-Fi browsing. Apple's own battery rating: Up to 18 hours video streaming, up to 15 hours wireless web. Fast charging: Fast-charge capable with the optional 70W USB-C Power Adapter.

That result is at 150 nits; at full brightness it drops to about 7 hours.

Materials: 100% recycled aluminum enclosure. At 1.24 kg it is lighter than 75% of the thin and light laptops we list. It measures 304.1x215x11.3 mm.

The backlit Magic Keyboard has full-height function keys, an inverted-T arrow cluster and a Touch ID key, and NotebookCheck rated typing on it highly at 90 percent.

The large glass Force Touch trackpad supports pressure-sensitive clicks and Multi-Touch gestures, and NotebookCheck gave it a near-perfect 99 percent pointing-device score. Sign-in: Touch ID.

It has 2x Thunderbolt 4, which runs docks, fast external drives and displays over one cable. It can drive up to 2 external displays. It charges over USB-C.

Full list: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack. Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, 1080p video. Speakers: Four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio for Dolby Atmos.

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch name covers several builds. Graphics: Apple M4 8-core GPU and Apple M4 10-core GPU. Memory: 16GB unified memory, configurable to 24GB or 32GB. Check the exact configuration on the listing before you buy.

No longer current: Apple's MacBook Air page now features the 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 (introduced 2026), which replaces this M4 model.

• Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 16GB, 512GB): Apple M5, heavier at 1.55 kg, a bigger 72.4Wh battery and a 14.2-inch screen.
• Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition (Ryzen AI 7 350, 32GB, 1TB): AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, a similar 1.30 kg, upgradeable RAM and a 13.5-inch screen.
• Dell XPS 13 9350 (Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB, 512GB): Core Ultra 7 256V, a similar 1.24 kg and a 13.4-inch screen.

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's base-model review unit with the M4 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD.

• MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) - Tech Specs - Apple Support
• Identify your MacBook Air model - Apple Support
• MacBook Air 13-inch and MacBook Air 15-inch - Apple
• Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, base model) review - Notebookcheck
• Puget Systems PugetBench public results