Apple drops M4 MacBook Air starting at $999

If you've been waiting for the right moment to retire an aging laptop, Apple just made a very compelling argument to finally pull the trigger.

Apple just announced the new MacBook Air powered by the M4 chip. Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the refreshed machines hit shelves on March 12, featuring a brand-new sky blue finish. But the biggest headline isn't the color: Apple lowered the starting price to $999 ($899 for education) while keeping 16GB of unified memory as the baseline.

More power, fewer display headaches

The M4 chip brings a 10-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 32GB of memory. According to Apple, the new Air is up to 2x faster than the M1 model and up to 23x faster than the fastest Intel-based Air. Its Neural Engine is also 3x faster than M1, speeding up local AI workflows.

Battery life holds steady at up to 18 hours, but Apple also addressed two specific complaints users have had for years.

First, the webcam jumps to a 12MP Center Stage camera that keeps you centered as you move and supports Desk View for top-down presentations.

Second, the external display limit is finally relaxed. The M4 Air now supports up to two 6K external displays in addition to its built-in Liquid Retina screen, meaning you no longer have to run the laptop in clamshell mode just to drive a dual-monitor setup.

Software-wise, the machine ships with macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence features, including writing tools, Genmoji, and opt-in free ChatGPT integration. Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will let users set up the machine simply by placing an iPhone nearby.

Why it matters

For regular buyers, students, and remote workers, this is arguably the strongest baseline value Apple has offered in the Apple Silicon era. For $999, you get 16GB of RAM, desktop-class performance, fanless silence, and true multi-monitor flexibility out of the box. Anyone nursing an Intel MacBook or feeling constrained on an 8GB M1 machine has very little reason not to upgrade.

We think dropping the base price by $100 is Apple's direct answer to the rising tide of Copilot+ PC laptops powered by Qualcomm and Intel Core Ultra chips. For years, Apple leaned heavily on its battery efficiency moat while charging premium upgrades for basic RAM. Now that Windows laptops are narrowing the battery gap, Apple is using its supply chain scale to squeeze competitors on price-to-performance.

The only real trade-off remains the fanless thermal envelope: sustained heavy video renders will eventually throttle compared to the MacBook Pro. But for the vast majority of people, the M4 Air at this price point sets a benchmark that PC makers will struggle to beat.