The MacBook Air M4 hasn't become a bad laptop because Apple put an M5 in its successor. It has become a laptop that needs a better price.

That is the distinction worth making a year and a half after its introduction. The M4 Air still has the qualities that made the design appealing: a light chassis, no cooling fan and enough performance for a wide range of ordinary work. Its shortcomings haven't disappeared either. Memory and storage aren't upgradeable, ports are limited and the screen remains at 60Hz. [1][2]

Apple introduced the M5 Air in March 2026, with 512GB of starting storage and upgraded wireless hardware. [3] If you're shopping now, compare the two configurations on offer. A discounted 256GB M4 isn't the same purchase as a 512GB M5, even if the advertisements place their starting prices side by side.

For an existing M4 owner, there is little reason to replace it just to get the newer processor. For a new buyer, a properly discounted M4 can still make sense. The word “properly” is doing some work.

Why the Air still fits ordinary work

A general-purpose laptop spends much of its life handling tasks that arrive in bursts. Open a document. Load a web page. Recalculate a spreadsheet. Join a meeting. Import a few photographs.

The M4 Air is well suited to that kind of routine. Independent testing from RTINGS describes strong single-thread performance and good general-productivity behavior. [2] The relevant point for an ordinary buyer is responsiveness during common jobs, not whether the machine wins every workstation comparison.

A laptop also has to be agreeable between those jobs. The Air's keyboard, trackpad, webcam and speakers matter because you use them repeatedly. RTINGS rates its build and input-device quality favorably. [2] That's useful evidence for a machine you may spend hours using every day.

There is no need to invent a glamorous workflow to justify a good laptop. Someone who writes, manages accounts and conducts video meetings can care about a comfortable machine just as much as someone who edits a film.

The condition is software compatibility. If the program you need doesn't run properly on macOS, the Air's other merits don't settle the purchase.

Silence is part of the appeal, and part of the limit

The M4 Air has no cooling fan. [2] That means no fan noise during a meeting, a recording session or a late-night writing job.

A fanless design still has to manage heat. Under sustained load, performance can be reduced as the system keeps temperatures within its limits. RTINGS observed thermal throttling in its testing. [2]

That isn't a reason to reject the laptop for occasional creative work. It is a reason to separate a brief job from hours of demanding work. Exporting a short video now and then is different from making repeated exports under a deadline.

If the computer regularly earns its keep by finishing demanding processing faster, compare an actively cooled MacBook Pro or a suitable desktop. The extra cost can be justified by the work. If those heavy jobs are rare, the Air's quiet operation and portability may be the better trade.

Don't buy the Pro solely because you're afraid the Air might someday encounter a demanding task. Identify the likely frequency and cost of waiting. A hypothetical inconvenience shouldn't dictate the entire purchase.

The base memory is reasonable, but choose it for your work

The M4 Air starts with 16GB of unified memory, with 24GB and 32GB options. [1] For routine browser work, documents and ordinary multitasking, 16GB is a sensible configuration to consider.

Move toward a higher tier if your actual work includes large creative files, substantial multitasking or local AI experiments. The benefit is room for the workload, not a guarantee that every click gets faster.

Since you cannot add memory later, this decision deserves more attention than color or a small processor upgrade. An otherwise good deal with insufficient memory may be the wrong computer.

But “buy as much as possible” is poor advice for someone with a fixed budget. Extra money can buy a better monitor, a backup drive or simply remain unspent. Use your current activity as evidence: which applications are open together, and does memory pressure already affect the experience?

A student should also consider required course software. A family doing light household computing may have less reason to pay for headroom that stays unused. There isn't one configuration for every person who fits the phrase “most people.”

Storage is where a clearance deal can disappoint

The base M4 includes 256GB of storage. [1] That can work for someone whose routine is mostly online, but it leaves less room for locally stored photos, video projects, games and downloaded model files.

The M5 Air starts at 512GB. [3] That difference belongs in the price comparison before you decide how much the newer processor is worth.

Check how much storage your current computer uses and what is growing fastest. If you already need more than 256GB, a cheap base M4 may create immediate inconvenience. External storage can help, but it isn't as convenient as internal space for everything.

Also consider the files that software creates while working. A project may need more free space during processing than its final export uses. Buying close to your present usage leaves little room for that temporary demand.

A 512GB M4 at a favorable price can be more attractive than a base M4 with a smaller saving. Don't let a retailer's headline discount make the configuration disappear from view.

The screen is good for work, less exciting for motion

The 13-inch model has a 13.6-inch IPS display, rated by Apple at 500 nits. [1] RTINGS found the display useful for color-sensitive work but noted the 60Hz refresh rate and slow response time as limitations for gaming. [2]

For documents and photo work, sharpness and comfortable scaling matter. For scrolling, animation and games, a higher refresh rate can feel smoother. These are separate benefits, and a buyer may care much more about one than the other.

Try the display at the text size you use. A smaller laptop with tiny text is a false economy if you spend every evening leaning toward it. The 15-inch Air may be more comfortable for someone who mainly works at a table and wants more screen area.

If your laptop usually connects to a monitor, the portability of the 13-inch model may be more useful than the larger built-in screen. Remember to include the monitor and connection hardware in the cost.

This is an area where Windows competitors deserve a look. A touchscreen or faster display might matter more to you than the Air's particular balance of features.

Two external displays make a practical difference

The M4 Air supports its built-in screen alongside up to two external displays, within Apple's specified resolution and refresh-rate limits. It also has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe charging and a headphone jack. [1]

The display support helps someone who wants a small portable computer at work and a larger workspace at home. Check the resolution and connections of your monitors rather than assuming any dock supports any arrangement.

The port count can still feel sparse. If you use USB-A equipment, memory cards or wired networking, adapters or a dock may be part of the purchase.

MagSafe lets you charge without occupying a USB-C port, which is useful when those ports are already in use. But it doesn't remove the need to plan the desk setup.

Make a list of the devices you attach at once. Price the necessary connections before comparing the Air with a laptop that includes more of them. A less expensive computer can become the more expensive setup after accessories.

Battery life should be judged in your routine

Apple rates the M4 model for up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 hours of wireless web use. [1] Those are separate manufacturer tests, not a promise that every owner will get either duration while doing other work.

RTINGS found it to be a strong portable option while noting that some Windows competitors last longer in its testing. [2] The Air doesn't have to win every battery chart to be useful through a normal day.

Your display brightness, applications and meeting load affect endurance. If the laptop spends much of its time plugged in, a small difference may not matter. If you travel frequently or work away from reliable outlets, it deserves more weight.

A used machine adds battery condition to the comparison. Ask about battery health, the return window and any service history. A bargain becomes less attractive if it immediately needs attention.

For a recent Air owner experiencing poor endurance, check the battery and software workload before assuming the processor generation is the problem. Replacement hardware is an expensive diagnostic tool.

AI doesn't create a universal upgrade reason

The M4 can support Apple Intelligence and local AI applications, subject to the software's requirements. [1] That doesn't mean every model you download will fit or run at the speed you want.

For local AI, memory capacity and the runtime's supported acceleration matter. Ollama's Apple-silicon work uses graphics acceleration, with support for newer hardware described in its documentation. [4]

If that is the main reason for buying, find benchmarks for the particular model and configuration. A general laptop recommendation is too broad for a specialized workload.

If you use an assistant on a website, a newer Mac doesn't necessarily improve the generated answer. The remote service is doing much of the demanding work. Buy a replacement for a local problem you can identify.

The M5 adds capabilities, but an M4 that handles your applications remains useful. A new chip announcement shouldn't make you dissatisfied with a computer that was working well the previous morning.

What the discount should look like

Apple launched the 13-inch M4 Air at $999 and the 13-inch M5 Air at $1,099. [3][5] Those are launch references, not guaranteed prices today. The M5's larger starting storage also makes the apparent $100 gap an incomplete comparison.

As a buying rule, look for at least about $200 in savings on an M4 against a comparably equipped new M5. A larger discount is more compelling if the M4 has less storage or weaker warranty coverage. These are ZNEWS thresholds, not live deal claims.

At a small price difference, favor the newer model. At a substantial difference, the M4's everyday capability becomes easier to recommend. A higher-memory M4 may also be the better choice than a lower-memory M5 for a workload that needs the capacity.

Refurbished and used offers need their own comparison. Check battery condition, accessories, warranty and the ability to return the machine. “Refurbished” alone doesn't tell you how thoroughly the laptop was inspected.

The newer MacBook Neo is another budget option, launched at $599, but its 8GB memory configuration places it in a different class. [6] Compare it with the work you expect to do rather than treating all inexpensive Macs as equivalent.

The recommendation today

Keep your M4 Air if it is doing the job. The successor's existence is not a practical problem that needs solving.

Buy an M4 if the exact configuration suits your software and the discount is substantial against the current alternative. Prioritize sufficient memory and storage over finding the cheapest listing with “M4” in the title.

Buy the M5 when the gap is modest, especially if its larger starting storage avoids a compromise you would otherwise make. Consider a Pro or a desktop if demanding sustained work dominates the routine. Choose Windows if it runs required software more directly.

The M4 Air is still a good everyday laptop. It is no longer the default new Air purchase at any price. Treat it as a capable previous-generation machine and make the seller give you a reason to choose it.

Sources

Sources checked September 30, 2026. Deal thresholds are editorial judgments, not advertised current prices.

[1] Apple, MacBook Air 13-inch M4 specifications.

[2] RTINGS, MacBook Air 13 M4 review, independent laptop testing.

[3] Apple, MacBook Air M5 announcement, March 3, 2026; current Air configurations.

[4] Ollama, Apple-silicon MLX engine.

[5] Apple, MacBook Air M4 announcement, March 5, 2025.

[6] Apple, MacBook Neo announcement, March 4, 2026.