Apple MacBook Air M4 Chip: Price, Specs, and What’s New

Apple has released the latest iteration of its popular MacBook Air, now powered by the M4 chip. This update brings performance enhancements, new AI capabilities, and a fresh color option to the lightweight laptop line. Here’s a detailed look at the new features, specifications, and pricing.

What’s New with the M4 Chip?

The most significant upgrade is the inclusion of the Apple M4 chip. The M4 features a 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, and an 8-core GPU. It also boasts a 16-core Neural Engine, delivering more powerful AI performance for tasks like automatic camera framing and image processing [Apple]. The chip offers 120GB/s of memory bandwidth and hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding for various video formats, including ProRes and AV1 [Apple Specs].

MacBook Air M4: Models and Specifications

The MacBook Air with the M4 chip is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch models. Key specifications include:

• Finish: Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, and Midnight
• Chip: Apple M4 chip (configurable with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU)
• Memory: 16GB unified memory (configurable to 24GB or 32GB)
• Display: Liquid Retina display
• 13.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch
• Battery Life: Up to 18 hours of video streaming, up to 15 hours of wireless web

AI Capabilities

Thanks to the faster Neural Engine in the M4 chip, the MacBook Air now has enhanced AI capabilities. These improvements enhance various functions, including automatic camera framing during video calls [Apple].

Design and Portability

The MacBook Air maintains its reputation for being remarkably light and thin. It’s designed for portability, easily fitting into bags and backpacks. The enclosure is made with over 50 percent recycled materials, featuring a durable recycled aluminum design [Apple].

Pricing and Availability

Apple has not publicly released specific pricing details as of February 21, 2026. However, the MacBook Air remains Apple’s entry-level laptop, positioned below the MacBook Pro in terms of performance and price.

Previous Generations

Apple transitioned from Intel processors to its own Apple silicon M-series chips in 2020. The MacBook Air was initially updated with the M1 chip in November 2020, followed by a redesigned model with the M2 chip in July 2022, and the first 15-inch MacBook Air in June 2023 [Wikipedia]. The M3 chip-equipped MacBook Airs were introduced in March 2024 [Wikipedia].