Apple has done that thing again—released something new and inadvertently made last year’s model look like a much smarter buy. With the debut of the M5-powered MacBook Air, attention naturally shifts to shiny upgrades and incremental gains. Meanwhile, the 2025 MacBook Air with the M4 chip is sitting quietly on Amazon with discounts up to 19%, shaving as much as $300 off its list price. It’s a great value that’s hard to ignore.
The 15-inch MacBook Air continues to hit a sweet spot for most Apple users. It’s light enough at 3.32 pounds to carry around without complaint, yet substantial enough to handle real work. This isn’t a “just for emails” machine.
Built for Everyday Performance
Performance remains more than respectable. The M4 chip brings a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, along with support for up to 24GB of unified memory. That translates into a laptop that doesn’t flinch at everyday multitasking. Spreadsheets, presentations, endless browser tabs—it handles it all smoothly. Even creative tasks like photo editing and light video work feel responsive.
Like lots of newer products of the last few years, Apple totes its M4-chip as being built for AI. Apple Intelligence is Apple’s particular flavor of the new fad, but even if you are not a participant, the M4-chip will give you a boost to the things you do plan on using this laptop for.
Battery life holds steady at up to 18 hours, you can probably forget your charger at home and still survive the day. For students and remote workers bouncing between locations, that definitely a good thing.
The hardware details round out a very practical package. A 12MP front-facing camera delivers crisp 1080p video, making virtual meetings look crisp and clear. The three-microphone array does a solid job isolating your voice and keeping out background noise. The backlit keyboard and Touch ID keep things comfortable and secure, while MagSafe charging adds a layer of convenience.
Connectivity sticks to the essentials: two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack (yes, still here), and seamless integration with Apple’s broader ecosystem. AirDrop, iMessage, and Handoff continue to make switching between devices feel effortless.
The current deals make the value proposition even clearer. The 256GB model with 16GB of memory is down to $999, while the 512GB version with 24GB drops to $1,299. Multiple color options add some personality, though there are some small price differences among the different options at the moment.