Apple’s M4 MacBook Air: Speed Claims vs. Real-World Performance | Image Source: www.apple.com
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, March 6, 2025 – Apple officially presented its latest MacBook Air, with the power of the new M4 chip, a bright blue color and a lower price point. However, the most important view is Apple’s bold assertion that the new MacBook Air is up to 23 times faster than its latest Intel-based counterpart. Although impressive on paper, the reality of this statement is more nuanced than it seems.
How does Apple justify the 23x increase in speed?
According to Apple, the comparison was made between a MacBook Air 2025 equipped with a 10-core M4 chip, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD, and an Intel-based MacBook Air with an Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD. This comparison, although technically fair in terms of specifications, is based on a very specific performance test.
Apple used the Super Resolution feature on Pixelmator Pro, an image editing software that the company now has, to scale an image of 4.4 MB. This feature takes advantage of machine learning to improve image quality, a task that benefits greatly from Apple’s neural engine and optimized silicon. As Apple indicated in its fine print, these tests were conducted under controlled conditions and may not reflect daily use.
How is M4 MacBook Air compared to other tasks?
Beyond the attractive figure 23x, Apple provided additional benchmarks for more common tasks:
- Spreadsheet calculations in Microsoft Excel are up to 4.7 times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air and 1.6 times faster than the M1 MacBook Air.
- Video editing in iMovie is up to 8 times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air and 2 times faster than the M1 model.
- Photo editing in Adobe Photoshop is up to 3.6 times faster than the Intel-based model and 2 times faster than the M1.
- Web browsing is up to 60% faster compared to an Intel Core Ultra 7-powered PC laptop.
Although these figures are impressive, they suggest a more realistic improvement over previous models rather than the sensational 23x increase observed in Pixelmator Pro.
The M4 MacBook Air Match MacBook Pro Performance?
The parameters suggest that the M4 MacBook Air fill the gap between the Air and Pro models. According to the evidence reported by Wccftech, the M4 MacBook Air scored a Geekbench 6 Metal score of 54,846. This puts him near the M4 MacBook Pro of 10 carrots, which scored 57,788 on the same test. However, despite similar raw performance figures, the MacBook Air lacks an active cooling system, which means that sustained performance during extended workload can be limited due to thermal oscillation.
What is New Beyond Performance?
While performance is the highlight, the MacBook 2025 Air also has several notable improvements:
- New 12MP Center Stage Camera: Improves video call quality and keeps users in frame automatically.
- Support for Two External Displays: A major upgrade from previous MacBook Air models.
- Longer Battery Life: Up to 18 hours of battery life, six hours more than Intel-based MacBook Airs.
- New Sky Blue Color: A fresh addition to the lineup, joining Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.
- More Affordable: Starting price drops to $999 ($899 for education), making it more accessible.
Should you update?
If you continue to use a MacBook Air based on Intel, the M4 model update will be a night and day difference. Even for M1 users, performance gains in video editing, machine learning tasks and web browsing could make the switch valid.
Previous orders for the new MacBook The air is now open, with shipping aircraft starting on Wednesday, March 12. Although Apple’s 23x claim can be exaggerated for marketing purposes, the MacBook Air M4 is certainly an attractive power plant.
