Apple's next-gen MacBook Air models aren't available just yet, but the most recent MacBook Air M4 rumors suggest we may see Apple debut its new Air models as soon as January or by March at the latest.
With an imminent release date for the MacBook Air M4, people are understandably wondering whether it's worth it to hold out and upgrade to the more powerful, pricier next-gen MacBook Air or stick with the reliable, more affordable MacBook Air M3.
Whatever your reasons for trying to decide between the upcoming MacBook Air M4 vs. the tried-and-true MacBook Air M3, we've got you covered. Here's everything there is to know about the differences in price, specs, features, and more between these two lightweight laptops.
MacBook Air M4 vs. Air M3: Pricing and availability
Apple launched the MacBook Air M3 in March 2024 with pricing that matched the MacBook Air M2. So, the base 13-inch MacBook Air M3 with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage started at $1,099, and the base 15-inch MacBook Air M3 with an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage started at $1,299. However, another important change happened in October 2024, with Apple upgrading the base RAM on all its laptops from 8GB to 16GB while retaining the same pricing.
Following the same pattern we've seen in recent years, Apple reduced the starting price of its 13-inch MacBook Air M2 to $999 following the launch of the MacBook Air M3, and it discontinued its 15-inch MacBook Air M2.
While Apple has yet to officially discuss a release date or price for the MacBook Air M4 models, history suggests we'll see them launch in March 2025 with the same current starting prices as the MacBook Air M3 models. Then, the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 should get a permanent price reduction of $100, with the 15-inch Air M3 presumably discontinued entirely.
We're already seeing excellent deals on the M3-powered MacBook Air, but we could see even deeper discounts once the M4-powered MacBook Air models arrive. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck in a new MacBook Air, that'll definitely be an M3 model.
Winner: MacBook Air M3
MacBook Air M4 vs. Air M3: Specs and performance
Even though the MacBook Air M4 hasn't officially hit the market, the M4 chip has. Because of this, we have a pretty clear picture of how the M4 and M3 chips compare performance-wise.
The M4 chip is able to support up to 32GB of max memory, compared to the M3 chip's max 24GB memory support. The M4 chip will also feature more efficiency CPU cores, more GPU cores, and more transistors.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | M4 Chip | M3 Chip |
|---|---|---|
| Total cores | 9 or 10 | 8 |
| Performance cores | 3 or 4 | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 4 |
| GPU cores | 10 | 8 or 10 |
| Neural engine cores | 16 | 16 |
| Transistors | 28 billion | 25 billion |
| Max memory capacity | 32GB (16GB for iPad Pro) | 24GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 120GB/s | 100GB/s |
Other than its chip and max memory capacity, the MacBook Air M4 will feature many of the same max specs as the MacBook Air M4, like up to 2TB of SSD storage capacity and a 13- or 15-inch Liquid Retina display.
We benchmarked the MacBook Pro 14 M4 with 16GB of RAM, which delivered a Geekbench 6.3 multicore average of 15,114. Of course, with its fanless design, the MacBook Air M4 may not earn as high of a multicore score, but in the past, scores have been relatively similar between Apple's Pro and Air models in our testing.
For comparison, take a look at the Geekbench scores we got when testing Apple's M3 MacBook models:
| Laptop | Geekbench 6 multi-core score |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 14 M3 | 11,870 |
| MacBook Air 15 M3 | 12,052 |
If the MacBook Air M4 can perform as well as the MacBook Pro M4, that's quite a performance jump from the MacBook Air M3. Based on the numbers we have from previous testing, the MacBook Air M4 could offer about 25% stronger performance compared to the Air M3.
On top of boosted performance, the MacBook Air M4 may also boast a longer battery life compared to its last-gen counterpart. In our MacBook Pro 14 M4 review, the laptop lasted 18 hours and 32 minutes in the Laptop Mag battery test, which is 1 hour and 16 minutes longer than the MacBook Pro 14 M3 lasted.
With its slightly smaller battery, the MacBook Air 13 M3 lasted 15 hours and 13 minutes, and the MacBook Air 15 M3 lasted 15:03. If the same battery boost the Pro models received is to be expected with the new Airs, the MacBook Air M4 models should last over 16 hours in our battery test.
Winner: MacBook Air M4
MacBook Air M4 vs. Air M3: Design
We've yet to see the MacBook Air M4 with our own eyes, but it'll probably look identical to the MacBook Air M3. After all, it's been a while since Apple has changed up the design of its MacBook Air models, and that's definitely not a bad thing.
Apple's MacBook Air lineup features a fanless, lightweight design that makes it ideal for commuters, frequent travelers, and anyone who simply doesn't want to cart around a heavy laptop.
The MacBook Air M3 shared chassis dimensions, available ports, and color options with the MacBook Air M2, and there's currently no reason to expect anything to be different with the MacBook Air M4.
The MacBook Air 13 M3 measures 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches and weighs 2.7 pounds, and the Air 15 M3 has slightly larger dimensions of 13.4 x 9.53 x 0.45 inches and a heavier weight of 3.3 pounds. We don't have confirmation from Apple yet on MacBook Air M4 dimensions and weight, but we're expecting very similar (if not, the exact same) numbers.
Just like the Air M2 models, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M3 laptops feature two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 charging port. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro and M4 Max models received an upgrade to Thunderbolt 5 ports, but as the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 didn't make that leap, it's unlikely the MacBook Air M4 models will.
Much to our dismay, we haven't heard any rumors on new colors for the upcoming MacBook Air M4, so it'll likely be available in the same exact color options as the MacBook Air M3 models. This includes Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.
It'd be nice to eventually see neat pastel colors like these imagined colorways shared by a Redditor, but for now, we'll have to rely on the best MacBook Air cases to liven up the laptop's appearance.
Winner: Draw.
Bottom line
If you're looking for the best MacBook Air you can buy in 2025, it's clearly going to be the MacBook Air M4. With the M4 chip boasting more CPU cores, more GPU cores, and more transistors, the MacBook Air M4 could offer about 25% better performance and roughly an hour more battery life compared to the MacBook Air M3.
With that said, those potential performance and even battery life gains aren't crucial for everyone. Unless you are someone who is teetering on the edge of picking between the MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro, the Air M3 is likely going to meet all of your needs for at least $300 less than the comparable MacBook Air M4 at launch.
If you need a new laptop today, you won't regret picking up any of the MacBook Air M3 models; you'll typically find the 13-inch available for $899 or less on our regularly updated MacBook deals page. However, there is no question that the M4 Air models will represent an upgrade in performance and likely battery life, so if longevity or just having the latest and greatest is a higher priority for you than value, waiting until their expected arrival in March will be worth it for you.
