Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) Review
MacBook Air · 2025 · Released 2025-03-12 · Tested 2025-12-08 · Test Bench 1.2 · published
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)
8.5/10
Overall · Test Bench 1.2
- Best for
- School, travel, everyday use
- Not ideal for
- Gaming and port-heavy setups
- Tested config
- Apple M4 (10-core), 16GB, 256GB
- Current price
- $1,349
- MSRP
- $1,499
- Warranty
- 1-year limited (AppleCare+ available)
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BestLaptop.ca Test Team
Reviewed and tested in-house · Updated 2025-12-08 · Test Bench 1.2
How we test →Featured in our rankings: Best Student Laptops in Canada, Best College & University Laptops in Canada, Best MacBooks in Canada, Best Laptops for Programming in Canada, Best Laptops for Working From Home in Canada, Best 13-Inch Laptops in Canada.
Quick Verdict
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 is the laptop most students should consider. It is light, silent, and lasts all day, with strong everyday performance. The base 256GB storage is the main thing to watch, so consider sizing up.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Light and silent
- Strong everyday performance
- Great keyboard and trackpad
Cons
- Only 256GB base storage
- Just two USB-C ports
- 60Hz display
- Not upgradeable
Score Breakdown
Each sub-score is weighted to produce the overall score. How scoring works.
Use-Case Scores
How this laptop performs for specific needs. Each score weights our test categories differently.
School9.4
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits school use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Business8.6
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits business use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Gaming4.0
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits gaming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Multimedia8.2
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits multimedia use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Workstation6.6
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits workstation use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Programming8.4
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits programming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Travel9.2
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits travel use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Battery9.3
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits battery use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Value8.2
Measures how well the MacBook Air 13 (M4) suits value use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.
Design, Build & Portability
The MacBook Air 13 (M4) uses a aluminium chassis, weighs 1.24 kg, and measures 304 x 215 x 11.3 mm. It earned a build score of 9.0 and a portability score of 9.0 in our testing.
Students and travellers who want the lightest long-battery Mac.
Display
The 13.6-inch IPS (Liquid Retina) panel runs at 2560 x 1664 (16:10) and 60Hz. We measured 476 nits of brightness, 100% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 coverage, and a colour accuracy of Delta E 1.1.
It does not have a touchscreen. See full display measurements →
Keyboard, Touchpad, Webcam & Speakers
The keyboard scored 8.6 in our typing tests. The webcam, speakers, and microphone feed the multimedia score of 8.2, which matters most for video calls and media.
Ports & Connectivity
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm audio. Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3. Connectivity earned a score of 5.6.
Performance, Gaming & Creative Work
With the Apple M4 (10-core) and Apple M4 GPU (8-core), the MacBook Air 13 (M4) scored 8.2 for performance. It posted a Geekbench multi-core score of 14,800, a Cinebench multi-core score of 11,000, and averaged 34 FPS across our 1080p gaming suite. Our 4K video export test finished in 7.2 minutes.
SSD read/write speeds measured 2,900 / 2,100 MB/s.
Battery Life & Charging
In our fixed-brightness tests, the MacBook Air 13 (M4) lasted 18 hours of web browsing and 20.6 hours of video playback, earning a battery score of 9.3. It charged to 80% in about 66 minutes.
Thermals & Noise
Under sustained load we measured 0 dB of fan noise (0 dB at idle), a CPU temperature of 93°C, and a keyboard surface temperature of 39°C. Thermals and noise scored 9.2.
Software, Configuration & Upgradeability
It runs macOS. RAM (16GB Unified LPDDR5x) is soldered and not upgradeable, so size up at purchase. Storage (256GB PCIe SSD) is not user-replaceable.
Canadian Pricing & Availability
The MacBook Air 13 (M4) carries an MSRP of $1,499 and currently sells for around $1,349 in Canada. It represents solid value at current pricing.
Compared to Similar Laptops
| Laptop | Overall | Battery (web) | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) | 8.5 | 18 h | 1.24 kg | $1,349 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 | 8.4 | 11.8 h | 1.09 kg | $2,199 |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | 8.5 | 18.4 h | 1.51 kg | $1,649 |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) | 8.1 | 8.6 h | 1.5 kg | $2,699 |
Final Verdict
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 is the laptop most students should consider. It is light, silent, and lasts all day, with strong everyday performance. The base 256GB storage is the main thing to watch, so consider sizing up.
Buy it if: Students and travellers who want the lightest long-battery Mac. Skip it if: Anyone needing lots of local storage or Windows software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) worth it?
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 is the laptop most students should consider. It is light, silent, and lasts all day, with strong everyday performance. The base 256GB storage is the main thing to watch, so consider sizing up.
Who should buy the MacBook Air 13 (M4)?
Students and travellers who want the lightest long-battery Mac.
What is the battery life of the MacBook Air 13 (M4)?
In our web browsing test at a fixed brightness, it lasted 18 hours; video playback lasted 20.6 hours.
How much does the MacBook Air 13 (M4) cost in Canada?
It currently starts around $1,349 in Canada, down from an MSRP of $1,499.
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