In the ongoing, meticulously orchestrated cadence of Apple’s silicon evolution, a conspicuous silence had surrounded one of its most celebrated performers. When Cupertino unfurled a phalanx of MacBook Pros and revitalized segments of its somewhat neglected desktop Mac lineage upon the M4 generation last autumn, the exclusion of the MacBook Air – arguably the company’s most ubiquitous notebook by its own accounting – registered as a perplexing omission. Its persistence through M2 and M3 iterations left many industry watchers scratching their heads. That lingering question mark, however, has been decisively erased today. Apple has officially pulled back the curtain on the MacBook Air imbued with M4 silicon, presenting it at a price point that might pleasantly surprise many observers. Concurrently, the powerhouse Mac Studio receives a substantial, much-anticipated internal upgrade, albeit one characterized by a rather intriguing configuration anomaly.
The People’s Mac Ascends: MacBook Air Embraces M4 Potency
As one might anticipate for Apple’s most svelte and wallet-friendly notebook offering, the M4 System-on-Chip (SoC) nestled within the new MacBook Air exhibits a degree of strategic tailoring, yet implemented in a fashion likely imperceptible to the vast majority of its intended users. Crucially, the full complement of four high-performance CPU cores coupled with six efficiency cores remains intact – a configuration notably more robust than the specification found in the pricier M4 iMac unveiled previously. The primary adjustment lies in the graphics domain, where approximately 20% of the GPU cores have been judiciously excised. This represents, quite likely, an intelligent optimization by Apple, allowing for efficient utilization of binned SoC silicon that doesn’t quite meet the demands of higher-tier products. Foundational specifications carry over gratifyingly from the preceding generation, including a healthy 16GB baseline of swift LPDDR5 memory and a 256GB allotment of Apple’s proprietary SSD storage.
Maintaining its familiar bifurcated approach, the MacBook Air arrives in both 13-inch and 15-inch guises. Both models sport high-resolution, albeit 60Hz, displays punctuated by that now-infamous screen notch – a design element that has stubbornly persisted across nearly the entire MacBook family since its 2021 reintroduction. The 13-inch variant commands a $999 starting price, a figure that, merely yesterday, belonged to the M2-powered MacBook Air which had lingered since 2022. While that M2 model did benefit from a mid-cycle memory enhancement to 16GB last fall, this leap to M4 represents a genuinely substantial uplift in raw processing capability and efficiency.
Meanwhile, the larger 15-inch MacBook Air, which previously topped out with the M3 chip, courageously holds its $1,199 entry price while gaining the uncompromised M4 experience – boasting the full 10 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores. Its foundational memory and storage mirror the 13-inch base model at 16GB and 256GB respectively.
Herein lies a familiar narrative, a persistent thorn in the side of budget-conscious Apple devotees: the upgrade pricing structure. Elevating the storage on either MacBook Air model to a more comfortable 512GB exacts a steep $200 premium. It’s a pricing strategy that feels almost extortionate, echoing Apple’s SSD upgrade philosophy stretching back over a decade to the dawn of solid-state dominance in its notebooks. There is a small silver lining, however; on the 13-inch model, this $200 storage bump serendipitously unlocks the fully enabled M4 GPU, effectively granting the enhanced graphics capability “gratis.” Memory expansion follows a similarly expensive trajectory: stepping up to 24GB costs an additional $200, while reaching 32GB demands a hefty $400 surcharge.
Given the utilization of LPDDR5 memory, prospective buyers can confidently assume it’s soldered directly to the logic board, precluding future upgrades. The SSD situation is analogous – either soldered permanently or employing a highly proprietary connector, as seen in the Mac mini. Therefore, the cardinal advice remains unchanged: carefully assess your anticipated needs and configure the machine accordingly at the point of purchase. Nevertheless, viewed purely through a value lens, the $999 base model presents a compelling proposition, rivaling even the $599 Mac mini for compute power per dollar, provided one can comfortably operate within its RAM and storage constraints.
Distinguishing these new M4 Airs from their immediate predecessors visually requires a keen eye, unless one opts for the novel Sky Blue finish. It’s a subtle, pale hue. For those preferring familiarity, Apple retains the established color palette: the deep Midnight, classic Silver, and understated Moonlight remain available across both screen dimensions.
Alternatively, for those demanding immediate gratification at the absolute lowest acquisition cost, retailers like Best Buy are aggressively clearing inventory. An M2 13-inch MacBook Air, equipped with the upgraded 16GB RAM and 256GB storage, can currently be snagged for a compelling $799. Barring the new color option, it’s aesthetically identical, and the M2 chip remains a thoroughly capable engine for everyday tasks.
A Powerhouse Awakens: Mac Studio Steps Up, Albeit with a Generational Twist
Lest it fade into the background noise generated by its more portable siblings, the formidable Mac Studio also steps back into the limelight, bestowed with a significant performance infusion. Having previously plateaued with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra SoC options, the Studio now makes a decisive leap. The entry-level configuration embraces the potent M4 Max, the same silicon that debuted in the high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros last autumn. The true peculiarity, however, emerges at the upper echelon: there is no M4 Ultra configuration offered. Instead, the Mac Studio’s dual-die option paradoxically relies on an M3 Ultra, forged from two previous-generation M3 Max chips. Despite this generational mix, Apple boldly proclaims this iteration its “most powerful Mac ever.”
The journey begins at $1,999. This nets the slightly constrained 14-core CPU variant of the M4 Max (featuring 10 performance and 4 efficiency cores) paired with a 32-core GPU, underpinned by 36GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. That storage capacity, frankly, feels parsimonious at this price stratum; Apple could, and arguably should, offer more. Upgrading to what many would consider a minimum viable 1TB configuration necessitates an additional $200.
Ascending the M4 Max performance ladder involves several tiers. Progressing to the unbridled M4 Max – boasting 12 performance cores and an impressive 40 GPU cores – carries a $300 premium. However, this upgrade path mandates a simultaneous memory increase from 36GB to 48GB, tacking on another $200, resulting in a total $500 step-up cost and pushing the configuration price to $2,499. All M4 Max configurations share the same 16-core Neural Engine, underpinning Apple Intelligence features and other local AI tasks.
The M3 Ultra configurations present their own bifurcation. The initial tier offers a 28-core CPU, dual Neural Engines, and a substantial 60-core GPU. The ultimate configuration escalates dramatically to a 32-core CPU paired with a staggering 80-core GPU, demanding a breathtaking $1,500 upgrade fee. Attaining the maximum 512GB memory capacity is contingent upon selecting this top-tier CPU. Owing to its M3 foundation, the total Neural Processing Unit capability of the M3 Ultra configuration, while likely exceeding that of the M4 Max, probably doesn’t represent a simple doubling, though it still marks an increase. Both M3 Ultra variants commence with a generous 96GB of memory and a 1TB SSD as standard.
Despite the curious inclusion of a previous-generation M3 Ultra SoC – and acknowledging that Thunderbolt 5 support officially debuted with the M4 silicon family – the M3 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio commendably suffers no connectivity deficit. Both the M4 Max and M3 Ultra models feature four rear-mounted Thunderbolt 5 ports, augmented by dual USB 3 (5Gbps) Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1 output, an analog audio jack, and standard 10Gb Ethernet. Front-facing I/O differentiates the models slightly: the M4 Max version provides two 10Gbps USB-C ports, whereas the M3 Ultra variant offers dual front-accessible Thunderbolt 5 ports. A convenient front-loading SD card reader graces both configurations.
Preorders Live, Anticipation Builds
These revitalized Mac powerhouses aren’t quite ready for immediate pickup. Both the new M4 MacBook Air and the updated Mac Studio are available for preorder directly from Apple starting today. Concurrently, expect retailers to accelerate efforts to clear out their existing stock of previous-generation models.
For those eager to embrace the latest advancements in Apple silicon, navigating over to Apple’s digital storefront is the next step. Initial delivery estimates at the time of writing suggest arrival dates around March 12th-13th, contingent upon specific configuration and chosen delivery or pickup method.
