Buying guide3 min read

MacBook Air 13" M4 — the default thin Mac

16GB and M4 in a fanless 1.24kg shell — student, travel, and remote-work pick when a Pro is overkill and 256GB is enough with discipline.

The short version

The MacBook Air M4 is what we suggest when someone asks for one Mac to last uni and five years of sofa tabs. 16GB is finally standard, so Teams plus Lightroom previews does not feel like 2020 again.

Friction: 256GB is tight for photo libraries, and two USB-C ports mean a hub. It is not silent under hour-long video calls — the keyboard warms — but it beats carrying a Pro on the train.

Full product breakdown →

What stood out in testing

Honest trade-offs — not just the marketing bullet points.

What we liked

16GB base ends the old 8GB MacBook regret
Fanless and silent for study, travel, and sofa work
18-hour battery class and excellent speakers for the weight

What to know

256GB fills fast — plan external storage for photos and video
Two USB-C ports mean hub life with HDMI and SSD attached
Sustained loads throttle — not a render or gaming workstation

Key specs

Chip	Apple M4 · 10-core CPU
RAM	16GB unified
SSD	256GB
Display	13.6" Liquid Retina

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