MacBook Air 13

The 13-inch MacBook Air is currently available in three main generations: the M4 (released March 2025), the M3 (2024), and the M2 (2022).

The biggest news for 2025 is that Apple has lowered the starting price of the newest model to $999 and doubled the base memory to 16GB, making it a significantly better value than previous years.

MacBook Air 13

Latest Model: MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
The M4 model is the current flagship, focused on speed and “Apple Intelligence” (AI) features.

• Base RAM: Now 16GB (up from 8GB), configurable up to 32GB.
• Performance: Features a 10-core CPU. It is roughly 20% faster than the M3 and up to 2x faster than the original M1 model.
• New Features:
• 12MP Center Stage Camera: Automatically keeps you centered during video calls.
• Sky Blue Color: A new metallic light blue joins Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.
• External Displays: Supports up to two external displays even when the laptop lid is open (an upgrade over the M3 which required the lid to be closed).
• Comparison Table: M2 vs. M3 vs. M4

Feature MacBook Air M2 MacBook Air M3 MacBook Air M4:

• Release Year 2022 2024 2025
• Base RAM 8GB 8GB (standard) 16GB
• Max RAM 24GB 24GB 32GB
• Camera 1080p FaceTime 1080p FaceTime 12MP Center Stage
• Connectivity Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E
• Ext. Displays 1 Display 2 Displays (Lid Closed) 2 Displays (Lid Open)

Which one should you buy?

• Buy the M4 if you want the best possible webcam, need 16GB of RAM for multitasking, or plan to use two monitors while still using the laptop screen.
• Buy the M3 if you can find it on clearance. It still feels very modern and supports Wi-Fi 6E.
• Buy the M2 if you are on a strict budget. It has the same modern design as the newer ones but is much cheaper.

Note on “Apple Intelligence”: All three models (M2, M3, and M4) support Apple’s new AI features, but the M4’s 16-core Neural Engine is specifically optimized to run them faster and more efficiently.