I went hands-on with Apple’s M4 MacBook Air and the app performance blew me away

Apple is marching in with new merchandise for the spring, together with a brand new MacBook Air that includes the M4 chip, a brand new iPad Air, uniquely that includes the M3 chip, and a brand new Mac Studio desktop, with M4 Max and M3 Extremely chip choices. Whereas lovers await the launch of the coveted M5 chip sequence gadgets, together with the MacBook Professional and iPad Professional later this 12 months– the tech model has introduced within the anticipated refresh of its early-year gadgets. Notably, the MacBook Air and iPad Air see yearly upgrades, whereas the Mac Studio is getting its first revamp since 2023.

Whereas largely sustaining their exterior designs, most adjustments to the gadgets might be discovered by the use of {hardware} and AI assist upgrades. Apple is trying to showcase Apple Intelligence app integration as practical and accessible to customers. The model is competing in the marketplace with many on-device AI experiences, comparable to Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs and Chromebooks inundated with Google Gemini. 

The MacBook Air starts at $1,000, whereas the iPad Air at $600, and the Mac Studio at $2,000, with a number of configurations priced a lot larger. Notably, the costliest, highest-configured Mac Studio is priced at an eye-watering $14,000.

I obtained to view and take a look at demos of a number of apps and packages on the 2025 MacBook Air, iPad Air, and Mac Studio and was impressed with the ability behind the M4 and M3 sequence chips. The gadgets present their immense prowess, particularly at inventive duties, from fanatic degree to skilled tier. The lineup presents one thing for everybody.   

M4 MacBook Air

The 2025 MacBook Air is on the market within the customary 13-inch and 15-inch Liquid Retina show choices. Apple hasn’t made many main adjustments to the exterior design of the laptop computer. Many staple options stay, together with the MagSafe 3 charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The laptop computer helps two 6K exterior shows, along with the built-in show.

Nevertheless, the model has launched a brand new Sky Blue colorway, discontinuing its House Grey colour within the course of. Upon first look in quite vivid lighting, the Sky Blue has a silverish tone that may not be that distinguishable from the Silver colour possibility MacBook Air. It’s a trick of the sunshine blue that’s quite lovely whenever you discover it, extra doubtless within the shadows. It’s type of like how Starlight and Silver can look related in sure lighting, and Midnight has a deep blue undertone. With that mentioned, the opposite colour choices are Starlight, Midnight, and Silver. If I had to decide on a colour, it will doubtless be Starlight. The yellow background was quite putting, and I feel you’d be capable to have enjoyable with customized backgrounds and the glowing gold tone.  

Having dealt with the smaller, 13-inch MacBook Air fashions for my hands-on, the gadget was true to its identify at 2.7 kilos. Holding the laptops and transferring them round didn’t really feel cumbersome or meddlesome. The gadget maintains a petite 0.44-inch body, one of many slimmest in the marketplace. The bigger 15-inch mannequin wasn’t obtainable for handling- solely a visible demo. However it stays as slim because the earlier Air mannequin with a top of 0.45 inches, and a weight of three.3 kilos. The scale distinction between the 2 fashions can be notable for various customers. I’m a fan of the smaller configurations of all MacBook fashions, as an proprietor of a a lot older 13-inch MacBook Professional.

Although the gadgets had been wiped for fingerprints between every person, I didn’t discover them getting scuffed as I dealt with them. Retaining in thoughts that older MacBook Air fashions had been fingerprint magnets till Apple carried out an anodization seal. The Sky Blue was nearly devoid of fingerprints, and it’s best to really feel assured deciding on Midnight with out instantly soiling it with the oils of your paws. 

Apple demoed a number of apps and options on the 15-inch MacBook Air, together with the 12-megapixel Heart Stage digital camera with 1080p video high quality, at the side of the Pixelmator Professional app. One other demo showcased the MacOS Sequoia function, Window Tiling. The notetaking app, Bear consists of Apple Intelligence integration. Apple famous that the favored Blender 3D belongings app is 5 instances sooner on the M4 MacBook Air than on the M1 mannequin. Lastly, the model demoed the open-world RPG sport Wuthering Waves on the MacBook Air working at notably excessive body charges and the sport flowed easily after all the earlier demos with no noticeable lagging and no flubs within the displays. All features demoed had been performed on battery energy solely with no efficiency misplaced. Apple indicated the gadget primarily reached its most when it comes to thermal efficiency and energy effectivity, having been run all day.

Notably, the 2025 MacBook Air is the primary that may configure as much as 32GB of reminiscence. Each fashions assist as much as 18 hours of battery life. 

M3 iPad Air

The iPad Air consists of the M3 chip to enhance its graphics efficiency and the AI capabilities of Apple Intelligence for the model’s notable pill. The iPad Air is on the market in 11-inch and 13-inch Liquid Retina show choices– and is paired with the Magic Keyboard. The accent is thought for its floating design and is up to date with a bigger trackpad and a 14-key perform row. Rounding out the design is a USB-C connectivity port and 4 colour schemes, Blue, Purple, Starlight, and House Grey.

As somebody who isn’t a pill aficionado, I used to be impressed by the app assist and the ability behind its numerous functionalities, along with the benefit of use and the practicality of what would doubtless be difficult duties in several packages.

Apple demoed some attention-grabbing third-party apps to showcase the ability of the M3 chip. The Element: Video Editor is an AI-based video workflow app that features Apple Intelligence integration to simplify features within the manufacturing software program. The app can faucet to sync with different Apple merchandise like an iPhone to arrange an interview-style feed. Out of your point-of-view because the interviewer, you’ve gotten the primary controls in your finish and the interviewee can see you, and no matter you mission to them from their gadget, comparable to questions or a script. You possibly can faucet to take away the background round your self within the video feed for a extra seamless stream. You too can transfer your feed to any a part of the display. This makes use of the M3 neural engine to make the adjustments instantly. You possibly can add textual content by participating the keyboard or utilizing the Writing Instruments Apple Intelligence function, for help. Equally, you possibly can transfer textual content across the display to your choice. After filming you possibly can transcribe and timestamp the audio for viewers. The M3 neural engine additionally assists in simply enhancing content material by figuring out silent pauses in each audio and video so you possibly can edit out these parts with a faucet. Playback needs to be steady transferring ahead. As soon as full, you possibly can export tasks in 4K video, airdropping them to your self. 

The demo was notably performed in panorama mode; nevertheless, you possibly can change the setting to portrait mode, sustaining all the captions within the video, which you’ll alter to the brand new viewing mode. 

One other demo confirmed how you should utilize the Writing Instruments Apple intelligence function throughout the Notes app, to create an AI picture of a mountain scene primarily based on a rudimentary sketch. You possibly can draw your sketch, use an Apple Pencil to circle the sketch and activate the immediate. Then you choose among the many generated photographs for the one you wish to insert into the Notes app. The demo state of affairs was planning a weekend climbing journey to Switzerland. After that, you should utilize Writing Instruments at the side of ChatGPT to generate a listing of things it’s best to pack for the journey. The function jogs my memory of Google’s AI tool known as Whisk, which makes use of different photographs as the bottom immediate. Similarly, the device is meant to make use of extra contextual prompts to create the specified AI outcomes. 

Additional exhibiting the ability of the M3 chip, Apple demoed an app known as Uniform. It lets you create 3D objects on the iPad. Within the demo they shortly created a pawn chess piece in a number of easy strikes, utilizing an Apple Pencil for design accuracy. Apple indicated that the app is useful for college kids and lovers, who won’t have as a lot expertise growing 3D shapes. The iPad Air M3 chip works in tandem with its GPU, selling the real-time rendering of every form. For additional sensible use, Apple steered that customers might proceed with 3D printing designs instantly from the iPad Air. 

Mac Studio

Apple known as the newest Mac Studio model its strongest Mac whereas demoing the desktop in several conditions. The PC might be configured in M4 Max and M3 Extremely chip choices and is good for situations that require excessive visible processing. It consists of Thunderbolt 5 ports amongst its outputs. Whereas the M4 Max helps as much as 5 shows, the demo included three related shows and three further peripherals to showcase a device known as Autodesk Flame, which is often used for Hollywood visible results. The M4 Max Mac Studio features a 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU. Different {hardware} assist consists of 36GB of unified reminiscence and 512GB of SSD storage. 

Whereas Apple hosted a extra modest setup for the M3 Extremely Mac Studio, it helps as much as eight shows. The demo showcased a big language mannequin (LLM) growing a Python script for a inventive mission. Apple famous that what would sometimes be a day’s work in handbook scripting was accomplished in seconds.

In the meantime, there was a demo of a pre-release model of Cyberpunk 2077 for Mac working within the background, whereas the LLM was computing within the foreground– as the sport was beforehand introduced. Demonstrating the ability of the M3 Extremely, Apple famous that the favored online game is among the most graphically demanding video games presently in the marketplace, to run alongside an equally demanding LLM. Cyberpunk 2077 for Mac might be obtainable later this 12 months.

The M3 Extremely features a 28-core CPU and 60-core GPU. Different {hardware} assist consists of 96GB of unified reminiscence and 1TB of SSD storage. 

Conclusion

It is extremely easy. Many manufacturers need customers to purchase AI PCs, and Apple isn’t any totally different. Nevertheless, Apple having a particular app ecosystem might give it an edge to simply combine its Apple Intelligence AI system throughout many third-party apps, in addition to throughout macOS, iPadOS, and iOS at massive. This is among the main takeaways I obtained from the MacBook Air, iPad Air, and Mac Studio demos. 

I used to be impressed by the ability of the {hardware}, however what is usually lacking from AI, is a motive for the on a regular basis person to combine it into their on a regular basis duties. Lots of the demos I noticed gave a clearer image of what a high-powered AI gadget can supply a daily person.

Whereas the Mac Studio could also be extra novelty, accessibility is precisely what most MacBook Air and iPad Air customers are on the lookout for in a every day driver. From my restricted time with the gadgets, I feel they stand to be stable choices.