Your cart is currently empty!
Tag: Laptops
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) review: the best small laptop ever
Apple MacBook Air 13
MSRP $999.00
“The Apple MacBook Air is tiny, fast, and lasts forever. Just buy it.”
Pros
- Superior build quality
- Elegant aesthetic
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
- Incredibly thin
- Fast productivity performance
- Class-leading battery life
- Attractive base price
In our previous reviews of the Apple MacBook Air, we’ve rated it as the best 13-inch laptop but stopped short of giving it a perfect score. With the advent of Apple’s M4 chipset, which isn’t a sea change over the M3 but is nevertheless significantly stronger, I don’t see any reason to hold back.
We can dispute if a laptop with a 13.6-inch display is officially in the 13-inch category or better belongs to the 14-inch laptop segment. But who really cares? The MacBook Air 13 is incredibly thin, light enough to be highly portable, very fast, and oh-so-efficient. It’s a remarkable accomplishment in terms of making hardware that’s sheer genius, and it doesn’t hurt that the entry level price of $1,000 now applies to the current chipset and includes a more reasonable 16GB of RAM.
Specs and pricing
MacBook Air 13 (M4) Dimensions 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches Weight 2.7 pounds Processor Apple M4 (10 core) Graphics 8 core GPU
10 core GPURAM 16GB unified memory
24GB unified memory
32GB unified memoryDisplay 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 LED IPS display at 60Hz Storage 256GB SSD
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
2TB SSDTouch No Ports 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4
1 x MagSafe 3 for charging
1 x 3.5mm audio jackWireless Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 Webcam 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View Operating system macOS Sequoia Battery 53.8 watt-hour battery Price $999+ It used to be that Apple would release a new MacBook Air and keep the previous generation around at the lowest $1,000 price. With this generation, Apple is offering an 10-core CPU/8-core GPU M4 chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB, and the sole display option, a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, for that same $1,000. That also alleviates one of the primary gripes with Apple’s previous base models that were limited to just 8GB of RAM. While $1,000 isn’t a budget price, this is most definitely not a budget laptop. That’s a very attractive price for a machine with so much going for it.
From there, the price follows Apple’s typical pattern. You can upgrade to a slightly faster 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 for $100. Upgrading to 24GB RAM costs $200, and there’s now a 32GB RAM option for an extra $400. Storage upgrades range from 512GB for $200 up to 2TB for $800. A fully configured MacBook Air 13 with the faster chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD is $2,199.
That’s expensive compared to some of the Windows competition. For example, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 costs $1,835 with an Intel Lunar Lake chipset, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14.0-inch 4K+ OLED display. That’s an attractive laptop as well, but it’s not nearly as fast and its battery life doesn’t come close. If it were me, I’d buy the MacBook Air 13 base model with an upgrade to 512GB for $1,299 and call it a day.
Design
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends I’ve had plenty of hands-on time with the modern MacBook Air 13 design, with a construction that’s remained almost exactly the same since the introduction of the M2 chipset. And really, I can’t find any reason to fault Apple’s design here. The MacBook Air 13 is probably the thinnest 13-inch laptop available today at 0.44 inches, and it’s reasonably light at 2.7 pounds. In fact, the weight actually makes such a thin laptop avoid feeling flimsy thanks to an impression of density. And that makes sense, given that the MacBook Air 13 is CNC-machined from a single block of aluminum. It exudes quality, and while some Windows laptops are all well-made — like the Yoga Slim 9i 14 I mentioned above — none have quite the same feel. Note as well that I would fault Apple for making the MacBook Air 13 so thin if the battery life weren’t so incredibly good. While the display bezels aren’t the smallest around (and yes, there’s still a webcam notch), they’re small enough that the overall size feels tiny enough.
Aesthetically, the MacBook Air 13 clearly belongs to a distinct family of laptops. It has the same simple, blocky look with rounded sides and sharp edges that’s immediately recognizable. I like the look as being elegant and minimalist, and while HP’s OmniBook and Lenovo’s various Yoga machines are more complex, I tend to prefer Apple’s understated design. There’s a new Sky Blue color way to go with the Silver, Starlight, and Midnight colors, and it’s a nice edition. That’s my review unit, and while I’d probably go for the Midnight model, I could certainly live with this one.
Of course, build quality is perfect. I dinged the previous couple of MacBook Air 13 generations because the lid was a little more flexible than I like, while the chassis and keyboard deck were as solid as always with Apple products. This time, though, Apple seems to have addressed that concern, because there’s zero give anywhere. This is a very well-built laptop that really makes you appreciate your investment. You can feel the quality with the hinge that opens smoothly with one hand, something you’ll do all the time and feels great. And, I mentioned its density above, which makes the MacBook Air feel like a solid chunk of metal that will last forever.
Keyboard and touchpad
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends I’ve been a huge fan of Apple’s Magic Keyboard since they went away from the flawed butterfly switches. The MacBook Air 13 does nothing to change that. It’s a comfortable layout with copious key spacing and large keycaps, and the switches are perfectly light and snappy. I can type faster on this keyboard than I can any other. Somehow, Apple managed to make it just as easy to type on the MacBook Air 13 as it is on the much larger 16-inch MacBook Pro model. For a writer, that’s incredibly important.
And I like the Force Touch haptic touchpad just as much. It’s as large as you’ll find on a 13-inch laptop, and it works better than any other I’ve used. The haptics are perfect, it’s super quick, and the Force Click feature adds useful functionality. I usually like touch displays on Windows laptops, but I don’t really miss it when I’m using MacBooks. The touchpad is just that great.
Webcam and connectivity
Most 13-inch laptops have minimal connectivity lately. The MacBook Air 13 maintains that trend, with just two Thunderbolt 4 ports. However, unlike the Dell XPS 13, Apple kept the 3.5mm audio jack, and the MacBook Air 13 has Apple’s MagSafe 3 connector that keeps both Thunderbolt 4 ports available while charging. You’ll need a dongle, just like with most diminutive laptops. Wireless connectivity is a generation behind, which will matter more when Wi-Fi 7 rolls out to more devices — which will take a few years to happen.
The webcam has received a significant upgrade. It’s now a 12MP version, and it features Apple’s Center Stage functionality that keeps the user perfectly placed even as they move around during a videoconference. It works incredibly well, and the image is excellent with great low-light performance. The Desk View feature also works well enough, giving a top-down view of the user’s desktop that’s shared to participants, along with a picture-in-picture video. It’s more niche, but if you need it, you’ll appreciate it. Of course, the MacBook Air 13 M4 still has the controversial notch, but frankly, I’ve kind of forgotten all about it at this point.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends The M4 chipset has a new, much faster Neural Engine that now runs at 38 tera operations per second (TOPS), an improvement over the M3 Neural Engine that ran at 18 TOPS. It’s now closer to contemporary Windows laptops that start out at 40 TOPS and go up from there. However, if Apple has stumbled lately, it’s in its rollout of Apple Intelligence, which is well behind the competition and doesn’t really take advantage of that extra on-device AI processing performance. Whenever Apple catches up, though, the MacBook Air 13 will be better equipped to take advantage.
Performance
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Maybe the biggest news with the MacBook Air M3 is the M4 chipset. It’s received a meaningful upgrade, which includes a base of 10 CPU cores compered to the M3’s eight CPU cores. The GPU options remain eight and 10 cores, and they’ve been upgraded as well with second-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing and the same mesh shading and Dynamic Caching as before. I mentioned the faster Neural Engine above.
The result is a laptop that’s significantly faster, especially in single-core tasks where each M4 core is considerably faster than the M3 equivalent. In fact, the singe-core advantage over any Windows chipset is pretty amazing. If you’re doing typical productivity tasks that don’t utilize a bunch of cores, then the MacBook Air will be noticeably quicker — which is saying a lot given that modern laptops are generally fast enough across the board.
The M4 doesn’t break new ground in multi-core performance, but it still beats out the latest Windows competition of thin-and-light laptops. And remarkably, there’s no fan, so the MacBook Air 13 runs completely silent. That might induce a penalty when running really long, demanding tasks, but given this laptop’s productivity focus and its overall speed advantage, that’s probably not going to be too much of a concern. And the chassis never got more than warm to the touch.
The M4 is also faster in GPU performance, enough so that the 8-core GPU on my MacBook Air 13 was only 3% slower than the 10-core GPU on the MacBook Air 13 M3. If you choose the 10-core GPU version, you’ll get a 13% upgrade. It’s not huge, but it’s enough to extend the MacBook Air’s advantage over its Windows competition.
The MacBook Air 13 M4 is a fast little laptop for even the most demanding productivity users. It will also do some light gaming, something that Apple is focusing on more lately, and the M4 chipset has some optimizations that make the laptop surprisingly capable for more intensive tasks like video editing.
Cinebench R24
(single/multi)Geekbench 6
(single/multi)Handbrake
(seconds)3DMark
Wild Life ExtremeMacBook Air 13
(M4 10/8)172 / 854 3751 / 14801 87 7827 MacBook Air 15
(M4 10/10)172 / 853 3770 / 14798 87 9154 MacBook Air 13
(M3 8/10)141 / 601 3102 / 12078 109 8098 Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10
(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)121 / 649 2723 / 10884 91 5397 Acer Swift 14 AI
(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)121 / 525 2755 / 11138 92 5294 HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)116 / 598 2483 / 10725 99 7573 Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)109 / 630 2485 / 10569 88 5217 Asus Zenbook S 14
(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)112 / 452 2738 / 10734 113 7514 HP OmniBook X
(Snapdragon X Elite / Adreno)101 / 749 2377 / 13490 N/A 6165 Battery life
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Apple Silicon introduced groundbreaking efficiency. No matter which size laptop, MacBooks have led the way. In fact, it’s pushed Windows laptop makers, along with Intel and Qualcomm, to change architectures to try to keep up.
I did run into a bit of a snag running our web browsing test. Google deprecated the previous tool we used to create the script to run through our test web sites, and the version I found to replace it might not be working quite the same way. Although the M4 model lasted an hour longer than the M3 in our video looping test, it didn’t last as long in web browsing. I have to imagine that’s down to the tool and not the laptop, something I’ll be testing more as I move forward.
Note that the M4 chipset does just as well with intensive tasks, going for the longest we’ve seen when running the demanding Cinebench R14 multi-core benchmark. Not only does it last a long time, but it maintains fast performance. And, it’s slightly up from the M3, meaning the chipset got more efficient and faster, which is impressive.
The bottom line is that while Intel’s Lunar Lake chipset and, to a lesser degree, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipsets, have narrowed the gap between Windows and MacBooks in terms of battery life, Apple Silicon is still incredibly strong. The Acer Swift 14 AI actually did better in our tests, which is a great result for Acer. However, the Swift 14 AI’s performance wasn’t nearly as fast, and it needed a 75 watt-hour battery to match the MacBook Air 13’s 53.8 watt-hour capacity.
You’ll get multi-day battery life out of the MacBook Air 13. That’s impressive given the size and performance.
Web browsing Video Cinebench R24 MacBook Air 13
(M4 10/8)16 hours, 30 minutes 20 hours, 31 minutes 3 hours, 47 minutes MacBook Air 15
(M4 10/10)17 hours, 13 minutes 22 hours, 33 minutes 4 hours, 28 minutes Apple MacBook 13
(Apple M3)19 hours, 39 minutes 19 hours, 39 minutes 3 hours, 27 minutes Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10
(Core Ultra 7 258V)N/A 13 hours, 45 minutes 1 hour, 55 minutes Acer Swift 14 AI
(Core Ultra 7 258V)17 hours, 22 minutes 24 hours, 10 minutes 2 hours, 7 minutes HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
(Core Ultra 7 258V)11 hours, 5 minutes 15 hours, 46 minutes 2 hours, 14 minutes Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
(Core Ultra 7 258V)14 hours, 16 minutes 17 hours, 31 minutes 2 hours, 15 minutes HP Omnibook X
(Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100)13 hours, 37 minutes 22 hours, 4 minutes 1 hour, 52 minutes Display and audio
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends The MacBook Air 13 uses a 13.4-inch display in a (roughly) 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2560 x 1664. That’s very sharp, and the display looks great out of the box. It’s the same Liquid Retina IPS display that Apple’s used on its MacBook Airs for several generations.
According to my colorimeter, it remains a quality panel. It’s very bright at 468 nits, well above our 300-nit standard, and its contrast is vary good at 1,150:1 (higher than our 1,000:1 threshold). Colors are wide at 100% sRGB, 83% AdobeRGB, and 94% DCI-P3, and accurate at a DeltaE of 1.34 (anything less than 2.0 is very good). The average IPS display has 100%, 75%, and 75% respectively and accuracy that’s closer to a DeltaE of 2.0.
More and more laptops are using OLED displays lately, and certainly, this one isn’t as colorful and doesn’t have the same inky blacks. But, for productivity work, all but the most demanding creativity tasks, and media consumption, this is a great display that adds the benefit of outstanding battery life. OLED is beautiful, but it’s a power hog.
In terms of external display support, you can connect two monitors to go with the internal display. That’s less than you can connect to modern Windows laptops.
The MacBook Air 13’s audio quality is the best you’ll find on a 13-inch (or 14-inch) laptop. There are four speakers, two tweeters and two force-cancelling woofers, and in terms of volume, mids and highs, and bass, there’s nothing better. This is one laptop where you won’t worry all that much about using headphones unless you want to immerse yourself in sound.
As near to perfect as I’ve seen yet
I’m going to go ahead and give the 2025 MacBook Air 13 a perfect score. It’s about time. To begin with, this might very well be the perfect 13-inch (or 14-inch) thin-and-light laptop design. It’s solid as a rock, looks great, and is eminently portable given its insane thinness. No, it doesn’t have OLED (yet), but until OLED can provide the same kind of efficiency, it’s not necessarily the best tradeoff for this class of laptop.
It’s also very fast, beating out its competition in multi-core performance and demolishing it in single-core speed. And, its battery life maintains the most attractive performance-efficiency ratio over the best Windows has to offer. With a starting price of $1,000 for a very usable configuration, the only reason to pass up the MacBook Air 13 is if you just simply can’t live without Windows. I suspect that this will be fewer and fewer people as time goes by.
Best MacBook deals for February 2025
Apple currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. It discontinued the M1 MacBook Air to make room for the latest models, but some retailers are still selling the last-gen laptop starting at $649 — a far cry from the $2,499 starting price of the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro. Purchasing a new MacBook can certainly be a pricey endeavor, but thankfully, finding a deal on more recent models is actually not that difficult. Apple has recently shaken up the starting RAM for several models, creating more options than ever before and resulting in steeper discounts on older models.
Although Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without waiting for the changing deal winds to blow your way. It’s also the only option to find certain SKUs of older models as Apple continues to move forward on newer releases. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.
But if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available.
The best MacBook Air deals
The M1 MacBook Air was considered Apple’s entry-level laptop before the M3 model’s arrival prompted Apple to stop selling it directly in its online and brick-and-mortar stores. But while the redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air (which has been with us for a while as well) seems poised to take over as the top value choice, the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains available at some retailers as a solid budget option. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.
The base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s becoming harder to find in new condition, but Walmart has committed to keeping it around for the foreseeable future and is currently discounting it to $649 ($350 off) — a special sale price that’s hung around since the retailer ran its counter-Prime Day promotions in July. The M1 Air may be a few years old now, but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value, especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.
$649
The 2020 MacBook Air has been discontinued but remains a great value and is still easy to find on sale at some retailers. It comes outfitted with the company’s M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold).
The M2 MacBook Air is a super slim, lightweight laptop with a 1080p webcam and a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its two USB-C ports. Although its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, it’s a great performer for any user, including more demanding creatives.
It does have some slight downsides, though, including slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, Apple hasn’t offered a more travel-friendly laptop since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this prior-gen model was once good enough to top our list of the best laptops.
The M2-powered MacBook Air from 2022 seems to be on its way out, with availability for both sizes waning. However, you can get the 13-inch M2 model with 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an eight-core GPU in select colors at Amazon starting at $899 ($100 off), which is $150 north of the all-time low. If you don’t mind sacrificing some memory for extra storage, you can also get the 13-inch Air with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD at Amazon starting at $799 ($400 off) with an on-page coupon.
It’s a bit harder to find discounts on the 15-inch MacBook Air M2, however. While it’s scantily in stock at some retailers for its original MSRP, you’d be better off going with a discounted M3 model.
$799
The 2022 MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight device powered by Apple’s M2 chip. The M2 model touts an improved 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor while retaining features like long battery life and MagSafe charging.
The M1 Air and its wedge had to perish for the M3 MacBook Air to exist. Apple’s updated entry-level laptops arrived in both 13- and 15-inch variants simultaneously this time, bringing with them slightly faster performance and a slate of minor upgrades. Apple added Wi-Fi 6E, for one, along with an additional Thunderbolt port that allows you to use two external displays when the lid is closed. They also continue to offer 18 hours of battery life and a MagSafe charging port, though the M3 Air starts at a slightly higher price than its predecessor at $1,099. That said, Apple recently discontinued the M3 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and now considers the 16GB / 256GB model as the starting configuration.
Right now, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air in its new entry-level configuration with an 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is on sale at Amazon in select colors starting at $899 ($200 off), which is $50 more than its lowest price to date. You can also find the 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD model with a 10-core GPU for $1,099 in select colors at Amazon, which is $160 more than its all-time low.
As for the 15-inch MacBook Air M3, you can currently grab it with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage starting at $1,099 ($200 off) in select colors at Amazon. Meanwhile, the 16GB / 512GB configuration at Amazon is available in select colors starting at $1,369 ($130 off).
$899
The MacBook Air M3 is a jack-of-all-trades, with a balanced combination of performance and power efficiency. It also now supports dual displays with the lid closed, and the storage speed is noticeably faster. You don’t need to think about if this laptop will meet your needs — it just will.
$1099
The 15-inch MacBook Air is also equipped with Apple’s M3 chip. It features a larger display and better speaker array than the 13-inch MacBook Air M3.
The best MacBook Pro deals
During its “Scary Fast” event in 2023, Apple announced new MacBook Pros that use M3 processors — including a new 14-inch model that replaced the 13-inch M2 model. Apple followed the M3 models up with M4-based machines in October, and we’re already starting to see the discounts on them. That being said, the last-gen M3 models are often the better bargain, as they’re still relatively easy to find and receive steeper discounts.
M3 and M3 Pro MacBook Pro
The entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).
The M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can find a deal that puts more price distance between the M3 model and the M3 Pro version. Availability for the base model with 8GB and 512GB of storage seems to be waning as Apple standardizes 16GB of RAM across its lineup.
We’re finding it challenging to find the 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD model in stock, but if you don’t need the extra overhead for multitasking, Best Buy is selling it with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $1,299 ($100 off). The model with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is also on sale for $1,399 ($200 off) at Best Buy, while the step-up configuration with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is going for $1,499 ($200 off) at Best Buy.
$1299
Apple’s previous-gen 14-inch laptop powered by the M3 processor uses a similar design to the pricier 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s Pro- / Max-series chips but is offered at a lower price with similar ports and less RAM.
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros of late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.
But rest assured, versions that actual humans buy now receive regular discounts. For instance, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is going for $1,599 ($400 off) at B&H Photo. It was $500 off not long ago, however, making the current discount good but not that good. You can also get the step-up model with 18GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in space black for $1,699 ($500 off) at B&H Photo, which is its lowest price so far. Need more RAM? B&H Photo is also selling it with 36GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for a record low $1,799 ($600 off).
As for the base 16-inch Pro — which comes with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD — it’s on sale starting at Best Buy for $1,999 ($400 off), which matches its best price to date. Best Buy is also selling the 16-inch M3 Pro model with 36GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $2,399 ($400 off).
$1599
The 14-inch MacBook Pro from 2023 comes in a space black color and is configurable with either an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. It looks a lot like the previous M2 generation, but spec-wise, the M3 Pro models start with a 12-core CPU, 18GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD.
$2399
The 16-inch MacBook Pro remains Apple’s largest laptop for creators and power users. The 2023 model includes a spec bump to the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, with a claimed battery life of up to 22 hours, and is configurable with up to 128GB of RAM.
M4 and M4 Pro MacBook Pro
Apple released the M4-series MacBook Pro on November 8th. Notably, the base 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro is the first to launch with 16GB of RAM — double the previous generation’s starting memory — and 512GB of storage for the same $1,599 starting price as the last-gen model. It also picks up a third Thunderbolt 4 port, which is positioned on the right side and supports dual external monitors while the lid is opened. Also new this year is an upgraded 12-megapixel webcam that supports Center Stage and a new Desk View feature, plus the option to add a nano-texture display for an extra $150. It’s also available in space black.
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips also received additional RAM, bringing them up to 24GB. They start with 512GB of storage, too, and retail for $1,999 and $2,499, respectively. While the total port selection hasn’t changed compared to their respective M3 Pro and M3 Max counterparts, you’ll get faster Thunderbolt 5 ports on these more substantial models. That’s in addition to the SD slot, dedicated full-sized HDMI port, and 3.5mm jack. They also have the upgraded 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam with Desk View and the optional nano-texture display option.
Deals for the M4 MacBook Pro have already started to roll in. Right now, for example, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $1,439 ($160 off) at Amazon, which is $41 more than its all-time low. B&H Photo is selling it for just a bit more at $1,449 ($150 off). Meanwhile, the 24GB / 512GB variant with an M4 Pro chip (12-core CPU / 16-core GPU) is down to $1,749 ($250 off) in select colors at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is $50 more than its best price to date.
The base 16-inch MacBook Pro is also on sale with an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $2,239 ($260 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is its typical sale price and $40 more than the record low.
$1439
The entry-level MacBook Pro with M4 starts with 16GB of RAM — double that of its predecessor — and a 512GB SSD for the same starting price of $1,599. It also gets a third USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 port and comes in a new space black option.
$1749
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 12-core / 16-core M4 Pro chip starts with 24GB of RAM — a 6GB increase over the prior generation. It also has a 512GB SSD, three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, an optional nano-texture display, and a 12-megapixel webcam.
$2239
The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts with 24GB of RAM and offers more computing cores (14 for the CPU and 20 for the GPU) compared to the 14-inch model. It also picks up Thunderbolt 5 ports and a new 12-megapixel Center Stage camera.
There’s a new Mac Mini in town, as M4-based models arrived earlier this year. Apple increased the starting RAM from 8GB to 16GB, as it did with the 2024 MacBook Pro and 2024 iMac. That makes Apple’s newest desktop an excellent value, even if you factor in the more aggressive discounts we’ve recently seen on the M2 Mac Mini.
The 2023 Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro, both of which have proven to be some of Apple’s most value-packed computers to date. The M4 version is poised to take that crown, but the M2 Mac Mini is still kicking around and starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor, gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.
The latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor. Right now, the base model with an M2 chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is down to $479 ($120 off) B&H Photo.
Best Buy is selling the step-up model with an M2 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for $899 ($300 off), and you can save an extra $100 and get it for $799 ($400 off) with a My Best Buy Total or My Best Buy Plus Membership.
$479
The last-gen Mac Mini starts at $599 for an M2-powered model with an eight-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. The Mini can also be had with the M2 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a more robust port selection for $1,249.
Deals on the last-gen Mac Mini are still available, sure, but we’re also starting to see discounts on the newest models. The M4 Mac Mini starts with an M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $599. That’s an incredible value for a tiny desktop computer that can rival the Mac Studio and Mac Pro when it comes to certain tasks, including light gaming, 4K video editing, and 3D modeling. Vertically, the M4 Mac Mini is a fair bit thicker than the M2 model at 2 inches tall, yet it measures a mere 5 inches wide and 5 inches deep.
In addition to the odd decision to place the power button on its underside, Apple moved the 3.5mm headphone jack and two of its five USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports to the front. The rear features an additional three thunderbolt ports, HDMI-out, and a gigabit ethernet port. You can also get the Mac Mini with an M4 Pro chipset starting at $1,399, which comes with faster Thunderbolt 5 storage and the option to upgrade to 10-gigabit ethernet for another $100.
Right now, you can get the base Mac Mini at Amazon and B&H Photo with an M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $569 (about $30 off). Best Buy is selling it for roughly the same price if you have a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership. If you need more storage, you can step up to the version with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $744 ($55 off) at Amazon, which is $45 more than its lowest price to date.
Meanwhile, the base M4 Pro model with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is on sale at B&H Photo for $1,299.99 ($100 off), which is $10 more than the all-time low price.
$569
The latest Mac Mini features Apple’s upgraded M4 chips and a smaller build than the prior model. Each configuration now starts with 16GB of RAM and includes five total Thunderbolt ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and a 3.5mm jack.
$569
The latest Mac Mini features Apple’s upgraded M4 chips and a smaller build than the prior model. Each configuration now starts with 16GB of RAM and includes five total Thunderbolt ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and a 3.5mm jack.
