New MacBook Air is almost perfect but there’s a cheaper alternative to consider

THIS has to be one of the best laptops on the planet.

I’m talking about the new MacBook Air, which I’ve been testing in secret for just shy of a week.

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It’s gorgeous, extremely powerful, and manages to stay in three-figure territory when it comes to the price. If only just.

There is a magic to the MacBook that’s hard to describe, and even harder to beat.

For a start, this new Apple model looks exceptional.

I’ve got it in the very subtle and stylish Sky Blue colour option (which looks silvery in some lights), but you can also grab one in regular Silver, Starlight, or Midnight.

They’re all very nice (though silver is a bit dull compared to the prettier Sky Blue), and so they should be because this laptop will set you back £999 / $999.

Every inch of this laptop feels premium. It just looks the part.

MAC IT HAPPEN

The big choice to make is screen size.

You can get it with a 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display.

The smaller one has a 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution, while the bigger unit serves up 2,880 x 1,864 pixels.

But the screen size difference means they both cram in roughly the same pixels per inch of display.

They’re both lower-resolution than the MacBook Pro, but they’re also cheaper – and still very effective panels.

You’ll get accurately display colours, delivered with all the brightness and clarity you’d hope for from posh gear like this.

It’s also an Air product, which means thin and light.

The 13-inch model is the most svelte at 11.3mm side-on. The 15-inch brings that up to 11.5mm (a solid 4mm less than the MacBook Pro).

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These laptops will slip into small bags, can be carried around easily, and will fit on the tray table of a train or plane without difficulty. (Just watch out for reclining seats crushing your fancy new laptop).

The smallest model is also feathery at 2.7 pounds, while the bigger model comes in at 3.3 pounds.

I’m using the 13-inch model and one-handed carrying is no fuss at all.

There’s one camera: a 12-megapixel shooter that’s capable of recording video at 1080p (that’s Full HD).

2025 MACBOOK AIR – THE KEY FEATURES

Here are the key specs for the gadget…

• Screen: 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display
• Resolution: 2,560 x 1,664 or 2,880 x 1,864 pixels
• Brightness: 500 nits
• Processor: Apple M4 chip
• Apple Intelligence: Supported
• Memory: 16GB, 24GB, 32GB
• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
• Biometrics: Touch ID fingerprint scanner
• Height: 11.3mm or 11.5mm
• Weight: 2.7lbs or 3.3lbs
• Camera: 12-megapixel camera
• Speakers: Four- or six-speaker sound systems
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• USB-C ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4
• Keyboard: Backlit
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) / Bluetooth 5.3
• Battery Life: Up to 18 hours video streaming

Picture Credit: Apple

And it has that nifty Centre Stage feature that pans and zooms to keep you perfectly in shot. A FaceTime essential, especially if you’re desperately running around the kitchen trying to cook dinner during the call.

You’ve got a pretty decent four-speaker sound system (or six-speaker on the bigger model), plus a three-mic array for solid audio capture.

The keyboard is backlit and (helpfully) has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into it. So that’s good for unlocking the laptop, making Apple Pay payments, and logging into websites.

And you’ve got a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right, plus two USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4) on the left.

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USB-C cables are basically everywhere now, so that’s handy.
And there’s a magnetic charger in the box that easily snaps in and out of Apple’s port on the side. It’s nice and safe as it pops off if you hit something – so you won’t accidentally break the cable.

POWER PLAY

Inside is the immensely powerful Apple-built M4 chip. The entry-level MacBook Pro also uses this.

It’s a beast. It’ll blast through any regular job you throw at it. You can smash open a dozen apps at once and it won’t even blink.

I keep dozens of browser tabs open (organised, I promise), work on Photoshop, keep music playing, have multiple chat apps running, as well as some pretty giant files – all across 12-ish virtual desktops. And I can work through them all with a buttery smoothness.

If you’re doing very heavy work, you’ll likely already know whether you need a top-end MacBook Pro’s performance.

For regular users, this is all you’ll need and more.

All of that computing magic is helped by the 16GB of base RAM – with options for 24GB or 32GB, if you have heavy workloads.

And storage starts at 256GB, which is probably fine for casual users.

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But if you need more and are willing to pay hundreds extra, you can jack this up to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB. 

Battery life is great.

I wasn’t able to run it down in a work day that included writing, web browsing, music and video streaming, and photo editing.

The official figure is 18 hours of battery life for video streaming.

2025 MACBOOK AIR – HOW MUCH DOES IT REALLY COST?

Here’s what you’ll pay in the UK and US…

MacBook Air 13-inch – £999 / $999

Processor:

• Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine – Standard
• Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – £100 / $100

Memory:

• 16GB – Standard
• 24GB – £200 / $200
• 32GB – £400 / $400

Storage:

• 256GB – Standard
• 512GB – £200 / $200
• 1TB – £400 / $400
• 2TB – £800 / $800

MacBook Air 15-inch – £1,199 / $1,199

Memory:

• 16GB – Standard
• 24GB – £200 / $200
• 32GB – £400 / $400

Storage:

• 256GB – Standard
• 512GB – £200 / $200
• 1TB – £400 / $400
• 2TB – £800 / $800

Picture Credit: Apple

That’s plenty for even the longest of flights or the most relentless work days.

And of course it runs on macOS (specifically, macOS 15 Sequoia).

Mac software is pretty simple to use, has an excellent stable of apps to choose from, and works neatly with your other Apple gadgets too.

It also feels more polished than Windows generally (though the trade-off is slightly reduced freedom).

Also keep in mind that we’ll likely get a new version of macOS later this year. And it’s almost impossible to imagine a future where this MacBook Air doesn’t get that upgrade for free – plus many more updates for years to come.

MAC BELIEVE?

So is it actually worth buying?

Well, it depends on what you’re looking for.

The problem for a lot of people is that there isn’t really a “cheap” MacBook.

2025 MACBOOK AIR – THE PROS AND CONS

Pros:

• Beautiful, iconic and very portable design
• Extremely powerful for the price
• Great battery life
• Brilliant and accessible software

Cons:

• Some games don’t make it to Mac – so check your favourites first
• Adding storage brings the price up steeply

Picture Credit: Apple

I think the MacBook Air is actually brilliant value for money.

But ultimately, lots of people simply won’t (and arguably shouldn’t) chuck a grand at a laptop.

If you are trying to spend that kind of money – or even close to it – then the MacBook Air is absolutely worth considering.

It flies at every day tasks. You simply won’t run into problems using it as a daily device.

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If this is your professional machine and you’re designing heavy 3D graphics, for instance, then you’ll want to think about getting a top-spec MacBook Pro.

But the MacBook Air is really a catch-all solution for most people at this price point.

Mac’s weak spot has always been gaming – but even that is becoming less of an issue.

The problem for Mac fans is that blockbuster games are usually built for Windows – and only sometimes make it to Apple computers.

But game makers are increasingly taking advantage of the computing heft that Apple’s M chips are delivering.

In fact we’re expecting Cyberpunk 2077 – a very beautiful game – to arrive on Mac this year.

If you’re a gaming obsessive, you’ll want to make sure your favourite titles run on it ahead of time. For instance, I’m chuffed that it’ll play World of Warcraft – but Overwatch 2 is a no-go.

Of course if you’ve got cash to burn, you can always keep a Windows PC for gaming and have a MacBook for everything else. Treat yourself.

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The other question is: if you want something cheaper, could an iPad do the job instead?

I reviewed the new iPad Air this week (only £599 / $599). And with a Magic Keyboard, it’s a pretty decent laptop replacement for casual users.

And if you just want a screen for a bit of computing leisure, you don’t even need the keyboard.

That way you still get to stay in the Apple ecosystem to bag more benefits from your other gadgets, like the iPhone or an Apple TV.

The MacBook Air is a solid choice for a laptop though.

It’s not wildly expensive, it looks and performs brilliantly, and it’ll keep getting updates for a long while still.

Also, don’t forget that Apple MacBooks tend to hold good resale value.

So if you decide to flog it one day, you’ll probably get a decent bit of cash for it.

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But honestly, it’s such a strong machine, there’s a good chance you’ll struggle to part with it.

The Sun says: Beautiful, portable, and powerful – the MacBook Air is an almost-perfect buy at its £999 / $999 price point. Just pick one of the fun colours, please.

The new MacBook Air starts at £999 / $999, is available for pre-order now, and has a March 12 release date.