MacBook Air. Apple's M4 MacBook Air may be out as soon as the week of February 17. Here's what to expect from Apple's first Mac release of 2025. While it's previously been rumored to be launched any time from January 2025 onwards, it is known that Apple has been testing an M4 MacBook Air ahead of a presumably imminent release. While the iPhone 4 SE may be the major launch for February 2025, the new MacBook Air may debut very soon as well.
That would also make it about a year since the last update. March 2024 saw the MacBook Air gain the M3 processor, and various improvements including Wi-Fi 6E and the ability to use two external displays. None of these were exactly game-changing, especially for users of the previous MacBook Air model. But for users not yet on Apple Silicon Macs, AppleInsider said it was "the ideal Mac laptop for Intel hold-outs.".
After a few months of intensive use, though, that opinion was upgraded. By July 2024, AppleInsider was able to say that the M3 MacBook Air was "the best Mac for nearly everyone.". That remains true and for performance, features, design and even price, the MacBook Air is the sweet spot in Apple's Mac range. Yet is now almost a year old, and while there will always be another new model coming, we are at the stage where people should delay ordering the current one.
This is based on the time since the last update, plus the consistent rumors surrounding an update's new features. But as well as rumors, there is evidence of what improvements Apple has at least been trying out. Nothing is certain until the device has been released, and it is always possible that Apple will choose not to include a feature it has been testing. But in December 2024, AppleInsider uncovered that the new MacBook Air will of course get the M4 processor — but also a new camera system.
Specifically, code within macOS refers to a "Front Ultra Wide Camera." Cameras have always been a weak spot for Apple laptops, so an ultra wide lens system would be a welcome improvement. Given Apple's previous use of ultra wide cameras, it's more than reasonable to presume that the new MacBook Air will get Center Stage, too. This is the feature that allows the user to stay perfectly framed in video calls, even if they walk a little out of frame.
The ultra wide camera is also how the MacBook Pro is able to offer Desk View on video calls. This is the alchemy that lets a video conference user switch to showing a top-down view of their desk, without moving or changing cameras. It's expected that the MacBook Air will again come in two sizes, and the design of each will remain the same as in the 2024 versions. It will certainly have the M4 processor, but it won't have the M4 Pro or M4 Max.
Those processors are faster than the base M4, but they are also more costly. While there have been no rumors about pricing, it is extremely likely that Apple will keep to the same pricing as in 2024. So on the one hand, using the M4 Pro or M4 Max would stop the MacBook Air being the most affordable Mac laptop. And even if Apple offered optional configurations that added either of these processors, it would then be barking at the heels of the MacBook Pro.
Apple is very good at positioning its products and will keep clear daylight between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. It will certainly not give the MacBook Air options that the more expensive MacBook Pro does not. So, for instance, that means it will likely continue to use Wi-Fi 6E instead of the faster Wi-Fi 7. The new MacBook Air will definitely not have an OLED display. While that technology is more power efficient than the current system, and while it produces stronger, clearer colors, it's also expensive.
Even the MacBook Pro does not have an OLED screen. It's expected now to gain one in 2026, but the MacBook Air won't see OLED until at least 2028. Cost is unquestionably the major factor in keeping OLED off the MacBook Air, but there is another reason. OLED with its richer blacks was the key selling point of the 2024 iPad Pro — and it didn't sell as well as expected. So the MacBook Air is now at least very unlikely to get an OLED screen, and certainly won't if it is being released before the next MacBook Pro launch. Reports about its OLED screen being delayed, though, have claimed that Apple is still looking to make some improvements to the MacBook Air display.
That expected improvement would be a move to a new type of LCD panel using Oxide TFT technology. That would bring sharper images, faster performance, and also use less battery power. However, that update to the screen is a much bigger update than is expected for 2025. It's more likely that the display will change in 2027, which means the next MacBook Pro will almost certainly have the same screen as the current model.
