M2 vs M3 vs M4 MacBook Air: Which one should you buy?

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Need-to-knows

• The M4 MacBook Air is the cheapest ever MacBook Air at $999/£999 making it hard to look past
• No differences between the display types across the M2, M3 and M4 models
• M4 MacBook Air has support for up to two external displays with the lid open
• M4 MacBook Air is the only one that comes in Sky Blue

Apple has unveiled the M4 MacBook Air which, much like the M3 MacBook Air before it, hasn’t really changed all that much compared to the M2 MacBook Air. There are immediately obvious differences like the addition of the M4 chip and new Sky Blue colour, but deciding which laptop to buy comes down to much more than that!

For a start, you need to consider how much unified memory to buy, whether the type of display matters to you and if you need a certain amount of ports. In this buying guide, we’re going to cover key differences between the M2, M3 and M4 MacBook Airs so you can determine which one is right for your needs.

Spoiler, it’s actually a very easy decision! Let’s get started.

M2 vs M3 vs M4: How many CPU and GPU cores?

We have a jargon-free M2 vs M3 vs M4 guide for a full breakdown of all the differences, but we’ll keep to the key things to know in this article. From the outset, there is one main piece of information to keep in mind; all three of these chips are powerful enough to do standard work like word processing, watching movies or even some video editing.

CPU and GPU performance

I’m not going to bore you with a load of numbers here but there are some important ones to know. The M2 MacBook Air and entry-level M3 MacBook Air have an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. You can configure the M3 to have a 10-core GPU but that costs more. The M4 MacBook Air comes with a 10-core CPU and an 8-core GPU by default, configurable up to a 10-core GPU.

The more CPU cores in the M4 MacBook Pro means it has a higher capacity to execute more tasks at a higher rate. In short, it is a more efficient and faster laptop. That being said, the jump in performance between each chip will only be noticeable for people who really put their laptop through its paces.

The M4 is about 28% faster in single-core performance than the M3, and up to 50% faster than the M2. They sound like big numbers but if you use your MacBook Air just to type, watch movies and do some light video editing, then you won’t notice the difference.

As for the GPU, all three entry-level MacBook Airs come with the same amount of GPU cores so the performance isn’t that different. If you opt for 10 GPU cores in the M4 MacBook Pro, you could see up to 4x the performance than the M2. But again, this only matters if you do highly intensive work like graphic design or modelling.

Overall, the M4 MacBook Air is the better-performing laptop. But perhaps most importantly, you get a laptop that will stay more relevant for longer into the future. Remember that last point, it’s important.

Unified memory and SSD storage: how much?

The M2 and M3 MacBook Air models offer identical memory options. The 13-inch and 15-inch base models for both generations come with 8GB unified memory and a 256GB SSD. You can upgrade both generations to a maximum of 24GB and a 2TB SSD.

The M4 MacBook Air comes with 16GB of unified memory as standard and 256GB of SSD storage. You can upgrade the M4 MacBook Air to a maximum of 32GB unified memory and 2TB of SSD storage.

We have a full unified memory explainer, but in short, it serves as a location of pooled data, where components of your laptop can access information simultaneously. The more unified memory, the more efficient a MacBook Air is at performing tasks. 

The amount of unified memory you need depends on your use case. If you mostly stick to doing things like word processing or spreadsheet editing, then 8GB of unified memory is fine. It is always nice to have more though which is what makes the 16GB found in the M4 MacBook Air such good value. You are paying less than last year’s release for more memory and therefore performance.

If you are a so-called ‘power user’, that means you do things like graphic design, image rendering and heavy video editing, then you will definitely need more than 8GB. In fact, you will ideally want as much as you can afford. Therefore, having the option to buy 24GB for both generations is nice, but 32GB is even better.

But if you are performing such tasks, then you’re better off using a MacBook Pro anyway.

Apple will argue that the M3 chip uses memory more efficiently than the M2. And this is true to a degree, but not so much that it makes a difference for the everyday user. The bottom line is; 8GB will get you by, no matter the generation, but 16GB or 24GB is ideal.

The logical conclusion therefore is that the 16GB M4 MacBook Air offers by far the best value for money. Unless you can find a massive discount on an M3 MacBook Air with the same or more memory.

As for SSD, that is purely about how much storage you need. All three MacBook Air generations come with the same 256GB SSD as standard and can be upgraded to 2TB. If you want to save money on the astronomically high storage costs from Apple, then just buy an external hard drive.

Display and ports: nothing to see here!

Luckily, we’ve already covered most of the harder choices. There really isn’t much to separate the M2, M3 or M4 MacBook Air when it comes to the display and ports.

All three generations come in either 13-inch or 15-inch display sizes, using the same Liquid Retina technology and 2560×1664 resolution. They all have 500 nits of brightness and the same Wide P3 colour range.

As for the ports, the M2, M3 and M4 MacBook Air all have two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. The only difference is that the M4 MacBook Air’s ports now support two external monitors without having to close the lid. That means you can have three displays at once. The M3 MacBook Air supports two external displays with the lid closed whilst the M2 only supports one.

Camera

The only other major change with the M4 MacBook Air is that it has a new front-facing camera.

The M3 and M2 MacBook Air both have 1080p HD cameras. Now the M4 MacBook Air has a 12MP Center Stage camera. That’s a higher resolution and Center Stage means that the camera keeps you centered in frame.

That’s it. It’s a minor upgrade in the grand scheme of things and not worth considering in your decisions.

Price: there’s really only one choice

The pricing for the MacBook Air varies depending on the configuration and specifications you choose. Here’s a handy table with all of the M4 MacBook Air options broken down, I’ll outline the key configurations below:

Here’s a concise pricing table for the M4 MacBook Air, detailing the main storage and unified memory configurations:

As of March 2025, Apple offers the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models equipped with the M4 chip. Below is a detailed pricing table for both models, showcasing all available configurations:

Most people will be looking at the cheapest way to get a MacBook Air. That means going for the entry-level models. Apple no longer sells the M3 or M2 MacBook Air news on their site so you’ll have to buy elsewhere or refurbish.

As I said above, the entry-level M4 MacBook Air with 16GB unified memory and 256GB SSD at $999/£999 is by far the best value out of all the generations. It may well be the best value Mac ever made. Although, Mark’s M4 Mac mini review may beg to differ.

You can find some deals on M3 and M2 MacBook Airs from other retailers. At the time of writing, Amazon sells the M2 MacBook Air with 8GB unified memory and 512GB SSD for $699/£744. This is a very cheap price for a laptop which is still highly capable and will suit most people’s needs.

At BestBuy, you can find the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB unified memory for $799 or the M3 MacBook Air with 8GB unified memory for the same price. These are good deals, don’t get me wrong, and I would usually advise buying a slightly older generation to save money.

But not this time. The M4 MacBook Air is virtually impossible not to recommend at $999/£999 unless you have a strict budget.

Is the M1 MacBook Air still worth it?

There’s no doubt that the M1 MacBook Air is still a very capable device. The M1 chip can still outperform a worryingly high amount of Windows laptops to this day, even though it is five years old.

And if you bought it now, you likely wouldn’t have any problems with it in terms of having enough power. The only problem is that it is old now and you can mostly only buy it refurbished. That isn’t usually a problem for devices that are a few years old but battery degradation does start as devices age significantly.

You can find some mega deals on M1 MacBook Airs, I saw one for $450 when writing this article, but overall, it isn’t worth it. For a start, there are some specs that are lacking in terms of the display and ports and you just don’t have the same amount of future-proofing from the chip architecture.

I would avoid buying the M1 MacBook Air now. Spend a little bit extra to get something that’ll last you longer

After all that, is there a definitive answer to the question? You’ll be glad to know that yes, there is.

If you have the money to spend, then buy an M3 MacBook Air. It contains the most powerful consumer chip on the planet that will future-proof you for at least 5 years to come, if not more. The 3nm technology it uses will be the standard going forward, so hopping on it now is a good idea.

Conclusion

I hope this article made it clear which MacBook Air you should buy. In short, there aren’t that many differences between the M4 and M3/M2 MacBook Air, but the two big ones (price and amount of memory) matter a lot.

Most of the time, buying an Apple device from the previous generation after a new one is released makes absolute sense. But for under $1000/£1000, you get access to Apple’s latest chip which is streets ahead of any other laptop out there. Oh, and you get that lovely Sky Blue colour. It’s a no-brainer!