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The 2025 13-inch MacBook Air with M4, model A3240, is a strong choice for everyday work, school, travel, and lighter creative tasks. It is light, silent, responsive, and lasts well in independent battery tests. Its limits are just as practical: only two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, a 60Hz display, memory and storage that cannot be upgraded, and less sustained-work headroom than a actively cooled laptop.
What is the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 (A3240)?
A3240 is Apple’s 2025 13-inch MacBook Air with M4, distinct from the 15-inch model. ENERGY STAR records U.S. market availability beginning March 5, 2025; that certification record does not establish a global SKU catalog. ENERGY STAR’s product record identifies it as a notebook.
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Apple announced it on March 5, 2025, with a U.S. launch starting price of $999 and an education price of $899; orders opened that day and availability began March 12. Those are historical launch prices, not current quotes. Apple said battery life was “up to 18 hours,” a company claim rather than a typical-use guarantee. Check current seller pricing and availability before buying. Apple’s launch announcement gives the launch details and claim.
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Portable, quiet design
The laptop weighs 2.7 pounds and measures 11.97 by 8.46 by 0.44 inches. Its fanless design makes it silent in normal operation, a welcome fit for classrooms, shared spaces, and travel. Fanless does not mean it stays cool under every workload: independent reviewers note that intensive sustained tasks can warm the chassis.
#1 Best Overall
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Display and speakers
The 13.6-inch IPS Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2560 by 1664 and a 60Hz refresh rate. Tom’s Guide measured 470 nits while showing HDR content and praised image quality. Its reviewer also liked the four-speaker system for video, while finding the bass underwhelming for music. A 60Hz panel is less fluid than the 120Hz screens available on some premium ultraportables.
M4 performance
Apple’s M4 configuration has a 10-core CPU—four performance cores and six efficiency cores—and an 8-core or 10-core GPU. Apple also lists a 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s memory bandwidth, and hardware-accelerated media engines. Tom’s Guide found the Air responsive for browsing, writing, and photo editing. RTINGS describes its performance as impressive for a fanless ultraportable, but warns that demanding work can exceed its suitability and that high-resolution footage may stutter. Tom’s Hardware likewise observed silent operation and a warm chassis in stress testing. These are different reviewer evaluations, not directly comparable benchmark results.
How long does the battery last in independent tests?
Runtime depends on what you do and how it is measured. These reviews are useful reference points, not guarantees or a controlled head-to-head comparison.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Reviewer | Reported runtime | Test context |
|---|---|---|
| Tom’s Guide | Nearly 15 hours | Continuous Wi-Fi web surfing at 150 nits |
| Tom’s Hardware, 2025 | 15 hours 14 minutes | Mixed web browsing, video streaming, and simple OpenGL work at 150 nits |
| WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar, 2025 | About 13 hours | Workday use; video calls affected battery life |
Apple’s “up to 18 hours” figure is a company claim and should not be treated as an expected result for every owner. Tom’s Guide’s review, Tom’s Hardware’s review, and WIRED’s review describe their respective findings.
Rank #2
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Is 16GB of memory enough, and which configuration should you choose?
The base configuration tested by RTINGS has a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. Apple offers 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB unified memory and 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD options. RTINGS notes that memory and storage are soldered, so neither can be upgraded after purchase.
- 16GB: A sensible starting point for typical browsing, documents, schoolwork, streaming, and lighter creative tasks. There is no universal need for every buyer to choose more.
- 24GB or 32GB: Consider these if your expected workload regularly uses memory-heavy applications, large creative projects, or many demanding apps at once.
- More storage: Choose capacity based on the files and applications you expect to keep locally over the laptop’s useful life; the internal SSD cannot be replaced with a larger one later.
Apple lists configurations and technical details on its MacBook Air technical specifications page.
Can it run two external monitors with its own screen on?
Yes. Apple specifies simultaneous use of the built-in display and up to two external displays, each up to 6K at 60Hz. Depending on the monitors and what else you connect, you may need adapters or a dock. This support is a meaningful improvement for people who use a multi-display desk setup.
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The port selection is limited: MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple says the Thunderbolt ports support charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 up to 40Gb/s, and USB 4 up to 40Gb/s. MagSafe leaves both USB-C ports available when charging that way, but connecting multiple peripherals or displays may still call for a hub or dock. WIRED’s reviewer specifically wanted another USB-C port.
Rank #3
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Is the M4 Air a good fit for games and demanding creative work?
For everyday productivity and lighter creative tasks, independent reviewers found the M4 Air capable. The lack of active cooling makes it a less suitable choice for highly demanding work sustained over long periods than a laptop designed with active cooling. If your regular work involves intensive rendering or other heavy workloads, consider whether that trade-off fits your workflow rather than judging by the chip name alone.
Gaming depends on more than hardware capability. Tom’s Guide reviewer Mark Spoonauer noted that many PC games in his Steam library were unavailable or did not run well on Mac. Check compatibility for the specific games you intend to play before buying.
Should an M1 or M3 owner upgrade?
WIRED characterizes the changes as iterative and says the upgrade is easier to justify for owners of older Intel Macs or M1 users who specifically need newer capabilities. That is the reviewer’s judgment, not a rule for every owner: consider whether your current laptop’s performance, battery, display setup, or required features are holding you back. WIRED also points buyers who want a larger screen toward the 15-inch Air and those who need more power toward a MacBook Pro.
How should you compare it with another laptop?
For a useful comparison, focus on the differences that change daily use rather than a headline chip label:
- Display size and refresh rate
- Weight and portability
- Port count and supported monitor arrangement
- Performance on your actual short-burst and sustained workloads, including cooling
- Battery results with the test method stated
- Memory and storage configuration, including upgradeability
- Operating system, app, and game compatibility
- Verified current price
RTINGS notes that the Air’s 60Hz display and limited ports compare less favorably with some premium Windows ultraportables that offer 120Hz screens and more ports. The right choice depends on which of those trade-offs matters most for your setup.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
