Equipped with the Apple M4 chipset, the MacBook Air 13 has become the ultimate small laptop of all time.

      **Apple MacBook Air 13**

      **MSRP:** $999.00

      “The Apple MacBook Air is compact, swift, and has exceptional battery life. Just get it.”

      **Pros**

      - Exceptional build quality

      - Sleek design

      - Outstanding keyboard and touchpad

      - Extremely lightweight

      - Rapid productivity performance

      - Industry-leading battery life

      - Competitive starting price

      In our prior evaluations of the Apple MacBook Air, we acknowledged it as the top 13-inch laptop but refrained from assigning it a perfect rating. With the introduction of Apple’s M4 chipset, which, while not drastically different from the M3, delivers significant performance improvements, there's no reason to hold back any longer in our assessment.

      There may be debate on whether a laptop with a 13.6-inch display fits into the 13-inch category or should be classified as a 14-inch laptop, but ultimately it doesn't matter much. The MacBook Air 13 is impressively slim, light enough for great portability, very fast, and exceptionally efficient. It represents a huge achievement in hardware innovation. Additionally, the base price of $1,000 now covers the latest chipset and includes a more accommodating 16GB of RAM.

      **Specs and Pricing**

      - **Model:** 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 GPU

      - **RAM Options:** 16GB, 24GB, 32GB unified memory

      - **Display:** 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 LED IPS at 60Hz

      - **Storage Options:** 256GB SSD, 512GB SSD, 1TB SSD, 2TB SSD

      - **Touch:** No

      - **Ports:** 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1 x MagSafe 3 (charging), 1 x 3.5mm audio jack

      - **Wireless:** Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

      - **Webcam:** 12MP Center Stage with Desk View

      - **Operating System:** macOS Sequoia

      - **Battery:** 53.8 watt-hour

      - **Price Starting At:** $999+

      Historically, Apple would release a new MacBook Air and continue to offer the previous generation at the lowest $1,000 price point. In this instance, Apple is providing a 10-core CPU/8-core GPU M4 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD at the same $1,000 price, addressing one key complaint from earlier base models that were limited to just 8GB of RAM. While $1,000 isn't a budget price tag, for a machine with such capabilities, it's very appealing.

      Following typical pricing patterns, you can upgrade to a slightly quicker 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 for an additional $100. Upgrading to 24GB of RAM costs $200, and there's a new 32GB RAM option for an extra $400. Storage upgrades begin at 512GB for $200 and extend to 2TB for $800. The fully configured MacBook Air 13 with the faster chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD totals $2,199.

      This price can be considered high compared to some Windows counterparts. For instance, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 retails for $1,835 with an Intel Lunar Lake chipset, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14.0-inch 4K+ OLED display. While it's also a compelling laptop, it doesn't match the speed or battery life of the MacBook Air. Personally, I would choose the base model of the MacBook Air 13 with a 512GB upgrade for $1,299 and call it a success.

      **Design**

      I’ve spent considerable time analyzing the modern design of the MacBook Air 13, which has remained largely unchanged since the M2 chipset launch. I find little to criticize regarding Apple’s design. The MacBook Air 13 stands out as possibly the thinnest 13-inch laptop on the market at 0.44 inches and weighs only 2.7 pounds, which gives it a robust feel rather than a flimsy one due to its density. This is attributable to the fact that it is CNC-machined from a single piece of aluminum. It radiates quality, and while some Windows laptops are well-made — like the previously mentioned Yoga Slim 9i 14 — none feel quite like it.

      I would have reserved some criticism for making the MacBook Air 13 so thin if its battery life wasn’t so impressive. While