M2 vs. M3 vs. M4 MacBook Air Buyer’s Guide: 25+ Differences Compared
Apple just announced a new MacBook Air, introducing its latest chip, an enhanced camera, and a striking new color option. Simultaneously, it discontinued the two previous generations. So how does the new model compare?
Before the introduction of the latest model, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air started at $1,099 and the 15-inch model started at $1,299. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip from 2022 remained in the lineup at a price of $999. Now, the 13-inch M4 model starts at $999. It is also worth remembering that it is possible to shave at least $100 off the price of a new MacBook Air directly from Apple with education pricing.
The main upgrade offered by the three MacBook Air models are their chips. In benchmark tests, the M3 outperforms the M2 by about 17% in single-core tasks and approximately 21% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance measured by Metal benchmarks, the M3 exhibits a notable improvement of around 15% over the M2. The M4 outperforms the M3 by about 25% in single-core tasks and 30% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance, the M4 offers improvement of around 21% over the M3.
There are a number of other notable differences between the three MacBook Air generations beyond their chips. While these upgrades are fairly small, they are worth bearing in mind when contemplating whether to get the latest model, or a used or refurbished unit for a lower price.
Read on to find out about all of the differences between the M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models to help you decide which model will suffice for you, as well as if it may be worth upgrading.
MacBook Air (2022 and 2023)
MacBook Air (2024)
MacBook Air (2025)
1080p FaceTime HD camera
1080p FaceTime HD camera
12MP camera
Support for Center Stage and Desk View
Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls
Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls
Apple M2 chip
(based on A15 Bionic chip from 2021’s iPhone 13)
Apple M3 chip
(based on A17 Pro chip from 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro)
Apple M4 chip
(based on A18 chip from 2024’s iPhone 16)
Made with TSMC’s enhanced 5nm node (N5P)
Made with TSMC’s first 3nm node (N3B)
Made with TSMC’s enhanced 3nm node (N3E)
20 billion transistors
25 billion transistors
28 billion transistors
3.49 GHz CPU clock speed
4.05 GHz CPU clock speed
4.3 GHz CPU clock speed
8-core CPU
(4 performance + 4 efficiency cores)
8-core CPU
(4 performance + 4 efficiency cores)
10 CPU cores
(4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
Up to 10-core GPU
Up to 10-core GPU
10-core GPU
Same GPU architecture as M1
Redesigned GPU architecture with improved efficiency
Same GPU architecture as M3
Dynamic Caching
Dynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
120 GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024)
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024)
16GB, 24GB, or 32GB memory
16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
Dedicated display engine
Dedicated display engine
Support for one external display
Support for up to two external displays when the lid is closed
Support for up to two external displays when the lid is open
Support for AV1 decode
Support for AV1 decode
Wi-Fi 6 connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only)
Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only)
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue
Introduced in June 2022 (13-inch) and June 2023 (15-inch)
Introduced in March 2024
Introduced in March 2025
Started at $1,099, dropped to $999 in 2024
Started at $1,099
Starts at $999
Overall, the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs represent minor upgrades over their predecessors, largely focusing on enhanced performance rather than new capabilities. Their main target audiences are those who have an older MacBook Air, such as an M1 or Intel-based model, or no MacBook Air at all.
Unless you can leverage the specific advantages of the M4 chip and require maximum performance from its highly portable form factor, it is likely not worth buying the M4 MacBook Air over the previous MacBook Air for most users, providing you can get it for a good enough price.
However, if future-proofing is a major priority because you tend to keep your computer for many years, the extra cash to get the latest model will probably be warranted. The M4 model’s significantly improved camera and enhanced support for two external displays may also justifiably swing your buying decision if you make a lot of video calls or have multiple monitors.
It is certainly not worth upgrading from the M2 or M3 to the M4 MacBook Air for the overwhelming majority of customers. Upgrading from an M2 13-inch MacBook Air to an M4 15-inch MacBook Air may be more justifiable owing to the display size increase, but there is little that the latest generation meaningfully offers over its predecessor. The two older machines are still highly capable.
This article, “M2 vs. M3 vs. M4 MacBook Air Buyer’s Guide: 25+ Differences Compared” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
