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This MacBook Air M4 review starts with a plot twist. The laptop TechRadar crowned its 2025 laptop of the year is no longer sold new by Apple. That’s exactly why it’s now the best value in laptops. The M5 Air arrived in March 2026 at $1,099. Certified-refurbished M4 units with 16GB of RAM have since settled around $750 to $875, per iFeeltech’s June 2026 tracking. Same chassis as the new model, nearly the same speed, roughly $300 less. For most buyers, that gap is the whole story.
I’ve bought enough discounted last-generation electronics over the years to know a price cut rarely comes with a real downgrade. The trick is figuring out which corner actually got cut, if any.
Why Did the M4 Air Win Laptop of the Year?
The M4 Air launched in March 2025 at $999 and spent its retail life collecting awards. TechRadar named it laptop of the year. It called out “excellent performance for both daily tasks and more demanding workloads, such as video and photo editing.” The chassis is under half an inch thick. The spec sheet aged well. It includes a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB of unified memory standard, and a 12MP Center Stage webcam. It also has four speakers with Spatial Audio, and Apple rates the battery at up to 18 hours. During its run it dipped as low as $799 new at Best Buy, and then Apple retired it.
Discontinuation did not change the laptop; it changed the price. That’s the situation every value shopper should learn to recognize. We said something similar about last-generation picks in our best-value laptops roundup. The M4 Air is now the cleanest example on the market.
What Does the M4 Air Cost Per Year of Use?
MacBook Airs are long-haul machines. iFeeltech’s long-term test unit held 92% battery health after 11 months of daily professional use. Apple silicon Macs typically stay useful well past five years. So we amortized today’s real prices over a conservative four-year and a realistic six-year life. The prices below are iFeeltech’s tracked refurbished ranges (midpoints) and Apple’s M5 list price. The per-year columns are our own division.
| Configuration | Typical price | Cost per year (4-yr life) | Cost per year (6-yr life) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M4 Air refurb, 16GB/256GB | ~$810 | ~$203 | ~$135 |
| M4 Air refurb, 16GB/512GB | ~$1,000 | ~$250 | ~$167 |
| M5 Air new, 16GB/512GB | $1,099 | ~$275 | ~$183 |
Read the middle row carefully, because it’s the honest complication: once you match the M5’s 512GB storage, the refurbished M4 saves only about $100 — a real but modest edge that also gives up the M5’s Wi-Fi 7 and a fresh full warranty. The bargain is specifically the 256GB refurb at roughly $200 a year over four years. That’s cheaper per year than many people’s phone plan. If 256GB fits your life, the M4 is the deal. If it doesn’t, the case for the new machine strengthens considerably.
What Still Delights About the M4 Air?
Three things keep the M4 Air pleasant long after the spec-sheet thrill fades. The silence: there’s no fan, so it simply never makes noise, ever. It stays quiet even on video calls, where the excellent 12MP webcam earns its keep. The battery reality: iFeeltech measured 11 to 13 hours of genuine business use (browser, Slack, Zoom). That’s a full workday plus the commute, and close enough to Apple’s 18-hour video-playback rating to feel honest. And the performance headroom: the M4 is around 30% quicker than the M3 generation. That shows up in photo editing and light video work. Forty browser tabs never remind you this is the cheap Apple laptop.
The four honest drawbacks
- Both USB-C ports live on the left side. Charging from the right side of a desk means a cable crossing your workspace daily. Small, real, and unfixable.
- The 60Hz display. Colors and sharpness are lovely, but Windows rivals at this price now ship faster, smoother panels. Scrolling looks less liquid than on a 120Hz screen.
- Apple’s upgrade pricing is the trap. Storage jumps cost $200 per tier from Apple, which is exactly how a $999 laptop becomes a $1,399 one. Buy the config you need up front — externally upgrading later isn’t an option.
- Refurb supply is a moving target. Certified units fluctuate in stock and price week to week. If the 16GB/256GB model climbs past $900, the value argument thins out fast.
Who should pay for the M5 instead?
Three buyers, by our read. People who need 512GB anyway: the price gap nearly closes. Take the new chip, Wi-Fi 7, and full warranty. People keeping the machine seven-plus years, for whom the newer platform’s longer software runway compounds. And people whose employer is paying. Everyone else is buying a badge, not a benefit: the chassis, screen, webcam, and keyboard are the same machine.
Why Is “Last Year’s Model” the Whole Recommendation Here?
The MacBook Air M4 was the best mainstream laptop you could buy at $999. At $810 refurbished with a 16GB floor, it’s something better: the value pick of 2026, without an asterisk about performance. After enough discounted-tech buys to trust the pattern, the MacBook Air M4 is the one I’d point a friend to, because $810 refurbished matches the M5’s chassis and speed for $300 less. Students should cross-check our college laptop guide for major-specific advice. Anyone still torn between platforms should run through the five questions in our laptop buying guide first. But if the question is simply “which laptop should most people buy right now,” this is our answer.
How We Researched This MacBook Air M4 Review
This review synthesizes Apple’s published specifications, TechRadar’s award coverage and sale tracking, and iFeeltech’s long-term ownership data. That includes its 11-month battery-health measurement and June 2026 refurbished-price tracking. The cost-per-year table is our own arithmetic from those published figures, and refurbished prices move weekly, so verify before buying. Our editorial standards explain the method.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published July 2026. Updated September 9, 2026.
MacBook Air M4 FAQ
Is the MacBook Air M4 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, for most people. At $750 to $875 certified refurbished with 16GB of RAM, it delivers nearly all of the M5 Air’s everyday performance. That’s in the identical chassis for about $300 less. The main exception is buyers who need 512GB of storage. There, the price gap narrows enough to favor the new model.
How long will a MacBook Air M4 last?
Plan on five or more years of useful life. One long-term reviewer measured 92% battery health after 11 months of daily professional use. Apple silicon Macs have historically received macOS updates for many years after release.
What’s the difference between the MacBook Air M4 and M5?
The M5 was released in March 2026 at $1,099. It adds a newer chip, 512GB of base storage, and Wi-Fi 7 in the same chassis. For web, office, and communication workloads, the day-to-day difference is small. That’s why the discounted M4 is the value pick unless you need the storage.
More from our Laptops & Computers section: the major-by-major college laptop guide, the five questions to ask before any laptop purchase, and the value picks owners keep for years.
