Still, the new M4 MacBook Air is impressively powerful. I put it through GeekBench's CPU test and got great results: a 3,778 single-core score, and a 14,992 multi-core score. That's considerably faster than any earlier Mac when it comes to single-core operation, and roughly on par with an M2 Max when it comes to multi-core operation.

Apple rarely offers you more for less, especially in its most popular products with the broadest appeal. It has perfected the measured, iterative year-over-year product cycle. But for the 13- and 15-inch M4 MacBook Airs, Apple has put new chips in its established design while shoring up the device’s biggest flaws and dropping the price by $100.