MacBook Air with M4 (16 GB/256 GB) drops below €1,100

An ultrabook that’s barely heavier than a magazine, yet capable enough for video editing, AI features and long days at uni without hunting for a socket: that’s exactly the gap the current MacBook Air with the M4 chip is designed to fill. The interesting twist is the configuration many people actually want - 16 GB of memory - is currently falling sharply in price and is no longer hovering around the €1,100 mark, but sliding clearly below it.

What’s behind the offer

The model in question is the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with Apple M4 chip, 16 GB of unified memory and a 256-GB SSD. While this version normally sits firmly in four-figure territory, it’s currently listed at €949 - around 14 per cent below the recommended price of €1,099.

“The MacBook Air with M4, 16 GB RAM and 256-GB SSD drops into a price bracket where previously you mostly found basic office laptops.”

That makes a spec level attractive that many buyers often avoid purely for budget reasons: 16 GB of memory. This is also the deciding factor for how smoothly you can run multiple apps, lots of browser tabs and more demanding software at the same time.

Technical specifications at a glance

The machine sticks to the familiar Air formula: exceptionally slim, exceptionally light, but noticeably more capable than earlier generations.

• Apple M4 with 10-core CPU (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores)
• 8- or 10-core GPU with hardware ray tracing support
• 16 GB unified memory (RAM, 120 GB/s bandwidth)
• 256-GB SSD
• 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2,560 x 1,664 pixels, 500 nits, P3 colour gamut, True Tone)
• Weight: 1.24 kg, chassis thickness: 1.13 cm
• Battery life (Apple claim): up to 18 hours of video playback
• MagSafe 3 charging connector
• Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports (up to 40 Gbit/s, DisplayPort support)
• Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3
• Four-speaker system with 3D audio support
• 12-megapixel camera with Centre Stage, three-mic array

How much performance is in the M4 MacBook Air?

Apple’s M4 is the current generation of its in-house processors. The idea is a split approach: fast performance cores handle heavier workloads, while efficient cores take care of everyday tasks such as browsing and email.

The integrated graphics, with up to ten cores, adds hardware-accelerated ray tracing - mainly relevant for 3D software and certain effects in video and graphics workflows. For the ongoing shift towards AI features, a 16-core Neural Engine block is included to tackle machine-learning workloads and Apple’s own AI capabilities.

“The combination of the M4 chip and 16 GB unified memory means the Air no longer feels like just a student notebook, and can comfortably handle tasks you’d otherwise associate with a MacBook Pro.”

Because the memory is unified, the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine all draw from the same pool. In practice, that can reduce delays when data is being accessed - and it’s particularly noticeable when you’ve got lots of windows open, large media files in play, or more complex calculations running.

Who is this deal for?

Students and mobile professionals

If you’re constantly on the move, three things matter most: low weight, long battery life and dependable performance. At 1.24 kg, up to 18 hours of video playback and a very slim chassis, the MacBook Air slips easily into a rucksack or messenger bag without feeling like you’re carrying a brick.

Typical use cases include:

• A full day of lectures with notes, PDFs, browser tabs and video calls - without needing mains power
• Business trips with presentations, office apps and the occasional bit of photo editing
• Working from home with multiple monitors and video conferences

Creatives and content producers

For writing, design and video work, the pairing of M4 and 16 GB memory is where this configuration plays to its strengths. The manufacturer explicitly mentions tasks such as 4K video editing and working on large graphics files, where the Air is expected to remain responsive.

If you’re trimming YouTube clips on the train, mixing podcasts, or building social content with lots of layers and filters, the fast, snappy feel is a real advantage. Even developers running multiple virtual environments side by side or compiling code can use this setup without immediately hitting a wall.

Ports, display, sound - what matters day to day

Despite the thin design, the Air includes features that can make a real difference in everyday use:

Area	Features	Practical benefit
Power & charging	MagSafe 3, USB‑C power adaptor (up to 70 W, depending on model)	Secure connection, fast charging possible, ports stay free
Ports	2x Thunderbolt/USB 4	External SSDs, monitors and docks with high bandwidth
Networking	Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3	Faster connections on modern home networks, stable wireless links
Display	13.6 inches, 500 nits, P3, True Tone	Bright image, strong colour reproduction, adjusted colour temperature
Audio	Four speakers, 3D audio, three microphones	Clear voice on calls, solid sound for series and music
External monitors	Up to two displays with up to 6K at 60 Hz	Turns into a full desktop-style workstation at a desk

Support for two high-resolution external displays is a key selling point for many people. It means a highly portable setup can quickly become a capable desk workstation.

Where does the 256-GB SSD hit its limits?

The clearest weak spot in this configuration is the SSD capacity. In 2026, 256 GB isn’t a luxury - it’s more of a minimum. If you work with lots of 4K video, RAW photos or large game libraries, you’ll run out of space quickly.

With a bit of planning, you can reduce the impact:

• Move large project folders to external SSDs
• Use cloud services for archived material
• Regularly clear downloads and temporary files

For people who mainly use Office apps, a browser, messaging, some photo editing and lighter video projects, the storage will usually be sufficient - as long as you don’t need to keep huge collections locally.

Value for money in today’s market

Among Windows ultrabooks of similar weight and comparable battery life, this offer sits in a genuinely competitive range. Plenty of models with 16 GB RAM, a good display and a premium chassis also land just around or above the €1,000 threshold.

If you already use Apple devices - iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch - there’s also the benefit of seamless integration, including AirDrop, Handoff, iCloud synchronisation and universal clipboard. In daily use, that often matters more than raw benchmark figures.

What buyers should check before purchasing

Before you commit, it’s worth matching the deal to your actual usage. Three questions help frame the decision:

• Will the 256-GB SSD still be enough over the next three to five years?
• Will I genuinely use the extra performance of the M4 and the 16 GB RAM - or would a cheaper device do the job?
• Do I need lots of ports built in, or do I work with a dock and hub anyway?

If your workload is mainly browsing, streaming, writing and occasional photo edits, this deal should serve you well for a long time. If you’re a serious video creator or a gamer, it may be wiser to consider a larger SSD or a different setup.

One more detail: the fast-charging plug capable of up to 70 watts isn’t automatically included with every configuration. If you’re often travelling and want to recharge quickly, it makes sense to budget for a suitable USB‑C power adaptor.

Terms like “Neural Engine” and “ray tracing” can sound like marketing at first, but they map to real-world functions: the Neural Engine accelerates things such as language models, image analysis and AI-assisted editing effects on the device, without constantly sending data to the cloud. Ray tracing helps with more realistic lighting effects in 3D scenes or certain rendering tasks.

Anyone buying a laptop intended to last for years benefits from that headroom. Many software makers are shifting features onto specialised hardware blocks like these. If the technology is already built in, the machine is more likely to stay current - even if you’re not yet pushing the CPU to its limits.