by Apple has unveiled two impressive additions to its Mac lineup that deserve serious attention from tech enthusiasts. The new MacBook Air powered by the M4 chip and a significantly enhanced Mac Studio featuring both M4 Max and M3 Ultra processors represent meaningful leaps forward in performance and capability. These machines showcase the perfect balance between power and design, which has become Apple’s hallmark.
The refreshed MacBook Air brings several notable improvements that make Apple’s ultra-thin laptop even more compelling. The introduction of a new sky blue color option adds a welcome splash of personality to the lineup. This metallic finish creates a dynamic gradient effect when light hits it from different angles. Apple has thoughtfully included color-matched MagSafe charging cables with each finish, showing the attention to detail that separates premium products from the rest.
Performance leaps substantially with the M4 chip, making resource-intensive tasks like photo editing and video production noticeably smoother. The chip features a 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, paired with either an 8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on configuration. Despite these performance gains, the MacBook Air maintains its impressive 18-hour battery life. According to Apple, the M4 MacBook Air is up to 2x faster than the M1 model and up to 23x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.
Apple has also made some wallet-friendly changes with this release. The starting price has been reduced by $100, with the 13-inch model now starting at $999 and the 15-inch at $1,199. Base models now come standard with 16GB of unified memory, up from 8GB in previous generations—a welcome upgrade that extends the laptop’s useful lifespan.
The new 12MP Center Stage camera delivers much-improved image quality and significantly upgrades video conferencing capabilities. The system works with Center Stage, which automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around. It also supports Desk View, which simultaneously shows a top-down view of your workspace while keeping you properly framed. This addition proves incredibly useful for remote presentations, teaching sessions, or demonstrating physical objects during calls.
For users who need expanded screen real estate, the M4 MacBook Air now supports up to two 6K external displays in addition to its built-in Liquid Retina display – and this works even with the laptop lid closed. This expanded capability enables complex workflows on hardware that weighs just a few pounds. Designers working across multiple applications, coders with reference materials open, or video editors with separate windows for timeline and preview will find the additional screen space provides welcome flexibility.
These new MacBook Air models became available for pre-order on March 5, 2025, and will be fully available beginning March 12, 2025.
Mac Studio: Professional Power in a Compact Package
The updated Mac Studio stands as Apple’s performance flagship, with the company confidently positioning it as “the most powerful Mac ever made.” Available with either the M4 Max or the new M3 Ultra chip, the Mac Studio delivers exceptional capabilities while maintaining its compact form factor that fits comfortably on a desk.
Mac Studio with M4 Max targets creative professionals who need serious processing power without the bulk of traditional workstations. Starting at $1,999, this configuration provides tremendous value for video editors working with multiple streams of high-resolution footage simultaneously. The M4 Max features an up to 16-core CPU, an up to 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than the M1 Max. According to Apple, the Mac Studio with M4 Max is up to 3.5x faster than the Mac Studio with M1 Max and up to 6.1x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac.
For those with even more demanding requirements, the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra pushes performance boundaries to new heights. Starting at $3,999, this powerhouse delivers nearly twice the performance of the M4 Max in intensive workloads. The M3 Ultra features an up to 32-core CPU with 24 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, an up to 80-core GPU and a powerful 32-core Neural Engine. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio is up to 2.6x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra and up to 6.4x faster than the 16-core Intel Xeon W-based Mac Pro.
The substantial unified memory capacity is a standout feature, with the M3 Ultra starting at 96GB and configurable up to an unprecedented 512GB – the most ever in a personal computer. Storage options extend up to 16TB, providing ample space for massive project files, including enough for over 12 hours of 8K ProRes video.
Connectivity receives a meaningful upgrade with Thunderbolt 5 ports, ensuring the Mac Studio can interface with the latest high-speed peripherals and storage solutions. Thunderbolt 5 delivers transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, up to 3x faster than the prior generation. The M3 Ultra version features Thunderbolt 5 ports that provide dedicated bandwidth for each port, while the M4 Max model includes standard USB-C ports on the front. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio can drive up to eight Pro Display XDRs at the full 6K resolution.
Built for Apple Intelligence
Both new Macs are built for Apple Intelligence, unlocking new capabilities that help users elevate their workflows. These machines are designed to handle AI workloads efficiently, with the powerful Neural Engine in the M4 chip and M3 Ultra specifically optimized for these tasks.
Creative professionals can explore new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, create the perfect emoji with Genmoji, and make their writing even more dynamic with Writing Tools. Users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to Siri to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac features and settings with step-by-step instructions for how to do something on Mac.
With access to ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can choose to access ChatGPT’s expertise so they can get things done faster and easier than ever before. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration and are in full control of when they use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.
Apple Intelligence is designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, using on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on the device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Mac into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their requests.
Apple Intelligence is available on all Mac models with M1 and later, in localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Additional languages — including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), English (Singapore), and English (India) — will be available in April, with more languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.
macOS Sequoia Enhances the Experience
The new Macs ship with macOS Sequoia, which introduces several thoughtful features that improve the overall user experience. iPhone Mirroring allows wireless interaction with your iPhone directly from your Mac, eliminating the need to constantly switch between devices. The new Passwords app provides centralized access to all your secure credentials, simplifying account management across your digital life.
According to Apple, Safari is the world’s fastest browser. It now surfaces relevant information on sites in Highlights, summarizes articles in the redesigned Reader, keeps videos front and center in a new Video Viewer, and lets users hide distracting items with Distraction Control. Video calls benefit from new built-in backgrounds that include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or users can upload their own photos.
Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will make it easier than ever to set up the new Macs with iPhones. By simply bringing the iPhone close to the Mac, users can quickly and conveniently sign in to their Apple Account to access their files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on their new device.
Environmental Considerations
Apple continues its environmental commitment with these new machines as part of its Apple 2030 initiative aimed at making all products carbon-neutral by the end of the decade. The Mac Studio features over 30 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The MacBook Air features over 55 percent recycled content overall, the most of any Apple product. This includes 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. In a first for any Mac, the MacBook Air also contains over 95 percent recycled lithium.
Both machines come in packaging that’s entirely fiber-based, supporting Apple’s goal of eliminating plastic from all packaging by the end of 2025. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.
The Mac Attack Continues
These new releases demonstrate Apple’s continued commitment to pushing Mac performance forward while maintaining the design excellence and ecosystem integration that users value. The M4 MacBook Air offers an excellent balance of power, portability, and style that makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of users, now at a more accessible price point with improved base specifications. The Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra delivers exceptional capabilities for professionals with demanding workflows, with configuration options that scale from serious enthusiasts to the most demanding creative professionals.
As AI features become increasingly central to modern computing, Apple’s integrated approach allows these new Macs to leverage artificial intelligence in ways that feel natural and useful. Creating content, analyzing data, or simply working more efficiently becomes more intuitive with these new machines and their integration with Apple Intelligence features.
For those considering an upgrade or new purchase, these latest offerings from Apple provide significant improvements that justify a closer look. The machines represent a confident step forward in Apple’s vision for personal computing – powerful, efficient, and increasingly intelligent.