Apple is making a bold marketing claim for its new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, stating that it’s up to 23 times faster than the last Intel-based MacBook Air. Sounds impressive, right? Well, there’s some fine print that adds important context.
Apple’s comparison pits the new 2025 MacBook Air (M4, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD) against the fastest-ever Intel MacBook Air from 2020 (quad-core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD).
The specific test? Apple ran the Super Resolution feature in Pixelmator Pro (an app it now owns) on a 4.4MB image, a task that relies heavily on machine learning acceleration—an area where Apple Silicon far outperforms Intel chips.
So, while the M4 MacBook Air really is that much faster in this one specific use case, the claim doesn’t necessarily translate to everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, or casual media consumption.
For a better picture of real-world improvements, Apple also provided more practical comparisons:
These numbers paint a more realistic picture of the M4 MacBook Air’s capabilities—still a massive leap from Intel, but not necessarily 23x across the board.
Even if Apple’s 23x claim feels like marketing hype, the reality is any MacBook Air with Apple Silicon is dramatically faster than its Intel predecessors.
The M4 MacBook Air is available for pre-order now and will begin shipping to customers on March 12. If you’re still on an Intel MacBook Air, this might be the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.
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Apple’s iOS 18.4 developer beta has added Visual Intelligence, the company’s Google Lens-style tool, to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as first reported by 9to5Mac.
Apple previously confirmed that Visual Intelligence would make its way to these models in a future update, but didn’t specify when. Now, barring any last-minute changes, it looks like the feature will arrive for all users with the official release of iOS 18.4, expected in April.
Visual Intelligence debuted with the iPhone 16 lineup in September, integrated into the Camera Control button. Since iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max lack this button, Apple has instead adapted the feature to work via the Action Button or Control Center, similar to how it functions on the newly launched iPhone 16E.
Additionally, today’s iOS 18.4 developer beta 2 update brings Action Button and Control Center support for Visual Intelligence to the entire iPhone 16 lineup, making it more accessible across multiple devices.
With the official release of iOS 18.4 just weeks away, iPhone 15 Pro users will soon be able to experience Apple’s take on AI-powered image recognition.
Looks like Apple’s gearing up to drop a new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, and it could happen as soon as next week. Bloomberg’s reporting that Apple’s got a Mac-related announcement in the works, which pretty much lines up with last year’s M3 MacBook Air launch in early March. So yeah, no surprises there.
The M4 chip is obviously the big deal here. Apple’s already rolled it out in the MacBook Pro, and now it’s coming to the Air. From what we’ve seen, the M4 packs 10 CPU cores—a mix of 4 high-performance ones and 6 efficiency cores—plus a 10-core GPU, which should mean a decent graphics boost. Apple’s talking about 1.8x the performance of the M1, and something like 3.4x the speed in heavier tasks, like rendering stuff in Blender.
Now, in theory, this puts the MacBook Air’s M4 chip close to the MacBook Pro’s, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Air doesn’t have a fan, which means thermal throttling is still gonna be a thing. Benchmarks might look great, but real-world performance under sustained loads? That’s another story. If the M3 Air was anything to go by, expect it to run hot and throttle down when pushed too hard.
As for the design, don’t expect much to change. It’ll still come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, still look like the M3 version, and maybe—just maybe—Apple throws in a new color or something to shake things up. Pricing? No word yet, but if they don’t bump it up, the base 13-inch model should still start around $1,099.
So yeah, not exactly a revolutionary update, but if you were already looking at getting a MacBook Air, might as well wait a few days and see what happens.
The first iPhone 16e reviews are in, and Apple’s custom-designed C1 modem has been put through its paces. The results? Surprisingly solid performance, with 5G speeds comparable to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem, found in the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.
Despite concerns that Apple’s first in-house modem would lag behind Qualcomm’s established technology, real-world and lab tests suggest the C1 modem holds its own—even exceeding expectations in some scenarios.
Tech reviewers have been testing the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem alongside Qualcomm-powered iPhone models, and most report little to no difference in network performance.
The Verge's Allison Johnson found no consistent difference in performance between the iPhone 16e and the Qualcomm-powered iPhone 16:
"I've used it for the past week to make FaceTime calls, upload large video files in crowded places, and stream YouTube on the bus. I tested it alongside a regular iPhone 16 equipped with a Qualcomm-made modem—both on Verizon—and I didn't see any consistent difference in performance between the two."
Tom’s Guide’s John Velasco also noted that any difference was marginal:
"It's difficult to say if it ultimately delivers faster 5G speeds. I ran speed tests on both the iPhone 16 and 16e at three different locations in New York City, with only one test showing faster speeds with the iPhone 16e."
So how does the C1 modem actually perform in speed tests? The numbers show it competes well with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X71 modem.
Suburban New York (AT&T Network)
Midtown New York City (AT&T Network)
Toronto, Canada (Bell Network)
Lab Tests by Geekerwan (Artificial 5G Network)
Beyond speed, Apple claims the C1 modem is the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever—and independent testing confirms it.
Despite initial skepticism, the C1 modem is proving to be a capable competitor to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X71. While it lacks mmWave 5G support in the U.S., it still delivers impressive 5G speeds, strong reliability, and superior power efficiency.
Apple is preparing to introduce its highly anticipated update to the MacBook Air lineup, with the new models set to feature the M4 chip. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has already begun gearing up its marketing, sales, and retail teams, signaling that the release is just around the corner.
In preparation, Apple has started removing current MacBook Air stock from its stores, further indicating that the launch is imminent. Initially, many thought the MacBook Air refresh would be Apple’s first major hardware release of the year, but the iPhone 16e took that spot, launching earlier this month.
Still, sources close to Gurman are confident that the new M4-powered MacBook Airs will debut by March 2025, at the latest. While an exact date hasn’t been confirmed, the launch window appears set, with a likely debut in March. There's even a chance the machines could arrive in the first half of the month, but that remains uncertain.
The buzz surrounding these new MacBook Air models was first hinted at in December 2024, when the release of the macOS Sequoia 15.2 update included references to M4 MacBook Airs. Leaked files for unreleased models—namely the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs (M4, 2025)—provided the first solid evidence that Apple was preparing to launch these new devices.
With the new M4 chips, significant improvements in performance, energy efficiency, and power management are expected. These upgrades should make the MacBook Air even more attractive to a wide range of users, whether you're a student, professional, or simply someone who loves sleek, powerful laptops. The new models are shaping up to be one of Apple’s most exciting releases yet.
So, if you're thinking about upgrading or just curious about the upcoming features, make sure to mark March 2025 on your calendar—it looks like the M4 MacBook Airs are almost here!、
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