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.
How Apple Tested the 23x Speed Boost
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.
More Realistic Performance Gains
For a better picture of real-world improvements, Apple also provided more practical comparisons:
- Excel spreadsheet calculations → Up to 4.7x faster vs. Intel MacBook Air (1.6x faster than M1 Air)
- iMovie video editing → Up to 8x faster vs. Intel MacBook Air (2x faster than M1 Air)
- Adobe Photoshop photo editing → Up to 3.6x faster vs. Intel MacBook Air (2x faster than M1 Air)
- Web browsing → 60% faster than a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, with more demanding tasks up to 2x faster
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.