Leaks say M4 Macs are coming, but apparently not the ‘world’s most popular laptop’
We’re likely now mere weeks away from Apple revealing its new slate of M4 Mac products, with current leaks suggesting the new Macs will land in early November. It’s been a less-than-watertight build-up to launch, with a bevy of leaked details (including an apparent full leak of the M4 MacBook Pro on YouTube), but there’s one very conspicuous absence.
I’m talking, as you may have guessed, about the long-awaited M4 MacBook Air. Now, this isn’t actually the new product I’m most excited about – that honor goes to the M4 Mac mini, since despite my usual Apple skepticism I’m a sucker for a powerful compact computer – but I’m frankly baffled by the Air’s apparent exclusion from the new product lineup, with current rumors suggesting it’ll launch sometime in early 2025.
After all, the MacBook Air is kind of a big deal. Apple itself labels it ‘the world’s most popular laptop’ – a term I take with a pinch of salt, since Apple doesn’t offer the same variety of configurations and models that virtually every other laptop manufacturer does – and we awarded the most recent M3 MacBook Air a rare five stars in our review. Even as a known macOS hater, I have to admit that it’s undeniably a stellar laptop. So why isn’t Apple leading with it when it comes to its upcoming M4 lineup?Best foot forward
This isn’t the first time Apple has snubbed its ‘most popular’ Mac product. Last year’s ‘Scary Fast’ October event saw the same odd move, with the M3 chip being officially unveiled first in a new MacBook Pro and iMac.