Apple has once again unveiled a new MacBook Air, this time featuring the M4 chip. It’s a faster, more power-efficient processor that promises incremental improvements over last year’s M3 model. It’s sleek, powerful, and undeniably well-engineered.
But here’s the question no one is asking: Did we need this?
For years, Apple has conditioned consumers to expect yearly refreshes of their hardware, even when the gains are marginal. The MacBook Air, once a category-defining product, has become another example of tech excess. Updated not because it needed to be, but because Apple’s upgrade cycle demands it. And for most consumers, this cycle is more about marketing than actual necessity.
The Incremental Upgrade Problem
At this point, Apple’s silicon development is more iterative than revolutionary. When Apple first introduced the M1 chip, it was a game-changer. It was a massive leap in performance, efficiency, and battery life. The M2 and M3 that followed were meaningful but predictable improvements. Now, the M4 lands with slightly better efficiency and speed, but nothing that will fundamentally change how most people use their MacBook Air.
Let’s be clear: if you have a MacBook Air with an M1, M2, or even M3 chip, you’re not missing out on anything major. Older MacBooks are still some of the top-rated laptops for programmers.
The average user, checking email, browsing the web, streaming videos, and even running creative software, won’t feel a tangible difference between an M3 and an M4.
Many users are still perfectly happy with their Intel-based MacBooks, which remain functional despite Apple’s best efforts to make them feel outdated.
Apple’s Upgrade Strategy: Innovation or Marketing?
Apple is in the business of selling new devices, and they’re exceptionally good at it. But their marketing strategy has shifted from true innovation to engineered obsolescence. By introducing new chips and minor design tweaks on an annual basis, Apple creates a sense of urgency around upgrading—when in reality, most consumers don’t need a new laptop every year, or even every few years.
This is not a criticism of Apple’s engineering. Their chips are among the best in the industry, and their ability to optimize performance within macOS is second to none. But there is a difference between advancing technology and forcing an upgrade cycle that benefits the company more than the user.
For years, iPhones followed this same pattern. The hardware improved incrementally, but the real performance differences were felt only by those upgrading from five-year-old devices. Now, the MacBook Air seems to be heading in that same direction: a product that used to be defined by necessity is now defined by excess.
Apple’s Major Tech Updates
Before 2006, Apple’s Macs ran on PowerPC chips, which had become a performance bottleneck. By moving to Intel, Apple not only improved speed and efficiency but also enabled Mac users to run Windows via Boot Camp, giving macOS a boost in the traditional business space (think anyone who wanted to build a dashboard in Excel). This transition laid the foundation for Apple’s dominance in the laptop space for years.
Another game-changing shift was the introduction of the first MacBook Air almost 20 years ago. At the time, laptops were bulky, heavy, and often underpowered. Apple’s decision to remove the CD drive and prioritize thinness set a new standard for ultraportable laptops. The original MacBook Air wasn’t perfect. It was expensive and had limited processing power, but it marked the beginning of a new era where portability was just as important as performance.
In 2012, Apple’s Retina Display on the MacBook Pro changed expectations for laptop screens. Before that, most laptops had pixelated, low-resolution displays. The Retina upgrade made text sharper, images more vibrant, and screens easier on the eyes. It was one of those rare Apple innovations that consumers immediately recognized as a major improvement.
Perhaps the most impactful upgrade in recent memory was Apple’s transition to its own silicon with the M1 chip in 2020. This was not just another processor update. It was a complete reimagining of how MacBooks functioned. Battery life skyrocketed, performance rivaled high-end desktops, and macOS became more efficient than ever. The move away from Intel gave Apple full control over its hardware and software ecosystem, ensuring tighter integration and longer support cycles.
These were not just incremental updates; they redefined expectations. The M4 MacBook Air, by comparison, is an evolution, not a revolution. That makes it harder to justify an upgrade for all but the most dedicated Apple fans.
