M4 MacBook Air Teardown Reveals a Familiar Design with Key Upgrades

M4 MacBook Air Teardown Reveals High Repairability

Apple's latest M4 MacBook Air retains the same chassis design as its predecessors, making it just as repairable according to a teardown by iFixit. The new model, announced on March 5, 2025, features minor upgrades such as an enhanced 12MP front camera with center stage support and a new Sky Blue color option. It is available in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes.

The teardown confirms that the disassembly process remains unchanged from the M2 MacBook Air, introduced in 2022. Key components like USB-C ports and the battery are still easily replaceable, though the iPhone 16's electric release adhesive has not been adopted. The Touch ID power button and keyboard remain challenging to remove without disassembling the top case.

Apple has published a repair manual for the M4 MacBook Air, but some issues have been noted. iFixit found that swapping logic boards between identical units led to calibration problems with the ambient light sensor, preventing the activation of the True Tone feature despite using Apple’s System Calibration tool.

The M4 chip offers performance improvements and better external display support, but storage remains soldered to the logic board, making it non-upgradeable. Overall, the M4 MacBook Air is seen as a spec upgrade with some welcome changes but no major surprises.