The New MacBook Air M4 Is 15% Off and Built to Boost Your Everyday Hustle
This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use(Opens in a new window) .
There comes a time in every adult's life when the clean, lightweight laptop aesthetic starts calling louder than flashy lights or bulky machines. The 2025 MacBook Air M4 is exactly that vibe. Sleek, smart, and genuinely helpful in your daily chaos, whether that's editing presentations or organizing your entire life in Notes. Right now, it's down to $849, which is 15% off the regular price. And yes, that's your sign to upgrade from the wheezing device you're still dragging through Zoom calls.
First off, this MacBook Air looks gorgeous with its 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that makes everything from video edits to late-night binge sessions look super crisp and vibrant. The M4 chip keeps apps flying and multitasking smooth, even if you insist on running eight things at once. With 16GB of unified memory, it handles creative work, spreadsheets, and spontaneous Photoshop experiments like a champ.
Battery life is another win here. This laptop lasts through work hours, doomscrolling, and even a little Netflix detour without needing to plug in. The upgraded Center Stage camera keeps you in focus during calls even when you fidget or shift mid-sentence. And the Touch ID makes logging in feel like a quick magic trick that never gets old.
Despite how slim and light this one is, it still feels premium and durable enough to throw in a backpack without worry. The 256GB SSD keeps boot times and app launches speedy, and everything runs smoothly thanks to macOS doing its thing without constant babysitting. Whether you're working from a cafe, campus, or couch, this laptop just fits into your life without drama.
At $849, the MacBook Air M4 is one of those upgrades that makes sense the moment you start using it. And with 15% off, you might as well treat yourself and still have a little left over for a case or a very fancy coffee.
Need more options? We've got plenty in our gaming laptop roundup.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Business News
3 hours ago
- Time Business News
The Best Laptops of 2025 Ranked: Which One Should You Buy
Choosing the right laptop in 2025 means balancing power, portability, battery life, and total cost of ownership. Whether you're a hybrid office worker, creative professional, or work-from-anywhere entrepreneur, our ranked list offers clarity, real-world context, and actionable insight. We've tested and fact‑checked the top contenders, so here's what you should seriously consider: Why it leads: The MacBook Air M4 remains the gold standard for most business users—boasting industry‑leading battery life (up to 18 hours reported), fanless cooling, and compatibility with top office suites like Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Zoom . Real-world example: A financial analyst reports 'colleagues often forget my Air is even on standby—it's that efficient.' Pros & Cons: Pros: Lightweight (~2.7 lb); stellar battery; strong resale value ($999+ MSRP). Lightweight (~2.7 lb); stellar battery; strong resale value ($999+ MSRP). Cons: Max 24GB RAM; limited port options (2× USB‑C only). Ideal for: Managers, consultants, and creatives who value silent performance and longevity. Why it stands out: Blurring the line with MacBook, this ARM‑powered device offers stellar battery life (15–22 hours) and fanless efficiency . Windows on ARM is maturing fast. Real-world example: A software developer appreciates the 'built-in Copilot key' for boosting productivity and AI prompts. Pros & Cons: Ideal for: Hybrid professionals needing Microsoft ecosystem with exceptional battery life. Why it shines: A premium Windows option with AMOLED display, minimal aesthetic, and 'all‑day productivity' reliability . Real-world example: A business consultant uses it for multi-tab Excel sessions and client presentations without lag. Pros & Cons: Pros: Vibrant screen; stylish; reliable performance; good battery. Vibrant screen; stylish; reliable performance; good battery. Cons: Limited upgradeability; fairly premium price. Ideal for: Professionals seeking Apple‑like polish with Windows flexibility. Why it's a value pick: Known for portability (under 1 kg), military-grade build, and long battery life, it packs Snapdragon X with 32GB RAM & 1TB SSD Pros & Cons: Pros: Ultra-light; robust ports (USB4, HDMI 2.1); vibrant OLED. Ultra-light; robust ports (USB4, HDMI 2.1); vibrant OLED. Cons: Base price $1,099; modest performance for demanding tasks. Ideal for: Travelers and executives who prioritize weight and durability. Why it's unique: Delivers true sustainability via modular, repairable design—upgradable RAM, SSD, ports, even DIY builds from $899 Real-world example: A remote educator swapped in his own Wi‑Fi 7 card and bumped memory—no service center needed. Pros & Cons: Pros: Repairable; future‑proof; excellent community support. Repairable; future‑proof; excellent community support. Cons: Base i3 config underwhelms for power users; DIY not for everyone. Ideal for: IT‑savvy users and green‑tech advocates. Why it's powerful: A Windows powerhouse with Intel Ultra CPUs, RTX 40-series GPU, up to 64GB RAM and OLED/4K screens . Pros & Cons: Pros: Large vibrant screen; high-end specs; premium build. Large vibrant screen; high-end specs; premium build. Cons: Soldered memory; expensive ($1,699+). Ideal for: Creative professionals—video editors, architects, big-data analysts. Why gamers and creators love it: Slim yet potent gaming rig with RTX 5090 GPU, OLED 240 Hz, strong performance in creative apps Pros & Cons: Pros: Top-tier performance; desktop-grade GPU; sleek RGB. Top-tier performance; desktop-grade GPU; sleek RGB. Cons: Battery life suffers; pricey (~$4,500). Ideal for: Power users needing desktop-level graphics in a portable form. Why consider it: Named 'best budget laptop' of 2025, offering compelling performance for under $800 Pros & Cons: Pros: Affordable; lightweight; dependable performance. Affordable; lightweight; dependable performance. Cons: Basic build; battery underwhelms. Ideal for: Entry-level professionals, interns, or everyday tasks. Our rankings are based on: Performance benchmarks from tested sources like Laptop Mag, Windows Central, The Verge. Real-world user feedback, including Reddit's r/BuyItForLife: 'A MacBook Air is honestly the best overall laptop for like 80% of people…' Battery life tests—Apple hits 18 hr, Surface 22 hr, others deliver 10–17 hrs based on usage. Portability & build—risks versus functionality; e.g., Dell XPS 16 sacrifices weight but maximizes power. Total cost of ownership, factoring in longevity, repairability, and resale potential. Use Case Top Pick Why Everyday Office & Travel MacBook Air M4 Lightweight, long battery, MacOS stability Windows-first Business Users Surface Laptop 7 Exceptional battery, touchscreen, Copilot AI keys Creative & Multimedia Dell XPS 16 Large OLED, powerful GPU Gamers/High-end Tasks Razer Blade 16 RTX 5090, professional-grade specs Budget-conscious Professionals Acer Swift Go 14 Under $800; fulfills core tasks Repairability & Sustainability Framework 13 Modular upgrade paths, right-to-repair champion For most US-based professionals, the MacBook Air M4 hits the perfect balance—performance, battery, and price. If your workflow centers on Windows, the Surface Laptop 7 offers equivalent longevity with new Copilot AI features. Need heavier specs? Choose the Dell XPS 16 or Razer Blade 16. For budget-minded simplicity, stick with the Acer Swift Go 14. And if repairability matters, nothing beats the Framework 13. If you're outfitting a team for remote projects or hosting a temporary event setup, consider a laptop rental to reduce upfront costs while maintaining access to top-tier devices. It's a practical approach that's gaining traction across industries from tech conferences to short-term training programs. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Forbes
As Shares Skyrocket, Will Creator Deals Drive Netflix's Next Growth Run?
(Photo by Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Netflix has been on an epic stock market run the past year, share prices up 81% to nestle comfortably above $1,200 apiece as it reaps the rewards of definitively winning the Streaming Wars of the past several years, with analysts setting target prices as high as $1,600. Give credit to management's willingness to pivot, after a disastrous Q1 earnings call three years ago, into ad-supported tiers, a password crackdown, videogame and live events/venues initiatives, and investments in local productions in 50 centers around the world. It's paid off massively for the company and its investors. This week saw Pivotal Research set a Street-high target price of $1,600 for Netflix shares. Netflix shares have skyrocketed the past 12 months, to north of $1,200 a piece But where does the streaming giant go from here if it wants to keep driving growth? The ad tier is launched, and growing slowly, but already bringing in higher average revenue per user than Netflix's traditional ad-free offerings. The password crackdown's boost to subscriber growth is likely largely exhausted, though we won't know going forward, because the company stopped r0utinely reporting subscriber adds before the last earnings call. In that call, the company said it added a whopping 13 million subscribers to puff the global total to 301 million, far larger than any competitor. So where to go to grow? Analysts have some thoughts, mostly about the vast collection of wildly diverse talent pumping out episodes on YouTube and other social media, receiving a share of ad revenue and otherwise monetizing their productions with merchandise, sponsorships, live events and other strategies. That approach has paid off massively for Alphabet-owned YouTube. Nielsen's The Gauge estimates more than 12% of total watch time is devoted to YouTube programming. Roku released stats that were even higher, as much as 18% of view time. Wells Fargo analysts released a note earlier in the week setting a $1,500 target price for Netflix, but suggesting it find ways to be a bit more like YouTube. Wells Fargo Sr. Equity Analyst Steven Cahall said Friday in a CNBC interview that YouTube content, which costs YouTube nothing on the front end, is increasingly grabbing view time with young and even middle-aged consumers. And that's exactly the kind of programming Netflix should be adding to its portfolio. 'Some of this very, very high value, professional short-form seems like a natural in-between where it still has a big impact on consumers but it's not quite the really short, mobile-native, user-generated content,' Cahall said. To grab some of that view time back, Netflix should take a page out of its own playbook from about a decade ago, when it cut nine-figure exclusive deals with prominent showrunners in traditional television such as Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, Cahall said. The splashy deals put the industry on notice about Netflix's ambitions to create high-quality premium content that could contend with anything on broadcast or cable. 'The argument here is they can do the same thing," Cahall said. 'They can go find these really large-scale creators who put a lot of content on YouTube, get a lot of views, and make a lot of money, and they can say, 'Hey, come to Netflix, you have the same size audience. We'll pay you money, and you don't have to take a risk on advertising.' Such deals will 'take money,' though nothing like those Rhimes and Murphy deals of a decade ago. More importantly, Cahall said, 'it's not the same risk profile.' The creators bring their own audience, and deep knowledge about how to connect with and nurture that audience, removing most of the risk of partnering with them. Certainly, there are plenty of big, long-time online creators who are producing good-quality content at remarkable velocity. In recent months, I've interviewed or moderated panels with leaders from such long-time venues as Smosh, Dhar Mann Studios, Buzzfeed Studios, and Dhar Mann CEO Sean Atkins, a long-time cable TV veteran, said he gives a few tours a week of the company's extensive production studios in Burbank, Calif., just a couple of miles from the studio lots of Warner Bros., Disney and NBCUniversal. There's an 'oh, sh--' moment on the tour for most of the folks, Atkins said, when they see Dhar Mann's operations are sprawling enough to need the same golf carts to get around the grounds as on the traditional studios. At last week's StreamTV Show conference in Denver, I interviewed Trey Kennedy, an Oklahoma-based comedian who started telling six-second jokes on the long-gone social-video site Vine. Kennedy has long since migrated to TikTok and YouTube for his humor, building an audience big enough that he cut a deal with Hulu for a one-hour comedy special released in January. He has a national comedy tour set for the fall. Also at The StreamTV Show, I interviewed Laura Martin, managing director and sr. internet & media analyst for Needham & Co. To her mind, the 100-plus exhibitors and dozens of niche networks on display at the conference are largely ignored by Wall Street because they're not able to compete at a big enough scale with the two companies that matter most, Amazon and YouTube. Amazon's links between advertising and directly selling those advertised products to its couple of a hundred million or so Prime Video subscribers make it one powerful path for the future of video. And YouTube has married oceans of user-generated content with television's highest-value programming, the NFL, which is available through YouTube TV. 'On the content side, they're sort of blurring the lines, we sort of think that's where the world is going writ large,' Martin said. Wall Street looks at the smaller players and wonders, 'Why aren't you talking about short-form, omni-device and influencers, plus -premium content. There's a real disconnect." Martin said both Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery are stuck in a 'distracted' place. Paramount is trying to negotiated a lawsuit settlement directly with President Donald Trump over alleged 'election interference' for editing a Kamala Harris interview last fall on 60 Minutes. The delays in settling that suit are in danger of putting controlling shareholder Shari Redstone's National Amusements in default before it can complete an $8 billion sale to a group led by David Ellison and Skydance Entertainment. WBD, meanwhile, announced last week that it would go ahead with a widely expected split of the company, putting its legacy cable channels such as CNN, TNT, TBS, and Discovery in one unit, along with most of WBD's $34 billion in debt and a share of the spun-off Studios & Streaming unit. That latter group would include the Max (soon to be renamed HBO Max) streaming service and WBD's production studios for film, TV and games. Shepherding that split to reality will leave WBD leadership distracted for a year, Martin estimated, then will have to wait another year before doing any deals, because of tax-minimization strategies. 'I think it's the wrong strategic move,' Martin said. 'We're not going to be talk about either of those companies for the next two or three years." That leaves a 'competitive set' of serious streaming players of just four: Netflix, Amazon, Alphabet/YouTube, and Disney. 'The question will be if Disney is too small to compete,' Martin said. 'Its (market valuation) is $200 billion, Netflix is $500 billion and the rest are more than $2 trillion.' For Netflix, grabbing more content from YouTube's stable might just be a way to keep driving growth, and perhaps even slightly slowing the YouTube juggernaut, mostly by being a bit more like what YouTube has become.
Bloomberg
10 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Summers on the Fed, Aramco Evolution, Future of AI, Themed Entertainment Industry
This week, Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers on the recent Fed decision and the economic implications of uncertainty in the Middle East. And, how is Saudi giant Aramco diversifying in a tech-driven world? Plus, an interview with Robinhood's Vlad Tenev on artificial intelligence solutions for nuanced needs. Later, Netflix is entering the themed entertainment business with Netflix House, further intensifying its competition with traditional media players. (Source: Bloomberg)
