Viable MacBooks for 2025 (with the new M4 lineup)

 

TL;DR picks

  • Best overall (most people): MacBook Air (M4, 13″ or 15″, 2025) — cooler, quieter, insanely efficient, now starts with 16GB RAM and supports two external displays. Apple+1Apple 지원

  • Best value (tight budget): MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — still fast enough for everyday use and coding/creative basics; often discounted/refurb. The Verge

  • Best for creators & heavy dev work: MacBook Pro (14″/16″, M4 Pro / M4 Max, 2024) — big jumps in CPU/GPU, Thunderbolt 5, massive memory bandwidth, and top-tier media engines. Apple+1

  • Still viable if you already have one / got it free: MacBook Pro (16″, 2019, Intel) — supported by macOS Sequoia today; fine for productivity and light creative, but much worse battery and thermals than Apple silicon. Apple 지원

What’s new in 2025: the M4 generation (why it matters)

Apple’s 2025 lineup brings M4 to the MacBook Air and rolled out M4 Pro / M4 Max to the MacBook Pro late last year:

  • MacBook Air (M4, 2025): up to 18-hour battery, new 12MP Center Stage webcam, starts at 16GB unified memory, and (finally) two external displays support when the lid is closed — huge quality-of-life upgrades for students and mobile pros. Apple+1

  • MacBook Pro (M4 Pro / M4 Max, late-2024): new chips bring faster CPU cores, 2× faster ray tracing generation-over-generation, up to 75% more memory bandwidth, and introduce Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120 Gb/s) — a big win for fast storage, docks, multi-display setups, and audio/video rigs. Apple+1

macOS support (how long will your Mac stay “modern”?)

  • macOS Sequoia (2024/2025) supports MacBook Pro 2018 or later and MacBook Air 2020 or later, which covers M1, M2, M3, M4 — and even your 2019 Intel 16″ Pro for now. Expect several years of updates on Apple-silicon models. Apple 지원

  • Apple’s own compatibility page explicitly lists many current models (including Air M4 13″/15″ (2025) and Pro 16″ (2019)) as compatible. Apple 지원

The short list: which MacBook should you get in 2025?

1) MacBook Air (M4, 13″ or 15″, 2025) — best overall

Who it’s for: students, office/productivity users, writers, web devs, analysts, and even light photo/video editors.
Why it’s great in 2025:

  • Starts with 16GB RAM (fewer regrets later), plus AV1 decode, ProRes encode/decode, and hardware ray tracing on the integrated GPU — nice for casual creative work. AppleApple 지원

  • Two external displays support (clamshell), a long-standing Air pain point now solved. Apple

  • Up to 18 hours battery in Apple’s tests; real-world all-day battery for most. Apple
    Pick 13″ vs 15″: the 15″ gives you more screen and speakers; performance is otherwise the same.

2) MacBook Air (M3, 2024) — runner-up / often discounted

Who it’s for: similar users as M4 Air when you find a good deal.
Why consider it: excellent efficiency and performance; if M4 pricing isn’t friendly, an M3 Air can be a steal on sale/refurb. The Verge

3) MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — best budget

Who it’s for: basic productivity, school, casual coding.
Why consider it in 2025: still snappy, fanless, great battery, and often the cheapest new or refurb Mac. If you can live with 8GB/256GB (or find a higher-spec refurb), it’s unbeatable for the price. The Verge

4) MacBook Pro (14″/16″, M4 Pro) — creator/dev sweet spot

Who it’s for: developers, data folks, designers, photographers, and video editors who push the machine regularly.
Why it’s great:

  • M4 Pro brings more performance cores, bigger GPUs, and big memory bandwidth — excellent for Xcode builds, Docker, Lightroom, Resolve, and complex spreadsheets.

  • Thunderbolt 5 enables higher-bandwidth display/dock/storage setups using a single cable. Apple

5) MacBook Pro (14″/16″, M4 Max) — the no-compromise choice

Who it’s for: 3D/VFX artists, colorists, ML researchers, audio pros with huge sessions, multi-camera 8K workflows.
Why it’s great:

  • Up to 16-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU, >0.5 TB/s memory bandwidth, up to 128GB unified memory — monstrous headroom for on-device AI and pro media. Apple

6) Already have one? Intel MacBook Pro (16″, 2019) — still viable

Who it’s for: keep using it if you own it (especially if it was free!).
Reality check 2025: runs macOS Sequoia today, fine for office/coding/light creative, but you’ll get shorter battery life, more fan noise/heat, and far slower media/AI than Apple silicon. Treat it as a keeper/backup, not a new purchase. Apple 지원

How to choose (the 2025 checklist)

1) Memory (RAM)

  • Aim for 16GB minimum in 2025. Good news: the M4 Air starts at 16GB. Pros doing heavy multitasking/containers/PS/AE should consider 24–48GB+ on Pro models; high-end work can justify 64–128GB on M4 Max. Apple+1

2) Storage

  • 512GB is a comfortable floor; 1TB+ if you handle photos/video/Xcode simulators/Docker images. External NVMe via Thunderbolt is great for scratch and archives; TB5 on M4 Pro/Max unlocks even faster workflows. Apple

3) Ports & external displays

  • Air (M4): two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports; supports two external displays in clamshell (plus the internal when open).

  • Pro (M4 Pro/Max): three TB5 ports, HDMI, SDXC (varies by size), MagSafe — the flexible choice for multi-monitor studios. Apple

4) Display

  • Air: bright Liquid Retina (great for most).

  • Pro: brighter XDR with high sustained HDR — noticeable for colorists/filmmakers and anyone who lives in HDR timelines. (Apple highlights the Pro’s media engine and ProRes accelerators for these workflows.) Apple

5) Battery & thermals

  • Apple silicon = cool and quiet with all-day battery (Air wins here).

  • Pro models stay quieter under heavy load and sustain performance longer thanks to better cooling.

  • Intel (2019) gets warm under load and gives 2–6 hours depending on tasks — keep your charger nearby.

Example setups

  • Student / office / web dev: Air (M4, 13″, 16GB/512GB) — portable, silent, two-display capable when docked. Apple

  • Indie creator / photographer / YouTuber (4K): Pro (14″, M4 Pro, 24–36GB/1TB) — faster encodes, better sustained performance, XDR screen. Apple

  • Cinema/3D/ML: Pro (16″, M4 Max, 64–128GB/2TB+) — maximum GPU/CPU/media engine and memory bandwidth. Apple

  • Budget basics: Air (M1, 8–16GB/256–512GB) — cheapest entry that still feels premium; grab refurb/discounts. The Verge

What about deals/refurbs?

  • M4 Airs and M4/M3 Pros have started seeing solid discounts (especially around seasonal sales). Apple’s refurb store is also a safe bet with a 1-year warranty. Tom's GuideThe Verge

Bottom line

  • If you’re buying new in 2025, get the MacBook Air (M4) unless you know you need Pro-class horsepower. It hits the sweet spot of battery, thermals, RAM, and external display support. Apple

  • If you create professionally or compile/compute heavily, the MacBook Pro (M4 Pro/Max) is the right tool — and Thunderbolt 5 future-proofs your desk setup. Apple

  • On a tight budget, an M1 Air or discounted M3 Air remains a great buy. The Verge+1

  • Already own (or just scored) an Intel 16″ (2019)? It’s still supported and useful — ride it out until you’re ready to jump to Apple silicon. 

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