

Quick summary
Apple's latest macOS code contains references to two unreleased M4 Macs.
It suggests we'll be getting new 13-and 15-inch MacBook Air models – likely in spring 2025.
Apple's code is a bit like a pirate's treasure map: it can tell you where valuables can be found. And the latest version of macOS Sequoia reveals a forthcoming treasure in the M4 MacBook Air.
We've seen products leaked in Apple code before because it generally contains references to the hardware it's designed to work with. This time there are references to Mac16,12 and Mac16,13. Those are listed as "MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and "MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)" respectively.
As clues go, those are pretty big. Both Airs are currently running M3 processors and were already predicted to get an M4 update in early 2025, so their presence in the code appears to confirm that.
What to expect from the M4 MacBook Air
Discovered by MacRumors, the code doesn't give any details beyond the model identifiers. However, we can make some informed predictions based on the M4 upgrades Apple has already released, and the MacBook Pro M4 in particular.
As we said in our M4 MacBook Pro review, there are no physical changes to the external hardware: "At first glance you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from the 2023 M3 models," we wrote. The only visible changes are the addition of a new colour option, the Space Black that was previously only available in M3 Pro models.
The M4 MacBook Air isn't expected to get a redesign neither. The main reason for the upgrade, other than bringing the Air up to speed with the rest of the Mac lineup, is to power Apple Intelligence.
We don't yet know when the M4 Airs will launch but previous predictions have suggested an early or spring 2025 release date. The M3 MacBook Air was announced at the beginning of March 2024 and a similar date is likely for its upgraded successor in 2025.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
I tested the new iPad Air, and it's like a tablet and MacBook rolled into one
Now with an M3 chip and a new Magic Keyboard option, the iPad Air M3 promises to not only be the best portable tablet but a real mini laptop replacement, too
By Mat Gallagher Published
-
Netflix's new show Ransom Canyon is coming for Yellowstone's lunch money
It's precision-targeted
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
New evidence suggests Apple's taking its foldable iPhone seriously
And it might bring something different to the party too
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely
Clarification enables Apple, Samsung and others to switch to wireless charging only
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Apple's first foldable could come with an unexpected feature, claims expert
If it ends up being true, we'd be absolutely fine with it.
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Google's Pixel 9a does one simple thing that could tempt me away from iPhones after a decade
Google's played a blinder here
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Apple could have two Studio Displays in the pipeline, but there's mystery behind the second
The great Apple monitor mystery – is Apple making two Studio Displays or something even bigger?
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Google Maps design update finally comes to iPhone after Android owners have enjoyed it for months
It should make one-handed use much easier
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
MacBook Air M4 ups the power, battery life and is surprisingly cheaper
Apple announces a new MacBook Air with a big upgrade to M4 processing
By Rik Henderson Published
-
M4 MacBook Air expected to launch later today
After a false start yesterday, there could be new MacBooks arriving today
By Sam Cross Published