The Surprising Truth: Why The MacBook Air M4’s Screen Refresh Rate Is Still Stuck At 60Hz

The latest MacBook Air M4, officially launched in early 2025, has generated significant buzz thanks to its powerful new silicon and improved AI capabilities. However, the one specification that continues to surprise and, for some, disappoint, is the screen's refresh rate. Despite the massive leap in processing power from the M3 and M2 generations, the M4 MacBook Air retains the standard 60Hz refresh rate, a feature that separates it from its higher-end sibling, the MacBook Pro. This article dives deep into the technical reality of the M4 Air’s display, explaining why Apple made this choice and what it means for your daily computing experience today, December 15, 2025. The decision to stick with a 60Hz panel on a premium, cutting-edge laptop like the M4 Air is a calculated move by Apple, designed to maintain a clear product segmentation between the 'Air' and 'Pro' lines. While the M4 chip itself is more than capable of driving a higher refresh rate, the display technology remains a key differentiator, influencing everything from price point to battery life.

MacBook Air M4 Complete Display Specifications & Profile

The M4 MacBook Air comes in two popular sizes—13-inch and 15-inch—each featuring the stunning Liquid Retina Display. This display is renowned for its color accuracy, brightness, and high pixel density, but it lacks the adaptive refresh technology found in the Pro models.

• Model: MacBook Air (M4, 2025)
• Screen Sizes: 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch
• Display Type: Liquid Retina Display (LED-backlit with IPS technology)
• Native Resolution (13-inch): 2560-by-1664 at 224 pixels per inch (ppi)
• Native Resolution (15-inch): 2880-by-1864 at 224 ppi
• Refresh Rate: Fixed 60Hz
• Adaptive Technology: No ProMotion Support
• Brightness: 500 nits peak brightness
• Color Support: P3 Wide Color and True Tone technology

The display is technically brilliant in every aspect except for the refresh rate. It supports one billion colors, features True Tone for environmental white balance adjustment, and hits a respectable 500 nits of brightness, which is perfect for most indoor and outdoor use.

The 60Hz Reality: Why No ProMotion on the M4 Air?

The single biggest reason the MacBook Air M4 does not feature a higher refresh rate, such as the 120Hz ProMotion technology, is product segmentation. Apple has consistently reserved its top-tier display features for the MacBook Pro line, ensuring that users who prioritize a smoother visual experience are incentivized to upgrade to the more expensive, 'Pro' hardware.

Maintaining the 'Pro' Tier Distinction

The ProMotion display, which offers an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, is a signature feature of the MacBook Pro, iPhone Pro, and iPad Pro models. This technology allows the screen to dynamically adjust its refresh rate based on the content being viewed, ranging from a low rate for static images to 120Hz for fast-moving video, scrolling, and gaming. By keeping the M4 MacBook Air at a fixed 60Hz, Apple achieves two critical business goals:

1. Price Point Control: 60Hz IPS panels are significantly more cost-effective to manufacture than the advanced ProMotion displays used in the MacBook Pro. This allows Apple to keep the MacBook Air at a more accessible starting price point for the mass market.
2. Battery Life Optimization: While ProMotion is adaptive and can save power, the underlying hardware and mini-LED backlighting used in the Pro models are inherently more complex and, in some scenarios, more power-hungry than the simpler Liquid Retina display. A standard 60Hz display is a known, reliable component for delivering the legendary all-day battery life the MacBook Air is famous for.

The M4 Chip's Display Capabilities

It is crucial to understand that the limitation is not the M4 chip itself. The M4 chip, with its advanced Media Engine and high-performance GPU, is technically capable of driving high refresh rate displays. This is evident by the M4 Air's ability to support up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz simultaneously, in addition to the built-in display. The chip has the processing and video output bandwidth; the bottleneck is the physical display panel chosen for the MacBook Air chassis.

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Is a 60Hz Refresh Rate a Dealbreaker in 2025?

For many users, the answer is a definitive "No." The perceived difference between 60Hz and 120Hz is often highly subjective and dependent on the user's prior experience and primary use case.

Who Will Notice the Difference?

Users who will most likely notice and be affected by the 60Hz refresh rate are:

• MacBook Pro Owners: If you are upgrading from or frequently use a 2021 or newer MacBook Pro, the transition back to 60Hz will be noticeable, particularly when scrolling long webpages or documents. The fluidity of motion will feel less instantaneous.
• Gamers: While the MacBook Air is not a dedicated gaming machine, the M4 chip can handle modern titles. However, the 60 frames per second (fps) limit imposed by the 60Hz screen will restrict the visual smoothness of fast-paced games.
• Motion Graphics & Video Editors: Professionals who work with high frame rate (HFR) video or complex motion graphics may prefer the 120Hz ProMotion display for a more accurate and smoother preview of their work.

Why 60Hz is Still Excellent for Most Users

For the vast majority of the MacBook Air target audience—students, educators, office workers, and general consumers—the 60Hz Liquid Retina display is perfectly adequate and provides a premium viewing experience.

• Standard Computing: For tasks like web browsing, word processing, email, streaming video (which is typically 24fps or 30fps), and light photo editing, 60Hz is the industry standard and looks perfectly smooth.
• High Resolution: The high pixel density (224 ppi) of the Liquid Retina display ensures that text and images are exceptionally crisp and detailed, which arguably impacts the perceived quality more than the refresh rate for non-motion tasks.
• Color Accuracy: The P3 Wide Color gamut support means the screen displays millions of vibrant, accurate colors, making media consumption and creative work a pleasure despite the refresh rate.

Ultimately, the M4 MacBook Air offers a phenomenal balance of performance, portability, and display quality. While the lack of ProMotion is a technical limitation, it is a deliberate one that keeps the Air thin, light, affordable, and incredibly long-lasting on a single charge. If you need the 120Hz smoothness, Apple has a fantastic alternative: the MacBook Pro. If you prioritize portability and battery life with an incredibly fast chip, the 60Hz M4 Air remains the best choice in its class in 2025.

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