Over the past year, Apple has shifted its attention towards improving thermal performance in its latest hardware releases. This trend commenced with the M4 iPad Pro and extended to the iPhone 16 series. Sadly, the MacBook Air has yet to benefit from these thermal enhancements, even though it’s a device that could greatly utilize them.
Previous Thermal Enhancements
As previously noted, both the M4 iPad Pro and the iPhone 16 have received significant thermal improvements over the past year.
In the case of the iPad Pro, Apple introduced graphite sheets into the main housing and incorporated copper into the Apple logo, resulting in considerably more effective heat dissipation. These innovations allowed the new iPad Pro to achieve a 20% improvement in thermal performance.
With the iPhone, many users expressed concerns about overheating with the iPhone 15 Pro and its A17 Pro chip. Apple swiftly responded with the iPhone 16 lineup:
The internal structure of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has been redesigned to accommodate a larger battery and enhance heat dissipation, while also simplifying battery service.
Despite the thermal advancements made in the iPad Pro and iPhone, the MacBook Air—one of Apple’s thinnest and lightest models—has not received similar upgrades.
Thermal Challenges of the MacBook Air
The MacBook Air underwent a redesign in 2022, resulting in a slimmer and lighter form. However, it transitioned from a sizable metal heatsink to a thin graphite sheet that lacks a true heat spreader. This change posed a problem, as it could lead to faster thermal throttling in the M2 MacBook Air compared to its predecessor, depending on usage.
When Apple announced the M4 iPad Pro and highlighted its copper heat spreader cleverly integrated into the Apple logo, I anticipated that this might signal similar advancements for the MacBook Air. While Apple can’t adopt the identical thermal setup from the iPad Pro, I hoped for at least some sort of heat spreader.
Nonetheless, when the M4 MacBook Air was unveiled earlier this month, there was no mention of thermal enhancements. A subsequent teardown by iFixit revealed that its internals were largely unchanged from previous models.
This oversight was disappointing, as it meant that Apple’s latest lightweight laptop—one that truly needs improved thermal management—didn’t receive any support in this area.
Conclusion
One might argue that the majority of MacBook Air users don’t require sustained high performance—and this could be a valid viewpoint. However, considering that the iPad Pro benefits from an advanced cooling system while operating iPadOS, it’s perplexing that the MacBook Air should be overlooked. Ultimately, the MacBook Air is limited to basic Apple Silicon; users seeking top-tier performance will still need to opt for a MacBook Pro equipped with the M4 Pro or M4 Max chips.
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