ASUS Chromebook Plus CX1505 vs MacBook Air M4 2026

1. ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505 Review UK 2024

The ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505 wins our overall recommendation because it delivers exactly what most people actually need from a laptop in 2026, without charging premium prices for features they'll never use. At this price, this Chromebook offers a proper 15.6-inch IPS display, 8GB RAM, and Intel processing that handles Google Workspace, video calls, and web browsing without breaking a sweat.

What makes this the standout choice when comparing the ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505 vs Apple MacBook Air M4 2025 unleashing Apple Intelligence? Simple: value. You're getting Chrome OS Plus certification, which means guaranteed performance for Google's AI features, access to Adobe Photoshop (web version), and proper multitasking capability. The 15.6-inch display gives you room to work with multiple browser tabs and split-screen apps, something the smaller budget Chromebooks can't match.

I've been using this as my main writing and research laptop for three weeks. Battery life consistently hits 10 hours with mixed use. The keyboard feels surprisingly good for the price point, with decent travel and no mushiness. The trackpad isn't MacBook-level smooth, but it's perfectly adequate. Chrome OS updates happen automatically in the background, and I haven't experienced a single crash or slowdown.

The 8GB RAM makes a genuine difference compared to 4GB Chromebooks. You can keep 20+ tabs open, run Android apps alongside web apps, and use Google Meet for video calls without the fan spinning up. Storage is 128GB eMMC, which is slower than SSD but perfectly fine for Chrome OS since most of your work lives in the cloud anyway. For the full technical breakdown, see our complete ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505 review.

Editor's pick: ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505CTA Laptop | 15.6" Full HD Screen | Intel Core 3 N355 Processor | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Google Chrome OS

2. ASUS Chromebook 14 CX1405 Budget Laptop Review UK 2024

At this price, the ASUS Chromebook 14 CX1405 represents the absolute floor for what we'd recommend as a functional laptop in 2026. This is proper budget territory. You're getting 4GB RAM, a 14-inch TN display, and Intel processing that's adequate for basic tasks but nothing more. And you know what? For students, elderly relatives, or anyone who just needs email and web browsing, it's absolutely sorted.

The 4GB RAM limitation means you need to be realistic about expectations. Keep your browser tabs under 10. Don't try running Android apps alongside heavy web apps. Stick to Google Docs, Gmail, YouTube, and video calls, and this Chromebook performs admirably. Push beyond that, and you'll notice slowdowns. The TN display isn't as vibrant as IPS panels, with narrower viewing angles and washed-out colours, but it's readable and functional.

Battery life hits around 8 hours with light use, dropping to 6 hours if you're streaming video constantly. The keyboard is basic but serviceable. Build quality feels cheap because, well, it is cheap. But it's also light at around 1.4kg and surprisingly durable for everyday knocks and bumps in a backpack.

When comparing budget options in the ASUS Chromebook Plus 15 CX1505 vs Apple MacBook Air M4 2025 unleashing Apple Intelligence discussion, this represents the entry point. It won't run Apple Intelligence. It won't handle professional creative work. But for under £200, it delivers genuine computing capability that would have just five years ago. Read our detailed assessment in the full ASUS Chromebook 14 CX1405 review.

3. MacBook Air M4 Review: Apple Intelligence Powerhouse

The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 represents Apple's best laptop value in years. Not because it's cheap (it isn't), but because Apple finally includes 16GB RAM as standard and delivers genuine AI capabilities through Apple Intelligence. This is the MacBook that makes the premium price tag defensible for professionals, students in creative courses, and anyone invested in the Apple ecosystem.

Apple Intelligence isn't marketing nonsense. Writing Tools genuinely improves email and document drafting. The enhanced Siri actually understands context and completes tasks. Photo search works brilliantly with natural language queries. These features integrate cleanly into macOS rather than feeling bolted on, and they run entirely on-device thanks to the M4's neural engine. No cloud processing means your data stays private.

Performance is exceptional. The M4 chip handles 4K video editing in Final Cut Pro, runs Xcode for app development, and processes RAW photos in Lightroom without the fan even spinning up (because there isn't one). Battery life consistently exceeds 15 hours with mixed use, hitting 18 hours if you're just writing and web browsing. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display delivers accurate colours and 500 nits brightness, making it usable outdoors.

Build quality is what you'd expect from Apple. The aluminium chassis feels premium and survives daily abuse without showing wear. The keyboard offers excellent travel and accuracy. The trackpad remains the best in the industry, with smooth glass and precise gesture recognition. At 1.24kg, it's genuinely portable for daily commuting. We covered the technical details extensively in our MacBook Air M4 review.

4. Apple MacBook Air M4 2025 Review: Unleashing Apple Intelligence

Here's something interesting: this £889 MacBook Air M4 offers identical performance to the £1,099 model above. Same M4 chip. Same 16GB RAM. Same Apple Intelligence features. The difference? This is the entry-level configuration with 256GB storage instead of 512GB, and it's currently available at a promotional price that makes it the best value MacBook you can buy in 2026.

If you can live with 256GB storage (and most people can, especially with iCloud), this represents exceptional value in the MacBook lineup. The 15.3-inch display gives you significantly more screen real estate than the 13-inch model, making it better for multitasking, photo editing, and watching content. At this price, you're paying more than the ASUS Chromebook Plus but getting a completely different class of device.

The larger display makes a genuine difference for productivity. You can comfortably work with two apps side by side without squinting. Video calls on Zoom or Teams show more participants on screen. Photo editing in Lightroom or Photoshop gives you room for toolbars and preview panels. The extra screen size doesn't significantly impact portability, either. At 1.51kg, it's still lighter than most Windows laptops.

Apple Intelligence integration matches the more expensive models exactly. You get the same Writing Tools, enhanced Siri, and on-device AI processing. The M4 chip handles everything from basic web browsing to professional video editing with identical performance. Battery life sits around 14 hours with mixed use, slightly less than the 13-inch model due to the larger display. Our Apple MacBook Air M4 2025 review explores why this offers the best price-to-performance ratio.

5. Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 Review UK 2026

The 15-inch MacBook Air M4 targets a specific audience: creatives and professionals who need maximum screen real estate and don't want to jump to the heavier, more expensive MacBook Pro. This offers the same 15.3-inch display as the £889 model above but includes 512GB storage and typically sells at full retail price without promotional discounts.

For photographers, video editors, and designers, the extra £410 over the budget M4 model buys you storage headroom. 512GB means you can keep current projects on local storage without constantly managing what lives in iCloud. If you're working with RAW photos or 4K video footage, that local storage matters for performance and workflow efficiency.

The 15.3-inch display really shines for creative work. Lightroom's interface feels spacious with room for editing panels and full-size previews. Final Cut Pro gives you timeline space without cramming everything into a tiny viewport. Even Figma and Adobe XD benefit from the extra pixels for design work. Colour accuracy matches Apple's professional displays, with P3 wide colour gamut support.

Performance remains identical to cheaper M4 models. The chip doesn't know or care whether it's in a £889 or £1,299 chassis. You're paying for storage and potentially avoiding promotional pricing windows. For most users, the £889 model offers better value. But if you need 512GB and want the larger display, this delivers. Check our Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 review for creative workflow testing.

6. Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch Review UK 2024

The M3 MacBook Air represents last year's model, now overshadowed by M4 releases that offer better value. With only 8GB RAM standard and older AI capabilities, this makes sense only if you find it heavily discounted below £900. Otherwise, the M4 models at similar or lower prices deliver significantly better specifications and future-proofing.

The M3 chip remains capable for most tasks. It handles web browsing, office work, and light creative projects without issues. But it lacks the enhanced Apple Intelligence features that make M4 models compelling. The neural engine is less powerful, meaning on-device AI processing runs slower. And crucially, 8GB RAM feels limiting in 2026 as macOS and applications increasingly demand more memory.

Apple's decision to double RAM to 16GB standard on M4 models makes the M3 feel outdated prematurely. If you're keeping your laptop for five years (which you should be at this price point), 8GB will struggle with future macOS updates and application requirements. The £1,149 asking price is particularly hard to justify when M4 models with 16GB RAM sell for £889 to £1,099.

There's a scenario where this makes sense: heavy clearance discounts. If retailers dump M3 stock at £700-£800, it becomes competitive with mid-range Windows laptops. But at current pricing, skip it. The M4 generation offers better value across the board. We covered this in detail in our Apple MacBook Air M3 review.