Apple has been having fun mixing it up with recent product launches. After teasing the iPhone 16e launch on X, now Tim Cook has shared news of another product launch in the same way. The launch is happening this week, and is widely assumed to be the M4 MacBook Air. Heres everything the new model is expected to offer.#1: M4 chipApples M4 chip may go without saying as an M4 MacBook Air feature, but its very much worth highlighting.The MacBook Air will come with the standard M4 chip, not the M4 Pro or M4 Max. But it still includes a powerful 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.The Neural Engine, in particular, is noteworthy for enabling up to 38 trillion operations per second. This is a significant improvement from the M3 model, which should make the new M4 better suited for Apple Intelligence features for years to come.#2: Improved external display supportOne shortcoming of the Apple Silicon-era MacBook Air is that its external display support has always felt a bit limited. Originally the MacBook Air could only run a single external display, then fortunately with the M3 model that got doubledbut with an important asterisk.That M3 upgrade enabled driving two external displays at the same time, but it came with a lid-closed requirement. Thus, you were still only getting two displays total since the MacBook Airs screen couldnt be used.Finally though, with the M4 MacBook Air there will be proper support for running two external displays with the lid open. This functionality came to the base M4 MacBook Pro in November, and since the two computers run the same chip, its expected for the Air too.#3: Battery life upgradesPower efficiency has been a strong theme with Apples recent chip work. The new C1 modem in the iPhone 16e brought battery improvements, and so too does the M4 chip.Last year, the M4 enabled Apple to make the iPad Pro ultra-thin without sacrificing battery life. In the fall, the M4 MacBook Pro kept its same design but gained battery thanks to the new chip.The M4 MacBook Air should follow the MacBook Pros path, gaining battery life while retaining the same basic design.#4: 16GB RAM by default, with double optionalSimilar to the previous external display limitations, RAM has at times come with controversial restrictions in the Apple Silicon era.Spurred on, no doubt, by Apple Intelligence demands, Apple will start the M4 MacBook Air at 16GB of RAMdouble what the M3 launched with.Its also expected to be configurable with up to 32GB max, higher than the 24GB available before.#5: Nano-texture displayAfter years of limiting nano-texture displays to some of its highest end products, recently Apple has started spreading the technology to a lot more devices.Currently, you can get a nano-texture display on the M4 MacBook Pro, M4 iMac, and M4 iPad Pro. Expect the M4 MacBook Air to join the line-up of nano-texture devices when it launches later this week. It wont come standard, but should be available with a roughly $150 up-charge.#6: New camera: 12MP Center StageCenter Stage is making its way into more and more Apple products. The feature enables your devices camera to follow you around when youre on a video call. It also enables the powerful Desk View feature that can be especially useful for live streamers and creators.After bringing a new 12MP Center Stage camera to both the M4 iMac and M4 MacBook Pro, Apple is expected to equip its M4 MacBook Air with the upgrade too.Whats not changing: Design or size optionsThe MacBook Air last got a big redesign when the M2 model launched. That same basic design isnt expected to change with the M4 update. There will be 13-inch and 15-inch options that look largely the same as whats available now in the M3 and M2 models.Perhaps the best we can hope for is that Apple has some fun new color options ready for the M4 MacBook Air. So far though, rumors of new colors have been non-existent.M4 MacBook Air wrap-upOverall, the M4 MacBook Air isnt a particularly big revision for Apples most popular Mac. But it does come with a variety of upgrades that keep the laptop up to speed with Apples other products. And who knows? Maybe Apple will have a surprise or two in store for the M4 upgrade too.Are you planning to buy an M4 MacBook Air? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.Best Mac accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel