the New M4 MacBook Air’s killer feature isn’t Apple silicon—it’s accessibility
Following yet another teaser tweet from CEO Tim Cook, Apple earlier this week announced refreshed iPad Air and MacBook Air models. The computer, which Apple touts is “the world’s most popular laptop,” is powered by the M4 chip, sports an all-new—and very pretty—sky blue finish, and starts at $999. Technologically speaking, there’s absolutely nothing bad or wrong with my M2 MacBook Air—but I’m really loving that blue (my favorite color!) and can’t wait to get my hands on one in person at some point.
The M4 MacBook Air (and the refreshed Mac Studio) is available to pre-order now. It goes on sale beginning Wednesday, March 12, according to Apple’s announcement.
A blue laptop notwithstanding, color isn’t the most interesting aspect of the new Air.
From an accessibility perspective, what’s most interesting about Apple’s latest and greatest MacBook is mentioned later in the company’s press release. By way of April’s public release of macOS Sequoia 15.4, Apple says Mac users will gain the ability to set up their shiny blue laptop with only their iPhone. According to 9to5 Mac’s Jeff Benjamin, the so-called “proximity setup” functionality is present in the iOS 18.4 beta. He reports the proximity setup feature works “just like” it does when setting up a new iPhone or iPad. To wit, bringing one’s phone nearest a Mac will display the setup card akin to, for instance, setting up AirPods or even a new Apple TV box. The masses will claim this feature is convenient, and it is, but it arguably matters more in terms of accessibility.
As someone who regularly gets Apple review units—some embargoed, others not—I can attest to the “problem” with configuring so many new devices. While I heartily acknowledge my position of privilege in the tech media and know it’s the quintessential first-world problem, nevertheless there are practical concerns. Namely, it would be extremely annoying (and inaccessible) to put all this review hardware through their proverbial paces without help from Apple’s proximity setup feature. It makes things so much easier—I needn’t have to sign into my iCloud account nor give my Wi-Fi credentials; my iPhone does all the requisite heavy lifting for me. Why this matters from a disability point of view is obvious: it takes a relatively considerable amount of cognitive load and visual/motor skills to remember, say, one’s iCloud or Wi-Fi information. Then a person must type it all in, which can be taxing both in terms of visual and motor acuity depending on one’s needs and tolerances. Granted, the system(s) do prompt users to enable accessibility features during the maiden voyage of sorts, but the point remains valid. As with other aspects of the Apple Experience, proximity setup is as much a de-facto accessibility feature as Apple Pay or Apple using iCloud to propagate AirPods pairing with people’s constellation of devices. It’s these ostensibly mundane implementation details that make Apple devices beloved by so many in the disability community. Like Boyz II Men once said, the little things mean a lot.
Given my intimate familiarity with the iOS/iPadOS setup process, I imagine what’s coming in the aforementioned software updates will be just as accessible and useful in setting up new Macs. I, for one, am thrilled to see Apple bring the functionality to macOS, not merely as a gadget reviewer—but especially as a lifelong disabled person.
