The M3 MacBook Air has been the apple of many an eye since word arose last year that Apple's lightweight laptops were in for a refresh. Today, Apple has come through with the goods, unveiling the latest MacBook Air models powered by the awesome might of the magnificent M3 silicon chip.
The chip in question makes Apple's pinnacle of portability a regular performance powerhouse, delivering an impressive leap in processing capabilities and enhanced efficiency to push the boundaries of the Air's impressive battery life. Let's take a closer look at the new M3 MacBook Air.
M3 MacBook Air: Price and availability
Let's get straight to when you can pick up one of Apple's new M3 MacBook Air laptops and how much you can expect to pay for each available configuration.
The new M3 MacBook Air is available in two models, 13-inch and 15-inch, with each made available in Silver, Starlight, Space Grey, and Midnight finishes. Both models include the Apple M3 chip with MagSafe 3 and Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 charging.
Pricing for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air begins at $1,099 with the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air starting at $1,299 with the most expensive configuration beginning at $1,699.
Both the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air are now available to preorder, with the devices becoming widely available from March 8.
M3 MacBook Air: Design
Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch form factors, the new MacBook Air M3 offers a fantastic blend of portability and functionality across a wide range of uses.
If you're more of an on-the-go type, then Apple's 13-inch model could be ideal with its compact 8.4 x 11.9 x 0.44-inch chassis weighing just 2.7 pounds. This affords Apple's lightweight laptop with the utmost portability, making it a great computing companion no matter where your day takes you.
If portability comes second to a larger screen experience, then the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is likely better suited to your needs. With its more sizable screen, the 15-inch model measures 9.3 x 13.4 x 0.45 inches in size and weighs 3.3 pounds. It's still an impressively portable device and easily packed away for any journey thanks to its slender chassis. However, if you're looking for a portable desktop alternative, the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is ideal.
M3 MacBook Air: Ports, battery, and charging
The 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models include two Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 ports (with transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s), a MagSafe 3 charging port, and a single 3.5mm headphone jack.
Both models support one external display up to 6K resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz. A second display is supported, but only when the MacBook's lid is closed and at a lower resolution of 5K at 60Hz.
For wireless connectivity, both models feature Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E support.
Both devices also feature MagSafe 3 and Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 charging with up to 70W fast charge available through compatible USB-C Power Adapters. The 13-inch model features a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, while the 15-inch MacBook Air touts a 66.5-watt-hour battery of the same ilk, with both claiming a battery life of up to 18 hours.
M3 MacBook Air: Display
Both M3 MacBook Air models feature an LED-backlit, IPS Liquid Retina Display with a claimed 500 nits of brightness. While they share the same ppi density, the 15-inch MacBook Air features a larger 2880x1864-pixel resolution than the 13-inch's 2560x1664 offering.
M3 MacBook Air: Performance
Both 13-inch and 15-inch models of the new MacBook Air feature Apple's latest M3 silicon chipset, which is claimed to offer 1.6x the performance of the Cupertino company's breakthrough M1 processor as found in the MacBook Air of old.
Not only does Apple praise the M3's performance and efficiency, showcasing the chipset as 13x faster than the Intel systems that proceeded Apple Silicon, but it also promises that its new MacBook Air is better equipped than ever to handle whatever you want to throw at it.
From editing videos in iMovie to playing "Baldur's Gate 3" in Game Mode, the M3 chipset delivers increased performance and better efficiency, resulting in a faster, smoother experience all around, and one of the best portable offerings from the company to date.
Outlook
While Apple's announcement came without warning, we've been hearing plenty about the M3 MacBook Air's development for some time. We're excited about the potential of Apple's device and can't wait to get our hands on it and put it to the gauntlet of Laptop Mag's testing process.
If you're an Apple user looking for a fantastic blend of performance and portability in your next device then today is a great day for you. The new MacBook promises to be one of Apple's best offerings to date thanks to the power of the M3 chipset, and a fantastic platform to suit all your computing needs, be it productivity, creativity, or even gaming.
Both 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air laptops will be widely available from March 8, with pricing beginning at $1,099 and $1,299.
