With Apple's next-gen MacBook Air M3 models rumored to release this year (potentially in March), people interested in buying a new MacBook or upgrading their current one have a tough decision to make: the next-gen MacBook Air M3 vs. the current-gen MacBook Air M2.
Apple hasn't officially announced details or a release date for its upcoming Air M3s, but we were able to test out the M3 chip in our MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) review. While Apple's Air and Pro lines differ in many ways, the same chips have historically performed very similarly. With that said, here's what we've heard so far on how the MacBook Air M3 should improve on the MacBook Air M2, as well as the ways it'll remain the same.
Pricing and availability
Prices of the upcoming M3 MacBook Airs will probably mirror the existing prices of M2 MacBook Airs. We predict the base 13-inch MacBook Air M3 with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage will start at $1,099. The larger 15-inch MacBook Air M3 with the same base specs will likely start at $1,299.
Apple reduced the 13-inch MacBook Air M2’s price by $100 when it introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air M2, and it’s kept this $1,099 starting price ever since. With the MacBook Air M1 still priced at $999—its original release price from 2020—it’s not clear whether Apple will reduce prices of the current M2 Airs when the M3 Airs are released, but it would make sense. After all, why would you pay the same amount for a weaker chip?
Until Apple officially announces the price of its MacBook Air M3 models, we can only speculate that the M2 MacBook Airs will be slightly cheaper than the M3 MacBook Airs. According to a Bloomberg report, these new M3 Air laptops might launch this spring, possibly with the rumored March 2024 Apple event. If they’re not released in March, the next most likely launch would be in June at the WWDC 2024 event.
Specs and performance
On paper, specs of Apple’s MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Air M3 laptops look the same. Both laptops feature an option of an 8-core or 10-core CPU, an 8-core or 10-core GPU, and up to 24GB of RAM. The big difference between the M2 chip and the M3 chip is that the M3 chip utilizes 3-nanometer process technology rather than the M2’s 5-nanometer tech, which allows greater efficiency and performance.
We got to test out the M3 chip in our MacBook Pro 14 M3 review, and it certainly delivered on claims of improved efficiency and performance. It earned 4.5 stars, largely due to its better overall (and gaming-specific) performance and longer battery life compared to its M2 predecessor.
The MacBook Pro 14 M3 starts at 512GB of SSD storage and allows for upgrades up to 1TB. While it’s possible the MacBook Air M3 could also start at 512GB, it’s more likely that it’ll start at 256GB of storage like the previous M1 and M2 MacBook Airs.
For the display, it’s highly possible Apple might stick with the Liquid Retina display on its M2 MacBook Airs, with a similar resolution and max brightness. Alternatively, Apple could potentially upgrade the M3 Air displays to mini-LED technology, which would be more energy-efficient and brighter at the same time.
Design
We don’t have any official pictures yet of the MacBook Air M3, but it’s most likely going to look extremely similar to the Air M2, from its chassis dimensions to its available ports and color options. So if you were hoping to use design as a deciding factor in the decision to wait for Apple’s MacBook Air M3 or buy the Air M2 now, you’ll probably be out of luck.
The MacBook Air 13 M2 measures 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches and weighs 2.7 pounds, while the Air 15 M2 has slightly larger dimensions of 13.4 x 9.53 x 0.45 inches and a heavier weight of 3.3 pounds. The thin, light design of Apple’s MacBook Air M2 models was a hit, and there’s no reason to expect Apple to drastically change up the design of M3 MacBook Airs.
Apple’s 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M2 laptops are equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 charging port. If there are any new ports added to the upcoming Air M3 models, it would likely be an extra USB-C port, but it’s highly probable that Apple won’t change up available ports between M2 and M3 models.
Unfortunately, both the M2 and M3 Airs will probably share the same color options as well. Right now, the MacBook Air M2 is available in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver. While we’d love to see a fun pastel color (or even the M3 MacBook Pro’s new Space Black color) added for MacBook Air M3 models, we’re not holding out hope. We’ll likely still have to rely on the best MacBook Air cases to liven up the laptop’s appearance.
Outlook
The biggest difference between Apple’s MacBook Air M3 models and its MacBook Air M2 models is performance power. While both base models feature an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 8GB of unified memory, the 3nm process used in the M3 chips (compared to the 5nm process used in M2 chips) results in a better-performing laptop with a longer-lasting battery.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop and you’ve got your eye on a MacBook Air, it’ll be worth holding out for the MacBook Air M3 models to release this year. Or, if you don’t have many performance-intensive tasks to perform regularly, consider waiting to see if the MacBook Air M2 models go on sale once M3 models hit the shelves.
