Apple MacBook Air M3 review: Don’t ignore it

Apple claims that the MacBook Air is the best-selling notebook worldwide. That was accurate before to the M3, and it probably still will be in a year.

Apple MacBook Air M3

On the one hand, this implies that it is simple to ignore or discount the M3 chip’s presence. Furthermore, the M3 MacBook Air has to perform well since the M2 MacBook Air is just $100 more expensive (some merchants have even further reduced prices). Although some consumers would still be better suited purchasing the M2 MacBook Air instead of spending the extra cash, the M3 significantly boosts this laptop’s GPU performance.

Apple MacBook Air M3 review: Specs and pricing

The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, which replaces the M2 MacBook Air, retails for $1,099 starting price. However, Apple is still offering the M2 for $999, which is $100 less.

This entry-level setup has an 8-core GPU, 256GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. The upgrade from 8 to 10 GPU cores, which is exclusive to the 13-inch device, costs $100 from Apple. Starting at $1,299, the 15-inch MacBook Air has a 10-core GPU.

The maximum configurations for both sizes are 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, but the price goes up to far over $2,000.

Apple MacBook Air M3 review: Design

The notebook that is the MacBook Air is amazing. Because of a design that is very thin compared to previous models, it continues to be the most extreme representation of the Apple Silicon period. It is still the thinnest clamshell laptop of its kind ever produced, measuring only 0.44 inches thick. In addition, it is the most powerful laptop without a fan.

Yes, the MacBook Air is the thinnest laptop on the market, but let’s face it: unless you’re comparing two computers side by side, it’s impossible to see the difference between 0.44 and 0.5 inches. Windows laptops that are similarly small as the MacBook Air include the Asus Zenbook S 13 and Samsung Galaxy Book 3 360.

Thankfully, the MacBook Air’s advantages go much beyond its thinness. It’s also very solidly constructed, which is frequently a worry with devices this thin. 2019’s #flexgate is something we all remember, right? Let’s just say that a lot of these thin computers, including the earlier MacBooks, have had trouble staying absolutely rigid when subjected to pressure. Not with the MacBook Air that we have now. It’s as sturdy as computers come.

Now, the M3 MacBook Air doesn’t bring anything new to that. Since the release of the M2 MacBook Air in 2022, this design has been in use.

Midnight Black is the only new exterior color choice for the M3 MacBook Air. I’m glad to see it accessible on the two MacBook Air models as well, since it was first introduced on the M3 MacBook Pros last year. Though I myself still favor Space Gray, it’s still a fantastic hue. I’ve had the Midnight Black MacBook Pro for a while, and although Apple claims it rejects fingerprints better than other color choices, I can’t say I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in terms of cleanliness.

In terms of the keyboard and trackpad, nothing is new. As usual, they’re both superb, providing very accurate tracking and superb typing. Apple introduced the industry to haptic feedback trackpads, and even though they’re becoming more widely used, theirs may still be the finest.

Apple MacBook Air M3 review: Ports

The quantity and diversity of ports that the MacBook Air provides is one of its most worrisome restrictions. It’s not like being limited to Thunderbolt 3 solely over USB-C is unusual these days. Numerous laptop models have followed the same course as Apple. However, there are several notable limitations on external screens with the MacBook Air.

Previously, the M2 MacBook Air was limited to supporting one external monitor, regardless of refresh rate or resolution. There are workarounds for this, however getting beyond the obstacle calls for a dock and additional software. Although Apple has never formally said why, we believe the restriction stems from the basic M3’s low bandwidth, since it also affects the M3 MacBook Pro.

However, this somewhat improves with the M3 MacBook Air. There is a catch: the M3 model, whether 13- or 15-inch, may now officially handle two external 5K displays (at 60Hz). The MacBook Air’s lid must be closed. Because one of the external monitors will switch off as soon as you open the laptop, the system can only actually handle two screens.

It’s a welcome upgrade over the M2, and it could even be able to fix the issue for certain users. This will fulfill your desire to run a dual-monitor workstation configuration entirely off of a MacBook Air. However, you’ll still need to choose between an M3 Pro or Max MacBook Pro if you really want to utilize your MacBook Air with those two monitors. In this particular area, Windows laptops outperform the MacBook Air significantly.

In addition to the two Thunderbolt 3 displays, there is a headphone jack on the right and a MagSafe 3 charging connector on the left. Being limited to using just the left side of your ability is a bit annoying. It would have been beneficial to have one more USB-C.

In addition to connectors, the MacBook Air M3 is upgraded to the newest wireless connection standards, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Apple MacBook Air M3: Display

The M3 MacBook Air I evaluated had a 13.6-inch screen, which is just what you would expect. It’s great for an entry-level MacBook. very crisp, with a pixel density of 224 ppi (pixels per inch) and a resolution of 2560 x 1664.

No, it lacks the MacBook Pro’s higher refresh rate and variety of local dimming zones. Naturally, no. However, the MacBook Air’s display is rather vibrant, has a high contrast ratio, and has adequate color accuracy for a notebook this cost. Furthermore, Apple consistently does a great job at maximising the brightness of these LED panels. My colorimeter’s maximum reading on this one was 495 nits at maximum brightness. Additionally, there is high color coverage, achieving 87% of AdobeRGB and 99% of DCI-P3.

It is worth noting, however, that OLED screens are become more and more popular at this price range. Although it’s not the standard, businesses like Asus are making significant progress by including OLED screens in laptops that cost less than $1,000, such as the Zenbook 14. It goes without saying that these OLED panels have much superior contrast, but they also offer far greater color coverage and accuracy.

The MacBook Air screen is still competitive, in my opinion, but it is no longer the clear leader in the market. For instance, a Delta-E of 1.24 is still sufficient for the purposes for which you would use this laptop; it is only less accurate than some of the other OLED choices. Naturally, nothing about this has changed from the prior model.

Apple MacBook Air (M3): Achievement

Similar to every advancement in Apple Silicon so far, the M3 doesn’t provide a significant improvement in CPU performance. Cinebench R24 tests show that the M3 is 10% quicker in multi-core applications and 13% faster in single-core applications. As one could expect, hardly no one would find it worthwhile to upgrade this. That is particularly true given that we are discussing a MacBook Air here, not a MacBook Pro. those who really want to go beyond online surfing, multitasking, and a few office programs on the MacBook Air.

To be fair, a sixteen percent increase in single-core performance over ordinary Intel CPUs from generation to generation is fairly astounding. It doesn’t hurt to leap another 13% when you’re already ahead. With the M3, they continue to outperform the competition from AMD and Intel, even if their single-core performance is already the best in their class. As shown by Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R24, the multi-core performance of the MacBook Air M3 is more in line with its competition than it is superior.

Laptops with active cooling may outperform the M3 MacBook Air with simpler tasks like video transcoding in Handbrake. Just take a look at that result from the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark, which puts the laptop through a variety of video editing tasks. It’s quite amazing that the M3 MacBook Air outperforms the XPS 14, even with its dedicated RTX 4050 graphics card.

The upgraded GPU—which is essentially the show stealer—is largely to blame. In the Cinebench R24 GPU test, the M3 is a staggering 43% quicker than the M2 with the 10-core unit I evaluated. A large portion of this may be attributed to Dynamic Caching, a memory efficiency feature that Apple initially included in the M3. As a consequence, the GPU performance is significantly improved, making the M3 more capable of handling a wide range of applications, such as gaming, 3D modeling, and video editing.

Even if the integrated Arc graphics in several of this laptop’s immediate rivals have improved this year, the M3 still has the upper hand.

I looked more closely at whether the M3 elevates the MacBook Air to a passable gaming laptop. I wouldn’t argue that it does in general. On the other hand, this laptop is not meant to be used for gaming. Even the newest flagship Mac games can run with respectable frame rates on the M3 MacBook Air, if you do sometimes wish to experiment.

I attempted to play Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Resident Evil 4, and Baldur’s Gate 3. To find an appropriate mix between performance and visuals, all three needed some time spent in the settings, adjusting resolution, switching graphics settings, and experimenting with all the upscaling possibilities. Fortunately, it’s easy to achieve 40 to 50 frames per second (fps) in these games without having to resort to a sloppy visual style.

And for the MacBook Air, that’s a first. This thin has never previously been able to play games at this level on a passively cooled machine. Recall that using the MacBook Air for gaming or other activities is totally quiet. Not a word from the supporters. Furthermore, even in the vicinity of the keyboard and palm rests, surface temperatures never get too high, even when they do increase during heavy work.

Apple MacBook Air M3: Life of the battery

It goes without saying that MacBooks outperform Windows laptops in terms of battery life. It’s dangerous to overlook that aspect when selecting your next laptop, and I have to admit that in almost every laptop review I write these days. It’s simply not close. That is not altered in the slightest by the M3 MacBook Air, which in our test of mild web surfing lasts for more than 19.5 hours. Naturally, using the laptop for work will reduce it by a few hours at the very least, but keep in mind that in the same test, the rivals of this laptop only lasted an average of seven or eight hours.

Apart from the benefit of extending the duration of working without an outlet, the MacBook Air maintains its performance even when it is not plugged in. While using heavy apps may cause your battery to discharge more quickly, it won’t cause tasks to lag like they would on a Windows laptop.

Apple MacBook Air M3: speakers and a webcam

The MacBook Air has an excellent pair of speakers and a powerful 1080p camera integrated into the top screen notch. Not only is it one of the best laptops for video conferences at this price, but it’s also a decent device for viewing media. You should be aware, however, that this is one of the few places where the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air vary noticeably in terms of quality. The 15-inch variant matches the MacBook Pro in having two more speakers, but the 13-inch model only has four speakers.

That in no way implies that the smaller Air’s speakers are subpar. When compared to several of this laptop’s immediate rivals, they are still best in class. Simply said, they lack the strong bass and full-bodied sound that the 15-inch model can provide.

Should you buy it?

Without a doubt, if you’re upgrading from the M2. This MacBook Air isn’t quite as modern as the M2, thus upgrading isn’t worth it. On the other hand, the M3 MacBook Air will excite you if you’re switching from the M1 MacBook Air or an earlier MacBook. Even if it means having the lid closed, the ability to accommodate two monitors will be a game changer for some, and the GPU performance is great.

You will once again discover that the M3 MacBook Air surpasses many of the similar Windows laptops in this price range in almost every aspect.

Simply said, the M3 MacBook Air is still among the greatest laptops available, and it offers good value for the money. However, if you won’t truly need the additional GPU speed, it might be wiser to forgo the M2 MacBook Air and save your money.

MacBook Air M3: specifications, release date, cost, and recent news