With Apple’s next-generation MacBook Airs rumored to be unveiled this year (possibly in March), those interested in purchasing a new MacBook or upgrading their present 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 next Air M3s, but we tested the M3 chip in our MacBook Pro 2022 (M3, 2023) review. While the Air and Pro lines differ in many ways, the same chips have historically performed similarly. With that in mind, here’s what we’ve heard so far about how the MacBook Air M3 should improve upon the MacBook Air M2 and how it will remain the same.
The following text: Pricing and availability
Prices for upcoming M3 MacBook Airs may match the current pricing of the M2 MacBook Airs. We anticipate that the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air M3 model with an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD storage device will begin at $1099. The new 15-inch MacBook Air M3 with comparable specifications will receive a price tag of $1,199.
Apple cut the 13-inch MacBook Air M2’s price tag by $100 when it introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 and has kept this $1,099 starting price ever since. The MacBook Air M1 is still valued at $999 at its original launch in 2020, making it unclear whether pricing on the current M2 Airs will be adjusted when the M3 Air is released.
Until Apple officially announces the cost of its MacBook Air M3 models, we can only infer that the M2 MacBook Airs will be slightly less expensive than the M3 MacBook Airs. According to a Bloomberg report, these newly announced M3 Air laptops might launch this spring, possibly with the upcoming March 2024 Apple event. If they are not released in March, the next most likely release would be at the WWDC event in June.
Specs and performance are shown below.
Specifications for Apple’s MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Air M3 are similar on paper. Both laptops have an 8-core or 10-core CPU, an 8-core or 10-core GPU, and up to 24 GB of RAM.# Because of the M3 chip’s use of 3-nanometer technology rather than the M2’s 5-nanometer tech allows for more excellent performance and efficiency.
We received the opportunity to try out the M3 chip in our MacBook Pro 14 review, and it lived up to its claims of increasing efficiency and performance. It earned 4.5 stars, mainly because of its overall gaming-specific performance and longer battery life than its M2 predecessor.
The MacBook Pro 14 M3 starts at 512GB of SSD storage and allows for upgrades up to 1TB. While the M2 MacBook Air could also start at 256GB of storage, it will likely start at 512GB of SSD storage like the prior models.
Apple could go with the Liquid Retina exhibit on its M2 MacBook Airs, with a similar resolution and max brightness. Alternatively, Apple may upgrade the M3 Air displays to mini LED technology, which would simultaneously be more energy-efficient and brighter.
Design
We lack any official pictures of the MacBook Air M3, but it will most likely look similar to the Air M2, from its chassis measurements to its overall design and color choices. If you’re hoping to take advantage of design in your final decision to wait or buy the Air M2 now, you’re probably out of luck.
The MacBook Air M2 is an excellent laptop for those looking for computer portability. It has everything you’d want from a great laptop, including a high-resolution display and a high-performance processor with plenty of RAM and SSD storage.
The 13-inch MacBook Air M2 measures 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches and weighs 2.7 pounds. Meanwhile, the Air 15 M2 measures 4 x 9.53 x 0.45 inches and has a heavier weight of 3 pounds. The compact, light design of Apple’s MacBook Air M2 was a hit, and there’s no reason to expect Apple to alter the design of its M3 model radically.
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Apple’s 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M2 laptops have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 charging port. If new ports are added to the upcoming Air M3 models, it would likely be an extra USB-C port, but Apple won’t change up accessible ports between M2 and M3 models.
Yes, the M2 and the M3 Airs will likely have the same color choices. The MacBook Air M2 is currently available in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver colors. While we’d love to see a fun pastel color (or even the M3 MacBook Pro’s new Space Black color) added for the MacBook Air M3 models, we’re not holding out hope. We’ll likely rely on the finest MacBook Air cases to improve the laptop’s appearance.
The future
The most significant distinction between Apple’s MacBook Air M3 models and its flagship MacBook Air M2 models is performance power. At the same time, the base models both include an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, and 8GB of unified memory; the 3nm process utilized in the M3 chips (compared to the 5nm procedure used in M2 chips) results in a more powerful laptop with a significantly longer-lasting battery.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop and you’ve been eying a MacBook Air, it’s worth holding out for the MacBook Air M3 models to release this year. Or, if you have few performance-intensive activities to perform regularly, wait until the new MacBook Air M2 models go on sale.