Review of MacBook Air M3: Is It Worth Upgrading?

On March 4th, Apple introduced two updated MacBook Air models, measuring 13.6 and 15.3 inches respectively, featuring the powerful M3 processor. The main highlights of the new computers are their ultra-portable design, a new level of performance and energy efficiency, as well as up to 18 hours of battery life. The M3 chip is 13 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air and 60% more efficient than Apple’s M1 chip-equipped laptops. There are other perks as well, which we’ll delve into in the review.

What’s New in the 2024 MacBook Air M3?

The new models are designed for intensive tasks and are perfect for working with documents, videos, and images, as well as for internet surfing, video calls, movie watching, and moderate gaming. You’ll notice a real difference when transitioning from an Intel-based laptop. Therefore, if you’re considering an upgrade, the M3 is the way to go.

Midnight Color: Fewer Fingerprints on the Body

Externally, the new models are almost identical to their M2 counterparts. The chassis remains the same, with minimal changes to the wallpapers. The MacBook Air remains as beloved as ever: lightweight, ergonomic, and ultra-thin (less than half an inch thick). The colors remain unchanged as well, with four options: “classic silver,” “starlight,” “space gray,” and “midnight.” The highlight is the midnight color option. Paired with it is a revolutionary technology of anodized aluminum coating sealing. Now the dark blue chassis is slightly lighter but collects far fewer fingerprints.

When it comes to size, everyone chooses what suits them best. The 13-inch chassis is for those who prioritize portability, while the 15-inch is for those who prefer working with a larger screen.

Speaking of the display, the Liquid Retina provides stunningly clear and vibrant images: brightness up to 500 nits, with 1 billion colors. The resolution is twice as high as most counterparts, with 2800×1864 for the 15-inch model and 2560×1664 for the 13-inch.

Wi-Fi

The Apple MacBook Air M3 supports the latest Wi-Fi 6E wireless network standard. Web pages load twice as fast as the previous generation of brand laptops.

The Wi-Fi 6E throughput is 10.8 Gbps. For comparison, Wi-Fi 6 has a throughput of 9.6 Gbps. At first glance, it’s just a 12.5% difference. However, sometimes even this difference can be significant.

The main thing is to have a compatible router that supports this standard; otherwise, you won’t be able to appreciate this “benefit.”

Two External Displays

The new Mac supports two external displays simultaneously, whereas the previous MacBook Air M2 supported only one. This is convenient for working on multiple tasks simultaneously and sharing documents. To connect two additional displays, you need to close the laptop. Only one external display works when the lid is open.

This feature has become a real sensation: now you can have more than one monitor. Business users and those who often work with multiple applications simultaneously will appreciate it the most. You no longer need any complex workarounds, such as splitters for two monitors or docking stations, to connect additional monitors.

Improved Sound

Video conferencing has become a familiar way of communication for many of us, both at work and in life. In many laptops, the microphones are, frankly speaking, poor. But not in the MacBook. In models with the M2 chip, three microphones ensure high-quality voice transmission, and in the current generation with the M3 chip, they are further improved:

• Added voice isolation feature, eliminating unnecessary background noise.
• There’s a wide spectrum mode – if needed, you can hear everything happening around.

These are two fundamentally new features of devices with the M3 chip. If you often make calls from your laptop, they will definitely please you.

Moreover, the new MacBook records voice in high quality. For sound playback, there are six speakers with Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology.

Apple M3 Processor: What Does It Offer?

We’ve come to the most significant difference in the new MacBook Air – the processor.

Apple introduced the new 3-nanometer M3 chip last fall. It’s already powering the MacBook Pro 14. With its updated architecture of an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, increased clock speed, and 24GB of RAM, it opens up entirely new possibilities. According to the company itself, performance has increased by 60% compared to M1 laptops and by 13 times compared to Intel devices.

What does this mean in practice? The updated architecture more efficiently handles resource-intensive tasks, including video and photo processing. This is achieved through optimal resource allocation.

Here’s how it looks in numbers:

• Excel work is now 35% faster compared to devices with M1 and 3 times faster compared to Intel devices.
• Photomator processes photos 40% faster than M1 devices and 15 times faster than Intel devices.
• Video editing in Final Cut Pro is now 60% faster compared to M1 devices and 13 times more efficient compared to Intel devices.

We should also highlight computer games because here the MacBook Air M3 is an absolute champion. It supports hardware ray tracing to get a more vivid picture with realistic lighting, shadow play, and reflections. Its predecessors are not capable of this.

Video.

For the first time, we can evaluate the performance of the M3 with a passive cooling system. The laptop does not have cooling fans — heat dissipates naturally through vents in the chassis. And even with this system, the computer does not overheat under increased loads and performs brilliantly with both basic and more complex tasks. It even outperforms similar devices with Intel and AMD processors with active cooling.

It’s essential to note: the MacBook Air M3 is currently the best consumer laptop for artificial intelligence. This is all thanks to the updated Neural Engine neural co-processor. Support for a wide ecosystem of AI-based applications allows you to edit photos in Pixelmator Pro, edit videos in CapCut, and perform many other operations.

Summing up

If you’re looking to upgrade your Mac and considering whether to buy the MacBook M2 or M3, take a closer look at the latter option. The new model is also suitable for those who are transitioning to Mac for the first time and want to purchase a future-proof computer. It’s not designed for extremely intensive tasks (for that, there are Pro versions), but it’s perfect for those who work online, with text, numbers, tables, presentations, and photos. It handles intensive workloads and games with ease and is ideal for people who frequently work on the go. After all, the MacBook Air M3 is lightweight and compact: it’s convenient to carry around.

Furthermore, the new Mac is the first Apple product made entirely from recycled materials, including aluminum, rare earth metals, and copper. It does not contain mercury, PVC, or brominated flame retardants. The packaging is also environmentally friendly, consisting of 99% fiber.

When will MacBook Air M3 be available in Armenia?

Soon, you’ll be able to purchase the MacBook Air M3 in the capital and other cities of Armenia. It will be available for sale both in offline showrooms of iSpace and in our online store.

How much does MacBook Air M3 cost? Official pricing information for MacBook Air M3 in different configurations is not available yet. Want to stay updated? Keep an eye on our website for updates and subscribe to our Instagram profile. We will announce the start of pre-orders and the price of the new product.

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