Is the MacBook Air the world’s most popular laptop? We don’t know. That’s what Apple claims, though, in their latest press release. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be surprising, given that it’s a full-fledged Apple laptop that’s way more affordable than the more powerful MacBook Pro line. With the announcement of the new Apple MacBook Air with M3 chips, we’re guessing their place at the top of the popularity food chain isn’t in danger of going away anytime soon.
That’s right, the newest MacBook Air is getting Apple’s newest M3 chips, which are the same processors found in the latest MacBook Pro and iMac models. Granted, they won’t be getting the same M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, but rather the standard M3, which should still make for a pretty powerful upgrade over the last generation.
The Apple MacBook Air M3 is touted to deliver 60 percent faster processing power compared to the M1 version of the laptop, so this should handle your browsing and productivity tasks even better than before. It also boasts a more efficient 16-core neural engine for carrying out AI tasks, as well as new accelerators in the CPU and GPU to boost on-device AI applications. Granted, we doubt anyone’s buying a MacBook Air for serious AI work, but it does have some AI processing chops if you ever need it in a pinch.
According to Apple, the GPU architecture on the M3 includes dynamic caching and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, although we’re not sure how well this thing will actually perform in real-world gaming scenarios (probably not that great). Aside from the new M3 chips, the laptops also get 8GB of RAM as standard, although you can upgrade to 16GB or 24GB for a pretty substantial premium ($200 and $400, respectively). Base SSD storage is only 256GB, too, with optional upgrades to 512GB ($200), 1TB ($400), and 2TB ($800).
Like the previous generation, the M3 Apple MacBook Air comes in two screen sizes: 13.6 inches and 15 inches. Both look, essentially, the same as their predecessors, so they retain the same slim, lightweight, and elegant build, all while sporting similar Liquid Retina displays with 500 nits of brightness, a 1080p FaceTime webcam, three microphones, and a four-speaker audio system with support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio. One of the most meaningful upgrades here is the newfound support for dual external displays, which can really make it a viable desktop alternative for many workplaces. Do note, you will need to close the laptop lid to enable dual display support, so you still won’t be able to set up a three-monitor workspace.
Other details include Wi-Fi 6E, MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Magic Keyboard with a full-height function row and Touch ID. It’s also the first ever Apple product to be made with 50 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled aluminum for the enclosure, 100 percent recycled magnets, and 100 percent recycled copper in the main logic board.
The Apple MacBook Air M3 is now available for preorder, with deliveries starting on Friday. Price starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch and $1,299 for the 15-inch.