Tired of laptops that crawl when you have more than three tabs open? Frustrated by a battery life that dictates your workday, not the other way around? Imagine a laptop so sleek it practically disappears into your bag, yet so powerful it breezes through demanding tasks.
That’s the promise of the 2024 m3 macbook air. This apple macbook air, particularly the popular 13-inch model, has received its most significant refresh yet, thanks to the groundbreaking m3 chip. We’re diving deep into this macbook air m3 review to show you why this machine isn’t just another apple macbook; it’s potentially the best laptop for almost everyone.
From its stunning 13.6-inch liquid retina display to its remarkable battery life and the sheer muscle of apple silicon, the new macbook air is here to redefine your expectations. Whether you’re eyeing the 13-inch macbook air or considering the slightly larger 15-inch macbook air, the core message is clear: the m3 changes everything.
We’ll cover the spec, performance, and how it stacks up against its predecessor, the m2 macbook air, and even the mighty macbook pro. Get ready to discover the macbook air with m3 chip.
- LEAN. MEAN. M3 MACHINE With a powerful 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU, the blazing-fast MacBook Air with M3 chip is a superportable laptop that sails through work and play.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCEApple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your datanot even Apple.* ...
The M3 Chip: A Quantum Leap in Performance
So, what’s the big deal about this m3 chip? Well, it’s not just hype; it’s the engine driving the most significant upgrade to the macbook air line in years. This tiny piece of apple silicon is what makes the new macbook air not just faster, but smarter and more efficient than ever before.
The m3 macbook air boasts performance that leaves previous generations, including the already impressive m2 macbook air, in the dust.
We’re talking about a laptop that’s up to 60% faster than the model with the m1 chip and a staggering 13 times faster than the speediest Intel-based macbook air. Tasks that used to make your old windows laptop (or even an older Mac) sweat now feel effortless.
Built on cutting-edge 3-nanometer technology, the m3 chip packs an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU.
This means whether you’re editing high-resolution photos, cutting together 4K video, developing software, or even diving into graphically intense games with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, the macbook air m3 doesn’t just keep up; it excels.
And let’s not forget the 16-core Neural Engine, supercharging AI tasks and making this apple macbook a true powerhouse for machine learning applications right on your desk, or lap. This isn’t just a refresh; it’s a revolution for the macbook air.
Design and Portability: Still the Undisputed Champion of Thin and Light
When you think macbook air, you think unbelievably thin and light, right? Well, the 2024 m3 macbook air proudly carries on that legacy.
This apple macbook air is designed for those who demand performance on the go, without being weighed down. It’s the best laptop for students, travelers, and professionals who are always moving.
The iconic wedge shape might be gone, replaced by a more modern, flat design akin to the macbook pro line, but its “Air” DNA is unmistakable.
The 13-inch macbook air weighs a mere 2.7 pounds and is incredibly slim, making it a joy to carry. You can choose from four gorgeous finishes: Midnight (which now features a new anodization seal to reduce fingerprints – a welcome spec update!), Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver. Each one looks and feels premium.
Despite its svelte profile, the macbook air m3 feels incredibly robust. The build quality is exactly what you’d expect from an apple product – exceptional.
You get the fantastic Magic Keyboard, which is a dream to type on, a spacious and responsive Force Touch trackpad, and MagSafe charging, which frees up your valuable usb-c port options for other accessories or an external monitor.
This laptop truly is the epitome of elegant, portable power.
- LEAN. MEAN. M3 MACHINE With a powerful 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the blazing-fast MacBook Air with M3 chip is a superportable laptop that sails through work and play.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCEApple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your datanot even Apple.*...
Display Excellence: Your Content Never Looked So Good
Let’s talk about what you’ll be looking at all day: the screen. The m3 macbook air features a stunning 13.6-inch liquid retina display that is, quite frankly, a feast for the eyes. With a native resolution of 2560-by-1664 at 224 pixels per inch, everything looks incredibly sharp and detailed.
Whether you’re editing photos, watching movies on the apple tv app, or just browsing the web, the display on the new macbook air is vibrant and accurate. It supports 1 billion colors and the P3 wide color gamut, ensuring true-to-life image reproduction .
Plus, with 500 nits of brightness, it’s easily viewable even in bright environments, and True Tone technology adjusts the color temperature to your surroundings for a more natural viewing experience .
While it might not be the mini-LED found in the higher-end macbook pro 14-inch or 16-inch macbook pro models, the display on the macbook air with m3 chip is absolutely brilliant for its class.
For a laptop this portable, the visual experience is immersive and a joy to use for hours on end. The slim bezels further enhance the macbook air screen real estate, making the 13-inch model feel surprisingly spacious. This is the kind of display that makes work feel less like work.
Battery Life That Goes On… And On
One of the most celebrated features of apple silicon MacBooks has always been their incredible battery life, and the m3 macbook air continues this proud tradition.
Apple claims up to 18 hours of apple tv app movie playback and up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing on a single charge for both the 13-inch and 15-inch macbook air models. That’s more than enough to get you through a full workday or a long-haul flight, and then some.
The efficiency of the m3 chip plays a huge role here.
Despite its significant performance gains over the m2 and m1 generations, it sips power, allowing you to stay unplugged for longer.
Imagine leaving your charger at home for a day trip – with the macbook air m3, that’s not just a dream, it’s a reality. Even when performing more intensive tasks, the battery life holds up impressively.
When it is time to charge, you have options. The base m3 model with an 8-core GPU comes with a 30W USB-C Power Adapter.
However, if you opt for the m3 with 10-core gpu and 512gb storage, or configure the base model accordingly, you get the 35w dual usb-c port compact power adapter, allowing you to charge two apple devices at once.
And yes, it supports fast charging with a 70W USB-C Power Adapter (sold separately) if you need a quick power boost. This laptop is designed to keep up with your demanding life.
2024 Apple MacBook Air with M3 chip (13-inch, 16GB Ram, 256GB SSD Midnight) QWERTY English (Renewed)
- LEAN. MEAN. M3 MACHINE With a powerful 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the blazing-fast MacBook Air with M3 chip is a superportable laptop that sails through work and play.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCEApple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your datanot even Apple.*...
Connectivity and Ports: Ready for Your Ecosystem
A common question for any ultraportable laptop is about its port selection.
The m3 macbook air strikes a good balance, offering the essentials for most users while maintaining its sleek profile. You get two Thunderbolt / USB 4 usb-c port options, which support charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s), and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)  (INFERRED based on typical Apple spec and M-series capabilities).
There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for your audio needs and the much-loved MagSafe 3 charging port .
One of the most exciting updates with the m3 macbook air is its enhanced external monitor support. While the m2 macbook air could only officially drive one external display, the new macbook air with the m3 chip can support up to two external monitors, with the laptop lid closed.
One monitor can be up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, and the second external monitor can be up to 5K resolution at 60Hz. This is a game-changer for productivity, finally bringing a much-requested feature to the macbook air lineup and making it a more viable option for users who need more screen real estate, similar to what you might expect from a macbook pro.
This improved external monitor support significantly boosts the versatility of the macbook air m3, making it an even more compelling choice over some windows laptop competitors.
The ports on the macbook are thoughtfully placed, ensuring they don’t get in the way, whether you’re at a desk or on the move.
Connecting to your favorite apple devices like airpods pro or an apple studio display is seamless within the apple ecosystem.
AI Capabilities: The Smartest MacBook Air Yet
“AI” is the buzzword of the moment, and Apple has been building powerful neural processing into its apple silicon since the m1 chip.
The m3 macbook air takes this even further with its enhanced 16-core Neural Engine, making it the best laptop Apple has ever made for on-device artificial intelligence tasks.
What does this mean for you? Well, the m3 chip can handle machine learning tasks more efficiently than ever. This translates to faster performance in apps that use AI, like automatically enhancing photos in Pixelmator Pro, transcribing audio in real-time, or even using advanced features in video editing software.
The apple intelligence features baked into macOS Sonoma also benefit significantly from this powerful Neural Engine. Many of these tasks are performed directly on your macbook air m3, ensuring your data stays private and secure, rather than being sent to the cloud.
While the world of “AI laptops” is still evolving, the m3 macbook air is perfectly equipped for the future. It provides the hardware foundation for developers to create even more innovative AI-powered applications.
For instance, generating images from text prompts using apps like DiffusionBee is noticeably faster on the m3 compared to the m2. The macbook air with m3 chip isn’t just keeping up with AI trends; it’s helping to drive them forward in the consumer laptop space. This apple product is ready for what’s next.
- LEAN. MEAN. M3 MACHINE The blazing-fast MacBook Air with the M3 chip is a superportable laptop that sails through work and play.
- PORTABLE DESIGN Lightweight and under half an inch thin, so you can take MacBook Air anywhere you go...
M3 MacBook Air vs. M2 MacBook Air: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
This is the million-dollar question for many, especially if you own the still very capable m2 macbook air. The m3 macbook air is undeniably better, but the improvements are more evolutionary than revolutionary in daily, light-to-medium tasks where the m2 already shines.
The m3 chip is built on a more advanced 3-nanometer process compared to the m2’s 5-nanometer process, leading to better performance and efficiency.
Key advantages of the m3 macbook air over the m2 macbook air include:
Enhanced Graphics: The m3’s next-generation GPU offers Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and ray tracing, providing a significant boost for gaming and graphics-intensive applications. This is a noticeable step up from the m2.
AV1 Decode: The m3 includes a media engine with AV1 decode support, which means more efficient and higher-quality video streaming from services that use this codec.
Dual External Monitor Support: As mentioned, the m3 air can drive two external displays (with the lid closed), while the m2 air officially supports only one . This is a major win for the m3 version.
Faster Wi-Fi: The m3 macbook air supports Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless connectivity with compatible routers, compared to Wi-Fi 6 on the m2.
Slightly Better Performance: For CPU-intensive tasks and AI operations, the m3 offers a tangible speed increase.
If you have an older Intel-based macbook air or even an m1 macbook air, the jump to the m3 macbook air will feel absolutely transformative.
The performance gains, improved display, and modern design will be a massive upgrade. For m2 macbook air owners, the decision is more nuanced.
If your workflow heavily involves graphics, you need dual external monitor support, or you simply want the latest and greatest apple silicon, then the m3 macbook air is a compelling proposition. Otherwise, your m2 is still a fantastic laptop.
Thinking about the macbook air 13-inch vs the 15-inch macbook air m3? The core m3 chip performance is similar.
The main difference comes down to screen size preference and the slightly better speaker system in the 15-inch m3 model. Both 13-inch and 15-inch macbook air options offer the same great battery life estimates.
Perhaps you’re even considering if you should spend more money on a macbook pro, like the 14-inch macbook pro or the upcoming m4 macbook pro.
The macbook pro line offers even more power (with m3 pro and m3 max chips), active cooling for sustained performance, more ports, and a superior display with ProMotion.
However, for the vast majority of users, the performance and features of the m3 macbook air are more than sufficient, making it the best laptop choice in terms of value and portability. The base m3 in the Air is incredibly capable.
The macbook air’s fanless design is a huge plus for silent operation, a hallmark since the first macbook air transitioned to apple silicon.
This new macbook air, especially the sleek midnight macbook air, continues to be a testament to Apple’s engineering prowess in the apple silicon era. The m3-based macbook truly feels like a mature, refined product.
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arms length. There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arms length...
