Apple's M3 MacBook Air - Is It Worth The Upgrade?

[@lisamelting]

I think they make a compelling argument to buy the M2 at a discount.

[@bryans8656]

Yep!

[@akin242002]

Yes! Unless you badly need the graphics boost, the M2 Air with 16GB of RAM is a steal. Even better is an M1 Pro 14-inch at $1,270 on Amazon right now.

[@craigneidel]

I would get the best deal you can find on the M2 or M3. Thanks for watching.

[@mtedwards]

This is a useful guide. My M1 Air (16g RAM/256g) is still snappy and responsive after 3 years. Think I'll hold onto it for a bit longer.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, if you have an M1 I don't think that you will need to upgrade anything.

[@elliekim6666]

Upgrades aren't meant for generation but 3-5 + generations. They are selling it to people like on Intel based macs or Windows machines not people on M2 MacBooks. Also opening app speed is more dependent on your storage not the soc .

[@craigneidel]

Yes, for sure. But some people ask me about upgrading from an M1. I say you can do this if you also upgrade Ram since Ram can make a huge difference but only if you also upgrade ram for your workflow that needs it.

[@alfredoaraujo9294]

Appreciate that a lot of content creattors have been saying that it doesn't make a ton of sense to upgrade to the M3. It makes the most sense to get a M2 Air on sale or refurbished.

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for the feedback on this. Appreciate it.

[@Phuamt]

Great review. Thks. Will u advise m3 macbook air, m2 macbook air (13.6 inch) of upcoming ipad pro? Thks

[@craigneidel]

It's hard to advise. I would get what you need as the iPad and Macs are two different things for sure.

[@patrickcallahan2885]

Typically, I don’t upgrade for about 5years so that I can amortize the purchase depreciation for financial reasons. But as long as the computer is performing for my needs, these machines are merely tools for a job. I bought my M2 MBA upon its release in June of 22’, and I replaced my wife’s iMac this year with the M3 Pro MBP in Space Black of course. But I plan on keeping these for several years

[@craigneidel]

Yes, 5 years is a good timeframe for upgrades - unless you have a Mac channel :)

[@asan1050]

Craig , Thanks for the heads up!

[@craigneidel]

Thanks. Just some info on the changes for the new air.

[@sidheshmaheshwari9114]

I am a cse student and I am really confused whether to buy mac m3 pro or mac m3 air , pls recommend me which one would be a good deal and value for money?

[@craigneidel]

It's really impossible for me to make that determination since I can't see your workflows over a month etc. The M3 Pro will have a bit more power but just make sure you get at least 16 GB of ram on either model.

[@raindrops7528]

Thanks for the review, Craig. I have a three year old M1 mac mini (256 Gb SSD, 16 GB RAM). I loved it from day 1, and i still like it, however, sometimes i have the weird feeling it has got slower when video editing. Anyone has the same experience? And most of all: should i consider replacing it with an M3 mac mini? I would really appreciate your opinion.

[@craigneidel]

My guess is the SSD might be filling up with little room left which can slow things down. Since you have 16 GB of ram I'm not sure if you should upgrade to the M3 yet or just wait for the M4. See if you can clear out more space and if that improves the issue or look at the Activity Monitor to see if specific apps are using memory or resources.

[@raindrops7528]

@@craigneidel Thanks. Thats a really good advice. You got a new subscriber.

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for the sub.

[@ViraDrama]

Thanks, I’m using M1 Air and fine with it. I will not buy anything new from Apple until the base models come with 16 GB. Of RAM. C’mon Apple, your loyal customers deserve more than 8 GB. in 2020+ and your upgrades price is like highway robbery. I’m using Apple products since they’re near bankruptcy. A long long time ago…🍎😎🍏

[@craigneidel]

I agree that all Macs should come with 16 gigs of ram minimum. I mean even 12 GB at the very least. But people keep buying them so they keep doing it.

[@ramimvlogs]

same here

[@angeluscorpius]

My M1 MacBook Air (M1mba) is still snappy, and fast, and I don't need a new machine. Apple is confused. The M1mba was one of their best sellers. But the M2 and 15' M2 were not selling as well as the M1mba. I think the reason is because the M1mba was so good. And people who get "budget" macs do not buy a new machine just because its new. I won't upgrade until I really need an upgrade, or my current machine is starting to slow down. I hear that theres a MBA "SE" 12' budget mac coming in 2 years. If that comes with an M3 chip. MAYBE I'd get it if my current M1mba is starting to slow down.

[@craigneidel]

The M1 are great machines for sure. I would never upgrade unless you are feeling performance issues. I do just for my channel but I'm not a typical user.

[@BrunoMB]

Thank you for another great content. I have the same M2 Air as you and definitely not upgrading.

[@craigneidel]

Thank you for the feedback. Yes, with the M2 no need for sure.

[@digitalmarketinghumans]

People seem to be upset. I think this is something for people who have had the intel and are ready to buy a new laptop. It's a slight update but still a good purchase. If going from M1 to M3, probably not so much. Great video, Craig!

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree if you have the m1 No need to get the M3 currently and if you have the M2 no way.

[@lararavenscroft]

Seriously considering upgrading from my 2019 MacBook Pro 13’. Main considerations are the much improved speed and battery, and also no more butterfly keyboard and Touch Bar.

[@craigneidel]

Those are all good reasons to make the upgrade.

[@CharmTb-s6b]

M3 Macbook Pro (Max) or M3 Macbook Air. Which should I buy for video editing.

[@craigneidel]

I mean that isn't even a fair comparison. Two different things and one is twice the cost of the other.

[@valisvlog2461]

The only thing that is the most important for upgrading, at least for me, as I watch a lot of YT and Twitch in the background, is the AV1 Hardware decode built into the M3, which it will be an important thing if you plan to keep your laptop for 3-5 years or more.. Besides that, there is no difference between the CPUs, I would go with M2 any day if it wasn't for the AV1 decode..

[@craigneidel]

Yes, but the M2 can handle that perfectly for sure also. Yes, it will come down to cost and the deal you can get on an M2. If you don't get a good deal I would say the M3 is the better option.

[@TasosMauroudis]

Πολύ καλό κανάλι !!! Είδα το βίντεο σου για το iMac intel και με έπεισες .. αγόρασα iMac 2019 27 και είναι πραγματικά πολύ καλό με πολύ λίγα χρήματα ..και έχω και boot camp. σε ευχαριστω …. Κανόνισε εσύ μην πάρεις σε 2 3 μήνες το Μ3 air 😂🤣 😇

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for the feedback. I need to get new Macs for my channel but most people don't except maybe every 4-5 years.

[@SoftwareManiacLSM]

I agree with you on the closing the lid/clamshell so that two external monitors can work. I will always use the integral great laptop display. (I have an M2 MBAir.)

[@SoftwareManiacLSM]

BTW, that's a neat laptop stand. I use 12south laptop stand ...

[@craigneidel]

Yes, they are nice displays for sure on the laptops.

[@craigneidel]

Thanks, I did a video on it a while back.

[@Phuamt]

Will WF6 E improve my Internet connection over WF6 if my home Internet is 4G.

[@craigneidel]

They are saying it should a bit but I have not tested it myself yet.

[@piotrd.4850]

Question is always the same: is it worth switching to from other platform. As for upgrade, as with other Apple hardware - at least 3-4 generations need to be skipped.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, about 5 years between cycles then people should upgrade.

[@nicolasb.henry294]

I just bought my base M2 MBA a week ago and I am really happy with it. What I see is that the M3 doesn´t worth the upgrade. M2 is powerful enough for my flow. No need to upgrade

[@dinamoq10]

Me too! I just bought mba m2 two weeks ago but now I have hesitation if I give it back and pick m3 chip mba or not🧐

[@craigneidel]

Yes, if you got a deal that is what matters. They will be about the same for most things.

[@Kardelen.y66]

I just bought the air m2 is it worth to buy m3?

[@craigneidel]

nope...

[@priyankmehra532]

Hey! I am just starting out my content creation journey and going to go all into Video Editing! I have a budget of Macbook air M1 with 16 GB of RAM. Should I go for it in 2024, is it still worth it? Or should I increase my budget and purchase an M2 Macbook air. Actually I have already ordered M1 MacBook Air 7 days ago, and as they have launched M3 Macbook Air today, M1 has gotten cheaper, and probably I will be getting the refund of the price difference (of around 121 dollars). Please help, if I should cancel my order of Macbook Air M1, and order M2 with 256 GB and 16 GB RAM? The price difference is 121 dollars! I have just graduated and want to spend wisely! My main reason for buying a macbook is performance and video editing, I want to know if its really slower than the Macbook Air M1 as many people claim, especially even if I buy the macbook air M2 with 16 GB of RAM.

[@giuseppeo7769]

get refund of the macbook air m1. and buy a macbook pro m1. the macbook air is good for soft video editing. that would be good only if you are like starting a youtube chanel and you are learing to edit and want to do basic videos. if you, instead, have aldready started to make videos get a macbook pro.

[@giuseppeo7769]

or wait like 2 o 3 mounth and get more money, and buy a m2 pro

[@giuseppeo7769]

by the way the m1 pro is still good

[@priyankmehra532]

@@giuseppeo7769 thank you so much! Although, as a beginner I just need to edit videos for my Instagram and KZbin channel, that would be maximum 10-20 minutes longer, and most of them would be 1080p of 4K. Which one will perform better based on your experience: Macbook Air M1 with 16 Gigs of RAM, of Macbook Air M2 with 16 Gigs of RAM, both of them being 256 GB of SSD!

[@craigneidel]

If you are running 1080P the M1 will be fine for sure. I would just test it out and if not for you then return and upgrade as needed. The ssd on the M1 will be faster if all you are getting is 256 GB of space.

[@deutschehassan7296]

The thing that really annoys me about Apple is their base models still having 8GB RAM. Mac os itself takes up to 6 GB of RAM and with couple of other open applications system will start RAM swaps this degrading the age of the SSD.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, for sure. That annoys everybody for sure and it's a bit crazy in 2024.

[@ayocam07]

My MBP 14 inch M1 Pro still a beast and better than M3 Air👌

[@bryans8656]

I have the same laptop and agree completely. I expect it to have it for a long time.

[@craigneidel]

The M1 was one of the best.

[@fairygurl5448]

Coming from Dell Inspiron and celeron, I think I will upgrade.

[@bryans8656]

If you're comfortable changing operating systems I think you'll be pleased with the increase in performance.

[@craigneidel]

Yes it would be a nice upgrade.

[@fairygurl5448]

@@bryans8656 all my other tech is apple: iPad 8th gen, Watch SE and Ipone 8 plus.

[@craigneidel]

Then the change will be easy.

[@fairygurl5448]

@@craigneidel Going from PC to Mac, have you ever had issues with migration assistant?

[@glennsan1998]

No. Unless you meet the criteria of being brand new to the Apple world and you want the best to start or you need two external displays and you have the accessories to run clamshell mode or you need Ray tracing or better Wi-Fi then I don’t think this upgrades is worth it just get a discount M2, or a used M1. I mean for Pete sakes battery life isn’t even any better, which is one of the things I would’ve thought would’ve been for sure.

[@craigneidel]

I agree with that for sure.

[@ernie599]

Thank you for the update, I wish apple had a comparison between their products so you can compare the speed test. Ex: M1 Max vs M3 etc.

[@craigneidel]

I'll let you know if I do that in the future.

[@ernie599]

Hello, I didn’t mean for you to do it I meant more like apple am sorry for the mis understanding

[@craigneidel]

Got it and thanks again.

[@raylachman8101]

Apple mentions also the M3’s , AI readiness. An advantage that can only show itself once the new software update (s) comes. So if that really turns out to be big deal has yet to be seen.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, but I'm not looking forward to AI. It will be making everybody's decisions for them.

[@callmeNeno]

Sticking to my M1 MacBook Air 512 ssd it’s a beast: The M1 ssd is faster than M2.

[@craigneidel]

On the 512 they are about the same but on the 256 it was faster on the M1.

[@callmeNeno]

@@craigneidel M1 is going to be a collective item; keep that treasure ~~

[@craigneidel]

Not sure since there are millions of them. But they are nice for sure.

[@digitalmarketinghumans]

I always felt like the newer 15" MBA M2 or M3 is essentially an updated version of the intel MBP 2019 16" version ..but better and updated! Lighter, no fans, Apple Silicon, the list goes on. The 15" is tempting me, even the M2. I do have to say, in Apple's defense, when Intel released 11th gen processors, there was an uproar of people who were upset that it was practically the same. I don't see much difference here either. Perhaps we have hit a point where computers are..just too good...well..except that 8gb of Ram part lol. I despise it. Never again lol.

[@craigneidel]

I do think the year to year upgrades will be smaller for sure and they will just have a few added benefits like the dual screens etc.

[@SamStab007]

Which is better? Going from M2 to M2 Pro or M2 to M3?

[@craigneidel]

It's a tough one but maybe the Pro chip especially if it comes with more ram. But it really depends on what you are doing since the M3 is good at certain things.

[@akin242002]

I can see tons of college freshmen getting it, especially if they don't major in finance nor engineering.

[@craigneidel]

Maybe.

[@slob5041]

It is but not at the moment, specifically because I think it’s going to support the new ai features really well they haven’t announced yet

[@craigneidel]

Yes, the scary Ai features that will have these large companies think for us. I'm not a fan of Ai but I know it's coming for sure.

[@sglatitude]

So Apple's dropped the latest MacBook Air with the M3 chip. It's a bit odd. Apple call it 'Air', yet there's no built-in fan for cooling 🆒 💨 . Seems like a miss in the naming department to me 🤌🏼🤭

[@craigneidel]

Yeah but it called that due to lightness but I hear you.

[@harry6083]

The M1 was a huge leap and all that after are small incremental upgrades. I mean if you are coming from Intel then maybe depending on what you are using this for. Guess it is the amount of $$$ you are willing to spend.

[@craigneidel]

That is what I'm kind of saying. If you need more ram for a workflow then upgrading might be OK but only if you need more ram too.

[@harry6083]

@@craigneidel Couldn't agree more!

[@craigneidel]

Thanks again.

[@chelious1973]

Depends on what you are coming from. A M2? Heck no. M1? Maybe.

[@craigneidel]

M1 is also a tough one but maybe Intel for sure and M1 not.

[@mohkg1017]

Actually its a 20% improvement in speed

[@craigneidel]

On certain things yes but on other things they are neck and neck. But the CPU is faster by a bit for sure.

[@geps7393]

You don’t compare the the randering 3D. It seems much faster than the M2.

[@craigneidel]

yes, but about 1% of people in the world who buy Macs do 3d Rendering. More video editors and just document handling so the comparison is very close.

[@geps7393]

Thank you@@craigneidel

[@craigneidel]

Welcome

[@dalang55555]

With 3nm M3 chips, there is a heat problem also. Basically, Apple is struggling to "cheat" you to buy their new products since they are not in a good shape now, with no new innovations and no surprising performance. But they still want to get the same profits, too greedy.

[@craigneidel]

I'm not sure there are any major issues with the M3 chips but no need to upgrade in most cases if you have an M1 or M2.

[@unclefart5527]

Bottom line is with the M chips being "refreshed" every year Apple are selling these like iPhones. 365 day churn schedule. Your money.

[@craigneidel]

I run a Mac Channel so I get more then I need but others should keep them for about 5 years.

[@SlowgrindT]

1200 after tax for 256 ssd and 8gb ram. No thank you lol. I’m chillin with my Windows Acer predator triton 300se 14” 165 hz 512ssd 16gb ram 12th gen i7 and a rtx 3060 for 899 flat.

[@akin242002]

Some people hate Windows that much where they will justify paying more for a non-Windows laptop.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, but I have owned so many Win Laptops and I just pick the the Apple laptop every single time I need to get work done. So we are all different.

[@ALM_Relaxed]

An acer that will last maybe 1 hour without a charger connected 😂😂😂 Also an acer that with it’s cooling can “light up” the entire sun 😂😂 Good job mate throwing your 900 $ in the bin 😅

[@SlowgrindT]

@@ALM_Relaxed it’s mostly connected to charger that’s 1. And when it’s not I’m not expecting it to last as long as a MacBook anyway. 2 if you comparing it to a mba good luck on storage and doing anything intensive with 8gb ram. Also good job on 60hz display and good luck getting a dongle to connect a second monitor lol. Also if you choose to upgrade ram or ssd good job paying $200 for each one lol. Gg

[@akin242002]

@@SlowgrindT Agreed to some extent. RAM and SSD is better on PC laptops. For work purposes, I prefer a PC unless you are in a profession that the advantages of a Macbook make it worthy (video editing, DJ, Java programmer, front-end web development, and most things with AWS). Finance, economics, accounting, and most of non-software engineers are all PC. Even most IT support is all PC.

[@namnam-jz6um]

Bagus… penerangan yang munasabah

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for the feedback

[@danishhasan888]

I’ve heard rumours that the M3 chip has a Neural Engine component which will assist with the AI features in the upcoming Safari OS update. Only time will tell 😏

[@craigneidel]

Yes, and Ai will basically feed us all info that Apple or Google want. That is the only issue with Ai as I think it will make everybody the same. I'm not looking forward to these Ai features.

[@geminibodyshop71]

I have the m1 air I did upgrade it so moving th the m3 wouldn't be worth it for me

[@craigneidel]

I don't think it would be worth it either.

[@Smittron]

Apple advertisement - "You can buy better but you can't pay more".😀

[@craigneidel]

I'm guessing you have never tried one.

[@Smittron]

@@craigneidel I actually bought a base model M1 Mac mini a couple of years ago mostly to explore and learn. My wife is all in on Apple so I'm now able to better help her with the occasional problem. It's nice hardware, sync's well with my iPhone and I enjoy using it. But so far I'm not compelled to switch over.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, the M1's are still nice machines. But I always tell people to use what works best for them and that could be a Win PC.

[@LordAlucar01]

i was expecting some great march apple news but i guess the hype was fake as to be expected i expected atleast 2 great improvments which did not happend yet, one is airpods max 2 and second is new tehnology in ipad, im gonna skip ipad though, in 18th im gonna order my macbook pro if bank allows it if not by end of year i get it with cash.

[@craigneidel]

I was hoping for the Mac mini m3 but that should come in about a month.

[@jay.jay.1]

No I have both m1 and m2 don’t need a new MacBook Air m3

[@craigneidel]

Yep you don't need this one. Maybe wait for m5

[@Pranay_singh_]

Waiting for students discount

[@craigneidel]

They should be out already - usually $100.

[@Pranay_singh_]

@@craigneidel we also get free airpods far a few months

[@craigneidel]

Yes, they offer that once in a while.

[@Pranay_singh_]

@@craigneidel yes

[@sauleomarova7730]

again with the 8/256 config... I guess people are still buying them.

[@craigneidel]

It won't stop until the stop buying them.