M3 MacBook Air (13"): Long Term, REAL WORLD Review!

[@arranpbrown]

You can pick up any of the products discussed in this video via the links below (please note these are Amazon affiliate links, and I may earn a commission from any purchase you make): - M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: geni.us/ETf2me - Minisopuru Dock (Amazon): geni.us/q0Aua5v ; Promo Code: 05WIQUDN - Minisopuru Dock (Official Website): minisopuru.com/products/md813a ; Promo Code: ArranBrown (10% off!)

[@Jamiehorsleydml]

The M3 MacBook Air is brilliant, I throw everything at it like 4K editing and it renders it so quickly, problem is like the M1 air it does get very hot if you’re doing complicated tasks

[@arranpbrown]

Yeah, I agree! For me, the renders usually take a maximum of about 20 mins, and that is the only time I notice it getting pretty hot, but you are right that it can reach pretty high temperatures for those more intense tasks! So probably not the best for anyone who needs hours of sustained max performance! Thanks for the comment and the input 😁

[@alexanderloh2402]

I ordered a MacBookAir M3 16GB 1TB model in March and within 2-3 months the logic board completely failed on me. Extremely light usage as this was a spare computer for me. Computer suddenly could not start up. A logic board replacement was done. Several months later, the speakers started having hazy sound and a clicking sound. Apple diagnosed this as a hardware issue (no fault of mine). I asked for a replacement unit since this appeared to be a lemon unit. “Senior Advisors” started quoting the Service Agreement to me and informed me that there was no consumer law protection in Singapore. Good to know Apple has such stellar customer service.

[@chicagocarless]

I made a similar move. Had an M2 13 inch MacBook Air. In January, traded up for an M3 14 inch MacBook Pro because I just really craved the Promotion display. But almost immediately I hated everything else. The thickness (my hands and my wrists when typing were so uncomfortable), the weight, the hefty brick-like feel, the keyboard that felt like I had to smash it with an anvil every time I pressed a key. I actually wasn’t all that impressed with the display - definitely it’s a nicer display, but I actually expected more out of it. Overall, mini-LED just gave me the feeling of sitting too close to my TV. So this week I traded my Pro in for the new 16 gig base model M3 MacBook Air. I am immediately typing faster, my fingers and wrists don’t hurt from using it, and I don’t have a 3 1/2 pound chunk of metal constantly sliding down my lap when I’m using it on the couch anymore. I thought about it, going back to an Air from a Pro for me feels familiarly comfortable and comfortably familiar. I don’t think I’ll ever go near the Pros again until/unless they get rid of that ill-advised chunky 2021 redesign.

[@arranpbrown]

Thanks for the in-depth comment - super interesting to hear your experience! I agree with what you've said there to be fair, apart from I don't want Apple to go back to the slim MacBook Pro design as it really limits the power of the Pro, when it should be a powerful computer. I think I'd take the slightly worse portability of the existing 14 inch MB Pro over the older, slimmer, but throttled design, as I especially like all the ports on the MB Pro. I think now that we have an Air that is capable of being a power portable laptop, I have no issues with the Pros being slightly thicker to accommodate better internals and connectivity! The Air is far better to type on though as you said, and it's really nice and light for use on your lap. I also agree with you comments about the screens in that there is not enough of a difference between them to necessarily justify the vast difference in price! Thanks for adding to the conversation - I appreciate you!

[@HeyItsJon92]

I just bought one for my photography (16GB RAM) and so far I love it!

[@arranpbrown]

Nice one - glad you're also enjoying using it! It's such a beast for how portable it is!

[@suebrown-nw5qy]

Good balanced account; great detail; seems a good buy and gives more portability.

[@abishop3875]

Looks good! I was thinking about whether I needed the Mac book pro but looks like a beefed up Air might be the way to go here.

[@arranpbrown]

Cheers man! Yeah, the Air is a super capable laptop in its own right 👌

[@eveliojosegarcialeon]

Best laptop I have ever invested in

[@arranpbrown]

Glad you're enjoying it!! 😁

[@louietheswan9689]

Great video. Was thinking of getting one

[@arranpbrown]

Thank you! It's a class laptop - I've loved using it!

[@WidePhotographs]

I recently bought the M3 MPB 16/1TB for $1,399 on sale but I decided to return it and get the M3 MBA 16/256 for $899. I am still currently learning a new skill so the day when I notice this MacBook Air struggle really bad, then I would just buy the Mac mini M4 with a better configuration. But until then, I will settle to save $500 now to learn a new skill.

[@arranpbrown]

Sounds like a good plan! I hope you enjoy the MB Air! I'll likely invest in a MB Pro 14 inch in a year or so, but the Air is fantastic in what it offers.

[@PaulAlvarez1]

Here’s a video review of a Mac that I use to make the video which I include as part of my review in the video since I bought the Mac to make videos because I want to make videos about making videos on a Mac as a review. Cool 👍

[@arranpbrown]

Mac-ception? 🤣

[@martinpaternoster]

First time in the Mac world, and I pre-ordered the base M4 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This is going to replace an Intel i5-based Windows laptop with a 1TB SSD and 20GB RAM. I wanted the ports so I can hook it up to a TV or Monitor for light video editing as well as to manage my images, video and music collection (from CD, niche interest musically that is not available for streaming etc. but stored digitally). It'll be a completely new experience for me but from what I've seen it should do everything I want it to do, plus some new tricks. I was tempted by the M3 Air but I needed the storage and didn't want to pay up for an upgrade when for a comparable price I could get better screen, CPU, ports and cooling.

[@arranpbrown]

Exciting stuff! I hope the MB Pro ends up being good for you! The base chips are surprisingly capable, which is great to see, but they still aren't cheap (with the exception of the base model Mac Mini, I guess). The Pro is undoubtedly a better computer than the Air, but I really value the portability of the Air. I may consider a 14 Inch MB Pro in the future though as I get better at video editing and need more power, as I do already find I'm hitting the limits of the Air in certain tasks (however, fairly infrequently!). Thanks for adding to the conversation! 😁

[@RainSJ-wp2tn]

Thinking about getting one for college, would it be a good pick ?

[@arranpbrown]

It depends what you're studying but for most things college related, I think it would be more than powerful enough and the portability is going to be great as well as the insane battery life, so yes!

[@Roger_Rademakers_1971]

I have just ordered this MacBook Air 13" in silver ( M3 / 16GB / 512 GB ) for €1349 ( £1125 ) !! --> ♥🍏

[@arranpbrown]

That's an excellent price for this laptop! Enjoy!! 😁

[@muzammildawre]

I’m considering upgrading from my Windows laptop to a MacBook Air M2 for learning new skills, KZbin, and Excel work. I noticed the MacBook Air M3 is only about 12,000-16,000 INR more expensive in the UAE. Would you recommend the M2 or the M3 for these tasks? And how’s the transition from Windows to macOS for someone who’s used Windows for years? Also, I’m concerned about storage for long-term use-does macOS updates consume significant space over time, and will 256GB be enough for the next few years?

[@arranpbrown]

If you are able to afford to go for the M3 and take it up to 512GB of storage, then I'd recommend doing that, as it will give you more headroom for heavier tasks as you learn more skills and use more intensive software features. However, the M2 should be enough for most things. The storage question really depends on how large the files you're going to be working with are. The a-roll and b-roll for one of my videos can often be over 100/150GB, so I really needed the 512GB option to manage those files. From looking at my storage, MacOS is currently taking up 22.27GB and 58.45GB is 'system data' which is often hard to remove - but I think most of that is from the cache on Davinci Resolve (video editing software), so it's like the system data on your machine might not be as high. On the Windows/MacOS question, I find that Windows is far better for productivity tasks such as working with data across spreadsheets, email, and your browser, as splitting the screen etc. is more intuitive and just works a lot better in my opinion. I find MacOS is much better for the creative side of what I do as apps run more smoothly with less crashing and issues than compared with my experience with Windows. I use Windows every day in my full-time job outside of KZbin, so I'm constantly switching between W11 and MacOS. I find MacOS tends to generally be a lot more stable than Windows but there are definitely quirks between the two OSs that can be annoying at times haha. I hope this helps!

[@muzammildawre]

​@@arranpbrown Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! It really helped me understand the pros and cons of each option. I’ll definitely consider going for the M3 with 512GB if I can stretch my budget a bit, but it’s good to know the M2 would still cover most of my needs. Thanks again for your insight on the Windows vs. macOS experience-it gives me a lot more confidence in making the switch!

[@arranpbrown]

No problem at all! I hope you are happy with whatever decision you make, and thanks for the comment and for watching 😁

[@lowgoingman]

Xiaomanyc in the world of tech

[@arranpbrown]

Never had that one before 🤣 but I can see some resemblance!

[@joshuanesbit]

I have a now very slow 2020 13 inch MacBook Pro (intel) would it be worth me getting an m3 air?

[@arranpbrown]

Absolutely! From the Intel models it will feel so much faster and the battery life is so much better too - I think you would be very happy with the upgrade!

[@Megabeans]

Update: after apples showcase you can now buy the m3 macbook air 13in for £999 and it has 16gb of ram. Still 256gb of storage however.

[@arranpbrown]

Yeah, indeed! Good news all round! I'd still recommend upgrading to the 512GB of storage though, but at least the 16GB/512GB version is quite a bit cheaper now!

[@Everything-ie5kc]

Hi am using windows software from 6 years onwards but now am planning to move on MacBook air from 2025 onwards. Please suggest which is the best mac machine for coding like stuff thing?

[@arranpbrown]

It really depends on how intense your coding workload is I think. I'd recommend at least 16GB of RAM and at least 512GB of storage. Fortunately, Apple has just this week upgraded the base model of all MacBook Airs to 16GB, so it's now cheaper to get that option than it was when I made this video! But you would still need to upgrade the storage to 512GB! Hope this helps!

[@Everything-ie5kc]

@@arranpbrown Thank you for the suggestion, but which one I take like m2 or m3 chiMacBookok air?

[@arranpbrown]

@Everything-ie5kc I would go for M3 if you can afford it. It's going to provide you with more power and be slightly more future proofed!

[@HarunoGasai]

I think you can just buy the 14 inch macbook pro M1, it's the perfect match for all your needs

[@arranpbrown]

The 14 inch MacBook Pro is still not as portable as the MacBook Air - it's around 30% heavier and substantially thicker, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference! If I need something more powerful in the future, I would definitely consider the MacBook Pro 14" though, over the 16"!

[@strictnonconformist7369]

If you have sharp enough vision then you can reduce font size to see more on an Air. I’m a power user, a developer. An Air would be an odd choice for that sort of work. I have a late 2019 16” (unless I lost track of size) MacBook Pro that I can possibly drive 4 4K external displays on, and I have it setup to use 3 (finite desk space) which is great for development work. Having to close the lid to use 2 displays is a non-starter. Why Apple has had that is puzzling to me as a design choice for any of their Apple Silicon devices. Not sure when I’ll move to my next MacBook Pro: feels like Apple has taken backwards steps in some major aspects. Perhaps not many users are like me in use-cases.

[@arranpbrown]

Yeah, that's a good point, but I feel on a 13 inch screen, that would be just too small unfortunately and you'd end up straining your eyes even more than normal! I think for the vast majority of people who use a MacBook Air, they are not likely to need more than two displays, but you do sound like a proper power user. At least you get more display support with the MacBook Pros, but still sounds like they won't support enough displays for you either! Thanks for the comment and it's interesting to hear your situation!

[@KeremKrm-p3u]

How about chronic heating issues? Was it solved or not?

[@arranpbrown]

I've not had any heating issues at all, apart from when I'm doing tasks that are literally using 100% of the CPU for extended periods such as rendering out a video in Davinci Resolve. Apart from that, the device can get slightly warm (and I mean barely warm) when video editing, and doesn't get warm at all in any other tasks I do. So if there have been any heating issues, then I definitely haven't experienced them!

[@arranpbrown]

Just to add, the device gets hot when rendering out videos for 10 mins+, but it doesn't even significantly slow down the render to be honest - it's really impressive.

[@KeremKrm-p3u]

@@arranpbrown We have been suffering from heating issues especially summer season in Türkiye. We see 36-43 C degrees in Türkiye and it slows down automatically.

[@arranpbrown]

Ahh, that's annoying! That is quite a vastly different climate to Scotland, so probably why we've had different experiences. Thanks for the comment and contributing to the conversation!

[@BananthahallyVijay]

The M3 air seems to have been intentionally held back from getting the M4 processor. That has been reserved for the M4 pro. Apple won't reveal why!

[@arranpbrown]

I think it's just a release cycle thing to be honest. Apple want to spread out the release of their products so there is constantly hype around their products, so releasing the M4 MacBook Air in March will create yet again more hype around Apple and get them in the news - it's all just marketing. I also think they can afford to delay it with the Air as the vast majority of people buying the Air won't care what chip it's got - they will only care about the portability, battery life and that it has more than enough power for them to browse the web, respond to emails and other light tasks!

[@shaikhhar6911]

Great piece of tech these m-series macs. Though I think budget ryzen gaming laptops (victus, loq, etc ) are more value for money ( equivalent performance at half the price ) and upgradable over time , with only cons being weight and battery life.

[@arranpbrown]

Good points! I think those laptops could be good if you're not concerned about battery life, like you said, but battery life is super important for me personally as I like to work away from my desk as much as possible and it's super underrated not having to worry about the battery at all. Equally, I love that you get the same performance whether plugged in or running on battery from the Air. However, I do prefer Windows for productivity tasks and multitasking, and the Ryzen would be 100% better for gaming just because of power and compatibility, and of course the price difference (as you mentioned) is significant! So there are pros and cons I guess, both would suit different people depending on what they need the device for! Thanks for the comment and adding your input! 😁

[@Pablito2466]

11 minutes and you don't explain why you did not get a 14" mbp!!! bigger screen, same portability and much power and ports than a Air!!!

[@arranpbrown]

Yeah, it's a good point, but the 14 inch MacBook Pro is still not as portable as the MacBook Air - it's around 30% heavier and substantially thicker, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference! I wanted to prioritise portability and it's made a big positive difference to my workflow, which is great! If I find I need more power in the future though, I will definitely consider the 14 inch Pro!

[@Lavinjo7]

you look like mrbeast

[@jerry3249]

Huh

[@arambhsharma2050]

mere cousins english bolte hai bas, 3 din nahi tikenge delhi me, atitude hi woh hai jhad raha hai , kuch toh sikh jatein hai na,

[@Naturelover-nl24]

Why some indians comments on random video in their language and think they are so smart but in reality they are Dumish Fool.

[@anishworld3973]

Mr beast big fan

[@arranpbrown]

🤣