M3 MacBook Air: The Tiniest Change Makes All The Difference

The MacBook Air occupies a bit of a strange place in the MacBook lineup-It offers two sizes, just like the Pro, and unless you’re getting the powerhouse 16”, they weigh about the same too. For the layperson, it’s a matter of a couple extra ports-and even then all that USB-A tech will need dongles. But surely there are more differences below the surface? Let’s dive into the 13” M3 MacBook Air.
Learn all about our latest RIght to Repair win in Oregon
www.ifixit.com/News/92144/ore...
Upgrade your drivers to our fixed-blade Marlin Screwdriver set
www.ifixit.com/products/marli...
Keep your repairs organized with our magnetic FixMat
www.ifixit.com/products/fixma...
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:25 Back Cover Removal
00:56 Battery Removal
01:53 Battery Specs and Comparison to 15” M3 MacBook Air
02:32 Trackpad Removal
02:53 Speaker/Antennas Removal
03:06 Logic Board Removal
03:32 Display Removal
3:44 Ports and Touch ID Removal
04:04 Right To Repair Wins and Final Thoughts
Subscribe to our channel for all our latest teardown and repair videos!
kzbin.info_...
Follow us on Twitter: / ifixit
Check us out on Facebook: / ifixit
Join 300,000 other fixers who subscribe to our newsletter: ifix.gd/newsletter

[@anianii]

Dang, 6 years later and AirPower jokes are still a thing 😂

[@nomoregoodguy6639]

Release the inmate!

[@ivankuzmenyuk3233]

I am Alex Hollings and THIS is AirPower! If you know what I mean 🙂.

[@Plunderkind]

I was expecting an Apple Maps joke.

[@eggnorman]

Frick me, has it really been 6 years?

[@-johnny-deep-]

I missed it: what's the "tiniest change"?

[@ssamani24]

No more adhesives so this will make repairability from third party shops a decent experience.

[@mitchtalmadge]

Actually looks really repairable. And very pretty inside too. I am surprised how small motherboards are getting.

[@MorningNapalm]

i am surprised at the 5/10, it seemed pretty good all around. Was the missing 5 just because of parts pairing?

[@ilyachap]

I guess, only EU can force Apple to stop Parts Pairing. Hopefully, one day.

[@liamness]

Parts pairing maybe makes sense on phones because they're literally stolen out of people's hands and then broken down for parts and sold, and Apple perhaps have a duty to reduce the incentive to commit what are sometimes quite violent muggings. Stolen laptops and tablets are much more likely to be sold whole though.

[@lbgstzockt8493]

@@liamness So because a tiny fraction of devices gets stolen means taht ALL devices should be unrepairable? Cars also get stolen routinely, yet we can repair those just fine.

[@liamness]

@@lbgstzockt8493It's not a tiny fraction, it's one of the most common forms of petty crime today. A few days ago a neighbour of mine saw a heavily pregnant woman get shoved onto her stomach as a thief snatched her phone. At least when cars get nicked the owners generally aren't actually with the vehicle. test

[@metallurgico]

only consumers can. just stop buying anything but groceries.

[@przemek2573]

Keep Parts Pairing, but allow me to discard broken mac to be a parts donor.

[@jeremiahreilly9739]

It‘s like being a kid and taking a watch apart. The trick is putting it back together. 😉

[@treebonesnepal]

Watch it in reverse

[@sharzy7209]

I find it funny that half the battery is screwed in. It proves that they can make the battery easily replaceable but don't want to.

[@Alejandrolanza]

Securing is not the same as attaching and ensuring that a device you move around all the time doesn't have internal bits floating/buzzing around

[@anivicuno9473]

​@@Alejandrolanza Somehow, every other laptop maker has figured out how to use screws to secure batteries. You don't need glue to "secure" the battery

[@fuckgoogle3335]

@@anivicuno9473tbf, as much as I love my Lenovo thinkpad laptops they have a tendency to have all the screws loosen overtime, especially the batteries, and on a couple that I’ve had they needed to be retightened like every month. It’s not always the case, but there is something to be said for using a strong adhesive to keep something firmly in place.

[@navmanster]

@@Alejandrolanza🤡

[@AlexanderTrefz]

​@@anivicuno9473 Every other laptop manufacturer has way less battery life and thicker laptops.

[@bengt_axle]

I used to repair laptops about 25 years ago, and this one looks amazingly well-designed. The parts that wear out, like the batteries, ports and hinges are all modular. The use of space is very efficient, and the assembly is immaculate. Plates with screws add rigidity and reliability. If there is no code that prevents parts from being swapped in, I'd say that this is a very good design, rivaling the old Thinkpads, that were chosen for their repairability and parts availability.

[@Shamino0]

So, if the battery is held in place with four screws and they are already using screws that double-up as posts for clipping on the cover, why not get rid of the adhesive altogether? Use two more of those screw/posts in the corners of the device and make it simple and easy? Just like my old 2011 MacBook Air?

[@Sco1t_]

I’d be interested to know if there are any actual engineering reasons for this beyond trying to be difficult. I would say that it might make assembly easier, but they have to do the screws on half of it anyway. Maybe they install it with glue first and then add the screws later because it’s faster or easier?

[@pongkat]

I bought one of your tool kits and I am absolutely loving it. I used it to fix my iPhone 6. You guys and other tech tubers are my inspiration to fix and explore tech❤

[@shapelessed]

The worst example of anti-repair I've seen to this date (that's somehow even worse than Apple's) is still the onewheel. Wanna replace the tyre because it got used up? Umm, no... You gotta disconnect the battery, which would wipe the volotile ROM holding the firmware, bricking your board. Imagine sending your car to the manufacturer just to swap the tyres...

[@tomaszwisniewski5583]

Which onewheel? What is that?

[@shapelessed]

@@tomaszwisniewski5583 Can you seriously not google "onewheel" and look up the 1st result? Come on, it took you more time and energy to write that question than to google it. Szczerze. To nie jest aż takie trudne.

[@aviwad]

whats onewheel

[@shapelessed]

@@aviwad Open up google, type in "onewheel" and just click the FIRST link that comes up, you will most likely end up on Future Motion's website... Jesus...

[@killerpoopguy]

That's not the case on the pint, I'm not sure about the GT or the pintx though.

[@0xbenedikt]

I really don’t mind the pentalobe screws. Just about any screw driver set features one.

[@unicornpoo7441]

I've never stripped a pentalobe but Lord knows how many Philips head screws I have ruined

[@duroxkilo]

@@unicornpoo7441 if it happens that often something's wrong besides the screw heads, no disrespect. one advantage of philips (and even more for flat) is they permit a little angled approach when necessary.

[@CT-vm4gf]

Exactly, I can’t see what the big deal is.

[@devnol]

Yeah instead of banning pentalobe I reckon we just ban phillips (/s). Torx (and pentalobe by extension) are significantly more structurally resilient to stripping and wear.

[@mug786]

literally nobody (aside from apple) uses pentalobe. it's nonstandard. they're also can't be used more than a few times. just use torx everywhere.

[@duroxkilo]

i used to fix computers a few decades ago.. i understand the principle of 'right to repair' and all that, great stuff, but compared to what i used to do to just get inside a laptop these modern machines are infinitely more simplistic -for lack of a better term. a few months ago i helped a neighbor w/ a lenovo T something, maybe 14... it felt like the engineers put time in designing things in such a way that the disassembly is foolproof. an actual pleasure :)

[@fuzziau5669]

the issue is that lenovo has a focus on ICT industry and tries to keep things fixable in some way. but soldered on-board memory and storage along with proprietary hardware with no 3rd party alternatives that work reliably (as intended by apple) we had an absurd increase of who can make the smallest and lightest machine, but also force people into a hardware lineup that is doomed to be replaced by complete new machines each year and without ability to transfer boards (at least easily). Framework focused on that, i run a framework 13. its infinitely more accessible, elegant in repair, fully modular and can be repurposed or improved as new parts roll out. Chassis, boards and drivers are designed to work across the board (except the framework 16, its designed for that form factors boards but is still a FANTASTIC system as much as the 13).

[@or123and]

lenovo quality got worse and worse, i went back to macbook air because i was unlucky twice with lenovo thinkpads.

[@r1e5p3l7i2c]

Built for automated recycling disassembly

[@johnsparozich6839]

But once you open it the parts are serialized and even if you could get a replacement part it will not work. This is why we need right to repair laws in all 50 states Lenovo makes junk products, when it was IBM the products were good.

[@or123and]

@@johnsparozich6839 Also, on mine the mainboard died which made it a financial total loss.

[@JJ-si4qh]

I actually like pentalobe screws because they don't strip

[@ActuallyAwesomeName]

Ever heard of torx?

[@peterthepanda]

Still deserves a automatic 0/10 for parts pairing/software locks, riveted keyboard and non-upgradeable soldered-on storage.

[@ilbufalantdellefigurine4488]

How often will you replace Touch ID on your laptop? And didn’t you notice keyboards without rivots feel a lot worse and even quality windows laptops now use them? And finally if you buy a MacBook Air you know you can’t upgrade the storage

[@Alex-hv3ir]

And RAM, which in 2024 should be MINIMUM 16 with 24 or so being the norm imo. Mostly because a device with 8 GB of RAM bought in 2024 won't last long, seeing that every single year the RAM taken by the OS increases.

[@okay7332]

is there not a good reason for soldering the ssd? just trying to be educated

[@FoXIsWithMe]

​@ilbufalantdellefigurine4488 there's the ball licker...

[@bituniverse8677]

@@okay7332One reason is that the chips storing the data will fail some day. The other is that if you need more space in the future, you can just go out and buy a $100 1 TB drive instead of paying the Apple tax of $3000 for a new Mac with that storage. I have also seen on Rossmann’s KZbin that Apple places 12V rails close to the memory chips on some Macs. That means if a liquid gets in there and shorts that rail to the chip, bye bye chip.

[@2009raindrop]

This is the most entertaining and well-crafted take-apart video I have ever watched

[@ChairmanHehe]

parts pairing ban > manuals

[@piotrd.4850]

Information on broken pairing - yes. Enforcement - no, or opt-in for user.

[@fabiopablo95]

Dang, I clicked the video just to see and it turns out it's one of the most well-made and ear catching videos I've seen in the last months

[@onirem4973]

Still hate that Apple doesn't just use screws for the battery, but at least it's a step in the right direction Now if only they would stop pairing them...

[@johnsparozich6839]

Yes fixable only if you can get reasonable priced replacement parts!!

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

which will always cost more than a new machine, naively speaking.

[@andrewho2456]

One thing that Right to Repair doesn't tackle is reasonably priced parts.

[@matthewmershon4792]

Which is the big point in part pairing ban. You will be able to buy cheap third party or used parts that were cannibalized from broken devices.

[@markfrellips5633]

Fantastic Breakdown and ever relevant commentary even for the overall environment to drive the important messages

[@AC-lt5ro]

@iFixit Is there anything different hardware wise that differs the m3 chip from the m1 chip in terms of supporting dual monitors?

[@denvernaicker8250]

great video and insightful in general to right to repair and how that applies to latest macbooks, i find the screw assembly to be a bit more elegant rather than having sticky glue everywhere even though it might cause contention with getting the exact parts later down the line

[@muizzy]

To be honest, in terms of servicing, I'm positively surprised here! As long as the parts pairing is gone, this is perfectly doable!

[@bapt_andthebasses]

It is not, you're out of your gosh darn mind.

[@muizzy]

@@bapt_andthebasses small wins are worth celebrating! And for apple, this is definitely an improvement!

[@FOM_extras]

I love that we have this historical record showing how repairable a company's products are over time hopefully the grade trends upwards

[@veleriphon]

For once, I don't hate the disassembly procedures. The double sided stretch tape is an oddly decent choice by Apple.

[@Wingman4l7]

You know things have gotten bad when you're happy that unnecessary adhesive is just made easier to remove.

[@JessicaFEREM]

Software locks deserve an automatic 0/10 or disqualification. Whats the point of repairing a laptop if you cant repair it successfully?

[@ericmatthews8497]

What is the point of repairing a laptop with a cheaply made Chinese scam part?

[@lbgstzockt8493]

@@ericmatthews8497 Nice strawman

[@ericmatthews8497]

@@lbgstzockt8493 Seriously... Why should Apple allow people to make knock off counterfeit parts? How does that help me as a customer? I like that Apple prevents people from selling me fake parts. That's not a problem .. it's a benefit!

[@mleonee]

Well evidently not every part is software locked. So the device gets a score based on the repairs that are possible despite the software lock.

[@mArvAlcao71]

@@ericmatthews8497 Tbf Apple made at least some of their stuff in China

[@RinzSach]

I just got my m2 13.6 inch repaired and it took about 8 days. I like how there wasn’t any IC chips in the airs and only in the pros making display repairs fairly easily because there’s no chips to switch. I wonder what my engineer has done in the past he’s a magician !!! Thank god I have insurance. *Its just got a small dent in the back right edge now*

[@TechWithBabak]

Awesome! Good humour and clean removals.

[@jaeuchoi9948]

still have a rivet screw in MacBook keyboard?

[@gk2011]

Use a suction cup to pop the bottom left and right sides out of the locking tabs and then use a black stick on the inside of the left and right display hinges. Will push the cover right off.

[@stevefeinstein2776]

Black stick? Is this a technical term?

[@TheQuangBang]

Is it possible to replace the keyboard easily? How about for example switching an ISO keyboard for a JIS one?

[@14goub]

impossible

[@hueybui]

Keep up the great work guys and gals!

[@hishnash]

The only parts that have pairing is the Touch ID everything else is calibration.

[@prnva_]

Very neat presentation

[@vatinp]

If Framework can make reparable device then Apple definitely can but didn't choose to.

[@AndrewPL5]

I love how people complain about apple yet ignore almost every other windows laptop that is also difficult to repair, has soldered ram and/or storage, etc. With your logic windows laptops makers can make a reparable device just chose not to.

[@vatinp]

@@AndrewPL5 Apple is the lead. Every phones and laptops had replaceable batteries until the arrival of iPhones and MacBooks. Then, gone with 3.5mm “courage” jack, then soldered ram and ssd, then serialized parts, then…..

[@AndrewPL5]

@@vatinp you give Apple too much credit. It would have all happened anyway even if Apple was first to it or not. Stop blaming them for issues that other manufactures CHOSE to do, they weren't forced. Maybe hold them accountable too instead of blindly blaming one company with a way smaller market share.

[@skkiiipppp]

@@vatinpandrew was right. Other companies have the choice to make it easy for us consumers but they chose the route apple has taken because it makes them more money. Companies ain’t charity, they’re here to make money and they’ll gonna do it as much as they can stretch reality. Apple has seen how to earn more even if it pisses everyone and that became their “cheatcode” and others followed suit. They see that by removing a headphone port gives them opportunity to sell wireless earphones, others will do it too. They see that by making batteries non removable gives them opportunity to jack up the battery replacement fee, others will do it too. Even by serializing every component they find in their products, they will do it for the sake of profit and others will do it too. You see? Other companies have their choice, but of course their main priority is profit and they see apple leading the way how to do it. And oh yeah, afaik, older models of macbooks have removable batteries.

[@troogroove9318]

Have you seen the thickness and bulk of a framework laptop? Everybody wants a thin light laptop so to make it you have to remove upgradable ram and hdd’s

[@RubikOwl]

I'm really curious, and I'm probably not getting something, but why are people still against the pentalobe screws? Like, when they were introduced I can get why we hated them but at this point everyone has them, and they've been used for so long it's not like you can just remove them from kits right? Does Apple charge people for them the same way they charge for their lightning? Again, I might be missing something, so I'm really curious what the reasoning is. Love your stuff BTW, everything I've bought from you has been top notch quality!

[@MohdYusufAbdulHamid]

Fun and nicely presented video. 🎉

[@TheoWerewolf]

So... if you screw down the batteries.. WHY do you need adhesive? Also, taking it apart is just 1/2 the game... can you put it back together without Apple disabling something?

[@TokersDomain]

why would you not be able to put it back together? Apple doesnt disable anything when the machine is taking a part...

[@Teluric2]

Because if you try to remove glue its easier that you can break something by accident.

[@JudgeFredd]

Really great video

[@atarixle]

This one look pretty solid. Compared to the horrorfying white and black MacBook1,1 ... 4,1 and 5,2, the MacBook Air M3 with all the screws looks pretty cleaned up and easy to repair. Those many tiny screws make it (hopefully) more durable.

[@lol-di3tf]

Ironically, M3 MBA is STILL slower than M1 MBA's SSD speed.

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

y but nobody needs that speed anyway, ever, ever. like which video editor, those are the people that transfer large files all the time, buys a base model ? and who else cares? nobody except tubers

[@mArvAlcao71]

@@JohnSmith-pn2vl Many 'nobodies' does care, and it's still ironic nonethless

[@piotrd.4850]

@@JohnSmith-pn2vlWatch last MaxTech video - everybody needs it.

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

​​@@JohnSmith-pn2vlso, the argument for not having a replaceable SSD is "it's faster this way", and when they say "but it's not really that fast" apple fanboys revert to "who needs that kind of speed, are you bonkers?" Priceless.

[@bongkem2723]

my god, those screwsssss, i miss the gold old HP Elitebook, almost no unnecessary screws to repair !!

[@Kekeripo]

If it wasn't for the shenanigans apple pulls with the software lockout for repairs, this seem very easy to do.

[@user-ce7ic1ze2u]

1:51 hey at least the battery is easier to remove!

[@denvernaicker8250]

are the thermals better managed in m3 air vs m1 air?

[@SA-xf7pc]

Probably not. The M3 has more heat issues than the M1

[@denvernaicker8250]

@@SA-xf7pchow so?

[@bonezed]

and can you improve heat dissipation in any way?

[@denvernaicker8250]

@@bonezedi think it might depend on context of which applications you are using, for instance stress testing with cinebench and then checking thermals is in extreme situations and perhaps not day to day tasks, so for m1 air currently it runs brilliantly and i think the m3 air for day to day tasks should run well too because they have added more passive thermal heat distribution

[@SA-xf7pc]

@@denvernaicker8250 Apple increased the overall density of the chip and the clock speed but didn’t really improve the thermals and didn’t improve the dissipation of heat at all.

[@JeremyHelm]

Excellent video!

[@grcigar9911]

The profit margins on these appears massive. And that is not a good thing for consumers.

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

ofc it is, cost and price are 2 very different things. an air bought 3 yerars ago lost sells for 700 now. macbooks are always the cheapest laptops one can buy. a windows machine dies after 2 years, if not, nobody wants it, it has like 0 value. nobody repairs windows machines, why is that, because they are not worth it.

[@TwentyEightySeven]

Being made for $200-300 a piece and then the extortionate RAM and SSD upgrades bump up the huge margin even more. It’s shocking what you are getting for the retail price.

[@thenoble1]

new to the apple business model?

[@adamr4198]

I wonder how many work shifts it takes for the factory workers to be able to assemble these machines without referencing the instructions?

[@lieutent2654]

I swear iFixit used to be more scrutinizing over parts pairing and assemblizing components like making the keyboard and top case one component. Do we just live in a time where that is acceptable now?

[@jeffreyvai6750]

They used to, but most manufacturers do the same things and don't expect people to keep their laptops as long anymore. Although I miss the old macbooks that were super reliable and repairable

[@sadatnafis2032]

Just look at how thin a device is the keyboard and top case probably needs to be one piece.

[@SkaterStimm]

Pentalobe screws were used because people were stealing display model iPhones and Laptops when the security tag was attached to the back casing and they could remove it with a simple Philips.

[@prettyawesomeperson2188]

Yea.. like a fly landing on the screen, splitting the screen in half.

[@MikVision]

Now if it had replaceable SSDs it would be perfect, or at least an M.2 slot for expandability (Not asking for ram, since that would make them change the SOC architecture, and that might be too much to ask.)

[@just_in_key]

Airpower always catching stray 😂

[@LasstUnsSpielen]

What a lovely video. :) Really fun to watch

[@vijayantkatyal285]

insightful

[@shivarakesh5541]

Good info

[@laurenslee9134]

This was not as brutal to watch as a JerryRigEverything video and for that I say *thank you* very much.

[@theonlybyte]

AirPower roast lol too soon

[@SmirkInvestigator]

I’d watch a documentary on the “Right to Fix” movement. There’s a lot of weight against that and am impressed how far it has gone.

[@Dominus_Potatus]

I'll say that Macbook is pretty fixable if not for its software support

[@marcorubbianifontana]

at least the inside is beautifully clean

[@rsmrsm2000]

please more videos

[@steinmar2]

can not wait like you said like car repair but also these are restricted just do not allow any restrictions :) and apple will sell even more :)

[@ExisVR]

I really hate the notch design... 😅 Design-wise, the 2020 version(m1 gen) looks much more cooler to me.🤣

[@r3dp1ll]

same here. Hepefully in a few generations the notch will disappear

[@RahmanDwi]

The notch would be better on smartphones, but NOT on desktops and laptops

[@louisjaffe]

Even with the issue of parts pairing still outstanding, I would've thought the provisional score for these new MacBook Air models would be better than 5 out of 10. Compared to teardowns of previous MacBook models, it looks like Apple went quite a long way toward ease of repair.

5 out of 10 because you still can't replace or upgrade the RAM or SSD, two of the most common things that people want to do with a laptop. Between that and the large number of screws and brackets to remove make that 5 score look about right to me. The fact that you can replace all the ports is a plus; none of them are placed directly on the mainboard.

[@SimplySketchyXbox]

RAM / Storage isn't a repair factor though, that's an upgrade factor, not to mention that the RAM on Apple Silicon is on the die itself. Makes it a bit difficult to just drop in a bit more.@

@@SimplySketchyXbox RAM and storage ARE a repair factor. SSDs wear out, sometimes long before the computer is otherwise unusable. RAM is one of the most common component failures.

[@josemedeiros007]

Cool video!

[@shanemitchellspencer]

I can't understand why you'd want to replace pentalobe screws with..phillips? So they get stripped the first time you'd open them?

[@jo.v-c]

Could do something more standardized like Torx.

[@shanemitchellspencer]

@@jo.v-c didn’t know that was a more available standard. I’d take it.

[@bobweiram6321]

Apple will just cut off software updates earlier.

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

why would they do that, they are leading in that regard since like forever

[@Jsmith1611]

The thing about parts pairing is that it makes apple product worthless to steal. If i had to choose between never having to worry about theft vs. slightly easier/cheaper repair, I'd always choose the former.

[@dolurosu]

Yet they still get stolen. same for iphones. So your choices are easier/cheap repair vs harder/expensive repair, while worrying about theft in both cases.

[@MaxTechOfficial]

Impressive!

[@anas8183]

Please a battery test of all macbook silicon laptops except the (m1 m2 m3) max

[@jaimaakali1658]

One can make a amd 5600g pc equivalent of this, with more repairability ofc.

[@pedzsan]

It seems like a lot of stuff to screw / unscrew, etc. Does Apple manage to automate most of this?

[@Verthias]

Modular ports are fantastic. You have to appreciate being able to pop out a dead port and pop in a live one.

[@JerridFoiles]

Playing devil's advocate, I do think SOME parts pairing is necessary. Things like FaceID and TouchID data seems like the kind of thing you need to keep secure, but that shouldn't apply to a laptop display...

[@johnnycash5858]

No one really complained when that requirement was discovered with TouchID Home Buttons, due to how it interfaces with the secure enclave. We DID start to complain when swapping OEM display panels began disabling features like TrueTone before Apple upped their game and disabled non-authorized repairs completely at the firmware level.

[@zahlex]

It's not. They are just sensors. They should sense whatever data they are made for and send that to the logic board. There should be all the crypto magic and Secure Enclave things going on, that decided weather the received data seems legit or not.

[@laloreta798]

@@zahlex the fear is that these sensors could be swapped on a targeted attack and modified for example to capture and extract your fingerprint.

[@Tom_videa]

That can still be safely done as-is. Just not make it hot-swappable (meaning once disconnected and reconnected, you need to restart your phone) and require pin code to enable biometrics. That would make any attempt to use fake sensor to unlock your device impossible. Heck, you could even save some apple encryption key to every biometric sensor and the phone would just check if the sensor is genuine Apple part, regardless of the ID, making it possible to use donor iphone. I very much doubt Apple with their R&D budget couldn't figure out anything... Only thing I can't deny is that part pairing makes any attempt to steal an iPhone less attractive by making it harder to sell it for spare parts, but I'm not sure I'd want that if it meant harder, more expensive repairs and sometimes even buying new device just because Apple decided they won't fix it. So... Yeah 🤔

[@tomasbrown6013]

I thought part pairing was to stop people stealing and selling for spare parts

[@mrembeh1848]

by now the pentalobe is standard, I would say...

[@SteveMaves]

Enjoyed the nautical humor but I'm afraid the ports are on the starboard.

[@__init__3493]

Not with the laptop right side up

[@Sacto1654]

I still wished the M3 MacBook Air had a better cooling system. By very slightly thickening the case, they could have put in a vapor chamber cooling system, which would mean in the occasional need to do more complex tasks, the comptuer will suffer a lot less from heat-related throttling of the SoC.

[@johnnycash5858]

Agreed. For the life of me I don't understand why they couldn't include even passive cooling in this new chassis. While the M3 throttles less than the M2 thanks to it's improved thermals from the die shrink, it still underperforms from lack of even remedial cooling. Apple really wants people to buy up to those Pro's, don't they?

[@jcfawerd]

​@@johnnycash5858 Apple already walks a fine line there to limit the temperature of the outer shell slightly under the max temp that legal permits, if you pay attention to those passive cooling mods, any improvement to the thermals of the SOC will just bring more heat to the outer shell and rises up the temperature to a dangerous level that you will suffer low-degree burn if you put the laptop on your lap.

[@johnnycash5858]

@@jcfawerd How? I’m not talking about shunting the heat into the chassis like the mods you speak of, I’m talking about a proper heat pipe shunting the heat away from the SoC to the vents where the screen meets the chassis. If anything that would make the underside of the laptop cooler as the heat has somewhere else to go besides the bottom case.

[@jcfawerd]

@@johnnycash5858 if you are talking about the heat pipe solution, then you are introducing weight to the laptop, then what’s the point of buying a MacBook Air since their new weight are so close to the MacBook Pro as most people buy those MBA for portability.

[@atorbtech]

Why the heck did you guys give it only a 5/10 score ??

[@ActuallyAwesomeName]

because then what would you give the Framework laptop? A 20 out of 10?

[@atorbtech]

@@ActuallyAwesomeName give it a 9. Why give 20?

[@johnscott5105]

I wish Apple could improve the passive cooling more. I know my M2 can have wide swings in temperatures and easily go well over 100c. Apple really is depending on throttling to protect this notebook.

[@WittyLemon7]

I saw somewhere that applying a “Thermal Pad” strip on the SoC it helps better manage the thermals & performance! I don’t know if this works in reality!

[@johnscott5105]

@@WittyLemon7 I've seen that I guess it helps some. Not worth risking voiding my warranty though to try it. I mostly see temps stable around 55c doing web stuff.

[@patrikfloding7985]

Given that you really want 16GB RAM, it’s all a bit pricey. Second hand prices on M1 are silly strong due to the continuously increasing prices on new macs.

[@glorysaber1590]

why the heck are we still complaining about Pintal lobe screws when it is an easily accessible and well designed screw for all.

[@luizfreitag]

Nice jurassic park cosplay!

[@bhagmeister]

It’s so unfair for Apple to not let us re-code the M3 chip itself. Can’t believe this. Waaa waaa

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Awesome & Thanks :)

[@Paulygon]

I absolutely love how you remind me of Dr. Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park

[@dustyoldhat]

Laura Dern? I don't see it

[@radry100]

They put a notch on a laptop display... oh god

[@tonyburzio4107]

No, it means you need to drive out of Oregon to get your Mac fixed.

[@theEDMdragon]

If the bills can stop Apple from pairing parts altogether then I'm really looking forward to the future of the MacBooks.

[@jeremiahsmith5900]

This was actually surprisingly straightforward. similarly sized windows devices often aren't that straightforward

[@mArvAlcao71]

in part because Apple silicon which is more compact (and the side effect is we couldn't do anything with it)

[@abinari]

edit: THANK YOU FOR THE GOLD KIND STRANGER

[@lzap_CZ]

The best host ever. Thanks.

[@kenarok5912]

Open to tier down of Apple products is with logical and full of feels if not you gona be wrong🔥

[@j.05429]

Storage? (looks like:) :p

[@j.05429]

straight up logic board.

[@IkilledA0livebox]

is the keyboard still riveted to the top case?

[@mori7423]

for MBA I guess it is, there's no other way to mount the keyboard to the top case for MBAs

[@itsyaboikirbo]

@@mori7423 nobody tell em about screws

[@mori7423]

@@itsyaboikirbo Apple doesn't use them for keyboard mounting on MBAs. There are pros and cons to it IMO

[@bungee7503]

I’ve only had mine for a week, so hope not to see this view. Well narrated and interesting; thanks.

[@julienvf]

Hopefully some state will force Apple to make an upgreadable SSD socket like m.2 nvme! THey are charging 1500-2000$ for 2-4-8tb ssd's which is 5 to 10 times the market price for nvme...

[@abanobpopheapo]

Why it feels like mobile phone from the inside more than to feel like a laptop

[@user-zg1ny6kq8h]

So can you replace/upgrade the ram or SSD?

[@pennplayz]

honestly a provisional 5 is way higher than i though a MacBook Air would be

[@tiestofalljays]

Mac laptops have always been kinda easy to open. At least ever since they switched to the Unibody design. I've had more trouble opening Microsoft's Surface line.

[@jameshodgetts7541]

@@tiestofalljays Everyone loves to gloss over how terrible the surface devices are to repair. As though its only apple thats evil enough to have thought of glue. My old, work provided surface literally blew itself apart when the battery swelled, as I had no other choice than to continue using it after the battery died. Opening the thing to replace it would have destroyed the screen, literally noone had managed to actually open that model without damaging it irreparably.

[@SuperZeNou]

Nice video, but am I the only one seeing her as Laura Dern from Jurassic Park?