MacBook Air M3 review: Unsurprisingly excellent

Apple's latest MacBook Air takes everything we loved about the M2 redesign - a sleeker and lighter case - and adds more power thanks to an M3 chip.
Read our full review of the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air M3 here: www.engadget.com/macbook-air-...
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[@solanumtuberosa]

Tldr, good as a new purchase but nothing worth upgrading over the m processor macs.

[@user-io4sr7vg1v]

asus zenbook duo review? Is it not yet available in the states?

[@MoMo-vj1fk]

I wish there is more people on KZbin as you are, thank you, its pleasure to have you here

[@pie19988]

Thanks for this. I am still using an Intel Macbook Pro 2017 and was looking for an upgrade...don't need anymore convincing

[@amac8487]

Yup. Just put an order for mine today :). My intel one honestly has been great, with exception of the battery. I legit only got like 3 hours out of it. I kept it mostly plugged in the last year or so plugged into a monitor , so it never bothered me. I’m excited for it to come!

[@fikri2822]

3 generation of M series CPU and yet still no face ID on MacBook hardware

[@ropro9817]

And yet it has that gigantic notch... 🤣

[@xAnonymousComedia]

as a windows user, I wish my pc had fingerprint reader instead of face ID

[@ZeerakImran]

@@ropro9817 i prefer the notch to a narrower display aspect ratio. the area under the notch is 16:10. The area in the notch is perfect for the top menu bar so that it doesn't eat away from the vertical height and bring the 16:10 display to 16:9 or less. You still get a 16:10 display under the notch and a top menu bar as an addition. Win win. P.s. if the argument is that the notch is ugly, the macbooks are one of the few laptops which actually have a uniform bezel all around. Almost all other laptops have a huge chin or non-uniform bezels which I would never buy personally.

[@rabbithole8592]

Why would anyone want prints or face ID !? You know your prints and face will end up in the CIA archives.

[@___jalen]

would you recommend a 16gb air? what kind of power is that recommended for?

[@sku_101]

web browsing no.. content creation yesss

[@tristetrieste8172]

eep reading advice to get the 16GB MBA M2 or M3 rather than the base 8GB. But when I look on the apple sites it seems you have to first take 512gb (+++££) and THEN upgrade to 16GB (+++£). Can I not just take 16GB and 256gb option? Insight gratefully received.

[@shelby3486]

Thats painful 😖

[@jutjub22]

Hm I can configure both MBA M2 and M3 16/256. If you start from the base model.

[@tristetrieste8172]

@@jutjub22 Thanks for response. 👍

[@allnighterist]

Can i ask what was the sci-fi show hes playing on the laptop was it a movie or a tv series? Thank you. 1:56

[@vakama94]

The Fallout trailer

[@allnighterist]

@@vakama94 thank you

[@pspenard]

Is the glass half full with you all the time?

[@nisagomez4366]

One plus not mentioned is the screen is 100 nits brighter then the M1 MacBook Air.

[@giannirosato4341]

Yeah, same deal as the M2 Air

[@ScouserX_]

Nits 😂😂

[@JoeSiegler]

I just upgraded to this M3 air from a 2015 Intel MacBook Pro, so this is quite a jump for me.

[@macklin4839]

chrono trigger shirt got me in the feels.

[@GearWave]

Apple is in a sweet spot right now. Just went to buy another PC laptop and walked out with the Macbook Air .....its looks and feels much more premium than other offerings you would find in Bestbuy. Laptops seem to be going thru a skightly mundane aesthestic. Almost ALL of them are colored black and or grey. It would be nice to see some more colors. Apple has about 4 or 5 different colors. Do yourself a favor and get the beautifully stunning "starlight" color. Like I said im not a Apple guy the macbook Airs are really nice computers. Looking forward to familiarizing myself with the Apple OS.

[@TechPhotoGames]

Apple seems to do some of the best "shoving" of chips into laptops!

[@seyalcops]

I still have a 2018 MacBook Air 13”. Do you guys think it’s worth upgrading to the M1?

[@whkee]

Yes!

[@purplecadence7390]

dual monitor feature only works when the screen is closed? wtf? how does that make sense?

[@ganderthepanda8146]

The display controller can only handle 2 outputs. The laptop + external display, or 2x external displays. It didn’t make sense previously when you could only have 1 external. This has been software locked since M1. Now it’s a feature on M3 lol

[@purplecadence7390]

​@@ganderthepanda8146so my 10 year old laptop can display output to two external monitors while having the lid open but the NEW, FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT mac books cant do that? or am i just misunderstanding everything you just said.

[@fmax6000]

It surely makes sense as people use laptops in clamshell mode, use them as desktop with an external keyboard and mouse and 1-2 big external monitors usually.

[@purplecadence7390]

​@@fmax6000yeah....i do that....but i simply turn off the display when i do it.....its not forced. whatever tf apple is doing is completely moronic.

[@DevdanRomulo]

Is the base model 256 GB a dual NAND chip?

[@josemoz7280]

Yes. They did dual 128 this time. That’s what led me to upgrade from the M1.

[@aurelian1]

It is - the write speed still isn't as fast as on higher configs, but the read speed is great and it's generally a lot nicer, from what I understand.

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

nobody needs that ssd speed, anyone that regularly transfers big files is not going to get a base model config, and anyone else, aka 99% dont care@@josemoz7280

[@shelby3486]

Yes mam that's appreciated ☺️

[@pomeroytv895]

I love the shirt.

[@MaiElizabeth]

The only reason if I'm upgrading is just so I can continuously get the latest updates. My workflow has always been the same (video editing and office works). I don't need significant upgrades. I just need to be as new as possible at given time.

[@shaun1900]

that makes zero sense.

[@JasonTMays]

Nice tribute to Toriyama. RIP.

[@siruseusesir]

Sending love and support. Thanks for sharing

[@BenMalas]

I don't understand why tech reviewers insist on pro motion on Airs and always on display on watch SEs. I mean, on the marketing side of things, they are called the Air and SE for a reason.

[@axelbaltazhar1465]

I mean its gonna be a new standard at some point like it already is on windows side.

[@muhkasim]

Nice. InHope Upgrade for My mac M2 to M3

[@simaknaveedakther8755]

Solid laptop will get the job done

[@FuryRoadWarrior]

I'm quite pleased with my new M3 13" Air 16GB/1TB. Traded my M1 Air for a nice discount so I'm set for several years of happy writing while on the road or out on the boat.

[@WillFaustCuber]

What do you like more about the M3 MacBook Air than the M1 MacBook Air for your use case?

[@FuryRoadWarrior]

@@WillFaustCuber The better screen is my favorite aspect of the M3 vs. M1. I prefer the new form factor, too. Performance-wise, there’s not a huge difference between the two machines, though videos should play better on the M3 as AV1 becomes more widely used. M3 has faster WiFi, but I ain’t buying a new router to take advantage of it.

[@WillFaustCuber]

@@FuryRoadWarriorThat sounds great! I might wait for OLED but not sure as that could take a while…

[@MrArmaan62]

​@@WillFaustCuber 2027🙄🤷🏻‍♂️

[@WillFaustCuber]

@@MrArmaan62 Yeahhhhh not sure if I’ll wait that long 😂

[@whkee]

Fanless MBA M1 still have many Fans🥰 Notchless Too!

[@alfredmohi7238]

Literally two weeks after I buy my m3 MacBook Pro ... smh

[@the_alpha_phoenix]

Does the M3 Air 15-inche comes with a Backlit keyboard anyone?

[@ArthropodSpidey]

all macbooks come with backlit keyboards. Do you live under a rock?

[@the_alpha_phoenix]

@@ArthropodSpidey Yeah, I live under a rock and come from the past stone age, dummy!

[@GoBrand0n]

Best comment of the year. You made my day@@the_alpha_phoenix

[@Akimbo899]

@@the_alpha_phoenix😂😅

[@emmagrace3166]

Heeelp!! M2 8gb, 512 or M3 8gb, 256 ??? Pleeease 🙏(Price will be the same for me)

[@davidpickett3546]

Depends if you want more storage or not. If you're not using huge programs that take up lots of space then go for the m3

[@emmagrace3166]

@davidpickett3546 thank u so much!!

[@davidpickett3546]

@@emmagrace3166 I've just bought the m3 256 8gb for small music production projects and everyday use. Will be ample for my needs

[@NawlinstoVegas]

Every single one of the reviewers all tell you to upgrade the ram.....ALL of them. When you read reviews from normal laptop users(Best Buy) they love it with the base ram and have no issues. The Reviewers are working on $6000 laptops that are beasts. to them these feel like tricycles. I'm using a i5 iMac with 8 gigs of ram. I'm not giving apple 200.00 for a 34.00 stick of ram.

[@Isaac-fc7sw]

60 hz is crazy

[@AndrewUKLondon]

A chance for me to go for a 15” Mac book air. Better mic over the m2, better gaming with ray tracing etc, dynamic caching, double WiFi speed is great especially looking at this as a device for 7-10 years it’s an easy purchase What no reviewer of doing yet is shipping the ai vendors of m3 over m2- to go with the Apple OS changes later this year.

[@robertp457]

Better gaming? It's not good at gaming, don't get a Macbook Air, or any Mac for gaming. Apple doesn't care about gaming. I would wait until they actually do to go Apple.

[@shigai9727]

What's the point of requiring users to close the lid when you can just disable the monitor and still allow trackpad and keypad to work? OH! You want to MAKE MONEY apple!

[@MichaelGGarry]

Make money by......allowing you to use any 3rd party mouse and keyboard?

[@gmuk101]

No we card slot is not acceptable

[@darkstepwarrior88]

Very interesting that an m2 with 16gb is better then an m3 with 8.

[@tonyburzio4107]

The M2 was a mistake. It was supposed to be what is now the M3, but the graphics section overheated and used too much power. Apple removed the defective graphics hardware and put the M1 graphics back in to make the M2, then kept the old 5nm process and shipped. Later, Apple went to Blender and they fixed the 3D algorithm. What we got was: M3 = M2 + 20% speed up (3nm) + New 3D Graphics More complications keep arising however, as TSMC continues to innovate. The missing Desktop Macs are slated to use the next version of 3nm process, which is faster, more efficient and all that good stuff Apple really likes.

[@ropro9817]

First, peak phone and now we've reached peak laptop? Is tech getting boring? 😂

[@brachiator1]

The M series chip was a significant achievement. If Intel and AMD could exceed this, life would be very interesting.

[@craigd123]

I'm waiting for the quantum chip

[@omar2886]

According to Benchmaks, these new M3 Air perform morenor less the same as the M1 Macbook Pro 🤔 is that correct?

[@AndrewUKLondon]

Nope. Definitely not. Yet some intensive graphics and AI tasks and the m1 to m3 is a big change

[@robertp457]

@@AndrewUKLondon What AI tasks?

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

absolutely not

[@omar2886]

So I'm considering now to go for the Air M3 because of the weight. Would it then be nore or less the same comoared to my actual M1 Macbook Pro? Or even better maybe? Because I don't want to invest again yo get the same as I already have

[@bugged1212]

Get one desi in the company and the whole company goes desi. If you know you know.

[@JimP-tc7gg]

The redesign that came with the M2/M3 is arguably worse than the M1. Build quality feels less solid, keyboard has less travel, superior top firing speakers were removed and then they added useless rubber feat that let the machine slide about all over the place. I couldn't care about minor chip updates, they need to make a better laptop first.

[@stroke1516]

ITS THE SAME PRICE AS THE M2 before the M3 came out.. you get the NEW M3 CPU with a faster SSD !! for the SAME PRICE! If it cost more for the M3 I could see some people complain.. but you get the M3 for the SAME PRICE.. What are people complaining about? Its FASTER for the same Money ..

[@Conchobhar]

That Chrono Trigger tee is KILLER. Who's the artist?? also RIP Toriyama-san

[@jeraldb2868]

Not compelling enough. I’ll stick with my M2 MacBook Air 13. I’ll wait for the M4 or M6 MacBook Air

[@disoriented3971]

These are mainly aimed at people still running Intel machines

[@brycemcmillian1519]

Yeah no point to upgrade every cycle

[@ThePedrify]

What is the thing about still wanting the 3.5mm jack in 2024? Don’t really get why KZbinrs still praise it

[@remynyc149]

A headphone jack is more desirable for content creation. Even great Bluetooth has a slight lag

[@robertp457]

8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in a $1400 laptop? What does it cost to take the laptop to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage? $600! In the PC, build-it-yourself-world, for $600 you could buy a 4TB NVME Professional drive like the Samsung 990 Pro and at least 32GB of DDR5 RAM. It's embarrassing.

[@unclefart5527]

And everything glued or soldered. But those new colours!

[@evanmila4048]

@@unclefart5527 I have a PC with better specs but I still use my Mac for portability and 20 hours battery life

[@jego207]

not this debate again of apples and oranges. software and ecosystem for apple; hardware value-for-money for windows. two both great machines selling to their respective target markets.

[@andyH_England]

It is $1100/£1100 so I am not sure why you have exagerated the $1400! For £1500 in the UK we get 512GB/16GB. If it is more expensive in your country it is probably due to Gov taxes or if you are in the EU, extra cost to pay for the stuff the EU has pushed on Apple.

[@brachiator1]

Most people are not interested in building their own laptop, so the comparison is interesting but not meaningful.

[@dennisherold7887]

For a few seconds of speed, I will stick with the M1, which Apple made to powerful.

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

actually the M1 is the only one that's not too powerful from the 3

[@theflyingscott1]

Excellent but poor value for money. Especially if you need 16GB. There is no need for these prices in UK / Europe. Ridonkulous. The new Asus and HP machines offer much better value for money and are pretty much on par. And let's face it, anyone serious about productivity and work is better off with Wndows than macOS. God it's so slow and fussy.

[@sirpotato9478]

its 2024 mate, use chapters

[@patham9]

I don't like the misuse of the term "real estate" for screen surface. Who came up with that nonsense term?

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

that's not misuse but a technical term that includes 1. Screen size 2. Resolution 3. Aspect Ratio 4. Display Scaling

[@OutRAjious]

You say that... but Ive just spent all night editing 1000 phots on my iPad... when I go to view them on my new M3 Air MacBook none of the edits transfer, all the pictures are dark. Apple is crap.

[@paerengan]

Pengen

[@sicfxmusic]

That notch makes it looks like a cheap OEM model.

[@TheThaiLife]

Kind of surprised that a professional would create a Talking Heads set up that is the equivalent of having the sunset at your back. So, we see a washed out weird screen with something on it and a shadow with glasses you don’t have a viewfinder or anything? To see what’s going on on your filming?

[@BobYau]

How many people still care about a headphone jack?

[@remynyc149]

On a laptop it makes sense for content creation especially music recording. You want as little lag as possible. It’s the only time I use headphones wired. I use the lightning to headphone jack wire on my AirPods Max

[@jedics1]

Ports is all Apple could entice me to upgrade with, I don't see any of those ugly dongles in their marketing and I don't want to see them in my life either....Lack of ports and a soldered ssd are the only things I don't love about my m1.

[@plc3653]

why does it look like freaking purple?!

[@MF2_ETaube]

gaming is a joke on a macbook, need to install linux to play games on it. Otherwise for gaming a mac is 10000% worthless

[@TrotterGrottberg]

60Hz screen, I feel sorry for Macbook buyers

[@hedrickoYO]

EWWW

[@ItsPaulby]

Honestly what are MacBook Air users doing that needs more? I have an iPad Pro and can appreciate the high refresh screen. I also have a new loaded Dell XPS 15 that was $2K and it’s 60hz and for the kind of work I’m doing (software engineering) it makes no usable difference.

[@TrotterGrottberg]

@@ItsPaulby yeah that's very true, but it's poor value for money, I mean, honestly what are Apple doing fitting 2014 screen technology into a 2024 state of the art high end machine? I think their share price reflects their attitude to ripping off customers with up-selling which, to be honest stinks

[@ItsPaulby]

@@TrotterGrottberg I don’t think anyone buys a MacBook Air for those reasons though? They already make laptops and devices that do all the things you’re talking about, so the issue isn’t that they aren’t capable of doing it. MacBook Air is more convenient and has better battery life than an iPad Pro with a keyboard attached. It’s more versatile. I can throw it in my bag for a 3 day trip and not charge it. There’s really not a single windows laptop as efficient as the air. KZbin and most content I’m consuming is capped at 60hz anyways. The extra is just eye candy for the UI elements and scrolling smoothness, which isn’t really needed for a lot of people. Higher refresh screens use more battery.

[@TrotterGrottberg]

@@ItsPaulbyExcellent points. Yes, very effecient at 3 days battery, like you say anything above 60hz would kill the battery. I don't have a need for a laptop so forgive my ignorance, I've gotten used to high refresh gaming on a 27" 144hz 4070 super PC, but I still like the Mac for it's superior stabilty. The last macbook I had was a 2010 15" dual core Macbook pro which weighed as much as the moon hahaha. Cheers

[@spinthewin]

Its notch looks so bad.

[@johnnymaccool9828]

I just returned a MacBook Air m3 15 “ that I picked up earlier today , what a joke , cuppertino in flat on their butt , can’t handle the same apps the iPad can, not user friendly and apple support has dumbed down something awful .

[@MichaelGGarry]

Wut? What iPad apps were you expecting on a Mac? Not user friendly? What are you used to using? Apple support has been fantastic in my experience.

[@johnnymaccool9828]

@@MichaelGGarry I wanted to replace a 2nd gen. iPad that I use primarily for music and guitar apps , reading news and KZbin .i buy the MacBook m3 15” and soon discover I can’t download the guitar apps I use or KZbin , I call the support center and stay on phone for 90 minutes with three specialists and they couldn’t explain what was going on , I go to the store and employee tells me I have to cut and paste off the apps website to use on MacBook and the guitar apps are not compatible, I wasted a lot of time , I returned the MacBook .

[@giovannibucio]

garbage my friends fixes computers and there mostly imacs, expensive apple trash.

[@MichaelGGarry]

You know nothing.

[@giovannibucio]

@@MichaelGGarry ppl that know nothing buy expensive brands like apple. Instead build your own super computer if you have a brain.

[@MichaelGGarry]

@@giovannibucio Ah yes, because building a LAPTOP is really a thing and most customers are simply not building their own machines, please live in the real world. Also - I was building PCs probably before you were born.

[@giovannibucio]

@@MichaelGGarry building a PC of your own is a real thing to some that know how to and even better than apples trash, i fix with my friend apple imacs and inside are trashy components meant to break. if you know how to also then congrats. welcome to the real world.

[@mw7967]

Please stop pushing typical consumers to 16 gigs of memory. Frankly, it's not necessary for the audience Apple is targeting. If we're being honest, the vast majority aren't going to see a return on the extra money spent to upgrade the ram. Apple isn't going to support your 16-gig configuration for any longer than the base model. Lastly, if you're the type of consumer who upgrades every 2-3 years, the base configuration nets you the most value on trade-in. Apple will not give you more trade credit, simply because your config has double the ram. These are not video-editing machines, so spending the extra coin is quite literally a waste of money. Honestly, the majority of those who buy this machine aren't using it much differently than others who might opt for a Chrome Book. KZbin influencers need to stop manufacturing reasons to push people to waste their money on pointless upgrades in a laptop with a fanless design. Most people will be fine with the base config. Take all of these reviewers and influencers with a massive dose of salt.

[@robertp457]

"Apple isn't going to support your 16-gig configuration for any longer than the base model." What are you talking about? Do you even know what RAM does? If anyone is buying a computer thinking how much they will get for it in two years, they are buying the wrong computer and don't likely actually need one. Especially a Mac. No one who cares about saving money is buying a new MacBook every 2-3 years. 16GB of RAM is suitable for individuals who may require it in the future. With 5-6 browser tabs open, several web applications running, a word processor, and Lightroom in use, the 8GB can quickly deplete. There is no point in buying a $1400 laptop with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. I would avoid paying that much money for so little if I could.

[@mw7967]

@@robertp457 Yes, I'm absolutely knowledgeable about what RAM does and its impact on performance. My point is that 16 gigs on this laptop for the average user isn't worth the extra money. It's horrendously overpriced to go up in configuration and again the average user isn't going to see an appreciable value for the extra money spent. This is a nice laptop but it's a mixed bag. It's okay for some basic photo and video editing, but even at max config, it's not the best choice.

[@mw7967]

@@robertp457 I fully understand what Ram is and its impact on performance. My point is that the average user isn't going to see an appreciable difference for the extra money spent. The cost to double the Ram is horrendously overpriced. It's a nice laptop but it's also in a weird spot. It's base config is okay for regular day to day tasks and some light editing. (akin to a Chromebook) Fully spec'd out, and it's approaching MacBook pro pricing, without the active fans to support a creatives workload, which is why I would not buy this machine for anything greater than the base config. Paying anything more makes no sense. The target audience is at the base config.

[@mw7967]

@@SlitheringDemon Yes, you're absolutely correct but again, if you're going to spend $200 just to double the Ram, in order to spare the SSD, It only serves to illustrate the point further that this MacBook air might not be worth it over an M3 MacBook pro. You're spending over $1,500 once the Ram alone is added and are very close to MacBook Pro territory at that point. It's a tough sell to me, at that price.

[@andyH_England]

@@SlitheringDemon The price of the MB Air 512GB/16GB version is the same as nearly every premium Windows ultrabook, so I fail to understand why you claim Apple is not offering the moneys' worth. It is nonsense as you are not comparing with premium rivals. All Apple does is offer a cheaper skew for those that cannot afford $1500 and if you are upset with that, can you explain why you do not want people to have a chance to buy a MB Air at $1100 if they cannot afford $1500. The price of $1500 for 512GB/16GB will not change if Apple kills the cheaper models. Your argument is flawed and showing no understanding of basic demand side economics.

[@Errcyco]

Got me a base M1 MacBook Air in 2021 and never had a bit of buyers guilt. It's been the nicest computer I have ever had. I hope I don't have to upgrade for a long time. If OS Updates don't kill me on space, I should be able to pull off 8-10 years.. that's why I buy Apple.. realistic hardware for the OS, cohesion you don't get elsewhere (out of the box anyways).

[@peppi69]

People who call that you can finally use two external monitors (with the laptop closed), a feature is crazy. For years every Intel, Amd integrated gpu can support up to 3 Monitors with the laptop open. This isn't a feature it was a missing function that never should have been missed. 2 monitors and open lid should be a minimum for every laptop. This and the noth are my only conplains about my m1 pro

[@solanumtuberosa]

Just like people praising apple for using usb c lol

[@steveseidel9967]

The MacBook Air is Apple's lowest end laptop with just the base M3 chip. This type of device is meant for more casual computing. Apple's MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max all support many monitors with open laptop, 120hz, etc. Why? Because that's how pro users use their machines. You buy the right tool for the job. You're basically complaining because your spoon wasn't designed to dig a big trench.

[@steveseidel9967]

@@solanumtuberosa You do know that Apple was a major contributor to the USB C standard, right?

[@solanumtuberosa]

@@steveseidel9967 that is like saying mortal kombat is a major contributor to the esrb.

[@peppi69]

@@steveseidel9967 having two external display doesn't have anything to do with being pro apple just wants you to give them more money for an already very expensive device. If a 400€ Windows/Linux Laptop can do it so should every Macbook Propusefully selling me a spoon instead of a shovel but wanting the same price as the shuffel has nothing to do with the design of the machine. They cpuld easily design it to jave 2 external monitors with the laptop open they just don't want to beacuse they are apple