Apple has launched the all-new MacBook Air with M3 chip. While retaining the same modern, slim design of the M2 MacBook Air, the latest iteration comes with a number of improvements in addition to the more powerful Apple Silicon. Here’s how the M3 MacBook Air vs M2 compare.
Background
The 13″ MacBook Air got a big redesign in the summer of 2022 with the M2 chip, a larger 13.6-inch display, flat-edged chassis, new midnight color, upgraded webcam, and much more.
Then the 15″ MacBook Air arrived in summer of 2023 with the great features of its smaller sibling but with a few improvements.
Now to start 2024, both the 13 and 15″ MacBook Air have been updated at the same time with the M3 chip. Let’s dig into what’s new and improved!
M3 MacBook Air vs M2 MacBook Air
TL;DR
- Faster and more capable M3 chip
- Support for up to 2 external displays (with MacBook Air lid closed)
- Faster wireless connectivty with Wi-Fi 6E
- New 3-mic array with Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes,
and Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls - New Anodization seal for the midnight finish to reduce fingerprints
Read on below for the nitty gritty details 😁.
CPU, GPU, Memory, more
Here’s how the main specs compare:
| 13″ M3 MBA | 13″ M2 MBA | 15″ M3 MBA | 15″ M2 MBA | |
| CPU | M3 – 8-core | M2 – 8-core | M3 – 8-core | M2 – 8-core |
| Storage | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB |
| RAM | 8, 16, or 24GB | 8, 16, or 24GB | 8, 16, or 24GB | 8, 16, or 24GB |
| Graphics | Up to 10-core | Up to 10-core | 10-core | 10-core |
| Neural engine | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core |
| FaceTime camera | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Speakers | 4-speaker system with wide sound | 4-speaker system with wide sound | 6-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, wide sound | 6-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, wide sound |
| Mics | 3-mic array with Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes, Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls | 3-mic array | 3-mic array with Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes, Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls | 3-mic array |
| Thermal management | Fanless | Fanless | Fanless | Fanless |
Apple says the M3 MacBook Air is “up to 60 percent faster than the model with M1 and up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.”
And as detailed during the M3 MacBook Pro launch, the M3 chip has efficiency cores up to 30% faster than the M2 family, and up to 50% faster than the M1 family.
For performance cores, the M3 family is 15 and 30% faster than M2 and M1, respectively.
Plus Apple says rendering on M3 is up to 1.8x faster than M2 and up to 2.5x faster than M1.
Apple also previously highlighted that the M3 chips represent the “Largest leap forward in graphics architecture” with Dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading.
Ahead of Apple AI news that may be unveiled later this year, the company the M3 MacBook Air is “the world’s best consumer laptop for AI“.
Display
Specs remain the same for the displays of both the 13 and 15″ M3 MacBook Air laptops vs the M2 models:
| 13″ M3 MBA | 13″ M2 MBA | 15″ M3 MBA | 15″ M2 MBA | |
| Actual screen size | 13.6-inch | 13.6-inch | 15.3-inch | 15.3-inch |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2560 x 1664 | 2880 x 1864 | 2880 x 1864 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch |
| PPI | 224 | 224 | 224 | 224 |
| Nits (brightness) | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Liquid Retina Display | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion (up to 120Hz) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| P3 wide color | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
MacBook Air I/O
A notable limitation for all of the MacBook Air models up until now has been support for only 1 external display up to 6K at 60Hz.
This has changed with the M3 MacBook Air models offering support for 2 external displays when the laptop is closed.
Another improvements is Wi-Fi 6E with the new M3 laptops.
| | 13″ M3 MBA | 13″ M2 MBA | 15″ M3 MBA | 15″ M2 MBA |
| Magic Keyboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Touch ID | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| USB-C 4/Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Headphone jack | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HDMI | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| SDXC card reader | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| MagSafe charging | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 |
| External display support | 2 external displays with up to 6K at 60Hz for 1 and 5K at 60Hz for the 2nd when MacBook Air lid is closed | 1 external display with up to 6K at 60Hz | 2 external displays with up to 6K at 60Hz for 1 and 5K at 60Hz for the 2nd when MacBook Air lid is closed | 1 external display with up to 6K at 60Hz |
Size, weight, and finish
Dimensions remain the same between the M3 and M2 MacBook Air models.
At 11.5 mm (0.45 inch), the 15″ MacBook Air is barely thicker than the 13″ model which comes in at 11.3 mm (0.44 inch).
One interesting update, Apple is now using a new anodization seal on the midnight model that should help reduce fingerprints:
| 13″ M3 MBA | 13″ M2 MBA | 15″ M3 MBA | 15″ M2 MBA | |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) | 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) | 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) | 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) |
| Thickness | 0.44 in. (1.13 cm) | 0.44 in. (1.13 cm) | 0.45 in. (1.15 cm) | 0.45 in. (1.15 cm) |
| Width | 11.97 in. (30.41 cm) | 11.97 in. (30.41 cm) | 13.40 in. (34.04 cm) | 13.40 in. (34.04 cm) |
| Depth | 8.46 in. (21.5 cm) | 8.46 in. (21.5 cm) | 9.35 in. (23.76 cm) | 9.35 in. (23.76 cm) |
| Display size | 13.6 in. | 13.6 in. | 15.3 in. | 15.3 in. |
| Finishes | Silver, space gray, starlight, midnight | Silver, space gray, starlight, midnight | Silver, space gray, starlight, midnight | Silver, space gray, starlight, midnight |
Battery life
Battery life remains the same with the M3 MacBook Air models – a solid rating of up to 18 hours.
Both the 13 and 15″ M3 MacBook Air are rated for:
- Up to 18 hours of video playback (with the Apple TV app)
- Up to 15 hours of wireless web
Apple describes it as a “battery that goes all day.”
For capacity, the 13-inch has a 52.6-watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery. And the 15-inch uses a 66.5-watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery.
Pricing
The new M3 MacBook Air models come with the same starting prices as the previous generation. That’s $1,099 base for the 13″ M3 MacBook Air and $1,299 for the 15″ M3 MacBook Air.
The M2 MacBook Air remains in the lineup with a price cut – $999 for the base model.
Standard models for the MacBook Air are 256GB SSD/8GB memory and 512GB SSD/8GB memory, and 512GB SSD/16GB memory. Models with 24GB memory and storage up to 2TB for the MacBook Air are custom orders.
M3 MacBook Air vs M2 conclusion
While the M3 MacBook Air machines don’t come with a host of changes, the improved chip, faster WiFi, and upgrades like support for two external displays are welcome improvements to what Apple says is the “world’s most popular laptop.”
If you’re on the fence between the 13 and 15″ models, the main difference other than the screen sizes and larger form factor is the 15″ Air has the upgraded 6-speaker sound system while the 13″ has the 4-speaker system.
You can get the M3 MacBook Air now from Apple and soon from Amazon, Best Buy, and more.
Top image by 9to5Mac/Apple, all others via Apple
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