The MacBook Air has received the M3 treatment, Apple released the M3 MacBook Air on 4th March 2024 out of the blue with just a press release. Following its impressive rise of mobile chips and refresh of its desktop and laptops, the MacBook Air gives consumers a laptop that is practical for most people who are not looking for a powerhouse laptop.

Specifications

The M3 chip offers an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine that can run optimised AI models as well as a built-in GPU. The new MacBook features a 1080p FaceTime camera, three microphones, and supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.

The M3 comes in 13 and 15-inch models and is up to 60 per cent faster than the M1 MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is equipped with an 18-hour battery life, supports two external displays when closed, and is upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E supporting a 6GHz band and fasting download speeds. The M3 MacBook Air comes with MagSafe charging and two Thunderbolt ports.

The 13-inch base model starting at £1,099 comes with 8GB unified memory, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 256GB SSD storage. The 15-inch base model starts at £1,299 have similar specs apart you will get a 10-core GPU for those graphic-heavy tasks.

Summary 

General users will find the specs enough to carry out daily browsing, watching films, or sparse photo or video editing. The M3 will allow the laptop to breeze through future applications especially its capability to run optimised AI models. Apple’s regular software updates  will mean your new MacBook Air will continue to receive security updates for many years.

Video: First Look at the M3 MacBook Air by iJustine