Review: Two Weeks With the M3 MacBook Air
The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models have been available for two weeks now, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the 15-inch version since it launched. Over on our YouTube channel, Dan shared a review now that he's been able to spend some quality time with the machine.
The M3 MacBook Air is a perfect all-around laptop, and the Air models are what we recommend for most people. In fact, the M3 MacBook Air is more machine than the average consumer likely even needs. For web browsing, sending emails, and other simple tasks, a more affordable
M1 MacBook Air or
M2 MacBook Air is more than enough, and the
M1 MacBook Air is even available at a super low $650 price right now.
For photo editing, video editing, and tasks that require a little more power, even the base model M3 MacBook Air with 8GB Unified Memory is more than enough for many people. Upgrading the memory will give you a bit more leeway in terms of future proofing, and adding more storage is a good idea if you need space for file storage, games, and apps.
Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, the M3 has faster CPU and GPU speeds, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for 3D rendering and games, Wi-Fi 6E support, and support for two displays in clamshell mode. If you need these options, or don't mind shelling out a bit more money for a machine that will last longer, it's worth getting the M3, but we also think the more affordable M1 and M2 MacBook Air models are perfectly great for many people.
Popular Stories
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing.
For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also ...
Next year's iPhone 17 Pro models will reportedly feature a major redesign, specifically centering around changes to the rear camera module, and now new supply chain information appears to confirm the striking change, according to a Chinese leaker.
iPhone 17 Pro concept render
Late last month, The Information's Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro...
Developers now have access to cloud-based M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini units via MacWeb, a Silicon Valley-based provider of cloud services.
The company has launched three configurations of the new Mac mini, powered by Apple's M4 and M4 Pro chips. Developers and IT teams can rent these machines for tasks ranging from basic development to advanced artificial intelligence modeling, providing an...
Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:02 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today released macOS Sequoia 15.2, the second update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that was released in September. macOS Sequoia 15.2 comes over a month after the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1.
Mac users can download the macOS Sequoia update through the Software Update section of System Settings.
macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds Image Playground, an app that lets you create...
Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:54 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today made a mistake with its macOS Sequoia 15.2 update, releasing the software for two Macs that have yet to be launched. There is a software file for "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13," which are upcoming MacBook Air models.
The leaked software references the "MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and the "MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)," confirming that new M4 MacBook Air models are in...
Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:03 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, the second major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. The new updates come over a month after Apple released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...
