Now that Apple has updated its hugely popular MacBook Air range with a raw M3 - power model , there ’s one query : is the new modelling a no - brainer leverage or should you expect at picking up the flash M2 MacBook Air ? We equate the two to see where your money would be well spent .
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 256GB/8GB RAM, 2024)
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Design
You ’d be hard - pressed to find any material difference in the designs between the 13 - in MacBook Air M3 and its predecessor . Both share the same dimensions and weight . Keyboards and trackpads are unaltered , and the rest of the factor , including the Touch ID sensor and ports , also remain the same . The colors are identical as well , with midnight , starlight , quad grey , and silver option .
The main difference between the M3 model and the M2 is the screen sizing . If you need a 15 - in model , there is only the M3 pick as Apple has retired last year’s15 - inch MacBook Air M2 , leaving its replacement , theMacBook Air 15 - inch M3 , as the sole larger - than-13 - inch alternative . Again , it ’s an identical design to the M2 model , but bigger than its 13 - inch siblings . So , here ’s how the three current models stack up :
Dimensions
Weight
Yes , the 15 - inch fashion model does push the air travel over to its limits in terms of weight , but for this size , it still feels light enough to hold back its fabled name .
orchard apple tree
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Display
As with the figure elements , the 13 - column inch model again come with identical setup for the display . Both feature 13.6 - column inch Liquid Retina displays running 2,560 x 1,664 resolve , with 500 nits of light , plus all-embracing Color ( P3 ) and True Tone technology .
Obviously , the 15 - inch M3 Air has a larger panel — a 15.3 - inch Liquid Retina Display with a scaled - up 2,880 x 1,864 closure , but aside from that it is simply a enceinte version of the 13 - in model .
Macwelt
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Audio
With the 13 - inch models , phone derive from a four - talker system that supports Spatial Audio . Weirdly , Apple lists the old model as have a full - stereo sound , which seemingly is n’t present in the M3 model . It ’s not clear just what this is , but it may be a feather in the cap for the13 - inch MacBook Air M2 .
The 15 - inch M3 has a better sound system than the 13 - inch model , with a sum of six utterer and force - call off woofer .
The M3 brings some microphone upgrades compared to the M2 , with interpreter isolation and wide-eyed spectrum mode to improve audio in noisy environment . Plus it has heighten audio clarity financial backing for audio and video calls . With this in mind , the M3 MacBook Air would be the better alternative if you make a lot of FaceTime or Zoom address on your Mac without using an external USB machine .
There ’s the same 1080p FaceTime camera across all models .
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Specs
The main variety in the specs section , as you ’ve probably judge , is the kick upstairs processor . While the M2 was already jolly fleet , the new M3 tote up around20 percentage in terms of carrying into action improvement . That might not seem like much , but most chipset functioning increments have traditionally been around this mark , so the M3s are faster , but not so much that they forget the M2 in the debris .
On the two cheapest 13 - column inch models , you ’ll get an M2 or M3 with an 8 - magnetic core C.P.U. and 8 - inwardness GPU . All other 13 - column inch and 15 - in configurations get an 8 - Congress of Racial Equality CPU and 10 - core GPU . The M3 bring the added fillip of the AV1 decode engine and hardware - speed up beam of light tracing on the M3 , which will no doubt make it tempting for those who require to create video content .
reposition options and RAM capability are retained from the M2 card . submission - level models all total with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage and some fundament configurations have 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of memory . Note that in the case of the M3 theM3 ’s 256 GB storage selection is better than the 256 GB storage in the M2because Apple has included two 128 GB NAND chips rather than a individual 256 GB chip . That means the two drive can process data simultaneously , making for much degenerate hurrying than the M2 good example . The slower SSD in the M2 was one of the chief disadvantage , so this is an excellent improvement on the previous generation .
Here are the combination Apple whirl , which are the same for the M2 and M3 models :
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Connectivity
The MacBook Air has never been overburdened with port wine , mainly due to its lissome designs , and Apple is n’t changing this with the young M3 exemplar . As with the M2 , you get two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports , a 3.5 mm headphone jack , and a MagSafe charge embrasure . That ’s it . Of naturally , you may use aUSB - speed of light hubto massively expand your connexion options .
Communications do vary somewhat , with the M2 utilizing Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi - Fi 6 , while the M3 is almost the same but boosts the Wi - Fi to the 6E standard , although you ’ll need a compatible router to get the extra connectivity of 6E.
Petter Ahrnstedt
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Battery and charging
You may expect the larger 15 - inch MacBook Air M3 , feature a great battery , to hail with a retentive spirit away from a charger , but that does n’t seem to be the slip . Apple states that all three framework have up to 18 hour of assault and battery life from a individual bearing . This is n’t surprising with the 13 - in models , as they both have 52.6 - watt - time of day batteries , but the 66.5 - W - hr cell in the 15 - column inch Air does n’t boost the lifespan , presumably due to the power drain of driving a larger showing .
The service line smaller Airs come with 30W USB - C chargers , with the 15 - in Air feature an upgraded 35W charger . All can sustain fast charging with a 70W USB - C Power Adapter ( sold separately ) .
M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Price
With the arrival of the M3 MacBook Air Apple has drop the cost of the M2 model . As for the M3 model , the great news for those exterior of the U.S. is that prices have come down compared to the previous generation . U.K. price are back to being the ‘ same ’ as the U.S. toll rather than much mellow , saving as much as £ 150 in some cases .
13 - column inch MacBook Air M2
13 - inch MacBook Air M3
15 - inch MacBook Air M3
You should also check out our roundup of thebest MacBook Air dealsto see if there ’s a bargain to be had . If you need to strain and get across down the 15 - inch MacBook Air M2 then you could look forrefurbished modelsor shop around third - company retailers that might have old stock that ’s still selling .
Should you buy an M3 MacBook Air?
As with any successive iteration , the margins of difference between this yr ’s mannikin and last twelvemonth ’s are modest . The 13 - inch M2 and M3 Airs feature many of the same components . They look selfsame , and have the same port wine , display , configuration options , and battery life , with the only major conflict being the jump to a new central processing unit . But with just $ 100 difference between the M3 and M2 , unless your budget is very close , we advocate one of the newer machines .
The 15 - column inch M3 MacBook Air is an even easier recommendation , bid a large screen size and well speakers over the 13 - inch model . If it ’s too big for you , the 13 - inch good example is a slam dunk . To be honest , they ’re all great machines , so for once it does fare down to what size you want and how much are you unforced to pay . Whichever one you decide on , it should serve you handsomely for years to issue forth .
For grease one’s palms advice on thebest Windows laptop , see our sister site PCWorld .
