Apple MacBook Air M3 Review: Is It Still the Best Travel Laptop in 2024?

After all, it’s been several years since I tested and was impressed with the first version of the MacBook Air. It was in 2008, when Steve Jobs threw the slim device out of a light brown envelope, and in a split second it changed the idea of ​​what a laptop would look like. Although Apple had compromised on performance, there was nothing you could put a finger on with the slim form factor, and the device was an instant sales success.

But a lot has happened since 2008, and the sleek shape is no longer enough to attract buyers. A computer must be fast, powerful and have a long battery life. Fortunately, Apple has kept up with the times, and especially when back in 2020 they equipped the MacBook Air with their new M1 chip, magic was created. The small device received a real revival, and an unreserved recommendation for anyone looking for a strong and reliable travel companion. The new MacBook Air 13″ with an M3 chip is now on the test bench. It’s time to see if Apple’s cheapest and lightest device can still get unqualified praise.

Like himself

On the surface, the device is similar to itself when we compare with MacBook Air M2 from 2022/23, where Apple updated and streamlined the design so that the Air had the same expression as the Pro series. In other words, we get the famous flat design in recycled aluminum, MagSafe 3 for charging, two Thunderbolt-USB 4 ports and a Liquid Retina display with a 1080p FaceTime camera in the built-in notch at the top. The latter may take some getting used to, just as it would be nice if Apple had increased the refresh rate of the screen from 60 to 120 Hz. I would also like to see some ports on the right side of the device, where there was only room for a minijack port. It is desirable that the headphone jack is still there, however, as some competitors have started to remove it.

Inside, a little more has happened, although it is in the details department, if we ignore the main attraction – the M3 chip. The device is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E instead of 6, and it now supports two external displays instead of just one. Well, one last thing… the midnight color has been given a new surface treatment to make it less prone to greasy fingerprints. That’s it now.

Go for the top model

As Apple and several other manufacturers have finally come to terms with, they work with “from prices” when pricing their products. In short, it means that there is a standard arrangement which is also a major price point in marketing. Unfortunately, the default configuration on the MacBook Air M3 cannot be recommended. Here you only get 256 gigabytes of storage space and 8 gigabytes of RAM. It’s just too small in 2024.

The latter is especially important if you have many apps or tabs open at the same time, and there’s nothing more annoying than a device that starts to lag because it can’t keep up. In this case, that means a price difference of about 5,500 for the 13-inch model, which I tested, and 6,300 for the 15-inch model. It is still a lot for 256 gigabytes of additional storage space and 8 gigabytes of RAM, and something I would like to see Apple complete.

Excellent performance

That said, and if, like me, you choose the 16GB model, you’ll get a speedy device that can go a long way to keeping up with the larger and more expensive MacBook Pro, which has been the most popular work device ever. my favorite since 2015. Especially since the fast M3 chip makes the MacBook Air M3 easily handle the most common graphic tasks, word processing, image editing, video rendering and watching video in 8K format .

Apple itself claims that its new MacBook Air M3 is up to 60% faster than the MacBook Air with an M1 chip. Here it might have been more appropriate to compare it with their M2 chip, so I’ve looked a bit at the Benchmark results from our test on this particular one. Although the differences are obvious, they are not as big compared to the MacBook Air M1. For example, we can mention Cinebench R23 (basic single), which is just 19 percent better. Basemark GPU and Web 30 also get a slightly higher score on the new M3 processor, although here it is only a difference between 14 and 28 percent respectively.

The last thing worth looking at is battery life. Apple itself claims that the new MacBook Air M3 can hold power for up to 18 hours. This naturally depends on what you use it for, as well as how much light the screen should release. As far as I know, their estimate fits well. I was able to use the device all day without any problems, without needing the supplied charger.

Decision

There aren’t many real innovations in the new MacBook Air M3, but when all is said and done, it’s still one of the best and most travel-friendly laptops on the market. It’s lightning fast, has excellent battery life, and doesn’t take up much space in the bag. However, I would like to see Apple drop the low price point and equip the basic model with 16GB of RAM so that we can avoid the impression that it is cheaper than it really is. If you want a travel-friendly laptop that handles most tasks well, the MacBook Air M3 is still a “no brainer” — as long as you’re not on Team Windows, because then this is not the laptop you are. rediscover.

Apple MacBook Air 13” M3

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Home means

Fast charging, good battery life, nice speakers, no fan.
The basic edition is too weak, a small update.