Don’t buy a MacBook Pro - MacBook Air M3

Summary

In this detailed review of the MacBook Air M3, the reviewer highlights its improvements over previous models, especially in terms of performance with the new M3 chip. While the design and features remain largely unchanged from the M2, the M3 offers better GPU performance, longer battery life, and Wi-Fi 6E support. However, for most users, the M3 doesn't provide enough of an upgrade to justify the higher price, making the M2 or even the M1 Air a better value for casual users. The review balances praise for its speed with considerations of cost-effectiveness, making it a great choice for those needing extra GPU power, but not a necessity for everyday tasks.

Takeaways

• 😀 The MacBook Air M3 features Apple's latest M3 chip, offering better efficiency and performance compared to the M2 model, especially in tasks like gaming and Blender rendering.
• 😀 The MacBook Air M3 still follows the familiar design of previous models, with minimalist packaging, non-plastic materials, and included Apple stickers, maintaining Apple's premium presentation.
• 😀 Unlike the M2, the MacBook Air M3 now supports two external displays, though it still lacks a second display controller, which means you can't use both external monitors with the laptop's own display.
• 😀 Battery life on the MacBook Air M3 is impressive, delivering up to 12.5 hours of endurance, thanks to better power efficiency in the M3 chip and reduced thermal throttling.
• 😀 The M3 MacBook Air is silent during use, with no fan noise during light tasks. However, it does experience thermal throttling during extended, high-performance workloads like gaming or video rendering.
• 😀 The new M3 chip includes support for AV1 decoding (but not encoding), hardware ray tracing, and Wi-Fi 6E, making it a better option for users who require cutting-edge media and connectivity capabilities.
• 😀 Despite the improvements, the performance difference between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air is relatively small for everyday tasks like web browsing and media consumption.
• 😀 The MacBook Air M3 is $100 more expensive than the M2 at launch, but the improvements may not justify the price increase for users who don’t need extra power or performance for demanding tasks.
• 😀 For most users, the MacBook Air M1 or M2 remains a better value, with the M1 model available for as low as $700, which is $400 cheaper than the M3 version.
• 😀 In terms of display quality, the MacBook Air M3 offers a sharp and color-accurate 13.6-inch screen with 500 nits brightness, but it still lacks high refresh rate or HDR capabilities.
• 😀 While the MacBook Air M3 is a solid device, those who require more power for serious professional tasks like 3D rendering or video editing might want to consider the MacBook Pro instead, as it offers faster performance and better thermals.

Q & A

What is the biggest upgrade in the MacBook Air M3 compared to its predecessor?

The biggest upgrade is the new M3 chip, which offers better performance, improved efficiency, AV1 decoding, and hardware ray tracing. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds, provided you have a compatible router.

Is the MacBook Air M3 a significant improvement for most users?

For most casual users, the improvements in the M3 Air are incremental. The M3 chip offers better performance, but for tasks like web browsing, watching videos, or basic photo editing, the difference is minimal. The M2 or even the M1 Air would still perform well for these tasks.

What is the main benefit of the M3 chip over the M2 chip?

The M3 chip provides enhanced performance, more GPU cores, better efficiency, and support for new technologies like AV1 decoding and hardware ray tracing. However, the difference is mainly noticeable in demanding tasks like video editing or 3D rendering.

How does the MacBook Air M3 handle external displays?

The M3 MacBook Air supports two external displays, which is an upgrade over the M2’s single external display support. However, the laptop can’t use both external displays alongside its built-in screen, as it still relies on a single display controller.

What kind of users would benefit the most from upgrading to the M3 MacBook Air?

Users who do creative work like 3D rendering, video editing, or using software like Blender would see the most benefit from the M3's improved performance. Gamers who play for extended periods may also benefit from the extra GPU power, but the Air is still limited by thermal throttling.

Is the MacBook Air M3 better for gaming compared to other MacBook models?

While the MacBook Air M3 has more GPU cores and better performance than the M2, it still lacks a dedicated cooling system, meaning it will thermal throttle during extended gaming sessions. For serious gaming, a MacBook Pro or Windows laptop would be a better choice.

How does the battery life of the MacBook Air M3 compare to the M2?

The M3 Air offers slightly better battery life than the M2, thanks to its improved efficiency. In endurance tests, it can last around 12-13 hours, which is more than sufficient for a full day's work or media consumption.

Does the MacBook Air M3 support higher RAM configurations?

The MacBook Air M3 still supports a maximum of 8GB of RAM in the base configuration. However, users who plan to do more demanding tasks like video editing or Blender rendering might want to consider upgrading to more RAM, as 8GB can be limiting in these cases.

How does the MacBook Air M3’s display compare to other Apple laptops?

The display is similar to the M2 Air’s, with a 13.6-inch IPS panel, 500 nits of brightness, and a wide P3 color gamut. While it is still color-accurate, it lacks the higher-end features of the MacBook Pro, such as HDR and a higher refresh rate.

Why might someone choose to buy an M1 or M2 MacBook Air over the M3?

If you're only doing light tasks like web browsing, media consumption, or basic productivity, the M1 or M2 MacBook Air provides great performance at a lower price. The M3’s improvements are more suited to users needing extra performance for demanding applications or creative workflows.