Apple MacBook Air M3 (13-inch/15-inch) Review

The MacBook Air has long been the definitive ultraportable, the benchmark against which all others are measured. With the introduction of the M3 chip, Apple once again refines its most popular laptop, subtly enhancing an already winning formula. This isn’t a revolutionary leap, but a calculated step forward that reinforces the Air’s dominance in the premium consumer space.

The story of the M3 MacBook Air is one of iteration, not reinvention. Visually and physically, it’s identical to its M2 predecessor, which is hardly a complaint. The sleek, squared-off aluminum unibody design remains a masterclass in minimalist industrial design, feeling both impossibly thin and reassuringly rigid. Whether you opt for the supremely portable 13-inch model or the more expansive 15-inch version, the build quality is impeccable. Apple has added a new anodization seal to the Midnight color, which noticeably reduces the fingerprint smudges that plagued the M2 version, a small but welcome quality-of-life improvement.

At the heart of this machine is the new M3 chip, built on a 3-nanometer process. In day-to-day use—browsing, document editing, streaming, and light photo work—the performance is fluid and instantaneous. The fanless design ensures it remains completely silent, a signature feature of the Air line. While the M3 provides a modest 15-20% performance uplift over the M2, the real benefits lie in its more efficient architecture and enhanced media engine, which includes AV1 decoding for more efficient high-quality video streaming. The M3 also brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, but let’s be realistic: this is not a gaming machine, and it still throttles under heavy, sustained workloads due to its passive cooling.

Perhaps the most significant functional upgrade is one that many users have been waiting for: support for dual external displays. This finally addresses a major limitation of previous Apple silicon Airs, but it comes with a significant catch—it only works when the laptop’s lid is closed. While not a perfect solution, it’s a massive win for users who want a multi-monitor desk setup powered by an ultra-portable machine. The Liquid Retina display is otherwise unchanged, offering excellent brightness and color accuracy, though it remains locked at a standard 60Hz refresh rate, a detail that feels dated when competitors are pushing high-refresh-rate panels.

The value proposition is where the conversation gets nuanced. With the M2 MacBook Air remaining in the lineup at a reduced price, the M3 model faces stiff competition from its own sibling. The base configuration still ships with a paltry 8GB of unified memory, which feels restrictive in 2024, and Apple’s upgrade prices for both memory and storage remain exorbitant. For users whose workflow doesn’t demand dual external monitors or the slight edge in performance, the M2 model offers nearly the same world-class experience for less money.

Ultimately, the M3 MacBook Air is the best mainstream laptop on the market, but its greatness is an evolution of what came before. It’s an easy recommendation for students, professionals, and anyone seeking a premium, reliable, and silent machine for everyday computing. However, if you already own an M2 Air, there’s no compelling reason to upgrade. For everyone else, this is the new default choice for an ultraportable Mac, provided you’re willing to pay the premium for memory upgrades or can live happily within the confines of the base model.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon