Apple announces M3 MacBook Air lineup ahead of March 8 release

Apple just unveiled the M3 MacBook Air in two sizes, 13-inch and 15-inch configurations. Apple says this MacBook is up to 60 percent faster than the model with the M1 chip and up to 13 percent faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.

With up to 18 hours of battery life, this Mac comes a few months after Apple unveiled the M3 MacBook Pro models.

“MacBook Air is our most popular and loved Mac, with more customers choosing it over any other laptop. And today it gets even better with the M3 chip and new capabilities,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “From college students pursuing their degrees, to business users who need powerful productivity, or anyone who simply wants the unmatched combination of performance, portability, and industry-leading battery life, all in a fanless design, the new MacBook Air continues to be the world’s best thin and light laptop.”

This M3 MacBook Air comes in midnight, which features a new anodization seal to reduce fingerprints; starlight; space gray; and silver. It features the same Full HD camera, mics, and speakers, MagSafe charging, and fanless design.

Image source: Apple Inc.

Apple highlights the performance of this new MacBook:

• Game titles like No Man’s Sky run up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

• Enhancing an image with AI using Photomator’s Super Resolution feature is up to 40 percent faster than the 13-inch model with the M1 chip, and up to 15x faster for customers who haven’t upgraded to a Mac with Apple silicon.

• Working in Excel spreadsheets is up to 35 percent faster than the 13-inch model with the M1 chip, and up to 3x faster for customers who haven’t upgraded to a Mac with Apple silicon.

• Video editing in Final Cut Pro is up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch model with the M1 chip, and up to 13x faster for customers who haven’t upgraded to a Mac with Apple silicon.

• Compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor, MacBook Air delivers up to 2x faster performance, up to 50 percent faster web browsing, and up to 40 percent longer battery life.

Apple says M3 MacBook Air is the best consumer laptop for AI

With a 16-core Neural Engine, Apple says it enables several AI features, including real-time speech-to-text, translation, text predictions, visual understanding, accessibility features, and much more.

Developers also take advantage of the new chip with Goodnotes 6's AI Math Assistance, automatically enhancing photos in Pixelmator Pro or removing background noise from a video using CapCut.

Price and availability

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 starts at $1,099 (U.S.) and $999 (U.S.) for education, and the 15‑inch MacBook Air with M3 starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,199 (U.S.) for education. Both are available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray. Sales begin March 8.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2, available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray, now starts at $999 (U.S.) and $899 (U.S.) for education.

Continue Reading