Apple's New MacBook Airs Pick Up M3 Upgrade, Go Big On Battery Life
Apple has just introduced an updated MacBook Air portfolio, hawking it as the successor to its M1-powered line-up. The biggest upgrade this time around is the silicon, even though the design remains identical to the M2-based MacBook Air models. Available in 13-inch and 15-inch trims, the refreshed MacBook Air embraces the M3 processor, which is based on the latest 3nm fabrication process.
This one offers eight CPU cores, up to ten graphics processing cores, a 16-core neural engine for AI-related tasks, and a peak of 24 GB of non-upgradable RAM. The M3's architecture is similar to the M2 generation. Moreover, just like its predecessor, buyers can save some money by opting for the base model with an 8-core GPU.
Compared to the M1 silicon, Apple claims the M3 generation is up to 60 percent faster at video editing and games while delivering a healthy 40 percent improvement in battery life. The peak battery life figures touch the 18-hour mark, which Apple says is a 33 percent boost over an Intel-based MacBook Air. Compared to an Intel Core i7-based machine, Apple is touting a 2x gain in raw performance.
Another upgrade is the support for a dedicated AV1 decode engine, tagging alongside hardware-accelerated ray-tracing for folks eager about gaming on a Mac. While running native apps like Final Cut Pro, Apple touts an ambitious 13x performance gain "for customers who haven't upgraded to a Mac with Apple silicon."
Neat upgrades, but same old stingy Apple
The M3-driven MacBook might look and feel identical to the M2 versions, save for the obvious silicon upgrade. But there are a few meaningful improvements on the table this time around. The first one is support for two external screens instead of one. With the lid closed, the M3-based MacBook Air can drive two screens, one with a resolution of 6K, while the other one can go up to 5K at a 60Hz refresh rate.
Wireless connectivity also gets an upgrade, with the M3 generation getting support for faster Wi-Fi 6E standard. The specifications sheet also mentions separate Wide Spectrum and Voice Isolation modes for the onboard mic, offering better clarity during voice and video calls. Apple bundles up to a 35W brick in the retail packages, but you can separately splurge on a 67W brick for fast charging.
Once again, Apple is hawking 256GB as the base storage married to a paltry 8GB of RAM, which is quite frustrating given the asking price of its latest "entry-level" laptop. The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099, while the 15-inch variant carries a base price of $1,299. Both the machines are now up for grabs from official Apple outlets, with shipments expected to kickstart on March 8. Simultaneously, Apple has graciously reduced the price premium of the M2 generation MacBook Air, which now starts at $999 in the U.S. market.