How to Choose Between MacBook Air M2 and M3
Apple quietly announced a new M3-based MacBook Air this week, bringing the M3 chip to the company’s most affordable and lightest computers yet. But it’s been less than a year since the M2 MacBook Air was released, and it’s still a really solid laptop. Here’s a quick rundown of the differences between these two great laptops, along with some tips on how to choose between them.
Performance
Clearly, Apple has added a newer and more powerful chipset to the M3 MacBook Air . It is based on the A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro Max and is built on a 3nm node, making it more efficient. It also has 25 billion transistors, compared to the 20 billion transistors in the M2 MacBook Air , and is clocked at a 4.05 GHz processor clock speed, compared to the 3.49 GHz processor clock speed on the M2 MacBook Air.
The M3 chip in the new MacBook Air also features a 15% faster Neural Engine, which Apple says it will use in the future to support more AI-related devices. There’s also an improved and new GPU architecture that makes the M3 chip more efficient and faster than the GPU found in the M2, as well as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading.
All this comes together to create a chipset that runs smoother and faster than the one found in the M2 MacBook Air. If you want numbers, the MacBook Air M3 scored 3,157 in single-core tests and 12,020 in multi-core tests on GeekBench (via NotebookCheck ). On the other hand, the M2 MacBook Air scored 2610 points in single-core mode and 10120 points in multi-core mode. So, although the speed is not rapidly accelerating, the difference is measurable.
Of course, benchmarks are just a small factor, and much of performance depends on what you do on your MacBook. The new GPU architecture I mentioned earlier will also prove useful for some as it further optimizes the memory allocation and usage that the MacBook Air can rely on. This will be especially useful in graphics-intensive tasks such as 3D rendering and advanced video editing. However, users who plan to do more may find it more useful to upgrade to a more powerful MacBook Pro anyway.
However, those who think they’ll need the most powerful MacBook Air should definitely opt for the M3, as its new chipset comes with some improved features, including the aforementioned ray tracing.
Functions
One of the most important new features included in the M3 MacBook Air is native dual-monitor support , which the new M3 MacBook Air will now support. The previously released MacBook Air M2 only offered native support for one display, although in the past you could bypass the hurdles and use adapters.
The MacBook Air M3 also supports Wi-Fi 6E, which makes its Wi-Fi performance slightly better, although not in a way that matters to most people. The number of ports on the MacBook Air M3 remains unchanged from the M2, and you’ll still get access to the same MagSafe charging features, Touch ID, and built-in headphone jack. The new MacBook Air M3 will also support AV1 decoding, which may be attractive to some users.
In terms of aesthetics, the new MacBook Air M3 has an anodized seal that helps reduce the amount of fingerprints left on the Midnight color, which was a big complaint with the M2. (For what it’s worth, The Verge reported that the M3 model they tested still had pretty good fingerprints.)
Ultimately, there aren’t many new features yet that could sway you from the M2 to the M3. However, once Apple starts releasing new AI features, the faster Neural Engine in the M3 MacBook Air could prove useful, so keep that in mind if you’re interested in Apple’s future AI apps.
Price
The new MacBook Air M3 starts at $1,099 for the base 13-inch model. If you want the larger 15-inch model, prices start at $1,299. Keep in mind that these prices will also vary depending on how much RAM and storage you choose, so going with 16GB of RAM or a larger internal drive will cost you more.
On the other hand, the MacBook Air M2 has received a price cut, with the base 13-inch model starting at just $999. It appears that Apple is no longer selling the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 on its website, but you will still be able to purchase it from third-party sellers.
Is it worth upgrading?
Ultimately, the MacBook Air M3 is impressive, but if you already have a MacBook Air M2, there’s little reason to upgrade. In fact, I’d say the M1 MacBook Air is still really valuable and a great option for most people.
However, if you haven’t yet upgraded to an Apple Silicon-powered MacBook and are still using an older Intel-based MacBook, then the new MacBook Air M3 could be a really great upgrade, especially since Apple now sells the MacBook Air in a 15-inch model .