M3 MacBook Air: Everything you need to know

In July, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple could release an update to the 13-inch MacBook Air this fall. This new laptop will likely replace the current M2 13-inch MacBook Air that’s $1,099. Here’s everything you need to know about the laptop, including the latest rumors, speculation based on current information and Apple’s history, and confirmed data.

What about the 15-inch model?

You’ll notice that this article is devoted to the 13-inch MacBook Air. That’s because it’s the oldest MacBook Air and is the one that has been frequently mentioned in rumors. We don’t yet know whether Apple will update both machines at the same time or keep them on separate update cycles, but we assume they will both get the same upgrades (M3, Wi-FI 6E, etc.).

M3 MacBook Air: Release date

In July 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is planning an October event that “could feature the first Macs with M3 chips” and mentioned the 13-inch MacBook Air, along with the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the iMac as the first machines to get it. The current M2 13-inch MacBook Air was released in July 2022, which would mean that an October M3 upgrade would come about 15 months after the M2 version hit the market.

M3 MacBook Air: Price

At this time, no reports have been made regarding the M3 13-inch MacBook Air’s price. When Apple released the M2 15-inch MacBook Air in June, the company reduced the price of the 13-inch model by $100/£100. Apple could use the M3 upgrade as an opportunity to raise the price back to $1,199, but we expect it to remain at the same price

The M3 13-inch MacBook Air’s price and specifications will likely follow that of the current M2 13-inch MacBook Air or be close. For your reference, here are the prices and specifications of the M2 13-inch MacBook Air standard configurations:

• M2 chip with 8‑core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB of memory, 256GB SSD: $1,099/£1,149
• M2 chip with 8‑core CPU/10‑core GPU, 8GB of memory, 512GB SSD: $1,399/£1,449

Apple also sells the 13-inch MacBook Air M1 for the same $999/£999 as it cost when it launched in October 2020. It’s possible that Apple lowers the price of the M2 model to $999 with the M3 arrives.

The M3 13-inch MacBook Air will be available through the usual retail outlets once it goes on sale: the Apple Store, Amazon, and other popular retailers. You can find the best prices for a new MacBook Air in our MacBook Air deals article.

M3 MacBook Air: Design

When Apple released the M2 13-inch MacBook Air, it also gave it a complete redesign for the first time. It eliminated the tapered design and implemented a traditional look that’s similar to the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

IDG

Because this new design has been through only one generation of the Air, we don’t expect Apple to change much with the M3 upgrade. That’s fine because it’s already one of the thinnest and lightest you can buy:

• 13-inch MacBook Ai M2: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44in (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm), 2.8 pounds
• 13-inch MacBook Air M1: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.16-0.63in (30.41 x 21.24 x 0.41-1.61cm), 2.75 pounds

M3 MacBook Air: Display

The M3 13-inch MacBook Air will likely use the same display as the M2 model. Apple uses a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2560-by-1664 pixel resolution, a maximum brightness of 500 nits, P3 color support, and True Tone, a step up from the ones used in the M1 13-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which use a 13.3-inch Retina displays with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels. The M1 Air’s display brightness is 400 nits, while the 13-inch Pro is at 500 nits.

The M3 13-inch MacBook Air will likely keep the notch at the top of the display for the 1080p FaceTime camera, which doesn’t interfere with the 16:10 aspect ratio of the screen area below it.

Connecting an external display is done through one of the M3 13-inch MacBook Air’s Thunderbolt ports. The laptop can drive one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. If you need to connect more displays, you can try a workaround that involved third-party hardware and software.

M3 MacBook Air: Colors

Apple will likely offer the M3 13-inch MacBook Air in the same four colors as the M2 model: Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight. There have been rumors for years that Apple is planning to launch MacBook Air colors that match the iMac’s colorful enclosure, but they haven’t come to pass.

M3 MacBook Air: Specs

The specifications for the M3 chip have yet to be revealed or leaked, so we don’t know how many CPU or GPU cores it will have. Both the M1 and M2 have eight CPU cores, so the M3 will have at least eight. The M2 starts with 8 GPU cores and is configurable to 10, so it’s likely the M3 will follow suit or get more GPU cores.

The M3 chip is rumored to be manufactured using a new 3nm process. This allows for more transistors than compared to the enhanced 5nm process used with the M2. This could allow the M3 to be faster than the 20 percent boost we often see with a new generation of chips. Learn more about the M3.

Both the M1 and M2 started with 8GB of unified memory, which is what we’ll probably see with the M3. The M2 is configurable to 24GB of memory, which could increase to 32GB with the M3.

The MacBook Air does not have any internal fans and we don’t expect that to change. While the fanless design may cause the M2 Air to slow down during CPU or GPU loads, however, the M3’s higher efficiency could help high-end performance.

Apple

The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a MagSafe 3 connector for a power adapter (the laptop can also be charged through Thunderbolt), and a headphone jack. If Apple adds more ports, it’s likely to just be an extra USB-C port.

The current Air has Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity. After Apple brought Wi-Fi 6E to the Mac mini and MacBook Pro, it’s likely to bring it to the next MacBook Air, too.

M3 MacBook Air: Battery and charging

The M2 13-inch MacBook Air has a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, and the upcoming M3 model will probably have the same size battery.

However, the M3 may be more power efficient than the M2, which could result in extended battery life. Currently, Apple rates its Air battery with “up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback, and “up to 15 hours wireless web,” and those numbers could be longer with the M3 Air.

For charging, we expect the same options as the current Air. The $1,099/£1,149 M2 13-inch MacBook Air includes a standard 30W USB-C Power Adapter. The $1,399/£1,449 model has a 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter for charging two devices at the same time. A USB-C to MagSafe 3 power cable is included with either model. The MacBook Air also supports fast charging with a 67W USB-C Power Adapter or another from our list of the best MacBook Air chargers.