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When Apple launched its M3-powered MacBook Pro last year, we knew it was only a matter of time before the new Apple Silicon landed in other MacBook models. Today, Apple has announced the MacBook Air with M3.
The new MacBook Air models will also boast faster Wi-Fi, 18 hours of battery life and support for up to two external displays.
Both 13-inch and 15-inch models have been upgraded to the new chipset, along with Wi-Fi 5E support for faster data transfers.
According to Apple, the MacBook Air powered by the M3 chip is up to 60% faster than the M1 MacBook Air, and up to 13x faster than the last Intel-based MacBook Air model.
The new MacBook Air is made from 50% recycled materials, including 100% recycled aluminium in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100% recycled copper in the main logic board.
“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. 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.”
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be any option for the M3 Pro or the M3 Max chip in the new MacBook Air lineup. Those higher specced chipsets are reserved for the MacBook Pro lineup.
No more M1 MacBook Air
With the arrival of the newer MacBook Air models, Apple has removed the M1 MacBook Air from its online store.
The M1 Air is a fantastic device – the laptop I chose for both of my kids when they started high school, in fact – and was available for less than the M2 model’s $1,599 starting price.
You should still be able to pick it up from online retailers for a little while yet, and it still performs admirably, making it a great option for a more budget-friendly MacBook.
Pricing and availability
The new MacBook Air M3 model is available to order now from Apple online, with delivers from March 8.
It comes in four colour options: Midnight, Starlight, Space Grey and Silver, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models.
There are a few variations on offer, with different RAM and ROM configurations, as outlined in the table below:
| Model | Specs | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13-inch | 8 Core CPU 8 Core GPU 8GB Unified Memory | 256GB | $1,799 |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | 8 Core CPU 10 Core GPU 8GB Unified Memory | 512GB | $2,099 |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | 8 Core CPU 10 Core GPU 16GB Unified Memory | 512GB | $2,399 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | 8 Core CPU 10 Core GPU 8GB Unified Memory | 256GB | $2,199 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | 8 Core CPU 10 Core GPU 8GB Unified Memory | 512GB | $2,499 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | 8 Core CPU 10 Core GPU 16GB Unified Memory | 512GB | $2,799 |
