Apple released the new MacBook Air with an upgraded processor. The new version is equipped with the 3rd generation M-series chip – M3 which is a minor upgrade over the M2 chip. The design of the laptop remains unchanged from the previous version (released in July 2022), as it is relatively new. The new MacBook Air starts at $1099 (USD) for the 256GB storage version whereas the previous model (M2) has been reduced to $999 (USD).
The MacBook Air continues to be the most popular laptop for basic tasks such as writing, content development, photo-editing, video-editing, etc. Apple has discontinued the M1 MacBook Air which is still a commendable choice but it can be found at third-party stores at a discounted rate.
Benchmark: Slight increase in performance over M1 and M2
The M3 chip first released on the 24” iMac and the MacBook Pro models last year. The benchmarks show slight performance improvement on the M3 MacBook Air over the previous generation models. There is hardly a major difference in performance between the M1 and M2 MacBook Air in real-life use; that is expected to be the case with the M3 MacBook Air as well.
The benchmark results show a 25 to 30 percent increase in single-core performance on the M3 MacBook Air (eight core CPU and 10 core GPU) over the M1 MacBook Air. Further, a 35 to 40 percent increase in multi-core performance over the M1 MacBook Air.
“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.”
The M3 MacBook Air is now on sale with a starting price of $1099. However, the previous generation M1 and M2 MacBook Air are still decent options worth considering – offering almost similar performance.
