Apple held an occasion on October 30, 2023, when it launched new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional fashions with M3, M3 Professional, and M3 Max chips, and discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Professional. The corporate additionally launched an M3 iMac. The MacBook Air was a no-show at that occasion, but it surely’s rumored to be coming quickly.
Now that the M3 chip has launched it’s absolutely solely a matter of time till it makes its approach into the MacBook Air. However when? Right here’s every little thing it is advisable know concerning the subsequent era MacBook Air, together with the most recent rumors, hypothesis based mostly on present info and Apple’s historical past, and confirmed information.
M3 MacBook Air: Launch date
The M2 MacBook Air launched in 2022, so it’s already been available on the market for over 18 months. Nonetheless, Apple launched the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air in June 2023, however we count on each fashions to be up to date on the similar time going ahead.
Again in July 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had reported that Apple may launch an replace to the 13-inch MacBook Air in a second fall occasion in 2023. Nonetheless, he later modified his prediction, suggesting that we might be ready till 2024 for a brand new MacBook Air.
In an October publication, Gurman wrote: “These ready for a brand new MacBook Air will doubtless want to carry on a bit longer. I’m instructed that the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 fashions have simply reached the EVT stage, or engineering verification check, which might put them on schedule for between spring and summer season of subsequent yr on the earliest.” In late January 2024, Gurman confirmed that new MacBooks are in “deep” manufacturing, with sources saying the brand new MacBook Air will arrive alongside a brand new iPads within the spring.
On this foundation, we count on the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M3 replace will occur at a spring occasion or at WWDC in June 2024. Apple has already indicated that the Imaginative and prescient Professional will launch in early 2024, so they might seem on the similar occasion.
M3 MacBook Air: Value
When Apple launched the M2 15-inch MacBook Air in June 2023, the corporate diminished the worth of the 13-inch mannequin by $100/£100. Apple may use the M3 improve as a chance to boost the worth again to $1,199, however we count on it to stay on the similar value, a minimum of within the U.S.
Apple might scale back costs within the U.Ok. and different markets outdoors the U.S. after it raised costs in relation to alternate fee fluctuations on the finish of 2022. In September 2023 the corporate diminished the pricing of iPhones to think about foreign money fluctuations, and when Apple launched the MacBook Professional M3-series costs of some fashions declined within the U.Ok. whereas remaining the identical within the U.S.
The M3 13-inch MacBook Air’s value and specs will doubtless comply with that of the present M2 13-inch MacBook Air or be shut. To your reference, listed here are the costs and specs of the M2 13-inch MacBook Air commonplace configurations:
- 13-inch, M2 chip with 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB of reminiscence, 256GB SSD: $1,099/£1,149
- 13-inch, M2 chip with 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB of reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,399/£1,449
- 15-inch, M2 chip with 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB of reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,299/£1,399
- 15-inch, M2 chip with 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB of reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,599
We’re hopeful that the U.Ok. costs will fall again to the equal greenback value, so £1,099 and £1,399, for instance.
Apple at present sells the 13-inch MacBook Air M1 for a similar $999/£999 because it price when it launched in October 2020. It’s doubtless that Apple will discontinue the M1 MacBook Air whereas probably reducing the worth of the M2 mannequin to $999 when the M3 mannequin arrives.
The M3 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air will probably be out there by means of the same old shops: the Apple Retailer, Amazon, and different in style retailers. You will discover the perfect costs for a brand new MacBook Air in our MacBook Air offers article.
M3 MacBook Air: Design
When Apple launched the M2 13-inch MacBook Air, it additionally gave it an entire redesign for the primary time. It eradicated the tapered design and carried out a conventional look that’s much like the 14-inch MacBook Professional.
An M3 13-inch MacBook Air can have the identical design as the present M2 mannequin.
IDG
As a result of this new design has been by means of just one era of the Air, we don’t count on Apple to alter a lot with the M3 improve. That’s superb as a result of it’s already one of many thinnest and lightest you should buy:
- 15-inch MacBook Air M2: 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45in (34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15cm), 2.8 kilos (1.51kg)
- 13-inch MacBook Air M2: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44in (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm), 2.7 kilos (1.24kg)
- 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), 2.8 kilos (1.29kg)
M3 MacBook Air: Show
The M3 MacBook Air will doubtless have an identical show because the M2 mannequin. For the 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple makes use of a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina show with a 2,560-by-1,664 pixel decision, a most brightness of 500 nits, P3 colour help, and True Tone, a step up from those used within the M1 13-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Professional, which use a 13.3-inch Retina shows with a decision of two,560 by 1,600 pixels. The M1 Air’s show brightness is 400 nits, whereas the 13-inch Professional is at 500 nits. The M3 MacBook Professional now provides 600nits so there’s a risk we may see an enchancment alongside these strains. We don’t count on to see Professional Movement, one other function of the MacBook Professional, on the following MacBook Air.
Apple nonetheless makes use of a Liquid Retina show for the MacBook Air, so it’s doable that the M3 mannequin may swap to mini-LED tech. In response to stories, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional might be getting OLED shows, so Apple might swap to mini-LED for the Air, which might be brighter and extra energy-efficient than the present show. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless unlikely to get Professional-level options like ProMotion and HDR.
The M3 MacBook Air will doubtless maintain the notch on the prime of the show for the 1080p FaceTime digital camera, which doesn’t intrude with the 16:10 side ratio of the display space under it. We’d prefer to see Face ID on the MacBooks, however that’s unlikely to occur within the close to future.
Connecting an exterior show is finished by means of one of many M3 MacBook Air’s Thunderbolt ports so it’s only doable to help one show. The identical is true of the M3 MacBook Professional, suggesting it’s a limitation of the M3 chip that the M3 Professional doesn’t share. The laptop computer can drive one exterior show with as much as 6K decision at 60Hz. If it is advisable join extra shows, you possibly can attempt a workaround that includes third-party {hardware} and software program.
M3 MacBook Air: Colours
Apple will doubtless provide the M3 MacBook Air in the identical 4 colours because the M2 mannequin: Midnight, Silver, Area Grey, and Starlight. It’s doable that Apple brings the MacBook Professional’s new Area Black colour to the Air to switch Area Grey, and there have been rumors for years that Apple is planning to launch MacBook Air colours that match the iMac’s colourful enclosure, however they haven’t come to move.
M3 MacBook Air: Specs
We all know the specs of the M3 chip: there may be an 8-core CPU and 8- or 10-core GPU. That sounds much like the M1 and M2, each of which have eight CPU cores, with the M2 additionally having a 10-Core GPU choice. This new chip would possibly sound much like its predecessor, however the M3 chip is manufactured utilizing a brand new 3nm course of. This enables for extra transistors than in comparison with the improved 5nm course of used with the M2. In our exams we’ve already discovered the M3 to be quicker than most iterations of the M1 Professional, displaying simply how far the chip has come. Learn: How the M3 stacks as much as each different Apple processor.
View our benchmarks to get a clearer image of how good the M3 is:
The M3 additionally helps 8-24GB reminiscence. Each the M1 and M2 began with 8GB of unified reminiscence. Just like the M3, the M2 can also be configurable to 24GB of reminiscence, the M1 maxed out at 16GB. We suggest getting probably the most reminiscence you possibly can afford as we don’t really feel that the usual 8GB is actually ample. In our expertise, even if you happen to’re not utilizing high-end apps, Safari and Photoshop can use a number of gigs of RAM.
Though Apple’s VP of worldwide product advertising, Bob Borchers has claimed that “8GB on an M3 MacBook Professional might be analogous to 16GB on different techniques.” It’s because, when it switched to Apple silicon within the Mac, Apple launched a unified reminiscence system that integrates the RAM into the processor and might rapidly allocate it to completely different components of the system.
The MacBook Air doesn’t have any inner followers and we don’t count on that to alter. Whereas the fanless design might trigger the M2 Air to decelerate throughout increased CPU or GPU hundreds, the M3’s elevated effectivity may assist high-end efficiency.
The MacBook Air has a MagSafe port that helps quick charging.
Apple
The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a MagSafe 3 connector for an influence adapter (the laptop computer can be charged by means of Thunderbolt), and a headphone jack. If Apple provides extra ports, it’s prone to simply be an additional USB-C port.
The present Air has Wi-Fi 6 wi-fi connectivity. After Apple introduced Wi-Fi 6E to the Mac mini and MacBook Professional, it’s prone to carry it to the following MacBook Air, too.
Are you hoping to see 5G on a MacBook. It gained’t occur this time, however it’s coming in keeping with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Learn: When you’re ready for a 5G MacBook, it’s coming–however not for some time.
M3 MacBook Air: Battery and charging
The M2 13-inch MacBook Air has a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, whereas the 15-inch mannequin provides a 66.5-watt-hour battery, and the upcoming M3 fashions will in all probability have the identical dimension battery.
Battery life hasn’t modified for the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 MacBook Professional fashions, so it’s unlikely to alter with the M3 MacBook Air.
At present, Apple charges its Air battery with “as much as 18 hours Apple TV app film playback, and “as much as 15 hours wi-fi net.”
For charging, we may see an enchancment in comparison with the present Air. The $1,099/£1,149 M2 13-inch MacBook Air contains a typical 30W USB-C Energy Adapter, though the M3 MacBook Professional ships with a 70W USB-C charger, so that would change for the brand new Air. The $1,399/£1,449 mannequin has a 35W Twin USB-C Port Compact Energy Adapter for charging two units on the similar time. A USB-C to MagSafe 3 energy cable is included with both mannequin. The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air additionally help quick charging with a 70W USB-C Energy Adapter or one other from our record of the finest MacBook Air chargers.