Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup is still the go-to laptop series for Apple fans who really need tons of power. If you edit video for a living, the cutting-edge M3 Pro and M3 Max chips make all the difference in the world. Of course, only a very small percentage of users have a real, genuine need for that much power. For everyone else, the M3 MacBook Air is the only laptop you should even consider right now. Period. Full stop.
First released in March 2024, Apple’s M3 MacBook Air offers tons of power and fantastic performance for much less money than a MacBook Pro. That’s especially true right now, while the M3 MacBook Air is on sale starting at just $849.98. That’s a new all-time low price for this model, which is pretty shocking when you consider that it was released just a few months ago.
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Compared to the previous-generation M2 model, the M3 MacBook Air isn’t a huge upgrade. Apple has admitted that much. In terms of power, here’s how it compares to the previous-generation model, according to Apple itself:
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Last year, Apple said that the M2 MacBook Air is “up to 12x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.” Then, in the M3 MacBook Air press release, Apple said the new laptop is “up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.”
Needless to say, that’s not a huge difference. And for someone like me who already has an M2 MacBook Air, the new M3 MacBook Air shouldn’t even be a consideration.
But for anyone else with an older Apple laptop or for someone looking to make the switch over from Windows, the M3 MacBook Air is really the only model you should consider right now.
I wasn’t exactly due for an upgrade since the older MacBook Pro I was using still works fine. But Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Air was definitely calling my name, and I couldn’t hold out anymore. I bought one while it was on sale for Black Friday, and I’m blown away by how fast it is. I also love the new, larger 15-inch display. My MacBook Pro had a 13-inch screen, so the extra real estate is much appreciated.
The new M3 MacBook Air comes in both 13-inch and 15-inch versions, and now is the perfect time to see what all the fuss is about. That’s because both models are on sale right now at the lowest prices I’ve seen in a long time.
The M3 MacBook Air 15-inch is currently down to $1,049.98 instead of $1,299. Or, if you want the more compact M3 MacBook Air 13-inch, it’s on sale for just $849.98, down from $1,099.
This is one of Apple’s best laptops ever. You can read all about the larger version in BGR’s in-depth MacBook Air 15-inch review.
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Apple’s hot new 15-inch MacBook Air is powered by the M3 chip. It’s the same processor that was found in Apple’s newest MacBook Pro laptops that were released last year.
The M3 version that powers the base-model 15-inch MacBook Air has an 8-core CPU alongside a 10-core GPU. It’s fast, powerful, and perhaps best of all, efficient. According to Apple, the 15-inch MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge. That means many people can likely go two full days before they’ll have to recharge it.
Other specs include 8GB of unified RAM, 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage, a 1080p FaceTime camera, and Touch ID. Then, of course, we have the star of the show: A new 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display with 2880-by-1864 pixel resolution and a notch at the top for the camera.
Despite the larger size, Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Air only weighs 3.3 lbs. That definitely makes it portable enough to be worthy of the “Air” moniker.
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At just $849.98 for the M3 MacBook Air 13-inch and $1,049.98 for the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch, these new Apple laptops offer even more value right now than they already did at full retail. I think those are phenomenal prices for Apple’s best-ever MacBook Air model.
If you’re in search of something more compact and don’t necessarily need Apple’s latest and greatest, there’s another deal you should check out.
The M1 MacBook Air was one of the first Mac computers to get an M-series chip. It’s also still one of the best, and it’s on sale at a deep discount. The M3 model is a much better option right now for all the reasons I mentioned above. But if you’re on a tight budget and the M3 MacBook Air is beyond your reach, the M1 version is a great fallback.
That means you’ll pay $649 instead of $999 if you get an M1 MacBook Air right now at Walmart. It’s fast, light, and currently on sale at the lowest price ever. As a matter of fact, this is the best price of all time for any Apple laptop.
You really can’t go wrong with either deal, so it’s a question of your budget and how much power you need. If all you plan to do is browse the web and stream movies, you can definitely get away with the cheaper M1 MacBook Air. At $649, you’ll save a good chunk of change compared to buying one of the newer M3 models.
However, if you plan to use your laptop for work, you might be better served by opting for the M3 MacBook Air model. Apart from being faster and more powerful, you also get the option of a much larger display.
It might not seem like 2 inches would make a big difference, but remember that those are diagonal inches. The jump up to the new model’s 15.3-inch display actually adds about 25% more screen real estate compared to the 13-inch MacBook Air. Needless to say, that’s a big upgrade.
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