MacBook Air M3 vs MacBook Air M2: Which Should You Buy?

Now that Apple has updated its wildly popular MacBook Air line with a new M3-powered model, the question arises: is the new model an obvious buy or should you consider buying the M2-less MacBook Air Dear ? We compare the two to see where your money would be better spent.

MacBook Air M2 or M3: design

You’d be hard-pressed to find any real difference in design between the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 and its predecessor. Both share the same dimensions and weight. The keyboards and trackpads are unchanged, and the rest of the components, including the Touch ID sensor and ports, also remain the same. The colors are also identical, with midnight, starlight, space gray and silver options.

The main difference between the M3 and M2 models is the screen size. If you want a 15-inch model, there’s only the M3 option because Apple retired last year’s 15-inch M2 MacBook Air, leaving its replacement, the M3 15-inch MacBook Air, as the only one larger than 13 inches. option. Again, this is an identical design to the M2 model, but larger than its 13-inch siblings. Here is how the three current models compare:

Dimensions

• MacBook Air 13-inch M2 – 1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46 inches
• MacBook Air 13-inch M3 – 1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46 inches
• MacBook Air 15-inch M3 – 1.15 x 34.04 x 23.76 cm / 0.45 x 13.40 x 9.35 inches

Weight

• MacBook Air 13-inch M2 – 1.24 kg / 2.7 pounds
• MacBook Air 13-inch M3 – 1.24 kg / 2.7 pounds
• MacBook Air 15-inch M3 – 1.51 kg / 3.3 pounds

Yes, the 15-inch model pushes the Air to its limits in terms of weight, but for this size it still feels light enough to retain its legendary name.

Apple

MacBook Air M2 vs M3: display

As with the design elements, the 13-inch models again feature identical display configurations. Both feature 13.6-inch Liquid Retina displays with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,664, with 500 nits brightness, as well as Wide Color (P3) and True Tone technologies.

Obviously, the 15-inch M3 Air has a larger panel: a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with an enlarged 2880 x 1864 resolution, but other than that it’s simply a larger version of the 13-inch model.

Macwelt

MacBook Air M2 vs. M3: audio

With 13-inch models, sound comes from a four-speaker system that supports Spatial Audio. Oddly, Apple lists the older model as having wide stereo sound, which is apparently not present in the M3 model. It’s unclear exactly what it is, but it may be a feather in the cap of the 13-inch MacBook Air M2.

The 15-inch M3 has a better audio system than the 13-inch model, with a total of six speakers and force-cancelling woofers.

The M3 brings some microphone improvements over the M2, with voice isolation and wide-spectrum modes to improve audio in noisy environments. Additionally, it offers improved audio clarity support for audio and video calls. With this in mind, the MacBook Air M3 would be the best option if you make a lot of FaceTime or Zoom calls on your Mac without using an external USB device.

There is the same 1080p FaceTime camera on all models.

MacBook Air M2 vs M3: specifications

The main change in the specs department, as you probably guessed, is the upgraded processor. While the M2 was already quite fast, the new M3 adds around 20% in terms of performance improvement. That may not sound like much, but most chipset performance increases have traditionally been around this mark, so the M3s are faster, but not so much that it leaves the M2 in the dust.

On the two cheapest 13-inch models, you’ll get an M2 or M3 with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. All other 13- and 15-inch configurations feature an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. The M3 brings the added benefit of the AV1 decoding engine and hardware accelerated ray tracing to the M3, which will no doubt make it tempting for those looking to create video content.

Storage options and RAM capacities are carried over from the M2 range. Entry-level models all come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and some base configurations have 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Note that in the case of the M3, the M3’s 256GB storage option is better than the M2’s 256GB storage because Apple included two 128GB NAND chips instead of a single 256GB chip. means both drives can process data simultaneously, allowing for much faster speeds than the M2 model. The M2’s slower SSD was one of the main drawbacks, so this is a great improvement over the previous generation.

Here are the combinations offered by Apple, which are the same for the M2 and M3 models:

• RAM: 8 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB
• SSD: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB

MacBook Air M2 vs M3: connectivity

The MacBook Air has never been overloaded with ports, mainly due to its svelte design, and Apple isn’t changing that with the new M3 models. As with the M2, you get two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. That’s it. Of course, you can use a USB-C hub to greatly expand your connection options.

Communications vary slightly, with the M2 using Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6, while the M3 is almost identical but raises Wi-Fi to 6E, although you’ll need a compatible router to get the extra connectivity from the 6E. .

Peter Ahrnstedt

MacBook Air M2 vs M3: battery and charging

You might expect the larger 15-inch MacBook Air M3, with a larger battery, to have a longer lifespan without a charger, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Apple says all three models have up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge. This isn’t surprising with the 13-inch models, as they both have 52.6 watt-hour batteries, but the Air 15-inch’s 66.5 watt-hour cell doesn’t increase battery life. life, probably due to energy consumption. to control a larger screen.

The base smaller Airs come with 30W USB-C chargers, with the 15-inch Air equipped with an upgraded 35W charger. All can support fast charging with a USB-C power adapter 70 W (sold separately).

MacBook Air M2 vs M3: price

With the arrival of the MacBook Air M3, Apple lowered the price of the M2 model. As for the M3 model, the good news for those outside the United States is that prices have dropped compared to the previous generation. Prices in the UK have returned to being ‘the same’ as the US, rather than much higher, saving up to £150 in some cases.

13-inch MacBook Air M2

• MacBook Air M2 13-inch (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $999/£999 (was $1,099/£1,149)
• MacBook Air M2 13-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,199/£1,199 (was $1,399/£1,449)

13-inch MacBook Air M3

• MacBook Air M3 13-inch (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1,099/£1,099
• MacBook Air M3 13-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,299/£1,299
• MacBook Air M3 13-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,499/£1,499

$1199

$1199.01

$1248

$1249

$1299

$1299

$1299

$1299

$1299

MacBook Air M3 15 inch

• MacBook Air M3 15-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1,299/£1,299
• MacBook Air M3 15-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,499/£1,499
• MacBook Air M3 15-inch (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,699/£1,699

$1488.38

$1499

$1547

$1547.98

$1599

$1599

$1599

$1599

You should also check out our roundup of the best MacBook Air deals to see if there’s a good deal to be had. If you want to try tracking down the 15-inch MacBook Air M2, you can look for refurbished models or shop through third-party retailers who may have old inventory still on sale.

Should you buy a MacBook Air M3?

As with any successive iteration, the margins of difference between this year’s model and last year’s are small. The 13-inch M2 and M3 Airs feature many of the same components. They look identical and have the same ports, screens, configuration options, and battery life, with the only major difference being the move to a new processor. But with only $100 difference between the M3 and M2, unless your budget is very tight, we’d recommend one of the newer machines.

The 15-inch MacBook Air M3 is an even simpler recommendation, offering a larger screen size and better speakers compared to the 13-inch model. If it’s too big for you, the 13-inch model is a breeze. To be honest, they’re all great machines, so for once it depends on what size you want and how much you’re willing to pay. Whichever one you choose, it should serve you well for years to come.