Apple launches upgraded MacBook Air with M3 processor

Apple has recently unveiled the latest MacBook Air laptops powered by the new M3 chip. While it was expected that the MacBook Air would receive a similar upgrade to the MacBook Pro, it was unclear when it would happen. However, Apple has finally announced that it has updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, with both models already available for pre-order.

Externally, no modifications have been made to any of the laptops. The 13-inch MacBook Air underwent a complete redesign two years ago, including a boxier chassis, a larger 13.6-inch display, an upgraded 1080p camera, and a MagSafe charging connector. On the other hand, the 15-inch MacBook Air was introduced less than a year ago and shares many of the same features as its smaller brother.

The most significant improvements to the updated MacBook Air models can be found under the hood. The M3 processor is based on a 3nm node and supports various new technologies such as ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching. The M3 found on the new MacBook Air laptops is Apple's latest entry-level processor, offering an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple claims that the CPU performance is up to 35% faster, and the GPU performance is up to 65% faster than the M1. Moreover, the CPU and GPU are up to 20% faster than the M2.

Apple has also included support for up to two external screens, a significant improvement from the M1 and M2 Macs that could only handle one external display. However, it is worth noting that the MacBook Air must be closed for both displays to function. Both MacBook Air models have Wi-Fi 6E, providing twice as fast download rates as the M2-powered models.

The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are only available with the standard M3 CPU. However, the 13-inch MacBook Air offers the option of an 8-core or 10-core GPU, while the 15-inch model comes exclusively with a 10-core configuration. The base versions of both capacities come with 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage. However, you can expand both models up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage at an additional cost. Midnight, Starlight, Space Grey, and Silver are the available colour options.

Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs are now available directly from Apple's website, starting at £1,099 and £1,299, respectively.

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KitGuru says: For most, the smaller and more portable version should be good enough, offering a decent display and performance for everyday tasks. For those who spend all day working on their laptop and don't like working with an external monitor, the 15-inch MacBook Air is probably the way to go.

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