Apple has announced the new MacBook Air M3 13-inch laptop in a surprise reveal, boasting a smattering of new features and an even faster performance.
So is this new MacBook worth a buy over the existing MacBook Air M2 13-inch? We’ve listed all of the key differences below so you can make up your mind.
New MacBook Air is more expensive
The first thing to take note is that the new 13-inch MacBook Air is more expensive than its predecessor. Apple has confirmed that the laptop has a starting price of £1099/$1099.
This is the same price point that the M2-powered MacBook Air originally launched with, but Apple has since slashed its price down to a more affordable £999/$999.
New MacBook Air is powered by M3 chip
The biggest differences between the two laptops is the generational leap to the new M3 processor. This has resulted in a performance boost, making the new Air that little bit faster.
How much faster exactly? Apple says the MacBook Air M3 is 60% faster than the model with M1 chip, but frustratingly hasn’t detailed how it compares to an M2 MacBook.
When the M2 chip first launched, Apple claimed it was 18% faster in terms of CPU speeds compared to the M1, and 35% faster when referencing GPU power. Some quick maths should give you a vague idea of how the M3 compares to the M2, but we’ll have to wait until we can test the new MacBook Air ourselves before reaching a final conclusion.
Apple has also cranked up the AI performance for the latest MacBook Air, going as far as labelling it as the world’s best consumer laptop for AI. It didn’t go as far as providing a percentage increase for AI performance compared to M2, but you should still notice quicker speeds when using AI to make calculations or enhance photos.
Upgraded to faster Wi-Fi 6E
The new M3 chip hasn’t just allowed for enhanced processing power, but also ensures compatibility for Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, whereas the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 is limited to Wi-Fi 6 instead.
What’s the difference between these Wi-Fi standards? Well, Wi-Fi 6E supports the 6GHz channel, which boasts less interference and faster speeds. This means your internet connection has the potential to become both speedier and more secure.
The caveat here is that you’ll need to use a Wi-Fi 6E router with the new MacBook Air to benefit from these wireless improvements. If you’re stuck with an older router, there’s no need to worry, as the MacBook Air will still work perfectly fine thanks to backwards compatibility.
Better for the environment
After digging through the specs of both laptops, we can confirm that the new 13-inch MacBook Air shares the exact same design as its predecessor, with no difference made to the dimensions or weight. And yet, Apple has confirmed the new MacBook Air is actually better for the environment.
According to Apple, the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 is the very first device from the company to be made with 50% recycled materials. This is made up of 100% recycled aluminium in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all the magnets and (for the first time) 100% recycled copper in the main logic board.
