MacBook Air, now comes with M3

 

Apple just announced their lineup of the MacBook Air (13-inch and 15-inch models) bundled with M3 processors. Source: Apple.

At the start of March with no guarantee of any Apple Events making product announcements, Apple decided to make their announcements via the Apple Newsroom page and on their official website. Take note; this March we expect new iPads, Macs and less likely any iPhone variant(?).

So, the first new device lineup is the MacBook Air, now with the M3 processor. The 13-inch and 15-inch models were announced on Monday 4th March, and they are available on Friday 8th March, for preorders, which can be done even today.

Basic Details

Both models have a similar M2 MacBook Air design, but what makes the new models unique are the spec bumps and updates; the models along with faster Wi-Fi 6E support with 6GHz band and the capability to connect to two external displays when the laptops are closed (in clamshell mode).

The two models do have a light design with 1.24 kg and 1.51 kg respectively. The MacBook Air comes with base specs of 8GB RAM and 256GB Storage, to boost specs, you might have to pay $200 extra for 16GB, $400 extra for 24GB RAM, 256GB of SSD storage 512GB for $200, 1TB for $400, and 2TB for $800.(Convert to the current Kenyan shilling rate)

Colour options are the same as before; Silver, Starlight, Space Gray, and Midnight but Apple is promising a more fingerprint-resistant coating on the midnight dark blue Air models. The M3 MacBook Air models come with MagSafe charging and two Thunderbolt ports as well. 

Another thing to note is that the M3 processor has a built-in GPU that allows for mesh shading and ray tracing.

M3 MacBook Air In, M1 MacBook Air Out

While the new MacBooks with M3 are getting to enter the market, the M1 MacBook Air model is getting discontinued. They were released in 2020 as part of the first devices in the transition to Apple's own processors.

Should you upgrade to a new MacBook Air?

I am no Mac user (my bio says it all) but I would probably advise a Mac user who is stuck on old Intel models to upgrade to M2 models, whether it's Air or Pro depending on your use pattern, profession and budget. 

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 goes for the lowest price of $999 (KES 144,355.50) with support for one external monitor and Wi-Fi 6. By the way, what do you really need Wi-Fi 6 for? 🤔