Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in review: A lightweight wonder – but not much different to the M2 model

As most IT departments know, Apple MacBooks are highly sought-after laptops. Even in this age of NPU-powered Windows machines, the mighty Mac still holds great appeal in the office.

And, the MacBook Air, with its slimmer chassis, is a lightweight option for those who roam. It comes with fewer port options but it's great for those who work remotely or move around different workspaces in the office. Our review unit has a 13.6in display, the Apple M3 chip with the 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage – those can all be configured to suit, for a higher fee.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Design

MacBooks seldom change in appearance and there isn't much to get excited about here, aside from a new shade of navy, called 'Midnight', which is rather lovely. But visually there isn't much difference between the M3 and M2 models of MacBook Air.

The overall build is as good as ever with a recycled aluminium chassis and a pleasingly stiff lid. It's the first Apple product made up of 50% recycled materials, which is good. However, you can't upgrade it – there's no easy access to replace any parts, so it's not all that eco-friendly. It is, however, a very slim device with just 11.3mm thickness when closed and it's light at 1.24kg – perfect for a rucksack.

Almost all of the new design elements are on the inside, such as the M3 chip and support for Wi-Fi 6E. The keyboard, trackpad, and display are all largely the same as the M2 MacBook Air. It's the same iconic design that we know and love.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Display

There's no real change to the display, either, as the M3 MacBook Air has Apple's 'Liquid Retina' panel, which is a fancy name for a quality IPS screen. It measures 13.6in diagonally, supports P3 color reproduction, and comes with a sharp 2,650 x 1,664 resolution. Sadly there is only up to 60Hz for the refresh rate which is dwarfed by most of its Windows-based rivals that are hitting 120Hz. It is also worth noting machines that use more vibrant OLED panels where you can get more from the display, for a lot less.

In our colorimeter tests, the MacBook Air showcased 97.1% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is a high score and a testament to its stunning visuals – though other screens, such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16, make this look dull (101.9%). There is also less brightness here than the M3 MacBook Pro, though not enough to be concerned.

What is concerning, however, is the default color settings. Out of the box, the MacBook Air has "Color LCD" mode, which is the main one used by Apple devices. Here, the gamut is restricted to sRGB colors, making it duller than all the other setting options. But, if you switch to the actual sRGB profile, it does the opposite and offers a more vivid spread of colors. This is probably just a small oops that will be fixed in a future update and nothing to really put you off this model, but it's strange, all the same.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Keyboard and trackpad

You get a great keyboard experience on the MacBook Air, with nicely cushioned keys and decent travel. It suits those who type at high speed with its gently muffled clack and comfortable layout. The keys are all quite large and well-lit, so they're easy to hit. We're also big fans of the large power on/fingerprint reader in the top corner of the keyboard which works seamlessly.

The Force Touch touchpad is as good as ever – arguably the best around. Largely because it is so big and expansive, but also with its haptic feedback. You don't get a physical click here, but it somehow makes you feel like there is one. There's even the slight clack sound – it's just a nice user experience.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Specs and performance

In case you missed it, the main addition to the 2024 MacBook Air is the M3 chip. This is a 8-core processor, built with Apple's innovative 3nm manufacturing process. While that sounds impressive, the result is only a small bump up in performance from the M2 chip of the previous Air models.

In Geekbench 6, the MacBook Air hit 3,085 for single-core, and 11,715 for multi-core – again, impressive. Though it is slightly behind its rivals on multi-core performance. The Acer Swift 14 AI, for example, hit 13,029 with its 10-core Snapdragon X Elite chip. What's more, if you're looking for MacBooks for your workforce, it's worth taking a look at the M2 Air as it offers near similar scores and you can get it cheaper.

You also get the slightly better battery; in our looped video test the M3 Air lasted 14hrs, and 33mins, almost three hours behind the M2 MacBook Air. Admittedly, that is a minor decrease that doesn't necessarily translate to real-world use. Our review unit was put through its paces for a whole week and showed absolutely no signs of stress, offering barely a hum of strain while processing all we could throw at it – but that's an extra $100 for basically the same performance.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Features

One big difference with the M3 MacBook Air is a feature that lets you power two external monitors. You have to close the lid for this to work properly, which is annoying. However, the switch between the Air's display and the second monitor once that lid closes is rapid – you will struggle to find a Windows machine that can keep up.

The port selection on the MacBook Air could be better tough. You have a 3.4mm headphone jack and two Thunderbolt 4 slots on the left-hand side, next to the MagSafe power connector. That's it. If you want anything else you have to stump up the cash for the MacBook Pro and this is probably how they keep the Air so thin and light, but it is still a slight bugbear for us.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in: Is it worth it?

So, in summary, everything that sets the M3 MacBook Air apart from the M2 model equates to about $100 dollars more. That's a slightly faster processor, the ability to connect two external monitors and the dark blue color option – as good as it is, it makes the M2 MacBook Air look more appealing.

However, if your business has reached its laptop upgrade cycle – or you're a new business ready to kit out employees with an attractive machine – the M3 MacBook Air is light, snappy, and stylish.

Apple M3 MacBook Air 13.6in specifications