True to its roadmap, Apple is unveiling MacBook Airs equipped with the Apple M3 processor announced on October 31 and reserved until today for MacBook Pros.
More efficient and versatile
The M3 processor is more efficient with performance and efficiency cores respectively 15 and 30% stronger than the M2 chip. It must be said that Apple is greatly helped by TSMC’s 3nm engraving finesse in order to ensure a substantial gain from one generation to another.
The evolution of the M3 chip is not limited to the performance of the processor part since the graphics section also benefits from its share of advances. So the M3 supports the mesh shading and the raytracingwhich allows a higher framerate and more realistic reflections.
Wifi 6E and two external screens
The MacBook Air chassis does not change, but two new features are appearing: 6E wifi and support for two external screens.
WiFi 6E introduces the 6 GHz frequency band in addition to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. This band is fundamentally not faster than that of 5 GHz, but avoids the congestion of waves in urban areas and therefore offers better latency and higher speeds.
The move to M3 also puts an end to the limitation to a single external screen. Those who wanted to bypass it had to use Display Link compatible USB-C docks. The M3 MacBook Airs are now comfortable with two external screens if the MacBook cover is closed.
Autonomy is always the strong point of MacBooks. Apple announces an autonomy of 18 hours in video playback thanks to the efficiency of its processor.
The end of M1
The arrival of the M3 sounds the death knell for the MacBook M1 released in 2020, and therefore for the Apple Silicon M1 processor since no product is anymore equipped with it. Thus, the MacBook Air M2 becomes the most affordable MacBook and sees its price drop to €1,199.
The MacBook Air (2024) will be available from March 8 from €1,299 for the 13-inch version, and €1,599 for the 15-inch version.