MacBook Air M3 review: The best laptop copes with fingerprints


Numerama received a preview of the new 15-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip, in its “Midnight” color. Is performance better? Is aluminum finally less messy?

Two years after the MacBook Air M2 (and nine months after its 15-inch version), here is the MacBook Air M3.

Announced by press release on March 4, Apple’s new laptop only partially evolves. It goes from the M2 chip engraved in 5 nanometers to the M3 chip engraved in 3 nanometers (the same as in the iMac), introduces Wi-Fi 6E for the first time in the range, supports two external screens when closed and, like the Space Black MacBook Pro, uses a “revolutionary chemical process” against fingerprints.

What is this new MacBook Air worth, whose destiny is to become the best-selling laptop in the world (the 13 and 15 inch models of the M2 generation currently dominate the market)? Numerama tested the new 15-inch MacBook Air.

The MacBook Air M3. // Source: Apple

The MacBook Air still dominates the laptop market

Usually, Numerama tests extend over several days or even weeks (this was recently the case with the Apple Vision Pro).

In the case of the new MacBook Air, as a user of the M2 model since its release, it is quite easy to come to a conclusion. The MacBook Air is still the best on the laptop market in terms of performance, battery life and longevity. Everything seems to be smiling about this machine, which offers a great balance to people looking for a computer capable of doing everything, whether they are fans of small screens (13.6 inches) or large ones (15.3 inches). Apple recycles a winning formula.

MacBook Air M3 2MacBook Air M3 2
The MacBook Air M3 in its 15-inch version is not far from being the ideal laptop. // Source: Numerama

With the arrival of an entry-level MacBook Pro M3 this fall, the only question that arises is how these two models can coexist:

  • At 1,299 euros excluding promotion (or 1,199 euros if you opt for the M2 version), the MacBook Air offers an LCD screen, a refresh rate of 60 Hz, a brightness of 500 nits and an announced autonomy of 18 hours.
  • At 1,999 euros, the MacBook Pro does better with mini-LED, 120 Hz, a brightness of 600 nits (with peaks of 1,600 nits in HDR), a battery life of 22 hours and has an HDMI port and from a Micro SD.

Is the general public willing to spend that much money on these extras? The question arises a little more with the 15-inch MacBook Air at 1,599 euros, even if most users will undoubtedly remember that it costs less and has a larger screen (14 inches on the Pro). The MacBook Air seems unbeatable in the Apple catalog, especially since its main fault, namely its 8 GB of RAM in the basic configuration, is shared by the MacBook Pro.

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The “Midnight” color scores points

Forget the M3 chip, the biggest novelty of this new generation is called anodization (a word not easy to say several times in a row). This is a process used by Apple with its Space Black MacBook Pros, which the brand now uses for the Midnight Blue of its MacBook Airs, aka the dirtiest color in the brand’s history.

The old Midnight color after a year, on the new Midnight color after a few hours. // Source: Nino Barbey / NumeramaThe old Midnight color after a year, on the new Midnight color after a few hours. // Source: Nino Barbey / Numerama
The old Midnight color after a year, on the new Midnight color after a few hours. // Source: Nino Barbey / Numerama

According to Apple, the “Midnight” 2024 does not have the fingerprint issue of the Midnight 2022. After 48 hours with the computer, it seems that this claim is a bit exaggerated. There is progress, but midnight remains messy.

In just a few hours, it is easy to cover the new MacBook Air with visible fingerprints, especially on its cover (since you touch it when you move it). They are much easier to clean and are less disturbing under the light, but they are still clearly visible.

When clean, the new MacBook Air Midnight looks a little shinier, as if a special layer of glitter is protecting the computer. Anodizing allows the computer’s aluminum to no longer be a slate that becomes greasy at the slightest touch, but does not magically erase the susceptibility of its color to take on fingerprints.

We already see fingerprints on the MacBook Air M3, even if its coating is better thought out than that of the M2 model.We already see fingerprints on the MacBook Air M3, even if its coating is better thought out than that of the M2 model.
We already see fingerprints on the MacBook Air M3, even if its coating is better thought out than that of the M2 model. // Source: Numerama

The MacBook Air Midnight is still a messier computer than the Silver or Gold models, but it’s finally becoming a decent option for cleanliness enthusiasts. This is already a step forward, since this dark color suits it perfectly.

The M3 chip does better than the M2 chip: who would have thought it?

And then, obviously, who says new generation of Mac, says new generation of processor. Nothing really new that said, since the M3 chip in the MacBook Air 2024 is the same as in the iMac or the MacBook Pro. Its characteristics were already known and are, unsurprisingly, in line with what Apple offered with its M1 and M2 chips (with finer engraving, in 3 nm, which allows Apple to multiply the transistors in a chip of the same size, without impact on autonomy). The MacBook Air remains a passively cooled computer, without fans.

In the vast majority of cases, the M3 chip is overpowering. Its performance is so great that it can even be used for professional use, such as 4K video editing or the use of local language models (this is the first time that Apple has highlighted the use of the ‘Generative AI, pending the introduction of its own model in June 2024, according to rumors).

Obviously, real professionals will prefer a MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip, particularly for their greater versatility. Incidentally, people hoping to use a MacBook Air at work would be well advised to opt for a model with 16 GB of RAM, since the 8 GB of RAM in standard configurations is difficult to justify in 2024.

Geekbench 5 – CPU SingleGeekbench 5 – CPU MultiGeekbench 5 – GPU
MacBook Air M11,7497,71921,691
MacBook Air M21,8878,83630,385
MacBook Air M32,1719,99034,111
Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 12.11.59Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 12.11.59

The benchmarks are unanimous: the M3 chip does better than the M2 chip, which itself did better than the M1 chip. More interesting: the performance of the M3 chip on a MacBook Air, a computer without fans, is practically equivalent to that of a 2021 M1 Pro chip. Apple is making incredible progress year over year, even if they do not justify the transition from an M1/M2 model to an M3 model. On the other hand, owners of a Mac with an Intel chip have everything to gain with these new MacBook Airs, whether they choose an M2 model or an M3 model.

What about the rest of the features? Wi-Fi 6E delivers on its promises and offers the same speeds as an iPhone, namely more than 2 Gb/s in speed test with a Freebox Ultra. Autonomy remains excellent, since we generally end our day above 40%, even with intensive use. No PC does this well.

The verdict

Without major new features, the MacBook Air 2024 achieves excellence. It brilliantly renews the formula inaugurated by its two predecessors, still with 13.6 and 15.3 inch screens. The MacBook Air is still the best computer on the planet for most people, given its versatility, its design, its incredible battery life and its great performance, which is good for everything (except for gaming, since macOS is still behind at this level, despite the power of the computer). The only criticism we can make is the absence of 16 GB of RAM as standard, although the general public will probably not notice this.

Unsurprisingly, the Apple M3 chip does better than the M2 chip, even though Apple Silicon processors are so good that the difference is invisible in everyday use. The MacBook Air M3 steals the crown from the MacBook Air M2, without much effort, and becomes the reference laptop for Numerama.

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