Launched in February 2024, Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air M3 sets new standards in portability and performance. With its pumped-up M3 chip and its still portable format, this new vintage from the Apple brand fully deserves its place in our comparison of the best laptop PCs.
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- The M3 chip, its performance, its energy efficiency
- Work in absolute silence and without heating
- Diabolical autonomy
With its 13-inch MacBook Air M3, Apple simply has one of the best ultraportable computers on the market. Elegant, extremely pleasant to use in a mobile situation, even more powerful and still just as durable, the device ultimately only suffers from small, relatively marginal flaws compared to the overall experience offered. However, we expect Apple to make a real effort in the future on the amount of RAM onboard by default on its Macs, but also on the speed of their SSDs.
With its 13-inch MacBook Air M3, Apple simply has one of the best ultraportable computers on the market. Elegant, extremely pleasant to use in a mobile situation, even more powerful and still just as durable, the device ultimately only suffers from small, relatively marginal flaws compared to the overall experience offered. However, we expect Apple to make a real effort in the future on the amount of RAM onboard by default on its Macs, but also on the speed of their SSDs.
An evolution without revolution, but with good resolutions
The 13-inch MacBook Air M3, introduced as the successor to the 2022 M2 model, represents a smooth evolution of Apple’s ultraportable range. This model carries out a careful hardware update, with the introduction of the M3 chip, which combines the capabilities of a GPU and a CPU in a single component, thus optimizing performance while maintaining moderate energy consumption.
The 13.6-inch LED screen, with a resolution of 2560 × 1664 pixels, a 16:10 format, and a refresh rate of 60 Hz, offers attractive display quality, capable of competing without blushing with panels OLED from its competitors. It is ideal for creative professionals.
Retaining the popular design of its predecessor (if we omit the controversial notch reserved for the webcam), the new 13-inch MacBook Air M3 sports a silhouette that is as slender as it is light. With an aluminum chassis measuring only 30.41 x 21.50 x 1.13 cm and a weight of 1.24 kg, it maintains dimensions and weight that make it perfectly mobile.
What is the MacBook Air M3 13 worth compared to competition of the same price?
For fans of the Apple ecosystem, the MacBook Air M3 13 is undoubtedly the best value for money laptop. The main advantage of this model is its lightness, which makes it ideal for those who prioritize mobility. As for autonomy, the battery offers between 15 and 18 hours of operation, which is enough for a full day of productivity.
Despite its compact format, this MacBook does not skimp on performance. Compared to the best laptops of the moment, like the latest ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED, the MacBook Air M3 13 excels without batting an eyelid. Its M3 chip easily rivals the prowess of the Intel Meteor Lake processor – which equips the ASUS ultraportable – displaying undeniable superiority in terms of energy efficiency.
Unsurprisingly, this model far exceeds its predecessor, the MacBook Air M2, in terms of processing capacity. However, it retains one of the flaws of its big brother: minimalist connectivity, limited to two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe jack for power, and a headphone jack; which can prove to be a hindrance for some users.
The MacBook Air range: the consumer laptop, Apple style
Since the launch of the first MacBook Air by Steve Jobs in 2008, Apple has always sought to push the limits of the (ultra) portable computer. Initially praised for its incredible finesse, the “Air” model quickly became the brand’s spearhead among the general public.
The MacBook Air has had its ups and downs, with, in particular, a period of doubt about its future between 2015 and 2018, during which Apple seemed to abandon its most famous laptop. But in 2020, the Air series is among the first to migrate to the Apple Silicon M1 chip, promising a new balance between performance and energy efficiency, and thus boosting the appeal of the range.
The update continues in 2022, with the introduction of a new design and the M2 chip, and in 2024, with the arrival of the M3 chip. These revisions have allowed the MacBook Air to regain its market-leading position, offering one of the best value for money among ultraportable computers.
See our comparison of the best laptops
Editor specializing in hardware, tech, gaming, and all other “geek” stuff, I was born with a pen in one hand and a PlayStation controller in the other (which didn't help anyone at all). maternity). Since then, I have constantly alternated between writing and playing video games. Sometimes I do both at the same time.
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