Apple's 2024 M3 MacBook Air Refresh: What to Expect

[joeblow7777]

Very excited for this release. I'm a longtime iPhone and iPad user, but this is going to be my first ever Mac!

 

[spritle]

Just as Space Black is one of the major selling points of MacBook Pro with M3 Pro or Max, I believe new color for MacBook Air M3 will be a big draw.

But which colors?

I think Silver will remain in the line as it is an iconic classic Apple color. I would love iMac's Blue, Green, and Red (bolder back color) as opposed to nearly white varieties of iPhone 15.

Perhaps Space Silver?

 

[tutubibi]

I don't expect it but I am hopeful that Apple will quietly update all Macs to 16/512 RAM/SSD (or at least 12/512). Keep the price but bump specs, it is pitiful to have $1000+ machine with 8GB RAM in 2024.

 

[maxoakland]

The only thing I care about is more minimum RAM/SSD or let me replace it myself

 

[Chuckeee]

I don't expect it but I am hopeful that Apple will quietly update all Macs to 16/512 RAM/SSD (or at least 12/512). Keep the price but bump specs, it is pitiful to have $1000+ machine with 8GB RAM in 2024.

No way Apple would release a M3 MacBook Air with a large baseline RAM, than the RAM in the current baseline M3 MacBook Pro. If and when Apple boosts the baseline RAM on MacBooks, we'll see it in MacBook Pro first

 

[svish]

Expecting no major changes other than M3 chip. Would like to see new colours.

 

[noobinator]

Any chance of a black 13.6” air?

 

[btrach144]

Are we really not expecting an M3 Mac Mini?

 

[Student of Life]

Worth the wait or go with the M3 14" MBP? Coming from a 2015 15" MBP.

Honestly just get the pro. You are coming from a pro machine. The screen quality especially when dealing with hdr content will leave you wowed, the same with promotion.

Unless you are getting a base model air and are happy with 8/256, go pro because when you start upgrading the specs the difference between the pro and an air at 16/512 become minimal. Also since it’s an m3 chip it will have 18gb not 16gb

 

[6749974]

I need 120hz on an Air model since they have priced me out with the Pro.

Not happening for many years. Apple is bringing OLED to the Air in 2027 but with only 60Hz.

 

[6749974]

For me (24 year Apple (about) everything guy), I need to see much better value on both RAM and SSD upgrades than the current norm. I was ready to buy M2air on launch day until I upped those 2 things to my wants... and the price overran "deals" on M2 MBpros.

This one is going to be up against deals on M3 MBpros and I hope it will be different this time.

I have towards zero expectations of improved relative RAM and SSD upgrade pricing, so I won't hold my breath. But I will be holding my wallet ready to buy or not buy depending on a better value being offered or not. I'd definitely like one of these but not at current RAM & SSD upgrade pricing. So hopefully, Apple will be moved to throw customers a bone this time instead of "more, more, more" for shareholders. Else, my aging MBpro will keep being used until the wheels fall off.

Serious consideration that the next laptop may be a PC is growing... and that would not have even been a thought as recently as 5 years ago.

You can use refurb-tracker.com to subscribe to the models you want and get notified when its in the refurb store. That way you get a discount on a BTO. Or you can look at Best Buy or bhphotovideo.com, they sometimes have BTO models on sale.

EDIT: I should clarify that Best Buy won't have a BTO but will have an ultimate model sometimes, which is the 10c GPU, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage configuration.

 

[6749974]

Are we really not expecting an M3 Mac Mini?

Nope. Its mid product-cycle now according to MacRumors Buyers Guide; and Gurman said we wouldn't seen an update until late 2024.

 

[Student of Life]

I need 120hz on an Air model since they have priced me out with the Pro.

How?

With the internet it is so easy to search for deals. Unless you are outside of the USA, you can find good deals on M2 MacBook Pro. Woot, bestbuy, Costco slickdeals etc. It has never been easier to find deals. That’s not even touching eBay and the Apple refurbished store or even here in the marketplace. Good deals are not hard to find.

 

[Reason077]

Right now, the ‌MacBook Air‌ is available in silver, space gray, starlight, and midnight, which is a new dark blue color. We could see the three standard colors and another special color, or a whole new color lineup.

Presumably we'll see the new Space Black replace both Midnight and Space Grey, like on the MacBook Pros. Space Black is better than Midnight because it doesn't show fingerprints as much.

 

[Reason077]

You can use an iPad as a third display via the sidecar feature apparently, but I don’t know if that’s useful in reality. The architecture being limited to one external display is really the single most disappointing thing about the M3 SOC.

I'd actually prefer a third Thunderbolt (or even just USB-C) port over the ability to drive a second external display. And I'd happily ditch the MagSafe to make room.

 

[StoneJack]

Worth the wait or go with the M3 14" MBP? Coming from a 2015 15" MBP.

I chose 14 inch base M3

 

[Putzi360]

A little more color variation would be great. imac style variation.
Fond memories of my ibook clamshell.

 

[AriaAmaris]

The display on the air is just too dim. I love the form factor and I don’t need the power of a pro, but the display on the air is just not that greatl.

 

[robco74]

On paper the 15 sounds like it would be perfect for me but when I went to see it instore, it just felt really weird. Maybe the absence of the speaker grills threw me off. Anyone else?

I have the Silver one, and it is a bit noticeable, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I imagine on the Gray and Midnight models it would be less obvious. Speakers still sound great, though not as great as the Pros of course.

 

[HVDynamo]

Let's hope they finally bump the base storage up to 512GB, like they've done with the MacBook Pros. The difference in cost is almost measured in pennies at this point, and continuing to ship 256GB laptops is just sad and mean-spirited.

The Air should start at 512GB/16GB RAM, and the Pro's 1TB/24GB minimum.

 

[Bacong]

You can use an iPad as a third display via the sidecar feature apparently, but I don’t know if that’s useful in reality. The architecture being limited to one external display is really the single most disappointing thing about the M3 SOC.

now if you have a mac mini and a macbook you can have like 5 displays and use em all with universal control lolol

 

[Tagbert]

Yesterday!

MacRumors: Apple News and Rumors

Apple News and Rumors

www.macrumors.com

In case you missed it! 😆

 

[6749974]

The display on the air is just too dim. I love the form factor and I don’t need the power of a pro, but the display on the air is just not that greatl.

500 nits is too dim? Maybe in direct sunlight (outdoors) but thats not a normal use case for a common-use laptop.

 

[6749974]

The Air should start at 512GB/16GB RAM, and the Pro's 1TB/24GB minimum.

Apple just changed the M3 Pro to 18 GB from 16 GB, because this year they are using a new 6 GB DRAM chip (6 GB x 3 = 18 GB).

So the Airs will likely eventually move to 6 GB x 2 = 12 GB

It's possible the Pro chips will move to 24 GB, because thats an exact double of 12 GB. I just don't think its going to happen for another few years.

 

[Kevin2055]

Except it runs too hot for passive cooling, and would require the addition of a fan. And it’s not clear if the heat sink for an M3pro ship would even fit onto the logic board on a stick approached used within the MacBook air.

No way, 256GB will last another 10 years.