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

[David1964]

The M3 Pro chip would be a very suitable for the Air as it is the most balanced chip Apple ever created.

They won’t put a Pro chip in a non Pro machine.

 

[Populus]

Do

The air is literally a small and light Mac.

The 12” would be nothing but worse than the 13” in all but the one niche of portability.

Since the discontinuation of the 12” MacBook, there has not been a MacBook that weighted less than 950 grams. The 12” MacBook weighted 920 grams and I’m sure it would be much better with an M3 chip inside. Maybe even lighter. But I guess we’ll have to settle with an 11” iPad Pro, even with a more limited operating system.

 

[David1964]

SD Card, please.

Won’t happen in the Airs.

 

[Wanted797]

Do

Since the discontinuation of the 12” MacBook, there has not been a MacBook that weighted less than 950 grams. The 12” MacBook weighted 920 grams and I’m sure it would be much better with an M3 chip inside. Maybe even lighter. But I guess we’ll have to settle with an 11” iPad Pro, even with a more limited operating system.

I think for most people the M2 air at 1240 grams is light enough.

If they brought back the 12” with Apple silicon it would be a great machine. But I don’t think it would sell as much. Apple would likely have a dumb price on it and people would just choose the air.

 

[MiniApple]

how immediate is your need? There are the new Qualcomm ARM processors that are being tested now and might be available in some sort of laptop product by the end of the year

Not immediate at all, so that's not a bad thought. If I'm being honest, from a need standpoint this is nothing more than a little retail therapy.

the first new Qualcomm ARM devices will be launching in June.
Possibly Microsoft announces something at the end of March (possibly 21st) for their spring Surface event.
At the latest at Computex (June 3rd-7th) Qualcomm will unveil the first devices.
Availability and options might be limited at first, but get better towards October.

see here for more details https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surface-devices.2122819/page-154


I'll decide in June if my next portable device is an M3 Air or Qualcomm ARM .

 

[6749974]

No joke.
The M3 air has hardware raytracing, meshes and GPU dynamic cache.
The M2 Mac Pro Ultra doesn’t.
Well, you could say the joke is on Mac Pro users, but that would be unkind.

None of that surpasses the raw GPU horsepower on an M2 Ultra chip. But it does lay the ground work for the next decade forward in improved GPU features.

 

[6749974]

Only if MacBook Airs start shipping with M3 Pro chips, which is unlikely. The standard M3 SoC uses the traditional DRAM architecture and gets 8GB, 16GB, etc.

My comment was that Airs would eventually go to 12 GB, so that means not now but M4 or M5, possibly.

 

[Zdigital2015]

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.

Oddly enough, my Best Buy has M2 13” MacBook Pros (Touch Bar) in 24GB/1TB for $1499. I signed up for BB Plus for $50 and saved another $100. Coming from an M1 13” MBP 8GB/512GB that I paid $1499 for at launch, I’m ecstatic. I know people on these forums hate the Touch Bar MacBook Pros, but my M1 has been a stellar computer and one of my favorite Macs ever. Best Buy is also selling the 15” MBA 16GB/1TB for $1499 as well. Some were in stock, but now it’s a 3-4 day wait for it to come into the store.

 

[GigaSyntax]

I don't expect the M1 Air to stick around as Apple rarely sells a Mac model past 4 years

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Won’t happen in the Airs.

Unlikely, but one can wish.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I've been crushing my M2 MBA since July of '23. It's been my first non-MBP laptop ever and I have been floored by its capability. For anyone needing a new laptop, looking to save some $$$, and not caught up in the latest/greatest, now might be a good time to track down an M2 MBA as retailers look to move stock ahead of a pending M3 update.

 

[scrapesleon]

so its only getting. an updated chip not much there to update

 

[Mainsail]

"256GB ought to be enough for anyone"

- Tim Cook

Did Cook actually say that or are you just being sarcastic?

 

[6749974]

Oddly enough, my Best Buy has M2 13” MacBook Pros (Touch Bar) in 24GB/1TB for $1499. I signed up for BB Plus for $50 and saved another $100. Coming from an M1 13” MBP 8GB/512GB that I paid $1499 for at launch, I’m ecstatic. I know people on these forums hate the Touch Bar MacBook Pros, but my M1 has been a stellar computer and one of my favorite Macs ever. Best Buy is also selling the 15” MBA 16GB/1TB for $1499 as well. Some were in stock, but now it’s a 3-4 day wait for it to come into the store.

That’s a great price you got. You did good there. Best Buy is an enigma sales black box and you never know what sale you’ll find in there but every once in awhile they’ll have a maxed out laptop for $400 off. I hope they do more of it.

I think Touch Bar would have been a hit (in 2016) had Apple introduced Touch Bar to the world on the regular consumer-targeted MacBook Airs—instead of Pros who touch type and need the ESC key. Good news is touch is coming to MacBooks supposedly in 2027 with OLED.

 

[Chuckeee]

I've been crushing my M2 MBA since July of '23. It's been my first non-MBP laptop ever and I have been floored by its capability. For anyone needing a new laptop, looking to save some $$$, and not caught up in the latest/greatest, now might be a good time to track down an M2 MBA as retailers look to move stock ahead of a pending M3 update.

Although you might get a better price on a M2 MBA, right after the M3 MBA is released. If you are willing to wait a few weeks.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Although you might get a better price on a M2 MBA, right after the M3 MBA is released. If you are willing to wait a few weeks.

Oh yeah. That is a better idea. 🤪

 

[6749974]

I've been crushing my M2 MBA since July of '23. It's been my first non-MBP laptop ever and I have been floored by its capability. For anyone needing a new laptop, looking to save some $$$, and not caught up in the latest/greatest, now might be a good time to track down an M2 MBA as retailers look to move stock ahead of a pending M3 update.

Agreed. For the common computer user, there is no recognizable difference between M2 and M3.

• AV1 transcoding will benefit people down the line, but streaming services are barely using it and H.264/HEVC support is good for now. It's not a user recognizable benefit.
• Yeah 20% faster is a good year-over-year progress but not Air user can tell the difference between 3.2 seconds and 2.6 seconds—they are both perceived as 3 seconds. It's not a user recognizable benefit. 20% faster matters when you're doing sustained processes, which is more a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio thing.
• Battery may be an hour or two improved but for a majority of us, the M2 Air is already like 2x more battery-life than we need. Most of us have never gone below 20% in a single usage.

Unless you want a (possibly) new color, it's smart to buy the M2 Air on sale/used, especially if you can get a 16 GB RAM model.

 

[v0lume4]

I don't have any issue with switching to Windows, but I'm struggling to find an ultraportable on the PC side that competes with the Air. Every premium laptop I've seen that competes well on performance and battery life is closer in size and weight to a MBP, or even larger. Something like an XPS or a Surface - but both of them insist on Intel and its garbage integrated graphics, and their pricing for upgrades is about as bad as Apple's.

Ah, gotcha. Admittedly, I'm not as familiar with the options in the ultraportable segment as I was shopping more in the "pro" (Apple's wording) segment. I wish I had a suggestion. About Intel's graphics, I thought that their newer iGPU's (named Xe) were fairly competitive? I don't know how they stack up to Apple's, though.

As for upgrade prices, yeah those Surface prices are terrible. Most of the ultraportable machines have less user-upgradeable options compared to the thicker machines. The laptop I linked below has soldered RAM. Shame that other manufacturers have followed in Apple's footsteps. Obviously, on the computers that let you upgrade the parts yourself, you can save a pretty penny by buying and then upgrading afterwards.

I used this machine for a little over a year and had zero complaints, except that the battery life wasn't great (probably 5-6 hours max). It even has an OLED panel. I'd say it slots into that MacBook Air category. Sadly, I don't believe it's for sale anymore. Else, I'd recommend giving it a look. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-z...256gb-ssd-ponder-blue/6494331.p?skuId=6494331

 

[v0lume4]

I run a business and HAVE to have Windows too and don't trust Windows ARM as full Windows for client purposes. So I've already purchased a desktop PC for the first time in about 20 years since Silicon basically retired bootcamp (a tremendous value loss for those of us who need easy access to both worlds). So I've already got reacquainted with Windows 11 and find it quite good. Paired with a quality laptop and I can easily see Windows 11 being a good "on the road" alternative for all of the kinds of apps needed when away. Anything that needs some Mac app work could wait until I get back to the desktop Mac.

That RAM & SSD pricing is just so insulting, it has rapidly eroded accumulated brand goodwill for me that would previously help rationalize the "Apple Premium." They charge it because many will "just pay..." but I won't. So I hope they opt to get back to delivering more customer value before I actually need to purchase a new laptop. Expectations of that are LOW but I can kick this can a little longer while my Intel MB/Intel PC (in ONE case) is able to still cover both bases when on the road.

I'd much prefer to buy a new MB but I won't so ridiculously overpay for those parts of one. Compete (Apple) or lose another one(s???).

Ah, you, too, have a Windows machine.

I'm right there with you. The loss of Boot Camp was a big one for me, too. Apple can live in their little bubble, but the rest of the world keeps on using Windows. I can't not have a Windows machine somewhere on hand.

While lack of compatibility (macOS, ARM) is a large reason I have no intention of returning to the Mac, I will say that Apple would sweeten the deal considerably if they lowered their upgrade prices. I'd be more likely to consider one as reliable on-the-go workstation if I could spec it up more cheaply than I can today.

 

[MacBookAirOfPayne]

Mostly-Novice Question:
As a mental health counselor, I use my MacBook Air primarily for Zoom sessions (while concurrently using a Safari web-based platform to take notes). On my current MacBook Air (2019;13"; 1.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5; 16 GB RAM; 256 GB Memory; Sonoma 14.2.1), the CPU runs pretty consistently at 212℉ and the fan is at nearly full-blast the entire time. Using Chrome for anything also seems to make it run hot.

I'm looking to get a new MacBook, and I'm eyeing the MacBook Air (2023; 15"; M2 chip; 24GB unified memory; 256 GB storage). I'm sure it'll work fine for my needs, but here's my question: Will it run as hot as my current MacBook Air? (And is that a problem?)

 

[dmr727]

Mostly-Novice Question:
As a mental health counselor, I use my MacBook Air primarily for Zoom sessions (while concurrently using a Safari web-based platform to take notes). On my current MacBook Air (2019;13"; 1.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5; 16 GB RAM; 256 GB Memory; Sonoma 14.2.1), the CPU runs pretty consistently at 212℉ and the fan is at nearly full-blast the entire time. Using Chrome for anything also seems to make it run hot.

I'm looking to get a new MacBook, and I'm eyeing the MacBook Air (2023; 15"; M2 chip; 24GB unified memory; 256 GB storage). I'm sure it'll work fine for my needs, but here's my question: Will it run as hot as my current MacBook Air? (And is that a problem?)

I'll have to check the actual temps, but my wife regularly uses Zoom concurrently with the Office suite (mostly PowerPoint) on her M2 Air, and I don't think it even gets warm. You'll be blown away by the upgrade if you're still on an Intel Air.

 

[6749974]

Mostly-Novice Question:
As a mental health counselor, I use my MacBook Air primarily for Zoom sessions (while concurrently using a Safari web-based platform to take notes). On my current MacBook Air (2019;13"; 1.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5; 16 GB RAM; 256 GB Memory; Sonoma 14.2.1), the CPU runs pretty consistently at 212℉ and the fan is at nearly full-blast the entire time. Using Chrome for anything also seems to make it run hot.

I'm looking to get a new MacBook, and I'm eyeing the MacBook Air (2023; 15"; M2 chip; 24GB unified memory; 256 GB storage). I'm sure it'll work fine for my needs, but here's my question: Will it run as hot as my current MacBook Air? (And is that a problem?)

Here is a Reddit thread from 2 years ago filled with testimonials of M2 Air users saying that Zoom runs perfectly fine, no heat. Feel free to Google for more testimonials on Reddit and Macrumors forums.

M2 uses less wattage than Intel’s chip and transcodes video more efficiently through its media engine than whatever Intel’s Quick Sync support is doing.

M3 Air is supposedly coming next month, so maybe you want to wait, but if you find an incredible sale, don’t hesitate to buy an M2 Air. Be sure to test Zoom during your return window, of course, but you should be pleasantly surprised with Apple Silicon.

 

[6749974]

You'll be blown away by the upgrade if you're still on an Intel Air.

What’s crazy is their Intel Air has two-cores. The upgrade to eight-cores is insane. What a jump.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Agreed. For the common computer user, there is no recognizable difference between M2 and M3.

• AV1 transcoding will benefit people down the line, but streaming services are barely using it and H.264/HEVC support is good for now. It's not a user recognizable benefit.
• Yeah 20% faster is a good year-over-year progress but not Air user can tell the difference between 3.2 seconds and 2.6 seconds—they are both perceived as 3 seconds. It's not a user recognizable benefit. 20% faster matters when you're doing sustained processes, which is more a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio thing.
• Battery may be an hour or two improved but for a majority of us, the M2 Air is already like 2x more battery-life than we need. Most of us have never gone below 20% in a single usage.

Unless you want a (possibly) new color, it's smart to buy the M2 Air on sale/used, especially if you can get a 16 GB RAM model.

16 GB is def a minimum.

 

[Reason077]

If Apple doesn’t release a 12” MacBook (Air/Pro) this year, I’ll probably lose all hope for a small and light Mac…

Apple would like to sell you an iPad if you want something smaller and lighter than a MacBook Air. After all, with an M3 chip they're just about as powerful.