Macbook Air M3 - Midnight x Silver

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

Hello! I entered the Apple world with the iPhone 7 Plus at that time, since then I have changed my iPhone every year and bought an Apple Watch Series 6 at its launch. Now I'll take one more step in: I'll buy a Macbook Air M3. Having a Macbook has always been a dream for me, I will be doing it and leaving the Windows world! Well. I'm in doubt about the color. I know that Midnight, no matter how much it has improved, still retains a lot of finger marks. However, I saw a video on the YT that the user shows the USB input with marks of use, scratches and with peeled ink!

I am careful with my devices and I know that this may be due to misuse. But I wanted to know if anyone is facing any kind of problem with the midnight color, because I am between it and the silver color.

 

[oasantos1]

Having used an MBA 15" in Midnight for a few months, I personally did not have scratches by the ports. Mind you I was also somewhat careful connecting my SSD or hub.

I can say the same for 14" MBP in Space Black.

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

Having used an MBA 15" in Midnight for a few months, I personally did not have scratches by the ports. Mind you I was also somewhat careful connecting my SSD or hub.

I can say the same for 14" MBP in Space Black.

Thank you for your reply. I have already acquired, in advance, a Baseus HUB. And I've always been careful with my devices when connecting a USB accessory so as not to keep trying to hit the port and scratch it around.

 

[estabya]

In my experience all of Apple’s coated aluminum devices will chip around ports over time. Maybe I just have bad aim with my cables and dongles, but the USB-C devices seem especially prone to the problem. My 2016 MacBook and 2018 iPad Pro both look pretty rough.

If you plan to use the machine for a long time and think that the chipping will bother you, I’d go with silver or starlight.

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

In my experience all of Apple’s coated aluminum devices will chip around ports over time. Maybe I just have bad aim with my cables and dongles, but the USB-C devices seem especially prone to the problem. My 2016 MacBook and 2018 iPad Pro both look pretty rough.

If you plan to use the machine for a long time and think that the chipping will bother you, I’d go with silver or starlight.

Is Silver just the metal without any kind of painting? Something like the Natural Titanium of the iPhone 15 Pro Max? As I am a perfectionist, my fear is to buy a Macbook with a kind of ink applied, as in the case of Midnight, and, the use of everyday life, this color application is peeling with the use, no matter how much I take great care of my devices.

Some risks and bumps are inevitable with everyday use.

 

[estabya]

Is Silver just the metal without any kind of painting? Something like the Natural Titanium of the iPhone 15 Pro Max? As I am a perfectionist, my fear is to buy a Macbook with a kind of ink applied, as in the case of Midnight, and, the use of everyday life, this color application is peeling with the use, no matter how much I take great care of my devices.

Some risks and bumps are inevitable with everyday use.

That’s right. The silver models are bare aluminum. All the other colors have a coating applied that is susceptible to chipping and wear, which will reveal the bare aluminum underneath.

 

[za9ra22]

I have a 15-inch in midnight, with no signs of marks or damage/chipping/scratches around the ports. It's also not that prone to (my) fingerprints, and what there are can be easily wiped off with a microfibre cloth, or even one intended to clean glasses with.

In comparison to my 13-inch MBA in silver, midnight is astonishingly good. It makes this computer a thing of beauty to look at and hold.

The finish is not paint, but obviously because it's dark, if and when it does scratch, the scratch will show. Being careful with USB-C connectors seems likely to go a long way to avoiding the problem however.

 

[estabya]

I have a 15-inch in midnight, with no signs of marks or damage/chipping/scratches around the ports. It's also not that prone to (my) fingerprints, and what there are can be easily wiped off with a microfibre cloth, or even one intended to clean glasses with.

In comparison to my 13-inch MBA in silver, midnight is astonishingly good. It makes this computer a thing of beauty to look at and hold.

The finish is not paint, but obviously because it's dark, if and when it does scratch, the scratch will show. Being careful with USB-C connectors seems likely to go a long way to avoiding the problem however.

I am glad you’ve had a good experience and would not say the problem is unavoidable. I do tend to be very careful with my devices but don’t baby them the way some people do.

In my experience the coatings all begin to wear off eventually, even if sometimes not for a few years.

 

[za9ra22]

I am glad you’ve had a good experience and would not say the problem is unavoidable. I do tend to be very careful with my devices but don’t baby them the way some people do.

In my experience the coatings all begin to wear off eventually, even if sometimes not for a few years.

I think any product in any material in any color is susceptible to all manner of wear and damage - commonly the worst culprits are of course plastics. I don't have any information as to how Apple test durability of finishes, but clearly to some extent it is likely they do - though the degree to which the M2 midnight finish gathered fingerprints suggests they may not pay much attention to the results!

That said, anodizing aluminum does give it what one of the leading specialists in the business describe as 'an exceptionally durable finish'. It isn't a single layer finish but multiple layers which are formed from the aluminum itself, which means it shouldn't chip or peel, and won't flake off. However, it can be scratched of course because it's 'just' aluminum - though about 2 or 3 times harder than the raw metal.

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

I have a 15-inch in midnight, with no signs of marks or damage/chipping/scratches around the ports. It's also not that prone to (my) fingerprints, and what there are can be easily wiped off with a microfibre cloth, or even one intended to clean glasses with.

In comparison to my 13-inch MBA in silver, midnight is astonishingly good. It makes this computer a thing of beauty to look at and hold.

The finish is not paint, but obviously because it's dark, if and when it does scratch, the scratch will show. Being careful with USB-C connectors seems likely to go a long way to avoiding the problem however.

I just saw a 13" Macbook Air M3 at the Apple store. It's really beautiful!

 

[picpicmac]

The silver models are bare aluminum.

One of my pet peeves: when companies sell aluminum as "silver" color.

Aluminum and silver appear quite differently, if one puts them side-by-side, in un-tarnished states.

Silver is whiter, and of course much more lustrous.

I wish Apple had some actual silver on their devices, then they'd be prettier.

 

[za9ra22]

I just saw a 13" Macbook Air M3 at the Apple store. It's really beautiful!

Yes, absolutely. This is one thing that I think Apple got absolutely right.

 

[Lioness~]

I think this generation will be less prone to get scratches due to the magsafe charhing port, at least.
It attach itself when you just hold it close.
Around the other USB-C ports, I'm not worried. The old 2018 MBA I had, there was practically nothing noticable around the ports. Ok, it was not midnight but gold, yet after over 5 yrs nothing really visible, unless you looked really really close.
I am and will enjoying my MBA with the classy Midnight color.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I am careful with my devices and I know that this may be due to misuse. But I wanted to know if anyone is facing any kind of problem with the midnight color, because I am between it and the silver color.

If I were to buy one now, it'd be either midnight or space gray. I take care of my devices as well, but inserting USB plugs is never a 100% clean thing and ultimately, there will likely be some scratches around the ports. That's pretty much unavoidable unless you're extremely careful. I even see that on my rose gold M1 MBA.

Silver should show this much less. My partner has an M1 MBP in silver and I guess (someone correct me if I'm wrong, please) it doesn't go through the anodization process so there's no layer that gets scratched off or so?

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

This is my biggest fear:

Including the Magsafe port!

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

I chose the color SILVER.

I know myself and I'm a perfectionist. I know I will take extreme care when connecting accessories and Magsafe in Midnight color precisely so as not to scratch it. As the SILVER version is pure aluminum, I will be more reassured about it.