M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Is the cheapest model good enough?

Macworld

Now that Apple has updated its hugely popular MacBook Air range with a new M3-powered model, there’s one question: is the new model a no-brainer purchase or should you look at picking up the cheaper M2 MacBook Air? We compare the two to see where your money would be best spent.









Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024)























M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Design

You’d be hard-pressed to find any real difference in the designs between the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 and its predecessor. Both share the same dimensions and weight. Keyboards and trackpads are unchanged, and the rest of the components, including the Touch ID sensor and ports, also remain the same. The colors are identical as well, with midnight, starlight, space grey, and silver options. 

The main difference between the M3 models and the M2 is the screen size. If you want a 15-inch model, there is only the M3 option as Apple has retired last year’s 15-inch MacBook Air M2, leaving its replacement, the MacBook Air 15-inch M3, as the sole larger-than-13-inch option. Again, it’s an identical design to the M2 model, but larger than its 13-inch siblings. So, here’s how the three current models stack up:

Dimensions 

MacBook Air 13-inch M2 – 1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46-inches

MacBook Air 13-inch M3 – 1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46-inches

MacBook Air 15-inch M3 – 1.15 x 34.04 x 23.76 cm / 0.45 x 13.40 x 9.35-inches 

Weight 

MacBook Air 13-inch M2 – 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs

MacBook Air 13-inch M3 – 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs

MacBook Air 15-inch M3 – 1.51 kg / 3.3 lbs

Yes, the 15-inch model does push the Air over to its limits in terms of weight, but for this size, it still feels light enough to retain its legendary name. 

Apple

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Display

As with the design elements, the 13-inch models again come with identical setups for the display. Both feature 13.6-inch Liquid Retina displays running 2,560 x 1,664 resolutions, with 500 nits of brightness, plus Wide Color (P3) and True Tone technology. 

Obviously, the 15-inch M3 Air has a larger panel—a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display with a scaled-up 2,880 x 1,864 resolution, but apart from that it is simply a larger version of the 13-inch model. 

Macwelt

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Audio

With the 13-inch models, sound comes from a four-speaker system that supports Spatial Audio. Weirdly, Apple lists the older model as having a wide-stereo sound, which apparently isn’t present in the M3 model. It’s not clear exactly what this is, but it may be a feather in the cap for the 13-inch MacBook Air M2. 

The 15-inch M3 has a better sound system than the 13-inch model, with a total of six speakers and force-canceling woofers.

The M3 brings some microphone upgrades compared to the M2, with voice isolation and wide spectrum modes to improve audio in noisy environments. Plus it has enhanced audio clarity support for audio and video calls. With this in mind, the M3 MacBook Air would be the better option if you make a lot of FaceTime or Zoom calls on your Mac without using an external USB device. 

There’s the same 1080p FaceTime camera across all models. 

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Specs

13-inch MacBook Air M213-inch MacBook Air M315-inch MacBook Air M3Processor8-core CPU/8-core GPU8-core CPU/8 or 10-core GPUFour-speaker array with support for Spatial AudioDisplay13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560×1664, 500 nits brightness, Wide colour (P3), True Tone13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560×1664, 500 nits brightness, Wide colour (P3), True Tone15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 2880×1864, 500 nits brightness, Wide colour (P3), True ToneRAM (Unified Memory)8GB/16GB/24GB 8GB/16GB/24GB 8GB/16GB/24GB Storage256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB256GB/512GB/1TB/2TBSpeakersFour-speaker array with support for Spatial AudioFour speaker array with support for Spatial AudioFour-speaker array with support for Spatial AudioTouch IDYesYesYesPorts2x Thunderbolt / USB 4. MagSafe Charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack2x Thunderbolt / USB 4. MagSafe Charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack2x Thunderbolt / USB 4. MagSafe Charging port, 3.5mm headphone jackWi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6EBluetooth5.35.35.3Camera1080p FaceTime HD1080p FaceTime HD1080p FaceTime HDBattery52.6-watt-hour with support for 70W fast charging52.6-watt-hour with support for 70W fast charging66.5-watt-hour with support for 70W fast chargingDimensions1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46-inches1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm / 0.44 x 11.97 x 8.46-inches1.15 x 34.04 x 23.76 cm / 0.45 x 13.40 x 9.35-inchesWeight1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs1.51 kg / 3.3 lbs

The main change in the specs department, as you’ve probably guessed, is the upgraded processor. While the M2 was already pretty swift, the new M3 adds around 20 percent in terms of performance improvements. That might not seem like much, but most chipset performance increments have traditionally been around this mark, so the M3s are faster, but not so much that they leave the M2 in the dust. 

On the two cheapest 13-inch models, you’ll get an M2 or M3 with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. All other 13-inch and 15-inch configurations get an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The M3 brings the added bonus of the AV1 decode engine and hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the M3, which will no doubt make it tempting for those who want to create video content. 

Storage options and RAM capacities are retained from the M2 lineup. Entry-level models all come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and some base configurations have 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Note that in the case of the M3 the M3’s 256GB storage option is better than the 256GB storage in the M2 because Apple has included two 128GB NAND chips rather than a single 256GB chip. That means the two drives can process data simultaneously, making for much faster speeds than the M2 model. The slower SSD in the M2 was one of the main disadvantages, so this is an excellent improvement on the previous generation.

Here are the combinations Apple offers, which are the same for the M2 and M3 models:

RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 24GB 

SSD: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Connectivity

The MacBook Air has never been overburdened with ports, mainly due to its svelte designs, and Apple isn’t changing this with the new M3 models. As with the M2, you get two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. That’s it. Of course, you can use a USB-C hub to massively expand your connection options. 

Communications do vary slightly, with the M2 utilizing Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6, while the M3 is almost the same but boosts the Wi-Fi to the 6E standard, although you’ll need a compatible router to get the extra connectivity of 6E.

Petter Ahrnstedt

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Battery and charging

You may expect the larger 15-inch MacBook Air M3, featuring a larger battery, to come with a longer life away from a charger, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Apple states that all three models have up to 18 hours of battery life from a single charge. This isn’t surprising with the 13-inch models, as they both have 52.6-watt-hour batteries, but the 66.5-watt-hour cell in the 15-inch Air doesn’t boost the lifespan, presumably due to the power drain of driving a larger display. 

The baseline smaller Airs come with 30W USB-C chargers, with the 15-inch Air sporting an upgraded 35W charger. All can support fast charging with a 70W USB-C Power Adapter (sold separately).

M2 vs M3 MacBook Air: Price

With the arrival of the M3 MacBook Air Apple has dropped the price of the M2 model. As for the M3 model, the great news for those outside of the U.S. is that prices have come down compared to the previous generation. U.K. prices are back to being the ‘same’ as the U.S. price rather than much higher, saving as much as £150 in some cases.

13-inch MacBook Air M2

13-inch MacBook Air M2 (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $999/£999 (was $1,099/£1,149)

13-inch MacBook Air M2 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,199/£1,199 (was $1,399/£1,449)



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13-inch MacBook Air M3

13-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1,099/£1,099

13-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,299/£1,299

13-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,499/£1,499

15-inch MacBook Air M3

15-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1,299/£1,299

15-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,499/£1,499

15-inch MacBook Air M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1,699/£1,699

You should also check out our roundup of the best MacBook Air deals to see if there’s a bargain to be had.  If you want to try and track down the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 then you could look for refurbished models or shop around third-party retailers that might have old stock that’s still selling.   

Should you buy an M3 MacBook Air?

As with any successive iteration, the margins of difference between this year’s model and last year’s are small. The 13-inch M2 and M3 Airs feature many of the same components. They look identical, and have the same ports, displays, configuration options, and battery life, with the only major difference being the jump to a new processor. But with just $100 difference between the M3 and M2, unless your budget is very tight, we recommend one of the newer machines.

The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is an even easier recommendation, offering a larger screen size and better speakers over the 13-inch model. If it’s too big for you, the 13-inch model is a slam dunk. To be honest, they’re all great machines, so for once it does come down to what size you want and how much are you willing to pay. Whichever one you decide on, it should serve you handsomely for years to come.

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