M3 MacBook Air launch date, specs, value and plans for the 13- and 15-inch fashions

Again in July 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple could launch a refresh for the 13-inch MacBook Air this fall. Nevertheless, he is now altering his forecast, suggesting we could have to attend till spring or summer season 2024 to get a brand new MacBook Air.

When Gorman made his preliminary predictions, we have been stunned that he did not point out the 15-inch MacBook Air, which Apple launched in June 2023. It will be unusual if each Macs weren’t on the identical replace schedule. Now it seems like Apple could maintain again the M3 model of the 13-inch MacBook Professional to launch later, alongside the 15-inch MacBook Air M3.

Within the meantime, we might see a brand new M3 13-inch MacBook Professional, M3 iMac, and M3 Mac mini, presumably as quickly as November 2023.

Here is all the pieces you could know concerning the next-generation MacBook Air, together with the newest rumors and hypothesis primarily based on present info, Apple historical past, and confirmed information.

M3 MacBook Air: launch date

In July 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was planning a second fall launch, presumably at an October occasion “that would function the primary Macs with M3 chips.” He talked about the 13-inch MacBook Air, together with the 13-inch MacBook Professional and iMac, as the primary units to get the M3. The present M2 13-inch MacBook Air was launched in July 2022, that means the M3 improve in October will come about 15 months after the M2 model hits the market.

Nevertheless, Apple launched the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M2 in June 2023. Refreshing the 15-inch MacBook Air simply 4 months later could be uncommon and calls into query why Apple would introduce the 15-inch mannequin at WWDC and never With that. Simply wait till the M3 mannequin launches. Apple might ignore the 15-inch MacBook Air and replace it to the M3 sooner or later after updating the 13-inch mannequin, however that will be a complicated proposition for shoppers who do not wish to spend extra on the much less highly effective mannequin with a view to benefit from the bigger display screen. The one cause why each fashions will not be up to date on the similar time is to offer the 15-inch MacBook Air a refresh over the M3 Professional, however we predict that is unlikely.

It’s not shocking, then, that Gorman now seems to have backed away from this. “These ready for a brand new MacBook Air will probably want to attend just a little longer,” he wrote in an October publication. “I am instructed the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 fashions have simply reached the EVT, or Engineering Verification Testing, stage,” he wrote in an October publication. That might put it on schedule between spring and summer season of subsequent yr on the earliest.See: Apple’s M3 Mac roadmap simply will get clearer.

On this foundation, we count on the MacBook Air to be up to date within the spring or at WWDC in June 2024. Apple will replace each MacBook Air fashions on the similar time.

M3 MacBook Air: value

When Apple launched the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 in June, the corporate minimize the worth of the 13-inch mannequin by $100/£100. Apple might use the M3 improve as a chance to boost the worth again to $1,199, however we count on it to stay on the similar value, at the very least within the US. Apple could cut back costs within the UK and different markets exterior the US after elevating costs. Again in 2022 concerning change price fluctuations (the corporate lowered the costs of iPhones to take note of forex fluctuations).

The worth and specs of the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 will probably observe or be near the worth and specs of the present 13-inch MacBook Air M2. On your info, listed here are the costs and specs of the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 in commonplace configurations:

• 13-inch M2 chip with 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB reminiscence, 256GB SSD: $1,099/£1,149
• 13-inch M2 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,399/£1,449
• 15-inch M2 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,299 / £1,399
• 15-inch M2 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB reminiscence, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,599

Hopefully, costs within the UK will fall to the equal of the greenback, £1,099 and £1,399, for instance.

Apple can also be promoting the 13-inch MacBook Air M1 for a similar $999/£999 price ticket that it price when it launched in October 2020. Apple will probably discontinue the M1 MacBook Air whereas decreasing the worth of the M2 mannequin to $999 when M3 model. It arrives.

The 13-inch MacBook Air M3 will probably be out there by means of the standard shops as soon as it goes on sale: the Apple Retailer, Amazon, and different widespread retailers. You will discover the very best costs for a brand new MacBook Air in our MacBook Air offers article.

M3 MacBook Air: Design

When Apple launched the 13-inch MacBook Air M2, it additionally gave it an entire redesign for the primary time. It did away with the tapered design and utilized a conventional look just like the 14-inch MacBook Professional.

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Since this new design has solely been by means of one technology of the Air, we do not count on Apple to vary a lot with the M3 improve. That is good as a result of it is really one of many thinnest and lightest units you should purchase:

• MacBook Air M2 15-inch: 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 in (34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15 cm), 2.8 lbs (1.51 kg)
• MacBook Ai M2 13-inch: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13 cm), 2.7 lbs (1.24 kg)
• MacBook Air M1 13-inch: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.16-0.63 in (30.41 x 21.24 x 0.41-1.61 cm), 2.8 lbs (1.29 kg)

M3 MacBook Air: Show

The M3 MacBook Air will probably use the identical show because the M2 mannequin. For the 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple is utilizing a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina show with a decision of 2560 x 1664 pixels, a most brightness of 500 nits, P3 shade assist, and True Tone, which is a step up from that used within the 13-inch MacBook Air. 13 inches. M1 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Professional, which use 13.3-inch Retina shows with a decision of 2560 x 1600 pixels. The M1 Air’s display screen has a brightness of 400 nits, whereas the 13-inch Professional has a brightness of 500 nits.

Nevertheless, change could also be on the way in which within the type of new mini LED bulbs that could possibly be brighter than present bulbs, however extra importantly, use much less battery in comparison with present brightness ranges. These, based on DigiTimes, will come to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Execs, nevertheless it’s doable that Apple will use them for the next-generation MacBook Air.

The M3 MacBook Air will even probably retain the highest of the display screen for the 1080p FaceTime digicam, which does not intervene with the 16:10 side ratio of the display screen space beneath it.

An exterior show is linked by means of one of many M3 MacBook Air’s Thunderbolt ports. The laptop computer can drive a single exterior show with as much as 6K decision at 60Hz. If you could join extra shows, you’ll be able to attempt a workaround that includes third-party {hardware} and software program.

M3 MacBook Air: Colours

Apple will probably supply the M3 MacBook Air in the identical 4 colours because the M2 mannequin: Midnight, Silver, Area Grey, and Starlight. There have been rumors for years that Apple was planning to launch MacBook Air colours that match the iMac’s colourful casing, however that by no means materialized.

M3 MacBook Air: specs

In August 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman found developer logs with primary configurations of the M3 collection, which indicated that the M3 would have 8 CPU cores (4 efficiency, 4 effectivity) and 10 GPU cores.

The M1 and M2 each have eight CPU cores, and the M2 begins with 8 GPU cores and is configurable to 10, so it seems just like the M3 will observe go well with.

This new chip could look just like its predecessor, however it’s rumored that the M3 chip will probably be manufactured utilizing a brand new 3nm course of. This enables for a bigger variety of transistors than the improved 5nm course of used with the M2. This might permit the M3 to be quicker than the 20 p.c enhance we frequently see with a brand new technology of chips. Study extra about M3.

The M1 and M2 each began with 8GB of unified reminiscence, which is what we’ll probably see with the M3. The M2 will be configured with 24GB of reminiscence, which may enhance to 32GB with the M3. Gorman claims that Apple could also be altering the unified reminiscence configurations, with 36GB and 48GB exhibiting up in testing. 42GB will probably be a brand new configuration, reserved for the M3 Professional and Max, however that would imply we see 32GB with the M3.

The MacBook Air would not have any inside followers and we do not count on that to vary. Whereas the fanless design could trigger the M2 Air to lag whereas underneath CPU or GPU load, the M3’s larger effectivity can help in high-end efficiency.

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The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a MagSafe 3 connector for the ability adapter (the laptop computer can be charged through Thunderbolt), and a headphone jack. If Apple provides extra ports, it’ll probably simply be an extra USB-C port.

The present Air has Wi-Fi 6 wi-fi connectivity. After Apple introduced Wi-Fi 6E to the Mac mini and MacBook Professional, it’ll probably supply it on the following MacBook Air as effectively.

M3 MacBook Air: Battery and charging

The 13-inch MacBook Air M2 has a 52.6 Wh lithium-polymer battery, whereas the 15-inch mannequin provides a 66.5 Wh battery, and upcoming M3 fashions will probably have the identical battery measurement.

Nevertheless, the M3 could also be extra energy environment friendly than the M2, which might end in longer battery life. At present, Apple charges its Air’s battery with “as much as 18 hours of film playback on the Apple TV app,” and “as much as 15 hours of wi-fi net playback,” and people numbers could possibly be longer with the M3 Air.

As for charging, we count on the identical choices as the present Air. The $1,099/£1,149 13-inch MacBook Air contains a normal 30W USB-C energy adapter. The $1,399/£1,449 mannequin has a built-in 35W twin USB-C port energy adapter to cost two units on the similar time. A USB-C to MagSafe 3 energy cable is included with both mannequin. The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air additionally assist quick charging with a 70W USB-C energy adapter or every other adapter from our record of the very best MacBook Air chargers.