Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) review: A superb laptop

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s how the saying goes and it’s one of my favourites because well, it’s true right? There is of course always an argument that something can be improved if you tear it down and start again whilst trying to “fix” it, but if it’s already great, how often is that process really necessary?

Apple tore the MacBook Air down in 2022 and redesigned it from the wedge shape we’d seen (and many loved) since 2008, to a flat and symmetrical aluminium body. Given that redesign took over a decade, it’s no surprise the MacBook Air (M3) isn’t a new shape 2 years on and instead, focuses on adding some new tricks under the hood. 

I’ve been using the MacBook Air (M3) since before it went on sale, moving directly from the MacBook Air 15-inch (M2) and it’s everything I expected, plus a little bit more.

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The Disconnekt Downlow

There’s no doubting the MacBook Air’s biggest attributes: it’s a fantastic everyday laptop, offering an excellent blend of portability and performance. The fact that it launches at a cheaper price than the MacBook Air (M2) did, and still offers that exceptional battery life, puts it on track to be one of the best laptops this year.

Buy the Apple MacBook Air (M3) from £1,049 on Amazon

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What the Apple MacBook Air (M3) does well

There’s something quite special about the MacBook Air. If a laptop was going to steal my heart, it would be the Air, hands down, every day of the week. Not the MacBook Pro, because despite the Pro being an exceptional device, the Air has a much more subtle and understated appeal. It’s a silent powerhouse of an everyday laptop – literally silent too as there is no fan humming in the background.

I loved the Air’s design as a wedge – it was and remains iconic – but I love the new design the 2022 Air brought with it more. It’s fresh, clean and the symmetry is refreshing. The base is solid, it’s incredibly compact (especially the 13-inch model which I have as my review unit) and it is so light and portable that I can take it anywhere with me. I barely notice it – my makeup bag almost weighs more at 998g compared to Air’s 1.24kg.  

None of that is anything new over the MacBook Air 13-inch from 2022, or the MacBook Air 15-inch from 2023 – both of those have the same attributes – but I suspect the majority of people considering this model will come from an older Air, perhaps an Intel-based model or Apple’s M1, so I consider those elements important to mention.

It’s also worth mentioning that the special anodisation process used for the Space Black MacBook Pro (M3) has been introduced to the MacBook Air M3 – something the M2 model doesn’t have – and there are definitely fewer fingerprints on my 13-inch M3 review model than my 15-inch M2 model. Significantly fewer actually.

The Liquid Retina display remains glorious with slim bezels (5mm) around the display and the notch remains at the top, housing the 1080p FaceTime HD camera. The notch is noticeable for all of around 10 minutes, after which it’s not something you’ll acknowledge again. Instead your focus will likely be drawn to the vibrancy of the screen, with colours popping and everything looking great, from a Netflix series and images on Photoshop, to the icons in the dock.

The typing experience also remains excellent. There was a time when the MacBook’s keyboard wasn’t favoured but that’s no longer the case. The Magic Keyboard with its full height function keys and Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the top right corner delivers a wonderful typing experience and I’m in a great position to say that because most of what I do all day is type. There’s a lovely smooth travel to the keys, I use Touch ID more than backspace, while the Trackpad underneath is exceptionally responsive. I have the Bluetooth Magic Trackpad but I find the built-in Magic Trackpad on the MacBook Air much nicer to use. 

When it comes to performance, the MacBook Air (M3) delivers a smooth and sublime experience from the latest Apple silicon M3 chip. Everything is exceptionally slick and fast and that’s really all that matters when it comes to day-to-day use – which is the reason you buy the Air in the first place.

I’ve edited multiple RAW images, run several applications simultaneously and the MacBook Air (M3) didn’t bat an eyelid. My M2 model doesn’t either to be honest, though Apple does say the M3 is faster at certain tasks compared to the M2, like filters and image effects on Photoshop but in reality, both are more than capable machines, with the M3 model taking the slight edge.

Overall, the MacBook Air (M3) is everything you would expect (plus a little bit more). Battery life was – and remains – an element that really impressed me from the MacBook Air (M2) and the M3 retains the accolade. I’ve not been on a 10-hour flight working continuously with this model as yet but based on my experience, I would still expect to get off with more 50 per cent remaining. It’s more than capable of handling a day of use without needing a top up, though that will of course slightly depend on what you do on it. If you’re image editing, consider bringing a charger just to make sure but general tasks wouldn’t need that.

What the MacBook Air M3 could do better

It’s not perfect but there are very few things the MacBook Air (M3) could do better. I would still like to see a future model of the Air ditching the notch. You get used to it, but just because you get used to it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t appreciate an uninterrupted menu bar at the top of the screen. We all got used to the notch on the iPhone until the iPhone 14 Pro arrived with Dynamic Island after all. 

I’d also love to see the display become touch-enabled at some point in the future but that is very much something I would expect to see appear on the MacBook Pro models first, as while the Air is a fabulous everyday laptop, it’s the entry point to Mac rather than the showcase of new features.

A few extra ports would be welcomed too but honestly, this isn’t really a deal breaker as there are plenty of adapters out there to expand the Air’s capabilities. Like the keyboard going through some woes, the MacBook’s ports did too. The 12-inch MacBook from 2015 only had one port so the two Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe 3 for charging and the 3.5mm audio port are in fact a luxury compared to that model. The MacBook Pro does have a SDXC port and HDMI however, which I wouldn’t turn down on the MacBook Air, but some differences are only natural.

I’d also say the speakers remain one of the MacBook Air’s weaknesses. It doesn’t have many as I said, but one of the trade-offs for the slim design and portability this laptop offers is that the speakers aren’t going to be hosting a house party any time soon.

What the MacBook Air M3 offers over the older models

I mentioned the design and display remain the same as the MacBook Air (M2), and the same can be said for the battery life and ports, so what is different? Well, Apple’s M3 chip is the main point of differentiation. It’s the same chip that was introduced in the iMac towards the end of last year, offering an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. There’s also an advanced media engine with AV1 decode, which is designed to deliver more efficient video streaming.

The other difference is the MacBook Air (M3) can run up to two external 5K displays with the lid closed, rather than just one. While that seems quite niche initially, it will be beneficial for some as it means you don’t need both a desktop computer and a laptop as the MacBook Air can serve as both, simply plugging it in when at home or in the office and taking it with you when you leave.

The last difference is Wi-Fi 6E support. The MacBook Air (M2) has Wi-Fi 6 support, but 6E is two times faster. But you need a compatible router to see the benefits of that upgrade so be sure to check your Wi-Fi system before expecting improvements to your Wi-Fi experience by just buying the MacBook Air.

Should you buy the MacBook Air (M3)?

The answer to whether you should buy the MacBook Air (M3) is a very clear yes based on my experience with it. But it does depend on what you are using as your current laptop.

If you have the MacBook Air (M2) it’s very unlikely you’ll need to upgrade, as while I have noticed the M3 model to be slightly snappier for general day-to-day use, the M2 model is still superb.

If you’re coming from a PC and you want to move to Mac, the user interface might take time to get used to but the MacBook Air (M3) itself is very unlikely to let you down, while those coming from an older MacBook Air or MacBook, will see noticeable speed enhancements and superb battery life like the M2 model. 

There’s no doubting the MacBook Air’s biggest attributes: it’s a fantastic everyday laptop, offering an excellent blend of portability and performance. The fact that it launches at a cheaper price than the MacBook Air (M2) did, and still offers that exceptional battery life, puts it on track to be one of the best laptops this year.

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