Apple Unveils Next-Gen MacBook Air: M3 Chip, Dual Displays, and More
Surprisingly, Apple quietly announced the third-generation ARM-based MacBook Air. It is available for pre-orders with a starting price of $1,099. We’re sure many Apple fans are already opening their wallets, but let’s first see what the difference is. You can’t easily find what’s new on the official product page on Apple’s website, so here’s a quick comparison:
| MacBook Air M2 | MacBook Air M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M2 | M3 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Microphone Modes | Standard | Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum |
| Voice Clarity | – | Enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls |
| Finish | Standard | More fingerprint-resistant finish with the Midnight color option |
| External Display Support | Up to 1 external display | Up to 2 external displays (when the laptop lid is closed) |
Performance Comparison
Strangely, Apple likes to compare the M3 with the M1 chip on its official website, and the results are impressive. However, it’s a bit more logical to compare the performance to the previous generation (M2):
| Single-core | Multi-core | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple M3 | 3095 (+19% vs. M2 chip) | 11724 (+17% vs. M2 chip) |
| Apple M2 | 2610 (+10% vs. M1 chip) | 10060 (+15% vs. M1 chip) |
| Apple M1 | 2365 | 8731 |
Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 6E
The most important difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E is the addition of the 6 GHz frequency band in Wi-Fi 6E. This new band provides more bandwidth, less interference, and additional channels, enabling faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections for devices. Wi-Fi 6E is especially beneficial in high-density environments and supports advanced applications like augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) more effectively than Wi-Fi 6.
| Feature | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency Bands | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz |
| Bandwidth | Up to 160 MHz | Up to 160 MHz (additional 1200 MHz in the 6 GHz band) |
| Channels | 14 in 5 GHz | 14 in 5 GHz + 59 in 6 GHz |
| Latency | Low | Lower than Wi-Fi 6 |
| Interference | Less than previous generations | Significantly reduced in 6 GHz band |
| Use Cases | High-definition streaming, online gaming, smart homes | High-definition streaming, online gaming, smart homes, AR/VR, higher-density environments |
MacBook Air becomes the latest Apple computer series to get the Wi-Fi 6E standard, after the latest iMac, 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro (2023), Mac mini Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
Apple MacBook Air 13 (Early 2024) - Specs
- Display
- 13.6", (2560 x 1664), IPS
- Apple MacBook Air 13" (661-40217, 661-40218, 661-40219, 661-40220)
- HDD/SSD
- up to 2000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- soldered PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 24GB
- OS
- macOS, Chrome OS
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm (11.97" x 8.46" x 0.44")
- Weight
- 1.24 kg (2.7 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 3, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ax
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- 1080p FaceTime HD camera with Advanced image signal processor with computational video
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Three-mic array with directional beamforming, Dolby Atmos
- Speakers
- 4x Surround Speakers with support for Spatial Audio
- Security Lock slot
All Apple MacBook Air 13 (Early 2024) configurations
Apple MacBook Air 15 (Early 2024) - Specs
- Display
- 15.3”, 3K (2880 x 1864), IPS
- HDD/SSD
- up to 2000GB SSD
- RAM
- up to 24GB
- OS
- macOS, DOS
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm (13.40" x 9.35" x 0.45")
- Weight
- 1.51 kg (3.3 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 3, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- 1080p FaceTime HD camera with Advanced image signal processor with computational video
- Backlit keyboard
- optional
- Microphone
- Three-mic array with directional beamforming, Dolby Atmos
- Speakers
- 6x Surround Speakers with support for Spatial Audio
- Security Lock slot
All Apple MacBook Air 15 (Early 2024) configurations
Author: Simeon NikolovEditor-in-Chief at LaptopMedia.com with 20+ years of experience in testing and analyzing laptops and mobile devices.
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