Apple MacBook Air 13 M3

Apple's latest MacBook Air takes everything we loved about the M2 redesign — a sleeker and lighter case — and adds more power thanks to an M3 chip.

If you want the smallest version of Apple’s laptop line, the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 makes a lot of sense. You won’t be disappointed if you want to upgrade from the M1, especially the Intel-based MacBooks. If you’re thinking about upgrading from the M2, know you’ll be receiving what will virtually be the same machine, though with added dual-monitor connectivity, a slightly better battery, and slightly more power under the hood.

At first glance, it may seem odd that Apple is releasing the upgraded M3 MacBook Air lineup just nine months after the 15-inch M2 version was first unveiled at Apple WWDC in June 2023. But, this is a good thing. For the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, this is an incremental upgrade that brings them up to date with the new M3 processors that Apple announced last fall and continues them on their trajectory to be more capable and more of the light professional-grade laptops that many people can use to handle all of their work.

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) offers improved performance, a slightly tweaked design to prevent fingerprints spoiling the look, and lower price of entry compared to the previous model. This is easily the best laptop money can buy for most people, though we recommend boosting the memory and storage space when ordering. That makes it more expensive, but far more future-proof.

The fact is, these are well-built, highly portable notebooks with great displays, performance, and battery life. Simply put, it delivers everything that most people would ever want and need from a notebook. Just make sure you upgrade its memory and storage.

The 2024 Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch shoehorns more performance into its slim chassis, and amps up the external-monitor support and gaming capability. It holds its own as the best ultraportable Mac.