M3 MacBook Air Review: Should You Upgrade?

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  • čas přidán 17. 05. 2024
  • If you’re on an older MacBook Air or even a MacBook Pro, the M3 MacBook Air continues Apple’s impressive performance streak, especially if you’re in need of a graphics boost.
    Macbook Air (M3) cnet.co/436Pvjy
    *CNET may get a commission on this offer
    Read full review on CNET here: www.cnet.com/tech/computing/m...
    00:00 Intro
    00:19 Design
    01:17 Configurations and Pricing
    02:28 Dual Monitors
    03:49 Features unchanged
    05:00 Benchmark tests
    05:58 Battery life
    07:00 Conclusion
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  • Věda a technologie

Komentáře • 119

  • @cadenchurchill4296
    @cadenchurchill4296 Před 2 měsíci +11

    For me there is no way upgrading to the M3 Air from the M1 with 16GB of RAM is worth it. The most I do with my laptop is edit photos in Lightroom and the M1 Air handles what I do wonderfully. Love Apple silicon!

  • @johnnydoe3603
    @johnnydoe3603 Před 2 měsíci +101

    8GB RAM in 2024 🥳🎉🎉🎉
    We are Truly Blessed to have Apple
    giving us Generous RAM. 😊

    • @kosta1605
      @kosta1605 Před 2 měsíci +5

      for the average user these are aimed at, 8gb is fine for surfing youtube and facebook. Dont really need more. Everyone is so conditioned into believing they need more lol. Its funny to see people waste their money for no reason.

    • @Errcyco
      @Errcyco Před 2 měsíci +2

      So I’m the person they targeted with the base apple silicon. All I do is treat on Safari really. That worked fine.. even with ten tabs open.
      Latest update though? I’ve had three full on system failures that were kinda scary. Never had a PC fail that bad 😮
      With that said though.. I paid like $950 with tax for this early 2021 and the screen and speakers are fantastic. Way more practical for my use case than the iPad pros were. Those are just huge iPhones unless you do digital artwork.

    • @skdfdjkdfjkd
      @skdfdjkdfjkd Před 2 měsíci +3

      actually it works great for everything. this isn't like 8 gigs in the past

    • @EzioGamingXXX
      @EzioGamingXXX Před 2 měsíci +2

      my phone has 12gb ram..imagine

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England Před 2 měsíci +1

      I do not get your argument! I checked premium Windows ultrabooks, and the XPS 14 and Galaxy Book 4 Pro 14 are both £1600 for the 512GB/16GB configuration. The MB Air M3 13-inch base is £1100. So what Apple is offering is a £500 cheaper device with less RAM and storage. Why would any sensible person think that is worth mocking? By upgrading the MB AIr M3 to 16GB/512GB, it comes to £1500, less than the XPS and Galaxy!
      Are you saying Apple should not give people with less money a chance to buy the Mac? Some would argue that Apple is more consumer-friendly than Dell and Samsung as neither offers anything around £1100 with the latest Core Ultra 7 chip.
      People either do not understand basic demand-side economics or hate Apple for internal reasons.

  • @bwoohk
    @bwoohk Před měsícem

    The analysis is very professional, I wish you better and better! I look forward to coming to BWOO to have a look and guidance when I have time.😀

  • @Stopreadingmyusername23
    @Stopreadingmyusername23 Před 2 měsíci +2

    If you use sidecar on an iPad you could use that to kind of replace the Mac’s screen while using dual displays

  • @Joshuadawg03
    @Joshuadawg03 Před měsícem

    Should I go from a base m1 mbp to a m3 mba?

  • @Danicnns
    @Danicnns Před 2 měsíci

    what's the wallpaper pls

  • @copymalty
    @copymalty Před 2 měsíci +4

    They should launch the 14in as well 👀

  • @MrAustinParrish
    @MrAustinParrish Před 2 měsíci +2

    I'm on a 2019 16" i9 with 5500m graphics, thinking maybe the 15" air as an "upgrade" because I really don't like how heavy the current 16" is and the 14" pro screen feels small.

  • @davva360
    @davva360 Před měsícem

    I own an M1 iPad Air, Mac Mini and MacBook Air and love them all. It was a huge leap forward at the time and while they have gotten even better I would not upgrade yet if you own an M1 or M2. I will probably trade in my Mac Mini and Air next year for the M4 Air and just have a docking station for when I want the desktop experience. My iPad Air is so good i dont feel the need to grab my laptop all that often.

  • @solares2001
    @solares2001 Před 28 dny

    Need to desperately upgrade my 2011 MBA

  • @MrTrain4autism
    @MrTrain4autism Před 2 měsíci +1

    If we use both usbc ports for dual monitors how would someone connect to an external ssd to edit video?

    • @sendysent
      @sendysent Před 2 měsíci

      That’s where a dock or dongle comes into play. Get the m3 pro or m3 max if that’s an issue for you

    • @davva360
      @davva360 Před měsícem

      You use a USBc docking station and it gives you access to multiple ports.

  • @drygnfyre
    @drygnfyre Před 2 měsíci +1

    Coming from the M1: can you charge the M3 using USB-c if you still want to carry just one cable, or do you have to use the MagSafe cable now?

    • @philsibz8109
      @philsibz8109 Před 2 měsíci

      Yes, you can use the type c cable

    • @itsjoe8443
      @itsjoe8443 Před 2 měsíci +1

      You can charge it using any of the USB-C ports

    • @drygnfyre
      @drygnfyre Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@itsjoe8443 Good to know, thanks. I kind of got used to having just one cable when I travel, so I like using USB-c.

  • @perfectpubg6855
    @perfectpubg6855 Před 18 dny +1

    Can I find a brand newmacbook air 13inch with m2chip in 2024

  • @911Glokk
    @911Glokk Před měsícem

    And you have the option for portability when you need/want it.

  • @manosioa
    @manosioa Před 2 měsíci +25

    “The excellent 1080p FaceTime camera”? The what? 😅😂

    • @AltoAlto-kp8md
      @AltoAlto-kp8md Před měsícem

      there is absolutely no need for better resolution for facetime camera

  • @tito525000
    @tito525000 Před 2 měsíci

    Which laptop should I get if I need to get a new one? The MacBook Air M3 (15 inch, 16 GB) or the MacBook Pro M2 chip (14.2 inch, 16 GB)? The difference between the two is only $100 for the M2 pro.

    • @diotitus
      @diotitus Před 2 měsíci +1

      Honestly, unless you need or want the slightly bigger 15-inch screen or the MacBook Air form factor, I would just go with the M2 Pro MacBook Pro 14. It's better value for the features that you are getting and the M2 Pro is still a very fast and capable chip, despite the M3 series chips having come out.

  • @SuperRisky22
    @SuperRisky22 Před 2 měsíci +2

    anyone knows whether the 256 ssd has 2 chips in the new macbook air?

    • @rangerr234
      @rangerr234 Před 2 měsíci +1

      It’s still the same 256gb single NAND chip. The 512gb will have two.

    • @SuperRisky22
      @SuperRisky22 Před 2 měsíci

      @@rangerr234 has anyone checked it inside ?

    • @adeelrehmanawan
      @adeelrehmanawan Před měsícem

      Yes in MacBook air m3 it has two 128 gigs nand chips
      See the max tech review

  • @nicolasb.henry294
    @nicolasb.henry294 Před 2 měsíci +3

    I have a base M2 MBA and it fits perfectly my workflow even more than expected. If I need more power I will go to MBP but within 3 or 4 years. The differences between M2 an dM3 don´t worth the price.

    • @gilbertng945
      @gilbertng945 Před 11 dny

      Did you notice throttling often with the 8gb RAM?

    • @nicolasb.henry294
      @nicolasb.henry294 Před 10 dny +1

      @@gilbertng945 No definitely not but I now this machine is an AIR so I do not dp crazy things like those CZcamsrs : I do not open 50 tabs while editing an 8k video and in the meantime using doing some heavy exports. this machine is perfect for writing and editing photos and videos but of course within its limitations it is not a MacBook Pro....So those comparison "Base M3 Mack Book Air vs M3 Pro MacBook Pro 18gb" are a total non sense.

  • @philsibz8109
    @philsibz8109 Před 2 měsíci +17

    I still use my 2020 air and tbh I don't see the reason of upgrading. I'm a casual user using my Mac for media consumption and light work.

    • @xm2895
      @xm2895 Před 2 měsíci +1

      Same

    • @kosta1605
      @kosta1605 Před 2 měsíci +7

      why I always laugh when reviewers talk about the low memory and ssd space. Im a causal user as well, media and light work. 8gb of ram with 256gb has done me just fine. Most peolple are so extra and always feel they need more.

    • @MultiPcExpertGhost
      @MultiPcExpertGhost Před 2 měsíci

      @@kosta1605Nothing to do with what you need. This is an expensive computer and ram is so cheap nowadays.

    • @RoastBeefSandwich
      @RoastBeefSandwich Před 2 měsíci

      Chromebooks are a better choice for most folks these days tbh.

    • @garibay711cod
      @garibay711cod Před 22 dny

      I still have a 2016 MacBook Air ! Works great ! Still going strong.
      Then i had the 2019 Macbook Air and that thing didn’t last over 2 years,Today i got the M3 for $999 at best buy,Lets see how it goes.

  • @brentgrablachoff2205
    @brentgrablachoff2205 Před měsícem

    Wish the new model MacBooks didn't have such crummy keyboard travel (1mm vs 1.5+) and trackpads that don't actually depress. I hurt my fingers & joints from using all of the new models in the last few years so had to unfortunately go back to a Windows laptop for a keyboard and trackpad that doesn't cause arthritis.

  • @paison812
    @paison812 Před 2 měsíci +51

    Close the lid and u still have 2 screens aka mac mini

  • @true_bb
    @true_bb Před 2 měsíci +1

    apple should sell air base ram air - 16 & pro - 32.

  • @danielmcdallyogowa1412
    @danielmcdallyogowa1412 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Looking forward to the surface laptop 6. I just hope they do better this year. Maybe they're waiting on that snapdragon chip

  • @novellad8485
    @novellad8485 Před 2 měsíci

    I am just confused between the Air M3 and the Pro M3 as after we spec out the air with good storage and memory, it’s almost same priced as the pro M3…. and I also need a laptop for years to come atleast 6 to 7 years minimum.

    • @shortyyys
      @shortyyys Před měsícem

      I have exactly the same dilemma . Still its around 400 $ difference so think I will go for the air.

    • @novellad8485
      @novellad8485 Před měsícem

      @@shortyyys for 400 dollars, more ports and cooling fans and better pressure handling is worth going for atleast if you want too use your laptop for years, but if on strict budget, air is a damn good laptop aswell

  • @dawn_28
    @dawn_28 Před 2 měsíci

    What about the Dell XPS 16 and 14

  • @shihapann
    @shihapann Před 2 měsíci +23

    Still 8GB and still 60hz display

    • @kosta1605
      @kosta1605 Před 2 měsíci +1

      still aimed at the super average user. Crazy right?

    • @Horendus123
      @Horendus123 Před 2 měsíci +6

      As much as I love the design work and silicon in these new MacBooks, I have to agree, 60 Hz is so cringe.

    • @shihapann
      @shihapann Před 2 měsíci +2

      @@kosta1605 yeah but 8GB like 5 tabs of Words or PowerPoint? And like 60hz ? When your iPhone is 120hz?

    • @robert29ti
      @robert29ti Před 10 dny

      Still scamming people for years pay 2000$ and get 60hz lmfao

  • @Poever
    @Poever Před 2 měsíci +2

    Everyone who got an M2 MBA in the last year, even specced up, feeling red faced right now

    • @rickm8456
      @rickm8456 Před 2 měsíci +7

      Nah. I got it for a great price on black Friday. $400 less than the M3. No regrets here.

  • @rorivers180
    @rorivers180 Před 2 měsíci +4

    Not even 12gb ram 😢

  • @shaikhhar6911
    @shaikhhar6911 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Forget upgradibility, the biggest issue with recent macbooks is repairability (or lack thereof ). I bought a base model m1 macbook air and using it as my main development machine for 2 years now. Absolute smooth but due to swap the write to SSD is already at 170TB ( ie over the rated 150 TB ) Now I am worried the ssd might fail because I can't simply replace it. If it was replacable then a quick $30 ssd replacement would extend its life for another few years, instead of saying goodbye to otherwise totally functioning 1000$ device.
    And more recent macbooks like this one are even so unrepairable that you can't even have parts from another same model. So much for the greed. I wish I knew better and didn't purchase such unrepairable device from such greedy anti-consumer company like apple.

  • @philforde5871
    @philforde5871 Před 2 měsíci +2

    Conclusion- buy the previous model when Apple drops the price. Basically the same device as the chips are so on par.

    • @kosta1605
      @kosta1605 Před 2 měsíci

      only upside to getting the newer chipsets is longevity.

  • @lil_nginya
    @lil_nginya Před 2 měsíci

    looks clean.....love your videos bro

  • @drmarioschannel
    @drmarioschannel Před 2 měsíci +4

    the 2 screens is incompatible with vision pro

  • @Johnnyhaag79
    @Johnnyhaag79 Před 2 měsíci +1

    the gut punch ... would've been 300 not 400

  • @acerzenx
    @acerzenx Před měsícem +1

    Why didn't Apple give users the ability to turn the MacBook Air's display off through the brightness keys while connecting to two monitors? That way the lid doesn't have to be closed and you'd have access to the main keyboard and trackpad. Oh, that's right, Apple wants you to buy their external keyboards, trackpad and mouse...

  • @Jwdude123
    @Jwdude123 Před 2 měsíci

    That notch tho

  • @moiz00
    @moiz00 Před 2 měsíci +3

    Or just use an iPad with sidecar!!

  • @garibay711cod
    @garibay711cod Před 22 dny

    M2 $999 at BestBuy
    M3 $999 Sale at BestBuy so i went for the M3 ! 💪🏼

  • @williamjackson8911
    @williamjackson8911 Před měsícem

    Good for college!

  • @yanakimitev8109
    @yanakimitev8109 Před 15 dny

    The new macbook you just sit and watch

  • @PabloPucciOK
    @PabloPucciOK Před 2 měsíci +3

    The MacBook Air M3 is the best laptop in the world for most people.
    Capable of doing all the tasks for most of the professional roles out there, even a lot of creative tasks and gaming.
    - Best materials in the segment
    - Best microprocessor in the segment
    - Best performance in the segment
    - Best OS in the segment
    - Best trackpad in the segment
    - Best GPU in the segment
    - Best Post-sell in the segment.
    - Best battery life in the segment
    - Best Speakers in the segment
    - Best overall experience
    The 16 GB RAM Config is the computer to buy, use, and recommend for various years.
    PS: to avoid finger prints just choose space grey, silver or starlight color

    • @MinhNguyen-wz2wn
      @MinhNguyen-wz2wn Před 2 měsíci +3

      nah to avoid fingerprint just use silver color

    • @TheDataArchitect
      @TheDataArchitect Před měsícem

      is it good for coding? PySpark, processing heavy CSV files on machine?

  • @AlexandruBurda
    @AlexandruBurda Před 2 měsíci

    Yes...that camera notch... 🙄🤦
    I understand they wanted them to look like smartphones and distance them selves from the Steve Jobs era overall design and feel but still... 😒

  • @fruitcake4910
    @fruitcake4910 Před 2 měsíci

    Only for people with Intel MacBooks or those who regret buying 8GB memory and want to throw money at it.

  • @TheDataArchitect
    @TheDataArchitect Před měsícem

    Macbook Pro 2024 or Macbook Air M3 2024?

  • @Mangold108
    @Mangold108 Před 2 měsíci

    256GB slow is a shame for the price in 2024!

  • @MultiMojo
    @MultiMojo Před 2 měsíci

    That hideous notch needs to go. I don't understand why they allocated so much space for a tiny pinhole camera that can fit in a fraction of the space. 8 GB RAM in 2024 is a joke too.

  • @LVang152
    @LVang152 Před měsícem

    Intel needs to get some work done!

  • @fkcombustion
    @fkcombustion Před 2 měsíci +1

    “It’s when you compare it to a Mac from 4 years ago that it’s a dramatic difference” LOOOOL

  • @rw7154
    @rw7154 Před 29 dny

    No memory, No money!

  • @Johnnyhaag79
    @Johnnyhaag79 Před 2 měsíci +7

    i'll wait for 16 gb/ 512 however long it takes...2-10 yrs... I'll be waiting apple :)

    • @innnews6299
      @innnews6299 Před 2 měsíci +3

      By then, all PCs will come with 32GB Ram & 2TB SSD minimum.

    • @walterandreaspucko6317
      @walterandreaspucko6317 Před 2 měsíci

      You can buy it today, but you apparently want it cheaper.

    • @Johnnyhaag79
      @Johnnyhaag79 Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@walterandreaspucko6317yes I’mll wait u til that becomes the base model

    • @innnews6299
      @innnews6299 Před 2 měsíci

      @@walterandreaspucko6317 why would anyone what to spend extra $400 for these RAM + SSD upgrades that cost Apple

  • @c-power8393
    @c-power8393 Před 2 měsíci +5

    Lol....Apple are some hustlers.

  • @StefanUrkel
    @StefanUrkel Před 2 měsíci +1

    Can we at least get nine gigabytes of ram

    • @ysts3452
      @ysts3452 Před 2 měsíci

      i only need an empty slot, to put in my 32gb SLOW conventional ram

  • @rxw5520
    @rxw5520 Před 28 dny

    $200 for an extra 8gb of ram. It costs Apple about $20. $200 for an extra 256gb of storage. This costs Apple $30. This is the biggest joke I’ve ever seen.

  • @Roberto-nj5yr
    @Roberto-nj5yr Před měsícem

    1st: Who buys a macbook air to run 2 displays? 😂
    2nd: You must close the laptop to run 2 displays. So buy our keyboard and mouse. Only Apple can come up with stuffs like this. Genius!! 🤣

  • @philippinesunfiltered421
    @philippinesunfiltered421 Před 2 měsíci

    🤔🤔🤔

  • @spinthewin
    @spinthewin Před 2 měsíci

    Its notch looks so bad.

  • @MIN_Tech
    @MIN_Tech Před 2 měsíci +2

    Play games like Balthus Gate 3/ Dead Streanding / RE4 - not good for M3 MacBook Air .
    M3 Air is not good to play AAA Games because of thottleing and no fan system.
    I definetly recommend to buy M2 Pro MacBook Pro .
    if you have more buget for buying macbook, buy M3 Pro MacBook Pro.
    Do not buy M3 base modlel of MacBook Pro.

  • @mw7967
    @mw7967 Před 2 měsíci +1

    The assertion that 8 gigs of ram "limits the longevity of the laptop" is absolutely false. Apple isn't going to support the 16 gig variant for any longer than they will the 8 gig. I purchased an intel Mac book Pro 15 inch in mid 2014 with 16 gigs of ram and spent over $1,800, before tax and Apple Care. My laptop saw just 6 OS updates, ending on Big Sur in 2020 with security patches ending in 2022. Nearly 2k spent and I'd have a very nice paperweight after just 8 years of end to end support, if not for OpenCore Legacy Patcher. (typing this comment on my 2014 now) I'm looking to upgrade but have held off, since Apple moved to their custom M series chips. I want to see how long they'll push updates before dropping the M1. For the type of money Apple kit commands, anything less than a decade of end to end software/security support is unacceptable.

  • @turbyoulance
    @turbyoulance Před 2 měsíci +6

    I have completely lost Trust in APPLE products and their long term efficiency. I am out. Looking elsewhere.

    • @lighthousephoto7143
      @lighthousephoto7143 Před 2 měsíci +2

      I gave my father my iPhone 12 when I upgraded. At the time it was blisteringly fast at everything you could throw at it. Just six months later, I had a play with it and suddenly it's really laggy and clunky. Similar story with the old MacBook I gave him. I don't trust Apple one bit.

    • @ianhudson9590
      @ianhudson9590 Před 2 měsíci

      Not had that experience at all, but I’ll be mindful moving forward

    • @Tsunami478
      @Tsunami478 Před měsícem +1

      You won’t be missed.

    • @TheBalkenende
      @TheBalkenende Před 22 dny

      care to elaborate why?

  • @United_Wings
    @United_Wings Před 2 měsíci

    Oh

  • @gustavofring2132
    @gustavofring2132 Před 2 měsíci +2

    😂

  • @braskabani8011
    @braskabani8011 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Do apple fanboys upgrade their laptop every year?

    • @brokenomad
      @brokenomad Před 2 měsíci

      Some yes. I still use my Macbook Air from 2017 :))))))))))

  • @DEPENDRA14
    @DEPENDRA14 Před 2 měsíci +1

    please donate me one sir

  • @jaughnekow
    @jaughnekow Před 2 měsíci +1

    meh...