Apple announced update of the MacBook Air series. Laptops in the old design are now available with a processor Apple M3. This chip was previously reserved for the more powerful MacBook Pro line and the latest iMac models, but now it’s also available in the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models.
M3 is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, and benchmark tests show a 17% performance boost in single-core tasks and a 21% boost in multi-core tasks. This also applies to the GPU performance, which has increased by about 15 percent compared to the M2, transmits Engadget.
Except for the new chip, it’s the same MacBook Air. It looks almost exactly the same as the 2022 model, with the same 13.6-inch screen and a powerful four-speaker speaker system. Likewise, the 15-inch model is essentially identical to the one Apple introduced last summer, except for the M3 upgrade.
The 13-inch model comes with 8 GB of RAM as standard. However, the configurator on Apple’s website offers to pay $200 extra for the 16 GB RAM version, and $400 for the 24 GB version. The 15-inch model comes with 16 GB, and you have to pay $200 for an additional 8 GB.
Both models are equipped with a 512 GB drive. However, you can order a 1TB and 2TB version. In the traditional increments of $200.
There should be new benefits, including, as Apple mentions, support for two external displays when the laptop is closed. The Air 2024 laptop family will also feature Wi-Fi 6E.
The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,099, and the 15-inch model starts at $1,299. Apple is also saying goodbye to the M1 MacBook Air model, while the 13-inch M2 model will remain on sale for $999. Sales start on March 8.