MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch review (2024): Excellent yet unsurprising

It's hard to expect much from Apple's new M3-equipped MacBook Airs. The 13-inch M2 model, released in 2022, was the first major redesign for Apple's most popular notebook in over a decade. Last year, Apple finally gave its fanatics a big-screen ultraportable notebook with the 15-inch MacBook Air. This week, we've got the same two computers with slightly faster chips. They didn't even get a real launch event from Apple, just a sleepy Monday morning press release. They look the same and are a bit faster than before — what else is there to say?

Now, I'm not saying these aren't great computers. It's just that we've been a bit spoiled by Apple's laptops over the last few years. The M3 MacBook Air marks the inevitable innovation plateau for the company, following the monumental rise of its mobile chips and a complete refresh of its laptops and desktops. It's like hitting cruising altitude after the excitement of takeoff — things are stable and comfortable for Apple and consumers alike.

M3 MacBook Air vs the M2 MacBook Air

Even though they look exactly the same as before, the M3 MacBook Air models have a few new features under the hood. For one, they support dual external displays, but only when their lids are closed. That was something even the M3-equipped 14-inch MacBook Pro lacked at launch, but Apple says the feature is coming to that device via a future software update. Having dual screen support is particularly useful for office workers who may need to drop their computers onto temporary desks, but it could also be helpful for creatives with multiple monitors at home. (If you absolutely need to have your laptop display on alongside two or more external monitors, you'll have to opt for a MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro or Max chip instead.)

Both new MacBook Air models also support Wi-Fi 6E, an upgrade over the previous Wi-Fi 6 standard with faster speeds and dramatically lower latency. You'll need a Wi-Fi 6E router to actually see those benefits, though. According to Intel, Wi-Fi 6E's ability to tap into seven 160MHz channels helps it avoid congested Wi-Fi 6 spectrum. Basically, you may actually be able to see gigabit speeds more often. (With my AT&T gigabit fiber connection and Wi-Fi 6 gateway, I saw download speeds of around 350 Mbps and uploads ran between 220 Mbps and 320 Mbps on both systems from my basement office. Both upload and download speeds leapt to 700 Mbps when I was on the same floor as the gateway.)

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch side angle
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Design and weight

Two years after the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air debuted, the M3 follow-up is just as sleek and attractive. It seems impossibly thin for a notebook, measuring 0.44 inches thick, and is fairly light at 2.7 pounds. We've seen ultraportables like LG's Gram and the ZenBook S13 OLED that are both lighter and thinner than Apple's hardware, but the MacBook Air still manages to feel like a more premium package. Its unibody aluminum case feels as smooth a river stone yet as sturdy as a boulder. It's a computer I simply love to touch.

Holding the MacBook Air M3 13-inch
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is similarly thin, but clocks in half a pound heavier at 3.2 pounds. It's still relatively light for its size, but the additional bulk makes it feel more unwieldy than the 13-inch model. I can easily slip either MacBook Air model into a tote bag when running out to grab my kids from school, but the larger model’s length makes it more annoying to carry.

For some users, though, that extra heft will be worth it. The bigger MacBook Air sports a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina screen with a sharp 2,880 by 1,864 (224 pixels per inch) resolution, making it better suited for multitasking with multiple windows or working in media editing apps. It's also a better fit for older or visually impaired users, who may have to scale up their displays to make them more readable. (This is something I've noticed while shopping for computers for my parents and other older relatives. 13-inch laptops inevitably become hard to work on, unless you're always wearing bifocals.)

While I'm impressed that Apple finally has a large, consumer-focused laptop in its lineup, I still prefer the 13-inch MacBook Air. I spend most of my day writing, Slacking with colleagues, editing photos and talking with companies over video conferencing apps, all of which are easy to do on a smaller screen. If I was directly editing more episodes of the Engadget Podcast, or chopping up video on my own, though, I'd bump up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip. Even then, I wouldn't have much need for a significantly larger screen.

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch headphone jack
A lonely headphone jack that could use a USB-C companion.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

It's understandable why Apple wouldn't want to tweak the Air's design too much, given that it was just redone a few years ago. Still, I'd love to see a USB-C port on the right side of the machine, just to make charging easier in every location. But I suppose I should just be happy Apple hasn't removed the headphone jack, something that's happening all too frequently in new 13-inch notebooks, like the XPS 13.

Hardware

For our testing, Apple sent the "midnight" 13-inch MacBook Air (which is almost jet black and features a fingerprint-resistant coating that actually works), as well as the silver 15-inch model. Both computers were powered by an M3 chip with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. While these MacBooks start at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively, the configurations we tested cost $400 more. Keep that in mind if you're paying attention to our benchmarks, as you'll definitely see lower figures on the base models. (The cheapest 13-inch offering only has 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and an 8-core GPU, while the entry-level 15-inch unit has the same RAM and storage, along with a 10-core GPU.)


Geekbench 6 CPU

Geekbench 6 GPU

Cinebench R23

3DMark Wildlife Extreme

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)

3,190/12,102

30,561

1,894/9,037

8,310

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3, 2024)

3,187/12,033

30,556

1,901/9,733

8,253

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022)

2,570/9,650

25,295

1,576/7,372

6,761

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)

3,142/11,902

30,462

1,932/10,159

8,139

M3 chip performance

I didn't expect to see a huge performance boost on either MacBook Air, but our benchmarks ended up surprising me. Both laptops scored around 300 points higher in the Cinebench R23 single-core test, compared to the M2 MacBook Air. And when it came to the more strenuous multi-core CPU test, the 13-inch M3 Air was around 1,700 points faster, while the 15-inch model was around 2,400 points faster. (Since both machines are fan-less, there's a good chance the larger case of the 15-inch Air allows for slightly better performance under load.)

There was a more noticeable difference in Geekbench 6, where the M3 models were around 40 percent faster than before. Apple is touting more middling improvements over the M2 chips — 17 percent faster single-core performance, 21 percent speedier multi-core workloads and 15 percent better GPU workloads — but it's nice to see areas where performance is even better. Really, though, these aren't machines meant to replace M2 systems — the better comparisons are how they measure up to nearly four-year-old M1 Macs or even creakier Intel models. Apple claims the M3 chip is up to 60 percent faster than the M1, but in my testing I saw just a 35 percent speed bump in Cinebench's R23 multi-core test.

MacBook Air M3 15-inch front view

When it comes to real-world performance, I didn't notice a huge difference between either M3-equipped MacBook Air, compared to the M2 model I've been using for the past few years. Apps load just as quickly, multitasking isn't noticeably faster (thank goodness they have 16GB of RAM), and even photo editing isn't significantly speedier. This is a good time to point out that the M2 MacBook Air is still a fine machine, and it's an even better deal now thanks to a lower $999 starting price. As we've said, the best thing about the existence of the M3 Airs is that they've made the M2 models cheaper. You'll surely find some good deals from stores clearing out older stock and refurbished units, as well as existing owners selling off their M2 machines.

Gaming and productivity work

I'll give the M3 MacBook Airs this: they're noticeably faster for gaming. I was able to run Lies of P in 1080p+ (1,920 by 1,200) with high graphics settings and see a smooth 60fps most of the time. It occasionally dipped into the low-50fps range, but that didn't affect the game's playability much. The director's cut of Death Stranding was also smooth and easy to play at that resolution, so long as I didn't crank up the graphics settings too much. It's nice to have the option for some serious games on Macs for once. And if you want more variety, you can also stream high-end games over Xbox's cloud streaming or NVIDIA's GeForce Now.

In addition to being a bit faster than before, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs are simply nice computers to use. Their 500-nit screens support HDR and are bright to use outdoors in sunlight. While they're not as impressive as the ProMotion MiniLED displays on the MacBook Pros, they'll get the job done for most users. Apple's quad and six-speaker arrays are also best-in-class, and the 1080p webcams on both computers are perfect for video conferencing (especially when paired with Apple's camera tweaks for brightness and background blurring). And I can’t say enough good things about the MacBook Air’s responsive keyboard and smooth trackpad – I wish every laptop used them.

MacBook Air M3 13-inch from the top
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Battery

Unfortunately, the short turn-around time for this review prevented me from running a complete battery test for these computers. At the moment, though, I can say that both machines only used up 40 percent of battery life while playing a 4K fullscreen video at full brightness for over 10 hours. Apple claims they'll play an Apple TV video for up to 18 hours, as well as browse the web wirelessly for up to 15 hours. My testing shows they'll definitely last far more than a typical workday. (I would often go three days without needing to charge the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. Based on what I've seen so far, I expect similar performance from the M3 models.)

MacBook Air M3 13-inch top down
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Wrap-up

There aren’t any major surprises with the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, but after years of continual upgrades, that’s to be expected. They’re great computers with excellent performance, gorgeous screens and incredible battery life. And best of all, their introduction also pushes down the prices of the still-great M2 models, making them an even better deal.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/macbook-air-m3-review-2024-13-15-inch-140053162.html?src=rss

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch review (2024): Excellent yet unsurprising

It's hard to expect much from Apple's new M3-equipped MacBook Airs. The 13-inch M2 model, released in 2022, was the first major redesign for Apple's most popular notebook in over a decade. Last year, Apple finally gave its fanatics a big-screen ultraportable notebook with the 15-inch MacBook Air. This week, we've got the same two computers with slightly faster chips. They didn't even get a real launch event from Apple, just a sleepy Monday morning press release. They look the same and are a bit faster than before — what else is there to say?

Now, I'm not saying these aren't great computers. It's just that we've been a bit spoiled by Apple's laptops over the last few years. The M3 MacBook Air marks the inevitable innovation plateau for the company, following the monumental rise of its mobile chips and a complete refresh of its laptops and desktops. It's like hitting cruising altitude after the excitement of takeoff — things are stable and comfortable for Apple and consumers alike.

M3 MacBook Air vs the M2 MacBook Air

Even though they look exactly the same as before, the M3 MacBook Air models have a few new features under the hood. For one, they support dual external displays, but only when their lids are closed. That was something even the M3-equipped 14-inch MacBook Pro lacked at launch, but Apple says the feature is coming to that device via a future software update. Having dual screen support is particularly useful for office workers who may need to drop their computers onto temporary desks, but it could also be helpful for creatives with multiple monitors at home. (If you absolutely need to have your laptop display on alongside two or more external monitors, you'll have to opt for a MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro or Max chip instead.)

Both new MacBook Air models also support Wi-Fi 6E, an upgrade over the previous Wi-Fi 6 standard with faster speeds and dramatically lower latency. You'll need a Wi-Fi 6E router to actually see those benefits, though. According to Intel, Wi-Fi 6E's ability to tap into seven 160MHz channels helps it avoid congested Wi-Fi 6 spectrum. Basically, you may actually be able to see gigabit speeds more often. (With my AT&T gigabit fiber connection and Wi-Fi 6 gateway, I saw download speeds of around 350 Mbps and uploads ran between 220 Mbps and 320 Mbps on both systems from my basement office. Both upload and download speeds leapt to 700 Mbps when I was on the same floor as the gateway.)

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch side angle
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Design and weight

Two years after the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air debuted, the M3 follow-up is just as sleek and attractive. It seems impossibly thin for a notebook, measuring 0.44 inches thick, and is fairly light at 2.7 pounds. We've seen ultraportables like LG's Gram and the ZenBook S13 OLED that are both lighter and thinner than Apple's hardware, but the MacBook Air still manages to feel like a more premium package. Its unibody aluminum case feels as smooth a river stone yet as sturdy as a boulder. It's a computer I simply love to touch.

Holding the MacBook Air M3 13-inch
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is similarly thin, but clocks in half a pound heavier at 3.2 pounds. It's still relatively light for its size, but the additional bulk makes it feel more unwieldy than the 13-inch model. I can easily slip either MacBook Air model into a tote bag when running out to grab my kids from school, but the larger model’s length makes it more annoying to carry.

For some users, though, that extra heft will be worth it. The bigger MacBook Air sports a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina screen with a sharp 2,880 by 1,864 (224 pixels per inch) resolution, making it better suited for multitasking with multiple windows or working in media editing apps. It's also a better fit for older or visually impaired users, who may have to scale up their displays to make them more readable. (This is something I've noticed while shopping for computers for my parents and other older relatives. 13-inch laptops inevitably become hard to work on, unless you're always wearing bifocals.)

While I'm impressed that Apple finally has a large, consumer-focused laptop in its lineup, I still prefer the 13-inch MacBook Air. I spend most of my day writing, Slacking with colleagues, editing photos and talking with companies over video conferencing apps, all of which are easy to do on a smaller screen. If I was directly editing more episodes of the Engadget Podcast, or chopping up video on my own, though, I'd bump up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip. Even then, I wouldn't have much need for a significantly larger screen.

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch headphone jack
A lonely headphone jack that could use a USB-C companion.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

It's understandable why Apple wouldn't want to tweak the Air's design too much, given that it was just redone a few years ago. Still, I'd love to see a USB-C port on the right side of the machine, just to make charging easier in every location. But I suppose I should just be happy Apple hasn't removed the headphone jack, something that's happening all too frequently in new 13-inch notebooks, like the XPS 13.

Hardware

For our testing, Apple sent the "midnight" 13-inch MacBook Air (which is almost jet black and features a fingerprint-resistant coating that actually works), as well as the silver 15-inch model. Both computers were powered by an M3 chip with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. While these MacBooks start at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively, the configurations we tested cost $400 more. Keep that in mind if you're paying attention to our benchmarks, as you'll definitely see lower figures on the base models. (The cheapest 13-inch offering only has 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and an 8-core GPU, while the entry-level 15-inch unit has the same RAM and storage, along with a 10-core GPU.)


Geekbench 6 CPU

Geekbench 6 GPU

Cinebench R23

3DMark Wildlife Extreme

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)

3,190/12,102

30,561

1,894/9,037

8,310

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3, 2024)

3,187/12,033

30,556

1,901/9,733

8,253

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022)

2,570/9,650

25,295

1,576/7,372

6,761

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)

3,142/11,902

30,462

1,932/10,159

8,139

M3 chip performance

I didn't expect to see a huge performance boost on either MacBook Air, but our benchmarks ended up surprising me. Both laptops scored around 300 points higher in the Cinebench R23 single-core test, compared to the M2 MacBook Air. And when it came to the more strenuous multi-core CPU test, the 13-inch M3 Air was around 1,700 points faster, while the 15-inch model was around 2,400 points faster. (Since both machines are fan-less, there's a good chance the larger case of the 15-inch Air allows for slightly better performance under load.)

There was a more noticeable difference in Geekbench 6, where the M3 models were around 40 percent faster than before. Apple is touting more middling improvements over the M2 chips — 17 percent faster single-core performance, 21 percent speedier multi-core workloads and 15 percent better GPU workloads — but it's nice to see areas where performance is even better. Really, though, these aren't machines meant to replace M2 systems — the better comparisons are how they measure up to nearly four-year-old M1 Macs or even creakier Intel models. Apple claims the M3 chip is up to 60 percent faster than the M1, but in my testing I saw just a 35 percent speed bump in Cinebench's R23 multi-core test.

MacBook Air M3 15-inch front view

When it comes to real-world performance, I didn't notice a huge difference between either M3-equipped MacBook Air, compared to the M2 model I've been using for the past few years. Apps load just as quickly, multitasking isn't noticeably faster (thank goodness they have 16GB of RAM), and even photo editing isn't significantly speedier. This is a good time to point out that the M2 MacBook Air is still a fine machine, and it's an even better deal now thanks to a lower $999 starting price. As we've said, the best thing about the existence of the M3 Airs is that they've made the M2 models cheaper. You'll surely find some good deals from stores clearing out older stock and refurbished units, as well as existing owners selling off their M2 machines.

Gaming and productivity work

I'll give the M3 MacBook Airs this: they're noticeably faster for gaming. I was able to run Lies of P in 1080p+ (1,920 by 1,200) with high graphics settings and see a smooth 60fps most of the time. It occasionally dipped into the low-50fps range, but that didn't affect the game's playability much. The director's cut of Death Stranding was also smooth and easy to play at that resolution, so long as I didn't crank up the graphics settings too much. It's nice to have the option for some serious games on Macs for once. And if you want more variety, you can also stream high-end games over Xbox's cloud streaming or NVIDIA's GeForce Now.

In addition to being a bit faster than before, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs are simply nice computers to use. Their 500-nit screens support HDR and are bright to use outdoors in sunlight. While they're not as impressive as the ProMotion MiniLED displays on the MacBook Pros, they'll get the job done for most users. Apple's quad and six-speaker arrays are also best-in-class, and the 1080p webcams on both computers are perfect for video conferencing (especially when paired with Apple's camera tweaks for brightness and background blurring). And I can’t say enough good things about the MacBook Air’s responsive keyboard and smooth trackpad – I wish every laptop used them.

MacBook Air M3 13-inch from the top
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Battery

Unfortunately, the short turn-around time for this review prevented me from running a complete battery test for these computers. At the moment, though, I can say that both machines only used up 40 percent of battery life while playing a 4K fullscreen video at full brightness for over 10 hours. Apple claims they'll play an Apple TV video for up to 18 hours, as well as browse the web wirelessly for up to 15 hours. My testing shows they'll definitely last far more than a typical workday. (I would often go three days without needing to charge the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. Based on what I've seen so far, I expect similar performance from the M3 models.)

MacBook Air M3 13-inch top down
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Wrap-up

There aren’t any major surprises with the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, but after years of continual upgrades, that’s to be expected. They’re great computers with excellent performance, gorgeous screens and incredible battery life. And best of all, their introduction also pushes down the prices of the still-great M2 models, making them an even better deal.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/macbook-air-m3-review-2024-13-15-inch-140053162.html?src=rss

Microsoft may debut its first ‘AI PCs’ later this month

Microsoft will reveal the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 on March 21, according to a report. This isn't likely to just be a matter of a hardware refresh, however. Microsoft is expected to call these systems its first AI PCs, as Windows Central notes.

The devices are set to be equipped with new Intel Core Ultra or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite-based processors that feature the latest neural processing units (NPUs) to boost AI capabilities. They're said to approximately match the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro in terms of efficiency and performance.

The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are expected to be among the first machines to support upcoming AI features in Windows 11. Along with on-device Copilot support, these functions are expected to include real-time live captions and translations, upscaling for games, frame rate smoothing, upgraded Windows Studio Effects and something that (at least for the time being) is seemingly called AI Explorer.

Windows Central suggests the latter will be the feature that sets AI PCs apart from regular computers. AI Explorer will apparently work across any app and let you search through documents, web pages, images and chats using natural language. It's believed that the feature will create a history of everything you do on your computer and make it searchable. The tool is said to be capable of understanding context and suggesting tasks based on what's on the screen. AI Explorer is also expected to support text-based image editing. According to the report, these AI features are likely to roll out as part of this fall's 24H2 update for Windows 11.

As for what else to expect from Microsoft's next laptops, both are said to have all-day battery life. The Surface Pro 10 is slated to include an anti-reflective, HDR-capable OLED screen. Rumors suggest it will have a front-facing ultrawide webcam and an NFC reader.

The Surface Laptop 6 is believed to have a more significant redesign compared with its predecessors. Along with thinner bezels and rounded corners, it's expected to have a haptic touchpad, a dedicated key for Copilot and a revamped group of ports. It's also slated to be the first Surface Laptop with an Arm variant (it's worth noting that we had major reservations about the Arm-powered Surface Pro 9). The report suggests that the Intel versions of the Surface Laptop 9 and Surface Pro 10 will ship in April, with the Snapdragon variants to follow in June.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-may-debut-its-first-ai-pcs-later-this-month-204522580.html?src=rss

Microsoft may debut its first ‘AI PCs’ later this month

Microsoft will reveal the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 on March 21, according to a report. This isn't likely to just be a matter of a hardware refresh, however. Microsoft is expected to call these systems its first AI PCs, as Windows Central notes.

The devices are set to be equipped with new Intel Core Ultra or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite-based processors that feature the latest neural processing units (NPUs) to boost AI capabilities. They're said to approximately match the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro in terms of efficiency and performance.

The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are expected to be among the first machines to support upcoming AI features in Windows 11. Along with on-device Copilot support, these functions are expected to include real-time live captions and translations, upscaling for games, frame rate smoothing, upgraded Windows Studio Effects and something that (at least for the time being) is seemingly called AI Explorer.

Windows Central suggests the latter will be the feature that sets AI PCs apart from regular computers. AI Explorer will apparently work across any app and let you search through documents, web pages, images and chats using natural language. It's believed that the feature will create a history of everything you do on your computer and make it searchable. The tool is said to be capable of understanding context and suggesting tasks based on what's on the screen. AI Explorer is also expected to support text-based image editing. According to the report, these AI features are likely to roll out as part of this fall's 24H2 update for Windows 11.

As for what else to expect from Microsoft's next laptops, both are said to have all-day battery life. The Surface Pro 10 is slated to include an anti-reflective, HDR-capable OLED screen. Rumors suggest it will have a front-facing ultrawide webcam and an NFC reader.

The Surface Laptop 6 is believed to have a more significant redesign compared with its predecessors. Along with thinner bezels and rounded corners, it's expected to have a haptic touchpad, a dedicated key for Copilot and a revamped group of ports. It's also slated to be the first Surface Laptop with an Arm variant (it's worth noting that we had major reservations about the Arm-powered Surface Pro 9). The report suggests that the Intel versions of the Surface Laptop 9 and Surface Pro 10 will ship in April, with the Snapdragon variants to follow in June.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-may-debut-its-first-ai-pcs-later-this-month-204522580.html?src=rss

How to order the Apple MacBook Air with M3

After a few weeks of rumors, Apple announced the newest entries to its MacBook lineup today: 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, both powered by the M3 chipset. As anticipated, the M3 addition is the biggest change for these notebooks, bringing them in line with the latest MacBook Pros and 24-inch iMac, which were all updated at the end of 2023 to run on Apple's latest silicon. You can order both new MacBook Air laptops today from Apple's website and other retailers starting at $1,099, and they will be available in stores on March 8. With these new machines, Apple has removed the M1-powered Air from its online store and the MacBook Air M2's starting price has dropped to $999.

Apple states that the M3 MacBook Airs will be up to 60 percent faster than the M1-powered laptop and up to 13x faster than old-school Airs running on Intel chips. Speed and efficiency are the big takeaways here, because otherwise the MacBook Air specs haven't changed much. The new 13-inch and 15-inch notebooks have octa-core CPUs and support up to a 10-core GPU, along with up to 24GB of RAM and up to 2TB of internal storage. Notably, the base 13-inch MacBook Air M3 has the same starting specs of the M2 model that came before it: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Display specs remain the same across the board as well: both new models include a Liquid Retina panel with a 2,560 x 1,664 resolution and up to 500 nits of brightness.

The only other noteworthy additions on the M3-powered MacBook Airs are the added support for Wi-Fi 6E (the M2 Air supports just standard Wi-Fi 6) and up to two external displays (with the lid closed). The latter should be particularly useful for multitaskers and anyone using the new Air as a daily driver and wants to use more than one external display in their desk setup.

Color options have carried over from the M2 version as well: the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 are available in midnight, space gray, starlight and silver. Although it appears Apple's now billing the M2 Air as its "budget" option in the lineup, the M1 machine remains on sale (at the moment) at other retailers like Amazon when you can pick it up for as low as $750.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-order-the-apple-macbook-air-with-m3-135057630.html?src=rss

How to order the Apple MacBook Air with M3

After a few weeks of rumors, Apple announced the newest entries to its MacBook lineup today: 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, both powered by the M3 chipset. As anticipated, the M3 addition is the biggest change for these notebooks, bringing them in line with the latest MacBook Pros and 24-inch iMac, which were all updated at the end of 2023 to run on Apple's latest silicon. You can order both new MacBook Air laptops today from Apple's website and other retailers starting at $1,099, and they will be available in stores on March 8. With these new machines, Apple has removed the M1-powered Air from its online store and the MacBook Air M2's starting price has dropped to $999.

Apple states that the M3 MacBook Airs will be up to 60 percent faster than the M1-powered laptop and up to 13x faster than old-school Airs running on Intel chips. Speed and efficiency are the big takeaways here, because otherwise the MacBook Air specs haven't changed much. The new 13-inch and 15-inch notebooks have octa-core CPUs and support up to a 10-core GPU, along with up to 24GB of RAM and up to 2TB of internal storage. Notably, the base 13-inch MacBook Air M3 has the same starting specs of the M2 model that came before it: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Display specs remain the same across the board as well: both new models include a Liquid Retina panel with a 2,560 x 1,664 resolution and up to 500 nits of brightness.

The only other noteworthy additions on the M3-powered MacBook Airs are the added support for Wi-Fi 6E (the M2 Air supports just standard Wi-Fi 6) and up to two external displays (with the lid closed). The latter should be particularly useful for multitaskers and anyone using the new Air as a daily driver and wants to use more than one external display in their desk setup.

Color options have carried over from the M2 version as well: the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 are available in midnight, space gray, starlight and silver. Although it appears Apple's now billing the M2 Air as its "budget" option in the lineup, the M1 machine remains on sale (at the moment) at other retailers like Amazon when you can pick it up for as low as $750.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-order-the-apple-macbook-air-with-m3-135057630.html?src=rss

Apple announces new MacBook Airs with M3 chips

Apple just announced a refresh for the ever-popular MacBook Air series, just one month after launching the Vision Pro headset. The big takeaway here? The new MacBook Air is outfitted with the company’s proprietary M3 chipset. This chip was previously reserved for the more powerful MacBook Pro line and the latest iMac models, and it's coming to new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models.

The M3 chip is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, with benchmark tests showing an approximate performance increase of 17 percent in single-core tasks and 21 percent in multi-core tasks. This carries over to GPU performance, with an improvement of around 15 percent compared to the M2. 

In other words, the line between the MacBook Air and the Pro continues to blur. Gone are the days when the Air was exclusively used for web surfing. (It is worth noting, however, that the new Air features the standard M3 chip, and not the M3 Pro or Max). 

Beyond the new chip, this is still the MacBook Air. It looks essentially the same as the 2022 model, with the same gorgeous 13.6-inch screen and surprisingly robust quad-speaker setup. We called the M2 version from two years ago "Apple’s near-perfect Mac" and an "ideal ultraportable." Similarly, the 15-inch model is essentially identical as the one that Apple introduced last summer, aside from the M3 upgrade.

The new MBAs come with a relatively humble 8 gigs of RAM — but these aren't Apple's power-user laptops. They... just have a very powerful chip. As before, both computers max out at 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.There should be new benefits, including, as Apple mentions, support for up to two external displays when the laptop is closed. There's also Wi-Fi 6E included in 2024's family of Air laptops.

The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is priced at $1,099, while the 15-inch model starts from $1,299. Apple also bids farewell to the M1 MacBook Air, while the M2 13-inch model will remain on sale for $999.

Both new MacBook Air models are available to preorder today, with devices coming out Friday March 8. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-announces-new-macbook-airs-with-m3-chips-132810766.html?src=rss

Apple announces new MacBook Airs with M3 chips

Apple just announced a refresh for the ever-popular MacBook Air series, just one month after launching the Vision Pro headset. The big takeaway here? The new MacBook Air is outfitted with the company’s proprietary M3 chipset. This chip was previously reserved for the more powerful MacBook Pro line and the latest iMac models, and it's coming to new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models.

The M3 chip is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, with benchmark tests showing an approximate performance increase of 17 percent in single-core tasks and 21 percent in multi-core tasks. This carries over to GPU performance, with an improvement of around 15 percent compared to the M2. 

In other words, the line between the MacBook Air and the Pro continues to blur. Gone are the days when the Air was exclusively used for web surfing. (It is worth noting, however, that the new Air features the standard M3 chip, and not the M3 Pro or Max). 

Beyond the new chip, this is still the MacBook Air. It looks essentially the same as the 2022 model, with the same gorgeous 13.6-inch screen and surprisingly robust quad-speaker setup. We called the M2 version from two years ago "Apple’s near-perfect Mac" and an "ideal ultraportable." Similarly, the 15-inch model is essentially identical as the one that Apple introduced last summer, aside from the M3 upgrade.

The new MBAs come with a relatively humble 8 gigs of RAM — but these aren't Apple's power-user laptops. They... just have a very powerful chip. As before, both computers max out at 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.There should be new benefits, including, as Apple mentions, support for up to two external displays when the laptop is closed. There's also Wi-Fi 6E included in 2024's family of Air laptops.

The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is priced at $1,099, while the 15-inch model starts from $1,299. Apple also bids farewell to the M1 MacBook Air, while the M2 13-inch model will remain on sale for $999.

Both new MacBook Air models are available to preorder today, with devices coming out Friday March 8. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-announces-new-macbook-airs-with-m3-chips-132810766.html?src=rss

Razer Blade 14 (2024) review: A portable, but pricey, powerhouse

Razer’s Blade family of gaming laptops are among the most premium on the market. And while there aren’t a ton of major changes on the 2024 Blade 14, for the first time ever, it will be available in both classic black and Mercury (aka silver) at launch. Now this might not sound like a big deal, but it means you can get a portable rig with strong performance that doesn’t shout about it like a lot of other gaming laptops do. When you combine that with an exquisite chassis milled from a single block of aluminum and a wealth of ports, you end up with a system that straddles the line between a beefy gaming machine and a portable all-rounder.

Design: Now in silver from the jump

On the outside, Razer is definitely taking the approach of “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” That’s not a bad thing on a laptop that’s pretty much the closest thing to a MacBook Pro for gaming. The entire system feels incredibly solid with only the slightest bit of flex on spots like the lid. And unlike a MacBook, the Blade offers a wide variety of ports including four USB (two 3.2 Type-A and two Type-C with USB 4), a 3.5mm audio jack and a full-size HDMI 2.1 connector). 

Plus, there’s a dedicated power socket so you don’t need to hog an extra slot while charging. The Blade 14 even supports USB-PD (power delivery) so you can use third-party chargers in a pinch, though you won’t get full performance this way due to a lower 100-watt limit (versus 230 watts when using Razer’s included brick).

The two small downsides to the Blade 14 are that its super sturdy frame weighs a touch more (4.05 pounds) than similar laptops like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (3.31 pounds). You also don’t get an SD card reader like you do on the bigger Blade 16. That’s a bummer for anyone planning to occasionally use this thing as a photo or video editing machine, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Display and webcam: Bright and blazing-fast

The Razer Blade 14 comes with a single display option: a bright 2,560 x 1600 panel with a 240Hz refresh rate.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Though there’s only a single display option for the Blade 14, it’s a good one. It features a 2560 x 1600 LCD panel that supports AMD FreeSync and a gamut that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. It’s also more than bright enough at over 450 nits while the matte anti-glare coating helps keep reflections to a minimum. This means not only do games and movies look great with vivid hues, it’s also accurate enough for editing. The only thing I wish there was a config with an OLED panel like there is on the Blade 16.

Meanwhile, above the display, there’s a 1080p webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello. But my favorite thing about this component is that Razer included a tiny physical shutter, which should reduce concerns about government agents spying on you.

Performance: Class-leading speed

As you'd expect on a Razer laptop, the Blade 14 features customizable RGB lighting.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Blade 14 is available in two basic configurations: a base model with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU. There’s also an upgraded model with 32GB of memory and an RTX 4070 (which is the version we reviewed). In short, this thing flies, delivering about as much performance as you can get out of a 14-inch laptop. In PCMark 10, the Blade 14 scored 7,436 versus 6,170 from an ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. But more importantly, it can handle almost any game you can throw at it with ease.

In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and ultra settings, the Blade 14 hit 101 fps compared to 67 fps from an MSI Stealth 14 Studio with an RTX 4060. When I increased the resolution to 1440p, it still pumped out a very playable 66 fps. Meanwhile in Returnal at 1080p and epic presets, Razer enjoyed a similar lead reaching 92 fps versus 78 for the MSI. So unless you feel like moving up to a larger 15- or 16-inch system with room for an RTX 4080 or above, this performance is essentially as good as it gets in this segment.

Battery life: Better than expected unless your gaming unplugged

The Blade 14 offers a wealth of ports including two USB-A, two USB-C (USB 4 with support for USB-PD), 3.5mm audio and an HDMI 2.1 jack.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Gaming laptops are notorious for short run times. However, on PCMark 10’s Modern Office rundown test, the Blade 14 turned in a respectable time of 6 hours and 46 minutes. That’s more than an hour longer than the MSI Stealth Studio 14 (5:19) and nearly good enough to last through an entire workday. But it still falls way short of more typical ultraportables without discrete graphics like the ZenBook 14 OLED (12:43).

That said, even with some power-saving tricks like automatically reducing its display to 60Hz when running on battery, you’re still going to want to keep the Razer’s power brick handy. When I played Teamfight Tactics, the Blade’s battery dropped from 85 to 45 percent after a single 40-minute game.

Wrap-up

The Blade 14's included power brick is rated at 240 watts, but you can also charge the laptop via USB-PD at up to 100 watts in a pinch.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

With a starting price of $2,200 or $2,700 as configured, the Blade 14 is on the pricey side. But that’s not really new for Razer’s laptops and there’s no doubt this thing delivers a thoroughly premium experience, with its excellent build quality, beautiful display and great performance. It’s equally adept at gaming or editing on the go, and with the silver model being available at launch, you can get a machine that blends in better outside of LAN parties. The main thing that would stop me from buying one is the existence of ASUS’ refreshed ROG Zephyrus G14, which has similar specs and a much lower starting price of $1,600. But if you have the means, the Blade 14 won’t do you wrong.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/razer-blade-14-2024-review-a-portable-but-pricey-powerhouse-specs-price-160020891.html?src=rss

Razer Blade 14 (2024) review: A portable, but pricey, powerhouse

Razer’s Blade family of gaming laptops are among the most premium on the market. And while there aren’t a ton of major changes on the 2024 Blade 14, for the first time ever, it will be available in both classic black and Mercury (aka silver) at launch. Now this might not sound like a big deal, but it means you can get a portable rig with strong performance that doesn’t shout about it like a lot of other gaming laptops do. When you combine that with an exquisite chassis milled from a single block of aluminum and a wealth of ports, you end up with a system that straddles the line between a beefy gaming machine and a portable all-rounder.

Design: Now in silver from the jump

On the outside, Razer is definitely taking the approach of “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” That’s not a bad thing on a laptop that’s pretty much the closest thing to a MacBook Pro for gaming. The entire system feels incredibly solid with only the slightest bit of flex on spots like the lid. And unlike a MacBook, the Blade offers a wide variety of ports including four USB (two 3.2 Type-A and two Type-C with USB 4), a 3.5mm audio jack and a full-size HDMI 2.1 connector). 

Plus, there’s a dedicated power socket so you don’t need to hog an extra slot while charging. The Blade 14 even supports USB-PD (power delivery) so you can use third-party chargers in a pinch, though you won’t get full performance this way due to a lower 100-watt limit (versus 230 watts when using Razer’s included brick).

The two small downsides to the Blade 14 are that its super sturdy frame weighs a touch more (4.05 pounds) than similar laptops like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (3.31 pounds). You also don’t get an SD card reader like you do on the bigger Blade 16. That’s a bummer for anyone planning to occasionally use this thing as a photo or video editing machine, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Display and webcam: Bright and blazing-fast

The Razer Blade 14 comes with a single display option: a bright 2,560 x 1600 panel with a 240Hz refresh rate.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Though there’s only a single display option for the Blade 14, it’s a good one. It features a 2560 x 1600 LCD panel that supports AMD FreeSync and a gamut that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. It’s also more than bright enough at over 450 nits while the matte anti-glare coating helps keep reflections to a minimum. This means not only do games and movies look great with vivid hues, it’s also accurate enough for editing. The only thing I wish there was a config with an OLED panel like there is on the Blade 16.

Meanwhile, above the display, there’s a 1080p webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello. But my favorite thing about this component is that Razer included a tiny physical shutter, which should reduce concerns about government agents spying on you.

Performance: Class-leading speed

As you'd expect on a Razer laptop, the Blade 14 features customizable RGB lighting.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Blade 14 is available in two basic configurations: a base model with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU. There’s also an upgraded model with 32GB of memory and an RTX 4070 (which is the version we reviewed). In short, this thing flies, delivering about as much performance as you can get out of a 14-inch laptop. In PCMark 10, the Blade 14 scored 7,436 versus 6,170 from an ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. But more importantly, it can handle almost any game you can throw at it with ease.

In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and ultra settings, the Blade 14 hit 101 fps compared to 67 fps from an MSI Stealth 14 Studio with an RTX 4060. When I increased the resolution to 1440p, it still pumped out a very playable 66 fps. Meanwhile in Returnal at 1080p and epic presets, Razer enjoyed a similar lead reaching 92 fps versus 78 for the MSI. So unless you feel like moving up to a larger 15- or 16-inch system with room for an RTX 4080 or above, this performance is essentially as good as it gets in this segment.

Battery life: Better than expected unless your gaming unplugged

The Blade 14 offers a wealth of ports including two USB-A, two USB-C (USB 4 with support for USB-PD), 3.5mm audio and an HDMI 2.1 jack.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Gaming laptops are notorious for short run times. However, on PCMark 10’s Modern Office rundown test, the Blade 14 turned in a respectable time of 6 hours and 46 minutes. That’s more than an hour longer than the MSI Stealth Studio 14 (5:19) and nearly good enough to last through an entire workday. But it still falls way short of more typical ultraportables without discrete graphics like the ZenBook 14 OLED (12:43).

That said, even with some power-saving tricks like automatically reducing its display to 60Hz when running on battery, you’re still going to want to keep the Razer’s power brick handy. When I played Teamfight Tactics, the Blade’s battery dropped from 85 to 45 percent after a single 40-minute game.

Wrap-up

The Blade 14's included power brick is rated at 240 watts, but you can also charge the laptop via USB-PD at up to 100 watts in a pinch.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

With a starting price of $2,200 or $2,700 as configured, the Blade 14 is on the pricey side. But that’s not really new for Razer’s laptops and there’s no doubt this thing delivers a thoroughly premium experience, with its excellent build quality, beautiful display and great performance. It’s equally adept at gaming or editing on the go, and with the silver model being available at launch, you can get a machine that blends in better outside of LAN parties. The main thing that would stop me from buying one is the existence of ASUS’ refreshed ROG Zephyrus G14, which has similar specs and a much lower starting price of $1,600. But if you have the means, the Blade 14 won’t do you wrong.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/razer-blade-14-2024-review-a-portable-but-pricey-powerhouse-specs-price-160020891.html?src=rss