Apple introduced the brand new M3 MacBook Air final Monday and it’s accessible to pre-order now, with shipments and Apple Retailer retail arrival on Friday, March 8. We received our arms on the brand new laptop computer, and earlier than we publish our full evaluate subsequent week, we have now some first impressions.
We received a Starlight 15-inch MacBook Air. We didn’t get a Midnight laptop computer, so we will’t try the “breakthrough anodization seal” Apple has developed to scale back fingerprints, which was one of many criticisms of the M2 mannequin.
15-inch M3 MacBook Air unboxing slideshow
15-inch M3 MacBook Air picture gallery
Foundry
Foundry
Foundry
Foundry
15-inch M3 MacBook Air: Preliminary benchmarks
To start out with testing, we ran Geekbench 6.2.2 and Cinebench 2024. We’ve seen the M3 within the 14-inch MacBook Professional (and the iMac) and it appears just like the M3 MacBook Air numbers are what we anticipated. We’ll submit extra check leads to our full evaluate coming quickly.
Geekbench 6.2.2 benchmarks
In each the Geekbench Multi-Core and Single-Core checks, the M3 MacBook Air was 20 % sooner than the M2 MacBook Air. We noticed a 20 % enhance from the M1 to the M2, so the rise right here is according to what we anticipated.
Cinebench 2024 benchmarks
In Cinebench 2024, the distinction between the M3 and M2 within the CPU Multi Core is virtually the identical as Geekbench, 21 %. One distinction that stands out is the one between the M3 within the MacBook Air and the M3 within the MacBook Professional–it’s solely 5 %, which isn’t actually a lot. But it surely’s there, more than likely as a result of the fanless MacBook Air has to decelerate a tiny bit to keep up a correct working temperature. For those who take a look at the CPU Single Core outcomes, you see that two M3 laptops posted the identical rating.
We’re simply getting began with the M3 MacBook Air. Search for our full, in-depth evaluate of the M3 MacBook Air coming quickly.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024)
Value When Reviewed:
$1,099 (base)
Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024)
Value When Reviewed:
$1,299 (base)