Apple MacBook Air (2024) with M3 chip unveiled

That was quick. Just this morning, we reported on the rumors that Apple would be unveiling new products this week – including the new Apple MacBook Air (2024) with an M3 chip. This has now actually been unveiled. We have summarized all the information about the slim notebook.

Apple MacBook Air (2024) with M3 chip unveiled

The popular MacBook Air is getting an upgrade, as Apple has just unveiled the new edition of the laptop. As expected, the Apple MacBook Air (2024) relies on the in-house ARM chip Apple M3, which made its debut last year.

This should give the laptop 20 percent higher CPU and GPU performance compared to its predecessor. Compared to the fastest MacBook Air models with Intel processors, it should even achieve 13 times the performance.

Thanks to the new Media Engine AV1, the new variant is also able to allow direct decoding, which should reduce power consumption during streaming in particular. The GPU also allows hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which should be of particular interest in the gaming sector – at least if Apple continues its own efforts in this area.

Two further upgrades to the Apple MacBook Air (2024) relate to connectivity. Fast and stable Wi-Fi 6E is now on board, while two external displays can now be connected in closed mode. Here, one 6K and one 5K monitor can be operated at a maximum of 60 Hz. As expected, the notebook relies on a MagSafe connection for the charging port. Two Thunderbolt connections and a 3.5 mm jack connection round off the port selection.

Two sizes in the same design

The basic design does not change much with the new MacBook Air (2024). The notebook is once again available in two different sizes of 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches. The Liquid Retina displays achieve a brightness of up to 500 nits and can display 1 billion colors.

Apple has equipped the new laptop with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera in a central notch at the top of the screen, as well as an array of three microphones, which should enable crystal-clear voice reproduction. The four built-in speakers support 3D audio including Dolby Atmos.

However, the rest of the features and battery life remain unchanged. According to Apple, 15 hours of wireless web surfing are still possible. The new MacBook Air also has a backlit Magic Keyboard with full-size function keys, while unlocking is done via Touch ID.

As the Apple MacBook Air (2024) also comes without a fan, the notebook is correspondingly slim and quiet. The 13-inch version is only 11.3 mm thick, while the 15-inch model is only slightly thicker at 12.4 mm.

Prices and availability

The new MacBook Air (2024) can be ordered now from Apple’s online store. Delivery will then begin next Friday, March 8. Prices start at an RRP of 1,299 euros for the 13-inch MacBook Air and 1,599 euros for the 15-inch version.

This includes the 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU version, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. An upgrade to a 10-core GPU and 512 GB SSD is also possible, as is a change to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB. The new Apple MacBook Air (2024) is available in four colors: midnight, polar star, space grey and silver.