While Apple launched the new M3 MacBook Air last month, the 15-inch model is already seeing huge discounts as part of a new sale. Amazon has the base variant for $100 off with an additional $49 reduction coming from the coupon. Ultimately, this lands the said model down to $1,149 or $150 (11 percent) lower than the regular price of $1299.
Not only the base MacBook Air model is on sale, though, as the 512 GB option is also discounted to $1,349, which is the best price so far. Regardless of the storage configuration, you can choose from the four colors of the M3 MacBook Air including the anti-fingerprint space black finish.
What makes the M3 Apple MacBook Air a worthwhile purchase
Aside from the chipset, the Apple MacBook Air with M3 chipset (review) hasn’t dramatically changed from last year’s MacBook Air with M2 (review). However, the M3 MacBook Air is rather recommended for those users coming from much older machines like the M1 MBA.
The new M3 chip promises a sizeable performance upgrade in terms of processor and graphics but still retains a solid 18-hour battery as its predecessor. Apple says the CPU is up to 35 percent faster in computing while the GPU is up to 65 percent better than in the M1.
Furthermore, the M3 delivers a 60 percent faster Neural Engine, which is the core unit for AI processes, and has more advanced accelerated engines and codecs for better video streaming. While in memory, the M3 MacBook Air can be configured with up to 24 GB unified RAM, which is a massive step from the 16 GB setup on the M1 MacBook Air.
More than the chipset, there are also enhancements like support for two external monitors when the laptop’s lid is closed. Additionally, a faster Wi-Fi 6E and improved microphones are on-board, too.
Lastly, the M3 MacBook Air comes with a high-res LCD screen and can output admirable brightness for up to 500 nits. You can find a pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support along with a MagSafe charging and audio jack.
What are your thoughts about the new MacBook Air and the M3 chip? Do you think it is worth it now that it is cheaper? We’d like to hear your opinion in the comments.
