The iconic MacBook Pro may be the laptop many lust after, but the power of Apple Silicon means consumers should ignore this laptop and look elsewhere.
That elsewhere is Apple’s new MacBook Air. Launched earlier than expected, it is the first of Apple’s consumer laptops to launch with the M3 chipset.
The M1 MacBook Air revitalised Apple’s consumer laptop portfolio, with its extra power and performance delivering on the promise of the then Intel-powered MacBook Pro laptops. While professional creators could make the best use of the increased capabilities of the Pro, the Air had improved immeasurably. No longer the lightweight compromised laptop, it could fully meet consumer needs.
With Apple stating that the new M3 MacBook Air is 1.6 times faster, it’s clear that the latest consumer MacBook laptop can deliver a huge amount of computing to those considering buying a new macOS device.
There will be a tendency for some to look further up the portfolio and consider the M3 MacBook Pro. Yet this would be a curious choice. The extra twenty percent of performance over the MacBook Air is not a huge step, especially considering the power the M3 delivers even on the vanilla laptop. If you are looking for higher power levels, the correct decision is to go for the M3 Pro and M3 Max laptops, which are significantly more expensive but have far more potential.
Apple has also sweetened the MacBook Air option for those looking to get the most productivity from their new laptop. New hardware in the M3 chipset will finally allow the MacBook Air to run two external monitors when the laptop lid is closed. This will be welcome for those who dock laptops and want as much screen real estate as possible.
And in all of this, don’t forget the M2 MacBook Air; thanks to the M3 release, it has moved down the portfolio and is now the entry-level macOS laptop at $999.
Now read more about the great value Apple is offering on the M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro laptops…