Apple launched the M3 MacBook Pro devices last year at its ‘Scary Fast’ event, but MacBook Air devices missed the upgrade. But fret not, as M3 MacBook Air devices are coming soon.
According to reports, Apple could launch the 2024 M3 MacBook Air devices and new iPads at the same event.
Nevertheless, the M3 is the most advanced Apple chip line to date. And here are 7 things we expect from the upcoming 2024 M3 MacBook Air devices.
1. Size & Design
There could be at least two variants of the 2024 M3 MacBook Air. One could be compact and easy to carry around at 13.6 inches, and the other, slightly larger at 15.3 inches for better media consumption.
There are no design changes planned or rumored yet, so we could see them retain the flat MacBook Pro-style body with a full-size black Magic Keyboard and a large Force Touch trackpad with a slim bezel display and aluminum chassis, of course. Moreover, we expect dual USB-C ports, a Touch ID, and Thunderbolt charging.
2. New Color Options?
The current MacBook Air lineup comes in four color options: Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Midnight. With the upcoming line, we anticipate an additional special color, other than three standard flavors.
3. Apple M3 Chip
As we see no rumors or hints about any design changes, the significant updates could be the processor. As the name suggests, the MacBook Air devices will use M3 chips.
For reference, the M3 chip is built on a 3nm process, which means better performance and power efficiency than the 5nm M2 chip. As such, there are 25 billion transistors in the M3 chip, up from 20 billion in the M2.
4. Better Gaming
The M3 chip has Dynamic Caching support in its GPU setup. This means that tasks running on it only use the exact amount of memory they require, adjusting in real-time for best resource utilization. So, apps and games demanding heavy graphics processing work more efficiently.
Moreover, the M3 chip shines in gaming due to hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. It ensures smoother rendering as the chip efficiently handles these tasks. The benefits extend to 3D software as well.
5. Media Engine is Improved
The upcoming MacBook Air devices house a new media engine that supports AV1 decode. For reference, AV1 is an increasingly popular video codec, mostly used for streaming higher-quality video content at a lower bit rate. It may not be so common now, but it sure makes your device future-proof.
7. Support for Wi-Fi 6E
The 2024 M3 MacBook Air line could also support Wi-Fi 6E allowing connecting to the 6GHz Wi-Fi band. In simpler terms, you get better internet speed, security, and improved battery life.
2024 M3 MacBook Air Launch Date
Apple usually hosts a March event where it takes the wraps off new products such as the iPhone SE, new iPads, and upgrades to Mac. If the schedule follows, we expect the 2024 M3 MacBook Air devices to launch in late March or early April.
Additionally, there may be announcements regarding the availability of Vision Pro in other regions alongside the new iPads.
Should You Upgrade to an M3 MacBook Air?
It comes down to which MacBook you currently own. If you have an M2 MacBook Air, switching to the M3 might not change things much. M1 MacBook Air owners could consider upgrading depending on their usage. And if you’re on an Intel-powered MacBook, upgrading is a no-brainer.