The MacBook Air just got a spec bump, making it one of the most powerful machines in its thin and light form factor.

Apple just announced their updated 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air. The update came via a press release, rather a full live streamed event.

The MacBook Air, which Apple calls “the world’s most popular laptop”, saying that “more people choose MacBook Air over any other laptop”, just got the M3 chip, that Apple debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac late last year. This update makes the 2024 MacBook Air 60% faster than the M1 MacBook Air and whopping 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air. Those running Apple silicon systems will see minor improvements, while those on older Apple laptops will no doubt see a huge difference. This is great news for those running complex projects in Logic Pro.

The update also brings a number of improvements beyond power. Support for Wi-Fi 6E enables 2x faster throughput, compared to Wi-Fi 6 on the previous model. Support for two external displays when the lid is closed gives users the ability to increase screen real estate, which can be super helpful when working on massive audio projects.

Image Credit: Apple

Outside of the chip, Wi-Fi and external display support, it’s much of the same with the M3 MacBook Air, which is no bad thing. Here you’ll find the same 13 and 15-inch options, all featuring a thin, fanless design, at under half an inch. The color options are still Midnight (with a new anodization seal to reduce fingerprints), Startlight, Space Gray and Silver. The ports include MagSafe for charging, two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5mm jack with support for high-impedance headphones. The battery life is still strong at 18 hours. Same display, same camera, same mics, same speakers and same keyboard with Touch ID, which again, is great news, following such a well-praised previous generation.

Image Credit: Apple

Another way this laptop stay the same is in its price. The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,099. The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,299. Those in education can get a $100 discount.

The biggest downside in keeping things the same is the fairly limited starting memory and storage configurations, at 8GB and 256GB respectively. Upgrading from an 8-core GPU to 10-core GPU in the 13-inch model adds $100. All 15-inch models have the 10-core GPU as standard. Doubling the RAM or storage adds $200. The maximum configuration of this machine, with a 10-core GPU, 24GB memory and 2TB SSD costs $2,299 for the 13-inch model and $2,499 for the 15-inch model. For reference, the 14 and 16-inch M3 MacBook Pros start at $1,599 and $2,499 respectively.

Last generation’s M2 MacBook Air is sticking around, but being reduced by $100. The 2020 M1 MacBook Air with the old design has been discontinued.

MacBook Air is our most popular and loved Mac, with more customers choosing it over any other laptop. And today it gets even better with the M3 chip and new capabilities. From college students pursuing their degrees, to business users who need powerful productivity, or anyone who simply wants the unmatched combination of performance, portability, and industry-leading battery life, all in a fanless design, the new MacBook Air continues to be the world’s best thin and light laptop.

Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Apple

The new M3 MacBook Air is available from this Friday, March 8. You can order it now in 28 countries on apple.com.