M3 MacBook Air 15' 2 Weeks Later: Almost Pro

In this video I look at the design, pricing, featuers, performance, gaming, battery and more to help you decide if the MacBook Air is right for you.... or maybe it is the 14" pro?

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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission.

0:00 design
1:58 ports
3:45 display(s)
5:06 oversized trackpads and keyboard
6:04 speakers and camera
6:26 performance and importance or ram
8:17 gaming
8:49 wifi 6e and battery
9:47 don't get this one...

[MikeBurgenger]

I bought this EXACT laptop. Starlight with 16Gb/512Gb for $1529 with the Veteran discount.
Couldn't be more pleased with it. Being in my 50s now, the screen real estate is the biggest factor in a laptop. I use my Windows gaming desktop or my wife's Apple Studio (22) for intense computing. This Air does everything i personally need in a laptop better than anything else I've ever used. Extremely satisfied with it.

[malibuman]

This is the best review of the different specs, etc. and the irony is I disagree with the recommendation of the 14 M3 Pro over the 15" Air with 16/512. I know it's only $100 difference - and my head kept saying go the M3 Pro - but I spent a long time in the store comparing the 13" Air, 15" Air and 14" Pro. The size of the 15" screen is so much bigger than the 14" - whereas the 13" Air is similar in size to the 14". (The actual sizes are 13.6", 14.2" and 15.3"). The size real-estate is a lot more than you think when you really see them side by side. For me the 15" just looks and feels so much better than the 14".. .more modern, better battery, quiet, much bigger display and lighter. The Pro just looks like an older gen machine. I know the Pro chip with 18g ram is better, but the Air with 16 gigs will do 95% of what the pro will do and would be imperceptible to me.

[trixrkids]

You're the first reviewer I've seen that actually talks about the trackpad size and the distance of the keyboard from the front of the laptop. That's one of my biggest concerns about getting a 15" Air. Especially as someone who enjoys the 13" form. But that screen size is very tempting...

[michelingesoft]

Apple needs to stop with the 8 Gb Ram bullshit

[batraxos]

I bought the 2024 Macbook Air 15 inch 24 GB / 1 TB model here in Norway for $1163 after rebates and company tax deduction. I wanted a thin laptop without a noisy fan and a large screen and decent performance for everyday tasks. I don't like the chubby 14 inch with smaller screen, noisy fans and not really more performance unless you buy the expensive M3 Pro/Max cpus. 16 inch is way too bulky. I went for space gray since I don't like fingerprints. In the shop, the new midnight variant still had fingerprints all over. If you buy any Mac with atleast 16 GB / 512 GB, you will be just fine in most cases I believe.

Forget the inflated claims and sponsored content! This review is an excellent example of honest product evaluation. In a world full of misleading information, this reviewer sets it apart with his uncompromising honesty and actual consumer concern. A thorough, unbiased analysis of the product's strengths and weaknesses is a priceless aid for prospective buyers. It's a breath of fresh air that cuts through the hype around APPLE and offers an extremely frank perspective. Love it!

[sweealamak]

The configuration I've been eyeing is the one you're not recommending and I agree with you totally at it being a bad deal. But I need a larger display to upgrade from my M1 Air. So I'm holding out for retailers to offer a discount on the 16/512 model as the months roll on 🤞

[trixin]

Great review.. I agree. In the last week I bought a base m3/8gb/256gb spec at best buy because it was an open box for $988. Well after a couple days I was already slightly regretting it a little.. it was fantastic but with just a few programs I was already pushing the 256gb space and I was regularly actively closing programs and making sure I didn't have too many things running. I was using Parallels/Windows 11 and new I needed as much free as possible to keep things running smoothly. Anyway.. bottom line is I returned it and sadly spent the extra $500 for the 16gb/512gb. It was annoying now but I knew if I planned on keeping this laptop for more than a year.. and maybe 4+ it would pay off bigtime. It already has. Also I traded my old M1 8gb/256gb and Best Buy gave me $525 for it which is crazy for a 3.5 year old laptop.. so I know this one will hold it's value especially being spec'd up a bit.

[Johak]

The dilemma that I have is choosing between the 15 inch air with 16gb ram and 512 gb ssd and the MacBook Pro 14 inch with 18 gb ram is that the price difference here in Sweden actually is 400 dollars between the two. So your case for the small price difference doesn’t really apply here.

[mangadolo]

I went with the 14 M3 base Pro for $1449 BestBuy because of the fans for longer, sustained DJ sessions and the smart card and HDMI slots so it frees up my other USB Cs to avoid dongles. The speakers and screen are phenomenal too! Otherwise, I would have bought the 15” Air.

[patrickcallahan]

I bought the 13”, M2 MBA 8/10, 16gb, 512gb back in June of ‘22, i bought my wife the 14” M3 Pro MBP, 11/14, 18gb, 1T. In actual use it is difficult to tell the difference, but the speakers are definitely better on the 14”.

[chriscasillas]

I'm with you 100% on the keycaps. My M2 Air is docked at my desk in clamshell mode about 90%+ of the time. Even with the relatively minimal use of the built in keyboard, the keys look pretty bad. I would have to disagree on the RAM issue. My Air is a base model 8GB/256GB that I've been using since launch day and it flies through everything I throw at it. There are routinely 6-7 apps open at a time and, while I don't use super heavy apps, I regularly work in Photoshop and audio editing. Unless a person knows they're going to be using more intense apps on a regular basis, 8GB of RAM actually works just fine.

[kennordsfan]

Jerry you are so right on the 16gbs of memory, I had the M1 MacBook Air 8gbs and 256gbs and yes for simple tasks of classes and vernal work the computer was amazing with great battery life but when you worked it harder or more tabs per bigger excel files you started to see the bottle neck. M2 MacBook Air 16gb and 512gb has been simply amazing zero bottle necks and it seems over all the speed is better than my M1 air. But yes Apple no more 8gb of ram really?

[troybabz]

Nice video! Just got my second Mac computer since the classic, 33 years ago in 1990. Went with the air 13" 16GB, $200 off list on amazon, great all around laptop, enjoying it so far.

[jessicawilson]

I will not stand for this starlight slander!!! Lol I absolutely love my 13 inch in starlight, I love how subtle it is and how the colour shows differently in different lights.

[beingdealtwith]

Loved the review Jerry!. Was very intrigued to see a glass housing for the magic trackpad and keyboard at 3:06. Where can i get one?

[peterstrahan]

Great comparison at the end of the 3 models that are most suitable for day to day use, Im currently on a i7 13" 2019 MacBook Pro, and will be moving to the M3 14" MBP, thank you for posting!

[brianbriones]

Yea i agree with the comments, the review is awesome, the best part is comparing price points, a lot of reviews talk about the same perspectives on performance, IO, and benchmarks etc, but price and bang for buck is important to some consumers. Most reviewers don't price compare, and you did a great job with understanding how far you can push the dollar amount, and what you get. I find myself in the same boat as well, if i'm gonna drop 1200+ dollars on a mac in 2024, I wouldn't want to feel like i'm selling myself short at that price point. But i've always been against all of the apple upcharges, TBH external drives are the way to go for me always. Thanks again!!

[patrickcallahan]

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two years since I bought my 13” M2 MBA 8/10, 16gb, 512 spec. And yes I paid the Apple tax at that time ($1699.00)! But I have had no issues, and don’t plan to upgrade any time soon

[lovelymisterlove]

i'm currently using a macbook retina from 2017 😭so the m3 macbook pro would be a dream laptop upgrade for me