M3 MacBook Air reviews: The best Apple laptop now has an identity crisis

Ahead of the release of the M3 MacBook Air this Friday, journalists and influencers published their reviews of Apple’s latest MacBook Air. With a similar design to the previous generation, Apple has added a few exclusive perks to this laptop. Is the M3 MacBook Air worth it? Here’s what reviewers think after spending a few days with this device, which can now support two external displays with the lid closed.

For The Verge, the M3 MacBook Air has an identity crisis as it has become too similar to the MacBook Pro: “The Pro and Air models are also so close in weight and size that I’m not sure what the MacBook Air even means in an era where every single laptop company has thin and lightweight laptops. The gold standard for thickness and weight has shrunk every year since Apple released its first MacBook Air in 2008. Hell, the MacBook Pro 14 M3 is thinner than the original Air!”

Inc, however, thinks this is the peak for the MacBook Air: “Ultimately, the M3 MacBook Air would have been my recommendation as the best laptop for most people even if nothing else had changed but replacing the M2 with the M3. Now, however, Apple has made a lightweight, powerful laptop with even fewer compromises–making it a very good choice for almost anyone.”

Image source: Apple Inc.

CNET‘s review of the M3 MacBook Air highlights the two new big upgrades for this computer: “Apple did make two feature additions with the M3 chip update. One is a move from Wi-Fi 6 to 6E, which translates to faster wireless speeds, assuming you have a router that supports it. The other change is to display support. Prior models of the MacBook Air supported extending to only one external display.  With the M3 MacBook Airs, you can connect two external displays directly to the Thunderbolt USB-C ports, which will also power the MacBook.”

Ars Technica calls this new laptop “the most boring Air in years,” although it’s still an impressive piece of hardware: “For anyone with an aging Intel MacBook Air or 12-inch MacBook, the M3 model is the best one yet, and the improvements to battery life and performance will be immediately noticeable. If your M1 Air is heavily used and starting to show a bit of age, it’s easier to justify stepping up to the M3 than it was to the M2.”

You can also read ZDNET‘s M3 MacBook Air review and Creative Bloq‘s.

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