Review: Apple MacBook Air (13-Inch, 2024)

it's safe to say the 13-inch MacBook Air may have reached its peak in design. Apple's overhaul of its lightweight laptop in 2022 left little to be desired. It packed modern features (like MagSafe charging and a 1080p webcam) and a sleek chassis (allowing it to fit right in with the high-end Pro lineup) that was well worth the price increase. It makes sense for Apple to continue to recycle the same external build. But that also means it now comes down to pushing what's under the hood.

In this case, Apple upgraded the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip. Announced back in October, it's the latest entry-level chipsets in Apple's most recent batch of M-series processors.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The company did throw in a couple of additional new features, including support for two external displays and Wi-Fi 6E for double the Wi-Fi speeds. Aside from that, however, all else remains the same as in the previous version—including battery life, which Apple claims is up to 18 hours.

With such iterative enhancements, the price is the same as its predecessor. The base model starts at $1,099 while the maxed-out model will cost $2,299. And Apple is continuing to sell the M2-powered MacBook Air for $999, which is still a very capable machine.

Regardless of the chipset you pick, both models remain lightweight and ideal for getting work done on the go. But with the inclusion of the M3, this new version is now the most powerful MacBook Air you can buy.

If you're not familiar with the redesign on the last-generation 13-inch MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends), then you're likely not privy to the same features on the current version either. It has a square chassis instead of a wedge design, a bigger and brighter 13.6-inch LCD panel (with a 60-Hz refresh rate), and a 1080p webcam tucked into the notch on top of the screen. It also retains the same weight, coming in at 2.7 pounds, and packs a four-speaker sound system plus a three-mic array.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The port selection is identical, too—you'll get a MagSafe charging port, two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. Typically, the limited ports wouldn't bother me, since I only use the MacBook for writing, sending emails, making video calls, and streaming content. But it's noticeable when connecting it to two external monitors (more on that later) because you're left with zero ports. I would've liked to see at least one extra USB-C port to account for the new ability to connect to an extra monitor.

It comes in the same colors, too: Starlight, Midnight, Space Gray, and Silver. Apple sent me the Midnight version. It's the only color that comes with an anodization seal—a special treatment that's supposed to reduce fingerprint smudges.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Apple introduced this last year with the M3 Pro and M3 Max–powered 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in Space Black. It's worth noting the keyword here is “reduce,” so it's not fully protected from smudges. I'd say it works fairly well. You can still see the occasional prints (especially in sunlight), but I'm certainly not reaching for the microfiber cloth as much as I would with the Starlight color. It is, however, a lot easier to spot dust with such a dark shade.

To discuss what's different about the MacBook Air, we'll have to refer to the inside. Unlike the MacBook Pro, which allows you to pick between different M3 chips, the 13-inch MacBook Air comes only with the base M3. It's built on a 3-nanometer process technology—while the M1 and M2 are built on a 5-nanometer process technology—resulting in significant speed improvements for core CPU functions, graphics rendering, and machine intelligence. You'll also get features like ray tracing and mesh shading (for graphics-intensive apps and games), and dynamic caching, which rations memory for tasks effectively rather than using a set amount regardless of whether it needs that amount or not.

Each configuration comes with an 8-core CPU, but you'll have the choice between an 8-core or 10-core GPU. If you opt for the 8-core CPU and GPU, you'll get 8 GB of unified memory and 256 GB of storage, while the 10-core model comes with 8 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. You'll have the option to upgrade up to 24 GB of unified memory and 2 TB of storage (for an additional cost)—but if you choose 16 GB of memory or higher and 512 GB of storage or higher, you'll automatically be upgraded to the 10-core GPU. The MacBook Air Apple sent me has an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage.

Performance felt super smooth for all my day-to-day tasks. At one point, I had about 60 tabs open in Google Chrome across three different windows, as well as various apps running in the background simultaneously—including Slack, iMessage, Spotify, and Telegram—and never felt the machine slow down. It felt only slightly warm to the touch, too.

To try and push it a bit, I opened up 10 more tabs. The MacBook began to struggle slightly, but it wasn't enough to trigger the rainbow wheel or make me close any tabs and force-quit apps. That's all because of the increased RAM, though. I've said this about both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M2, and it still holds true: I highly recommend upgrading to 16 GB of RAM if it's in your budget. At this point, Apple really should do away with the 8-GB memory option and bump the base model up.

A change I'm particularly excited about is the ability to use two external displays (with support for one display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz and another with up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz). The M1 and M2 Macs natively support only one monitor, which is something I've complained about whenever I've reviewed an M-series MacBook.

But you can only use both monitors under one condition: You'll have to keep the MacBook Air shut at all times. Otherwise, one of the displays will completely go dark. So, you'll need to supply your own external accessories. I loved having the ability to work from two large screens—with a MacBook Air, nonetheless! It truly does make a difference in productivity.

Both versions of the MacBook Air also come equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, offering download speeds that are twice as fast as the M2-powered Air. You can read more about the Wi-Fi 6E standard in our explainer here. But it's important to note that to take advantage of the feature, you'll need a Wi-Fi 6E router—we have a few recommendations in our guide to the Best Wi-Fi Routers. This also doesn't mean you should buy this MacBook Air solely for this feature, nor should you buy a new Wi-Fi router to take advantage of it (unless you want to). It's more a nice capability to have for whenever you do upgrade your router.

As for battery life, Apple claims the same 15 hours of wireless web browsing as its predecessor. During the workday, I hit about 29 percent after eight hours. That's slightly better than the M2-powered model, which required having to be plugged in after that same amount of time. But it's not a wild difference.

The base MacBook Air also comes equipped with a 30-watt power adapter, but you can upgrade to the dual 35-watt or 70 USB-C power adapter for an extra $20, the latter of which will fast-charge the machine up to 50 percent in half an hour. If you opt for the higher storage options you can pick between the 35-watt or 70-watt charger for no additional cost.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The 13-inch MacBook Air is a great machine. It comes with all the features that we loved from the previous MacBook Air, plus the fastest entry-level chip that Apple has to offer. But that doesn't mean you have to buy it. I'd suggest it only if you're upgrading from an older Intel model or an M1, and want to leverage the exclusive M3 features so you can power through somewhat heavy-duty tasks like coding, basic photo and video editing, and light gaming.

If you only need a MacBook Air for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, sending emails, and using spreadsheets, then the M2-powered 13-inch MacBook Air delivers more than enough power. It's only been out for two years, so it's still just as efficient. It's worth noting Apple also released a new 15-inch version with M3. It packs all the same features as the smaller version but with a bigger display. But the M2 model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) came out less than a year ago, so we suggest opting for that one instead (especially when it goes on sale).

I was using an M2 version before testing the M3 MacBook Air, and can't say I noticed a difference (Apple also claims the M3 is only 20 percent faster than the M2). It's more affordable, too. Apple has knocked $100 off of it, bringing it down to $999, but it's currently on sale for $899 at B&H.

While its predecessor was certainly a no-brainer—because of its overhaul on the inside and out—the M3-powered 13-inch MacBook Air isn't as simple a choice. We recommend it only if you're coming from a much older laptop, and also want the latest and greatest chip–that way, you'll actually be able to spot the difference in performance. Otherwise, the (now) more affordable M2 MacBook Air is still a safe bet.