Meet the new MacBook Air: M3 chip, AI, faster Wi-Fi, up to 18 hours of battery life [details inside]

Apple made a surprise announcement, unveiling its newest MacBook Air models. The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, equipped with the powerful M3 chip, redefine the boundaries of performance and portability.

The new MacBook Air models are not just about power; they are about delivering an unmatched user experience. With up to 18 hours of battery life, a Liquid Retina display, and new capabilities, these devices are designed to cater to a wide range of users. From college students pursuing their degrees to business users who need powerful productivity tools, the new MacBook Air models are poised to be the world’s best thin and light laptops, according to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“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,” Joswiak said.

The M3 chip is a game-changer. It makes the MacBook Air up to 60 percent faster than the model with the M1 chip and up to 13 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, according to the company.

Also Read:MacBook Air 15-inch M2 review: Go big or go home

Unleashing the power of AI

This leap in performance is not just about speed; it’s about enabling users to do more. The new MacBookAir models support up to two external displays and offer up to two times faster Wi-Fi than the previous generation.

The new MacBook Air models are not just powerful; they are smart. Apple has boldly claimed that the new M3 MacBook Air is the “world’s best consumer laptop for AI.” This claim is backed by the M3’s faster and more efficient 16-core Neural Engine and accelerators in the CPU and GPU that boost on-device machine learning. This incredible AI performance enables macOS to deliver intelligent features that enhance productivity and creativity.

The new MacBook Air models also support cloud-based solutions, enabling users to run powerful productivity and creative apps that tap into the power of AI, such as Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, Canva, and Adobe Firefly. This combination of on-device and cloud-based AI capabilities makes the new MacBook Air models a powerful tool for a wide range of tasks, from checking homework with AI Math Assistance in Goodnotes 6 to automatically enhancing photos in Pixelmator Pro.

Design and UI

The new MacBookAir models are available in four colors: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Grey. The 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 starts at Rs 114,900 and Rs 104,900 for education, while the 15‑inch MacBook Air with M3 starts at Rs 134,900 and Rs 124,900 for education. The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip now starts at Rs 99,900 and Rs 89,900 for education.

They come with a comfortable and quiet backlit Magic Keyboard with a full-height function row with Touch ID, giving users a fast, easy, and secure way to unlock their Mac, sign in to apps and websites, and make purchases with Apple Pay.

The new MacBook Air models also come with macOS Sonoma, which offers a range of features that enhance productivity. Users can now place widgets right on the desktop, interact with them with just a click, and even access the extensive ecosystem of iPhone widgets on the MacBook Air. Video conferencing gets more engaging with features like Presenter Overlay and Reactions.

The new MacBook Air models also work seamlessly across iPhones and other Apple devices. Features like AirDrop, Universal Clipboard, Continuity Camera, and Handoff enable users to share and receive photos, documents, and more across nearby Apple devices, scan or take a picture of something nearby with their iPhone and have it appear instantly on their Mac, and start a task like answering an email on one Apple device and easily finish it on another.

The new MacBook Air models with the M3 chip are a leap in user experience. They are designed to cater to a wide range of users, from students to professionals, and offer a range of features that enhance productivity and creativity.