If you're in the market for a brand new MacBook right now, then you can't go too far wrong with this incredible deal on the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch. 

This is the larger variant of Apple's best MacBook for students. It's lightweight and portable, while boasting great battery life and snappy running perfect for taking notes, planning and productivity, and a bit of leisurely downtime. 

Usually, it retails at $1,299, but you can grab one right now for just $1,409 on Amazon. That gets you 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $150. 

Save $250 on MacBook Air M3

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

We love a good MacBook deal here at iMore, and you won't find much better than this one. It's the perfect computer for college or school students, with the powerful M3 chip buzzing away in the background to handle large amounts of video and photo editing. The 15-inch screen is big and beautiful, with the keyboard being a clicky joy to type on.

You don't need much more computer than a MacBook Air (unless you work for like, Pixar or something), and the 15-inch MacBook Air strikes the perfect balance between portability and power. Just remember to wrap it up in one of the best cases for MacBook Air, and you'll be powering your way through homework, research papers, and more. Oh, and some games too (We won't tell anyone if you don't).

It’s not every day that you get to say that one of your favorite laptops just reached its lowest price ever, yet here we find ourselves — the MacBook Air M3 just dropped to $849, the cheapest it's ever been. And just in time for back to school as well!

That makes it only $50 more than the M2 model, and for just fifty bucks? We’d say it's well worth investing in the newer, more powerful model. If for no other reason than future proofing or even just bragging rights, the M3 is the MacBook Air to buy right now.

MacBook Air M3 lowest price ever

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

If you’re after a super portable, powerful computer, then you’re not going to get much better than the M3 MacBook Air. It’s super slim and compact, so you’ll be able to fit it in any backpack (or even handbag, if you must) The M3 chip is the current most powerful MacBook Air chip, bringing buckets of performance without a bank-breaking price, and the keyboard is one of the best in the business.

But why should you choose one of these over the slightly cheaper MacBook Air M2? If you absolutely need to save as much money as possible, then you won’t go wrong with the M2 — but for an extra $50, the M3 model is well worth picking up instead. You’ll get more power and a longer-lasting machine. If you really want to make sure that your new MacBook lasts as long as possible, you should upgrade to the 16GB RAM option — although that will cost you $1,249. There’s still a $250 saving there, but it doesn’t have that all-important sub-$1,000 tag.

Apple’s M3 chips are, without a doubt, very impressive pieces of silicon innovation. They’re also attached to some very expensive pieces of Apple kit, with prices high enough to make you wonder whether the extra power is worth it.

Making that decision even harder are deals like this one, which reduce the price of the still powerful M2 MacBook Air to its lowest ever. That’s a $200 discount on RRP, and a whole $100 less than the M3 version. For all intents and purposes, unless you really need some of the extra processing beef, this model is the one we’d recommend.

M2 MacBook Air lowest price ever

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

We adore the MacBook Air here at iMore, thanks to its incredibly thin, svelte chassis, wicked color options, and powerful internal hardware. This M2 might not have the ‘newness factor’ of the M3 model that you can also nab at Amazon, but the chip inside is still plenty powerful for all but the most demanding of workloads.

The deal here is on all the different colors of MacBook Air, including Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight, so you’re spoilt for choice. If you absolutely need the extra power of the M3 then you can pick up the newer model for $100 more, but the M2 still keeps up in a bunch of different applications. Only the most demanding of users are going to use everything the newer model has to offer, and if you’re looking for a solid everyday laptop, then the M2 MacBook Air is the way to go.

It's only been a few months since the MacBook Air gained the M3 chip, but it appears Apple is already working on upgrading its most popular laptop to the latest M4 chip.

We know plenty about the chipset since it already appeared in the latest M4 iPad Pro which launched in May of this year, meaning Apple is working on a sort of staggered release date with the two generations of chips - while some devices are still on M2.

While we already expect the M4 Pro to come to the MacBook Pro lineup, it seems a slam dunk it'll come to the Air, too. After all, the MacBook Air has seen M1, M2, and M3 versions since the Apple Silicon transition.

Apple's M4 MacBook Pro is expected to be one of the first devices equipped with the latest generation of Apple silicon, and it could be announced as soon as this year.

Now that the MacBook Air comes in 13 and 15-inch sizes, here's what we can expect from the next generation of Apple's consumer-focused laptop - including all we know about new features and when you might be able to get your hands on one.

M4 MacBook Air: Release date rumors

The MacBook Air M3 made its debut in March of this year, meaning we've only had that generation for the last few months.

Still, Apple is always keeping its foot on the gas with its silicon, and reports suggest the M4 could arrive in early 2025 - meaning around a year after the M3 version.

That comes via Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in April, suggesting the M4 transition would start with the iPad Pro before hitting a low-end MacBook Pro late in 2024, around the same time as the next iMac.

Then, the high-end, 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models would gain Pro and Max versions of the M4 chip, before the M4 MacBook Air in Spring - potentially followed by a Mac Studio.

M4 MacBook Air: Models

It seems likely Apple will stick to the same exterior design it debuted with the MacBook Air M2 in 2022, so you can expect the same screen sizes as a result.

That means the MacBook Air will come in 13.6 and 15.3-inch screen options, likely with the same flat edges and notch in the display.

As for colors, we'd expect the same as the M3 until we hear otherwise, giving you Silver, Starlight, Space Gray or Midnight to choose from.

M4 MacBook Air: M4 chip

Unlike some prior generations of Apple hardware, we have a reasonable idea of what to expect from the M4 chip since it's already found in the very impressive iPad Pro hardware that debuted in May of this year.

The new chip packs 10 CPU and 10 GPU cores and features many of M3's best features. That includes Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and more, and it's the fastest chip for AI that Apple has ever released.

That's good, because macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence will go hand in hand later this year, and Apple will want its Mac users to be able to make the most of its new features and tools.

While Apple is yet to provide official M3 vs M4 benchmarks, it has said the M4 is 1.5x faster than the M2 when it comes to CPU performance. Third-party tools put the M4 further ahead again, but by around 10% in single core tasks, it seems.

We don't know anything about the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips as yet, but they'll likely be restricted to the MacBook Pro models.

Still, Apple could spring a surprise by packing an M4 Pro into an Air - watch this space.

M4 MacBook Air: Design

As we mentioned above, the MacBook Air M3 replicates the exact form-factor of the M2 version, and the combination of the two has knocked the M1 off of Apple's store page entirely.

Given the fanless design has been well-received in all corners, we don't see Apple changing things again. On the plus side, that means the same sleek design that's on offer now, but probably means we're unlikely to get any additional USB-C ports on the right-hand side.

M4 MacBook Air: Display

The current MacBook Air display is great, regardless of which size you opt for, but the MacBook Pro still rules the roost with its Liquid Retina XDR panel.

It seems unlikely Apple will bump the Air to such extravagant tech, stealing one of the Pro model's headline features, so expect a 2560x1664 resolution display again.

We've not heard any reports about Apple bringing ProMotion refresh rates of up to 120Hz to the MacBook Air, but given it's reportedly looking to do that for the iPhone 17, there's always a chance.

While the M4 chip does power the tandem OLED of the iPad Pro 2024, it seems if any MacBook will go to an OLED display it'll be the MacBook Pro - so don't expect it on the Air just yet.

M4 MacBook Pro: Memory and Storage

The M3 version of the MacBook Air offers a series of configurations, but there seems to be some frustration among some reviewers that Apple steadfastly sticks to 256GB of SSD storage and 8GB of RAM on the Air lineup while charging a high fee to upgrade either.

Will the M4 see Apple debut 16GB of RAM as standard on the MacBook Air? Here's hoping, but for now it's a paid extra.

M4 MacBook Air: Connectivity

The M2 MacBook Air brought back MagSafe (complete with color-matched cables) in 2022, but we can't see Apple adding to the current suite of ports.

That means the M4 MacBook Air is likely to have two USB-C ports on the left as well as MagSafe, then a headphone jack on the right-hand side.

While SDXC and HDMI ports are available on Apple laptops again as of late 2021, you'll need a MacBook Pro if you want them.

It's worth noting that the move to M3 facilitated the ability for the MacBook Air to extend to two displays at once while in clamshell mode. There's every chance the M4 could up that again, or remove the clamshell requirement.

M4 MacBook Air: Price

The MacBook Air M3 debuted at $1099 for the 13-inch version, meaning it cost less than the M2 model it helped reduce the price of.

There's every chance Apple sticks to this price point, particularly as the 15-inch model is a bigger jump in price to $1299, still with relatively modest specs.

Apple may opt to keep the price the same for the M4 version, or charge slightly more for the new chip and (hopefully) ramp up the base specs.

Time will tell, but at present, the 15-inch MacBook Air isn't that much cheaper than the base M3 MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Air has always been the portable Mac for most of us and, once Apple made the switch from Intel processors to its own Apple silicon, that became even more evident. The M3 MacBook Air is basically the Mac that 9/10 people should buy.

For Prime Day, that recommendation got even easier. While Apple sells the base model of the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $1099, you can grab the laptop from Amazon right now for $849 (don't forget to apply the coupon) — a savings of $250 and almost 25% discount. That marks the lowest price yet for the latest generation of the best laptop for most people.

M3 MacBook Air — $250 off

• M3 MacBook Air deals: Best Buy | Amazon

The M3 MacBook Air isn't a huge leap from the M2 MacBook Air, but there's nothing like future-proofing your technology. While you could technically grab the M2 MacBook Air for $799, spending an extra $50 for the most recent processor seems like a worthy upgrade for most.

I used to be a MacBook Pro person but, ever since Apple switched to Apple silicon and its new M-series chips, I've never even had to consider anything more than the base model MacBook Air. It's crazy fast and I've never been able to get it to hesitate, despite throwing music, development, photo and video editing, and Chrome at it.

The latest MacBook Air features the M3 processor, 19 hours of battery life, the Liquid Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos speakers, MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and Wi‑Fi 6E.

At $849 for Prime Day, this is the laptop I would recommend to almost anyone in my life who asked me what laptop they should buy.

If you're looking for a stunning Prime Day MacBook deal, then we've just found the best one yet. The Prime Day Apple deals are live for just a few more hours and this M2 MacBook Air is available for a record-low price of $799.

That's $200 off its usual price of $999, and the lowest price we've ever seen. It's also cheaper than you can expect to find one with Apple's education discount in the Back to School Promotion.

While it might not be Apple's best MacBook in 2024, its M2 chip is plenty powerful for on-the-go computing. It's light and thin, so it'll fit inside any rucksack or back, and it'll be able to handle pretty much anything you throw at it. It's also ripe for macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence, coming later this year. 

•  MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy 

This M2 MacBook Air comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It's got a 1080p webcam, upgraded from previous 720p offerings that plagued the MacBook for years. At $799, the base spec model is incredible value for a Mac that's going to last years and get software support for five years or more. 

We were hoping for this deal on Prime Day so make sure you don't miss out by grabbing one now as the shopping event ends later today. This is the best price we've ever seen on the MacBook Air and it's going to fly off the shelves. So if you're in the market, the iron has never been hotter. 

The MacBook Air M1 is a great laptop for loads of different people, but now that Apple has stopped making them, they can be slightly harder to get hold of. Well, Walmart not only has the laptop in stock, but it's at a truly remarkable price, the likes of which we’ve only seen once before.

If you head over to the Walmart website now, you’ll find the MacBook Air on sale for $650 (or $649 if you want to be pedantic), which is around $350 cheaper than it would have been to buy one when it was still on the Apple site. It’s also $200 cheaper than the newer M2 MacBook Air, making for an excellent purchase if you want a MacBook and don’t want to spend loads of money.

MacBook Air M1 gets huge discount

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

While not as new or as shiny as the M3 MacBook Air, the M1 version still has an m-series chip, and that means one very important thing for macOS fans — you’ll be able to use Apple Intelligence on your MacBook the moment the feature is released with the public version of macOS Sequoia. That means all the AI bits and bobs are going to work from the beginning, giving you all the latest macOS goodies without having to spend loads of money.

The M1 chip is still a great powerhouse of a chip as well, with plenty of power on tap for even video and photo editing. Need a new laptop and don't want to spend the earth? This could be just what you’ve been waiting for.

Yes, the M3 MacBook Air is one of the best Macs we’ve ever used. But if you want a bargain, Amazon has you covered with a great deal on the M2 MacBook Air.

With a week to go before Amazon Prime Day, taking place on July 16-17, we’re already seeing lots of great Prime Day Apple deals, such as this M2 MacBook Air. We’d still count this earlier model as one of the best MacBooks — thanks to the same design that both Air laptops share, as well as the fast Apple silicon chips. If you still own an Intel Mac, this latest Amazon deal could be the perfect opportunity to upgrade. For $848, you get an M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of memory, 256GB SSD Storage, a 13.3-inch display, and more. Just remember to click on the coupon box to get the full discount — otherwise, you’ll be paying $899 for the laptop.

The best fanless Mac at a great price

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

If you’re a student or about to become one, the M2 MacBook Air is the perfect laptop to work on. macOS, the operating system included with every Mac, comes with the iWork suite for free. This features three apps: 

• Keynote, a presentation app
• Pages, a writing app
• Numbers, a spreadsheet app

The laptop is also great for gaming. By using Whisky, an app that can run many Windows games on Mac along with what’s available to buy in the Steam Summer Sale, you can play many of your favorite games on the go.

For $848, you get a fantastic Mac that’s also ready for Apple Intelligence, the company’s take on AI that will be available in macOS Sequoia. When you combine all of these features, you’re getting a great deal. Just remember to press on that coupon before you head to the checkout page!

The transition to Apple Silicon has been transformative for the Mac lineup, so it's no wonder Microsoft has attempted to catch up for the last few years.

It's not all been plain-sailing for the tech giant, however, but when revealing its new Surface devices earlier this year it promised to outperform the MacBook Air.

New benchmarks from The Verge confirm that Microsoft has hit that target, noting "This is the fiercest Microsoft has been able to compete with MacBooks in price, performance, and battery life, and while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips don’t outright beat Apple’s M3 chip (with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU) in every single one of our benchmarks, they could make Intel and AMD scramble to catch up to another competitor — this time, on their home turf."

I'd encourage you to read the full benchmarks, but the long and short of it is that the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 chip (doesn't quite roll off the tongue like M3, does it?) is impressive in multiple machines it's been tested in.

MacBook Pro still dominant

Naturally, the MacBook Air is only one side of Apple's laptop lineup, and the MacBook Pro, with the M2 Max (from 2022) or last year's M3 Max chips, will still dominate their X Elite counterparts for Cinebench multicore performance, and even in terms of GPU performance.

The Verge says "Integrated GPUs aren’t great for gaming, 3D rendering, or any other heavy graphical workloads, and that includes all of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips. (Apple’s integrated GPUs are an exception, especially as they scale up; the massive 40-core GPU on the MacBook Pro M3 Max blows past AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm.)"

Elsewhere, Microsoft's Prism emulator for running apps on its ARM hardware isn't quite up to the levels of Rosetta 2 according to The Verge, while battery life is a much closer fought contest - but the M3 Air still comes out on top.

More from iMore

• I moved from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air - and I should've done it sooner
• The best MacBook for programmers, coders and developers
• Got a surround sound setup? Your Mac is about to get even better for all your movie and TV-watching needs thanks to macOS Sequoia

Looking for the best MacBooks for programmers, coders and developers? We've got you covered. There's a good reason why Apple's laptops are so popular with developers - they are fast, dependable and look great as well. With the launch of Apple's very own silicon, the M1, back in 2020, the company put a lot of effort into making sure compiling and running code was incredibly quick - and this has continued with the M2, M3 and now M4 chips that followed.

In fact, since the M3 generation, gaming on MacBooks is now better than ever, with support for advanced graphic effects like ray-traced lighting - and this means programmers working on games are now able to test out their creations without having to change machines.

For those really intensive workloads, you're going to want a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro armed with an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. But what about coders who don't need quite that much firepower?

The good news is that even Apple's most affordable MacBook — the MacBook Air (M2) — does a brilliant job when it comes to coding, and with the launch of the M3 MacBook Airs (which are great coding machines themselves), the M2 model has had an official price cut, making it a brilliant choice for people on a budget - or for students who are keen to learn how to code.

Apple's current MacBook lineup is one of the most varied and exciting in the company's history, and that means there's going to be a MacBook for any of your coding needs. Want a big display and ultra-powerful performance? The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is the one to go for. Want to code on a MacBook but are on a budget? Check out the MacBook Air (M2). Fancy the best of both worlds? The 15-inch MacBook Air (M3) is a great choice.

To help you find the best MacBook for your coding needs, we've put together this guide, which gathers together all the different models and generations of MacBooks that are currently on sale - and we've tested every single one, so you can be sure that our recommendations for the best MacBook for programmers, coders and developers come backed with years of experience.

Quick list

Best overall

If you’re after the absolute best MacBook for programming on in 2024, then we recommend the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip. Released towards the end of 2023, this is an incredibly powerful laptop – especially if you go for the model with the M3 Pro, which features 11 CPU cores, divided up into 5 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores to start. This can be upgraded, and you can also go for the more powerful M3 Max chip – but that also ups the price considerably. The 14-inch MacBook Pro also comes with a (slightly) more affordable model with the M3 chip and this is a good choice if the M3 Pro or M3 Max models are too pricey for you.

However, we think the M3 Pro version offers the best balance between value and performance – for the vast majority of programming tasks the M3 Pro is more than enough, so the M3 Max model is likely overkill.

We also think the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the best choice thanks to the fact that it packs all of this power into an impressively portable package, and the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel is an absolute joy to work on with sharp and clear image quality and smooth 120Hz refresh rates. If you’d like a larger display to work on, then you can go for the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro, which offers the same level of performance, but with a larger screen.

Best affordable MacBook

When Apple launched the M3 version of the MacBook Air, it continued to sell the older M2 model, but with a new lower price - and because the M2 chip remains a formidable bit of silicon despite its age, we now recommend the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 as the best affordable MacBook for programming.

The M2 chip that powers this model of MacBook Air offers plenty of power for coding, and compile times for even complex projects are impressively short, which means there's less waiting around when you're waiting to test out your code. Sure, it doesn't have the raw power that chips like the M3 Max or M3 Pro have, but to be honest, most people simply don't need that kind of performance for most coding tasks - you just want something that is quick, dependable and good value for money; and the M2 MacBook Air offers all of that in spades.

Running things in the background is the 8 CPU-core M2 processor, which also features 8 GPU cores to handle the graphics processing. It offers plenty of power for browsing with loads of tabs open, and its battery life is excellent, so you can work on this MacBook pretty much anywhere you want without worrying about where you're going to plug it in. The 13-inch model is thin and light with a stunning design which Apple was so pleased with that it kept it for the newer M3 model, but if you want something with a larger screen, then you'll be pleased to know that there's also a 15-inch version which can make programming on a lot more comfortable.

Best of both worlds

While the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro offers incredible performance, and the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 is a great affordable choice, if you want something that offers a great balance between power and price, then the 15-inch MacBook Air M3 is our pick.

Thanks to the base M3 chip, this MacBook Air is the most powerful version of Apple's thin and light laptop, and offers a decent jump in performance compared to the M2 chip. For most programmers, the M3 offers more than enough power, and it means you're not paying for performance you won't make use of, like you might with an M3 Pro or M3 Max-powered MacBook Pro.

The M3 MacBook Air doesn't come with a new design - but that doesn't matter as the redesign ushered in by its predecessor, the M2 MacBook Air, remains superb, with a gorgeous 15-inch Liquid Retina display and with 500 nits peak brightness, you can comfortably work on the M3 MacBook Air no matter what the lighting conditions you're working in are.

You can fit this model with up to 24GB of memory, and with the M3 chip offering 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, you'll have plenty of power to program, test, run and even emulate the apps you make, all without the high price tag of the MacBook Pro series of laptops. The 15-inch MacBook Air also features two extra cores in the base model compared to the 13-inch version, which means that you get a nice extra boost in performance if you pick the larger version, especially for graphic-intensive tasks. If you don't need that power and would like a smaller, more portable laptop, then the 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 is a great alternative.

Most powerful

If you're after some serious firepower to help you compile and test your code, then the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is the one to get. This is the most powerful laptop Apple has ever made, and while the base models offer huge amounts of performance, if you fully max out its specifications, you get a desktop-replacement laptop that will last you for years to come.

Featuring the most powerful iteration of the M3 chip - the M3 Max - you get 16 CPU cores and a huge 40-core GPU, and you can configure it with up to 128GB of memory and 8TB of SSD storage, this is a seriously future-proof MacBook. The price is incredibly high (it costs $7199 for the maxed-out model), but you won't need to buy another laptop for a long time.

The power that the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max offers, along with the price tag it comes with, means this is a MacBook that won't be for everyone. However, if you're a programmer who needs to quickly compile and test code, then it can seriously speed up your workflow. There's enough power to emulate other platforms as well — so you can see how your app runs on various iPhone models, and if you're a game developer you can play your games while you work on them.

This means that while the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is a huge investment, it could end up being a very wise one, especially if you end up using it for many years to come.

If you're not going to need that kind of performance, however, then we recommend you go for a more modest MacBook - either a MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro or base M3 chip, or even the M3-equipped MacBook Air models.

There's more than just the power on offer with this machine — the ProMotion 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is one of the best screens you can get on a laptop in 2024, and the large screen size means that working on pages of code is comfortable (while also ensuring that games, movies and TV shows look fantastic when you're not busy coding).

The larger screen means that the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is also a very large (and heavy) laptop, which makes it a lot less portable than many of the other MacBooks on this page. If you're looking for a MacBook to carry around with you no matter where you go, then this won't be the best choice for you. Read on for our best portable pick instead.

Best portable MacBook

These days many of us are used to a more hybrid way of working, which means we don't always need to be sat in an office - or even by a desk - when we're coding, and that means having a laptop that is both portable and powerful enough to handle complex workloads is now more important than ever.

So, if you're in the market for a MacBook to code on that is thin and light enough to take with you almost anywhere, the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 is the one to get. As you'd expect, this is an incredibly thin and light MacBook that's easy to carry around. With the 13-inch model, you get a smaller screen, but it also reduces the overall size, making it a better choice than the 15-inch MacBook Air M3 if you want the best portable MacBook for programming on. The smaller size doesn't mean you're having to make sacrifices to the performance, however, as it offers the same powerful M3 chip as the larger model.

And, while the M3 chip isn't as powerful as the M3 Pro or M3 Max, it is still a fantastic performer, easily competing with Windows 11 laptops of around the same price - if not beating them. For most programming tasks, this offers plenty of firepower.

Another great thing about the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 when it comes to portability is its impressively long battery life - you should get around 15 to 18 hours of life out of a single charge, depending on the kind of tasks you're performing with the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 (more intensive tasks will make the battery deplete faster). This long life means you can take the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 pretty much anywhere, including outdoors, and you don't have to worry about finding a power outlet to plug it into. This gives you the freedom to program on the MacBook Air M3 anywhere you want.

Best on a budget

The MacBook Air M1 is certainly getting on a bit - it launched in 2020, and Apple no longer stocks it - but it remains a brilliant budget MacBook for programming on. This is for two reasons. The first is that while Apple no longer stocks the MacBook Air M1, other retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy, still do.

The second reason is that with each new MacBook Air that launches, the price of the M1 model drops further, and this makes it exceptional value for money, especially around big sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.

The M1 chip was the first ever ARM-based chip for Macs made by Apple, and it's no exaggeration to say that it revitalized Macs and MacBooks. It was so successful that we're now on the M4 chip, and that success is down to just how well the M1 performed - and continues to perform.

Sure, the MacBook Air M1 won't be able to compete with an M3 MacBook, but for the price you're getting an excellent thin and light laptop that is still more than capable of most coding tasks. It's the perfect choice for someone looking to get a MacBook to code on, but can't afford the high price tags that newer devices come with.

The M1 chip features 8 CPU cores and a 7-core GPU that handles graphics, and thanks to its power efficiency, its battery life can last well over a workday - and there's no annoying fans either to distract you when it's working hard.

The M1 MacBook Air does miss out on the new redesign that was brought in with the M2 model, but this is still a great-looking super slim laptop with Apple's unmistakable design flair. You get a 2560x1600 native resolution screen with P3 wide color support as well, and the 400 nits peak brightness means you can comfortably use it in bright daylight.

If you don't need the most powerful MacBook out there, then you can save yourself a huge amount of money by getting the M1 MacBook Air. As long as you keep your expectations in check, you'll be very pleased with your purchase.

Q&A

Apple Intelligence looks like the first genuinely (to some, anyway) useful implementation of AI into a range of operating systems yet. Better yet, it’ll work on any Mac running an M-series chip — although, as you might expect, the newer the chip, the better it is likely to run.

MacBook Airs don’t get much newer than the M3 MacBook Air, with that all-important M3 chip at its core. It’ll be perfect for Apple Intelligence, and, even better, there’s currently $200 off at Amazon.

MacBook Air Lowest price ever

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The M3 MacBook Air is one of the best MacBooks ever, and a great option if you want to take macOS 15 for a spin. Apple Intelligence isn’t in there yet, but it’ll get you ready for the next step in Apple’s assistive technology.

Forgetting even the upcoming updates to macOS, the M3 Air is a lovely piece of kit. A powerful M3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a stunning Retina display wrapped up in a sumptuous aluminum frame.

An aluminum frame that comes in a range of colors as well, including Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight. At this price, it’s almost a no-brainer if you’re looking to upgrade an older Mac, or even dip your toes in Apple’s computers for the first time. The deal is a limited-time one according to Amazon, so you don’t have long if you want to get the MacBook at this price — so it's worth getting a move on!

While Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (or WWDC 2024, or dub dub, or ‘that show where they show off the software’, it’s up to you) is only hours away with all its potential updates to macOS and a bevy of AI introductions, Amazon has seen fit to reduce the MacBook Air M3 down to a new lowest price ever. That’s Apple’s latest slim-line MacBook at a can’t-be-missed price.

Today, then, you can net a brand new MacBook and learn about all the powerful new updates coming in the coming months. 

MacBook Air M3 gets a massive price drop

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The M3 MacBook Air models bring some top-shelf specs at lower prices than their Pro counterparts. The M3 chips powering the show are more than enough for most people and, with integrated RAM fused with Apple’s homegrown silicon, you’ll be multitasking like a master. Battery life is excellent, the keyboard is great, and the svelte aluminum shell is both gorgeous to look at and super portable.

Even better, we’ll finally learn what kind of AI goodies Apple has in store for the laptop during the WWDC 2024 software showcase. Apparently, the update to macOS 15 is going to have what Apple could call “Apple Intelligence” (Get it? Apple Intelligence, AI, very clever Apple), which will bring artificial intelligence to the MacBook line — although what that will actually be capable of at the moment is anyone’s guess.

This MacBook deal meanwhile might not last very long at all, so if you’re looking to grab a MacBook Air at an incredible price, now is your opportunity.

Apple's WWDC 2024 is around the corner, and macOS 15 is expected to start bringing AI features to the Mac lineup (as well as iPhone and iPad, too).

With no hardware expected at the event, that means you can pick up an M3 MacBook Air (the laptop Apple specifically called out AI tasks for when it was announced) and feel safe in the knowledge it won't be immediately usurped.

Better yet, we've found a deal on Amazon that can net you a significant discount on Apple's latest MacBook Air.

The retailer is offering $200 off of the MSRP, bringing the base spec 13-inch M3 MacBook Air (that's 8GB of RAM and 256 SSD storage) down to just $899.

In our five-star review, we noted that despite no changes from the M2 model, the M3 marks a good step up in terms of GPU performance.

We said:

"In reality, not much has changed with the M3 15-inch MacBook Air, but not much had to change either. Its build quality and design principles were great to start with, so a year-on-year spec bump that blurs the line between what would have been a premium machine last year and is now seen as an entry-level device is quite remarkable."

"For gamers in particular, the M3 devices are a real step up, offering a significantly better experience thanks to new bells and whistles like ray tracing."

Will we get an M4 version soon? It's likely one day, for sure, but for now, this is a great deal on a great laptop.

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While the MacBook Air M3 might be the latest release, it'll surprise you to hear that it might not be my top pick. I'm using the MacBook Air M2, which I absolutely adore, and it packs more than enough power for nearly everyone. The launch of the M3 model meant this one got discounted, making it one of the best MacBooks to buy. And now, it's an even better deal thanks to some unexpected savings.

In a surprise deal, Apple's MacBook Air M2 has dropped below $900 again at B&H Photo, back to its lowest price. It's back down to $829, which is $170 off the regular price of $999 on this MacBook. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so you’d best get a move on if you want this incredible price on this machine.

Get $150 off one of Apple's best MacBooks

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The M2 chip is still plenty powerful, as Apple puts it in new devices even today (look no further than the M2-equipped iPad Air 6, only recently announced at Apple's latest event). While the M3 edition is beefier on the power front, I can safely say that you're unlikely to be left wanting more. The super slim aluminum chassis is the same as the newest model, coming in the same colors and everything. The 13-inch screen brings color and sharpness aplenty, and the keyboard is one of the best portable typers around.

It's the lowest price that the M2 MacBook Air has ever seen (just like this $170 saving earlier this month), and it's currently the cheapest way you can get hold of an Apple laptop. If you're in the market for a new slim laptop, this deal is definitely worth your attention. And if you're coming from an older MacBook Air, this M2 device is definitely worth the upgrade.

Every MacBook Air M2 can currently be bought for as little as $829 on Amazon — a perfect time to upgrade before Prime Day begins.

When we say every MacBook Air M2 model, we’re not kidding. Although you can buy a 256GB model with 8GB of memory for $829, you could go to the next level and buy one with 512GB of storage for $1029 — that’s $179 off the normal price! Despite the fact you can buy the latest MacBook Air M3, these are still some of the best MacBooks you can buy, especially for students thanks to this new lowest-ever price.

A bunch of Apple’s rumored new AI features in iOS 18 and macOS 15 are set to be announced at the WWDC keynote on June 10. As these features are rumored to work only on Apple silicon models, like the MacBook Air M2, it could be a great opportunity to take advantage of these deals right now if you’re still holding onto that Intel MacBook.

•  MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy 

MacBook Air M2 deals

Apple's MacBook Air M2 was announced at WWDC in June 2022 alongside the M2 chip, before being released later that month. In our review, we were full of praise for how much of a leap the laptop was compared to the M1 model. “If you need portable power, a great keyboard, and a beautiful and sturdily designed laptop, the new MacBook Air ticks practically every box.”

With every model heavily discounted, there’s no better time to buy a MacBook Air M2.

Microsoft has this week unveiled its first-ever Arm-powered consumer laptop, a device it hopes will take the fight to Apple’s inimitable M3 MacBook Air. 

After several weeks of rumblings about the power of the Snapdragon X processor lineup, Microsoft took the covers off its new Surface Laptop at its event on May 20, and at a glance, the new seventh iteration of its Surface Laptop line is indeed impressive. 

Available for pre-order now from Microsoft and debuting on June 18, the new Surface Laptop comes in two sizes, 13.8 and 15 inches, just like Apple’s own Macbook Air. On board, you’ll find Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X processor. You can choose between the Plus or the more powerful Elite variant, all housed in a chassis that’s thicker and heavier than the MacBook Air but comes in more vibrant colors. Benchmarks will be key to determining the power of the Snapdragon X compared to the M3, but Qualcomm and Microsoft both seem confident in its supremacy. Indeed, the more potent X Elite variant is certainly more powerful on paper, thanks to its larger number of CPU cores. A throwaway slide in the keynote claimed the new Surface Laptop was “58% faster than the MacBook Air M3” at… well, something. Live batch editing tests appear to show a Surface Laptop handling a set of photos “almost twice as fast” as Apple’s M3 Macbook Air. 

Microsoft takes aim at the MacBook 

The impressive specs don’t stop there. The Surface Laptop ships with 16GB of RAM as standard (versus Apple’s 8GB), and it also comes with a covetous 120Hz display, offering juicy scrolling performance and smooth operations currently reserved for Apple’s MacBook Pro line.

The Surface Laptop also boasts Wi-Fi 7, as opposed to Wi-Fi 6E on the MacBook Air. With several hefty hardware advantages compared to Apple, you might well be asking yourself just how much more expensive this Surface Laptop is compared to Apple’s $1,099 M3 MacBook Air. The answer? It’s cheaper. While the usual swathe of RAM and SSD upgrades will run you up a bill just as high as Apple’s best MacBook configurations might, the base spec Surface Laptop is cheaper respectively than both Apple’s 13-inch and 15-inch equivalents. Microsoft’s offerings start at $999 and $1,299 respectively, compared to Apple’s $1,099 and $1,499 price tags. 

Naturally, Apple and Microsoft’s offerings are most sharply divided by their operating systems, macOS and Windows. With Apple expected to unveil its own Apple AI features at WWCC 2024 next month, Microsoft has set the bar high with a new Copilot Plus PC brand that embeds AI hardware and features into all of its new laptops, as well as those of OEMs like Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung. With powerful neural processing units (NPU), what Apple calls its Neural Engine, the new generation of Windows PCs will offer more than 40 AI models, powering new tools like Microsoft’s new Recall model, a searchable, “photographic” memory of all the things you’ve seen and done on your PC.

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It’s always an exciting moment when one of our favorite bits of tech gets a monster discount, and they don’t get much better than when it's a great price on a MacBook. In this case, Amazon has a limited stock deal on the MacBook Air M2 in Space Gray and Silver, with a massive $170 off full price.

That makes the MacBook only $829, an excellent saving on the $999 full price of the MacBook. There are only a few left at this price mind you, so you’d best get a move on if you want this incredible price on one of Apple’s best MacBooks.

Save $170 on MacBook Air M2

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

While the M3 MacBook Air has taken the top step when it comes to portable power, the M2 MacBook Air is no slouch. The M2 chip is still plenty powerful, as Apple puts it in new devices even today (look no further than the M2-equipped iPad Air 6, only recently announced at Apple's latest event). The super slim aluminum chassis is the same as the newest model, coming in the same colors and everything. The 13-inch screen brings color and sharpness aplenty, and the keyboard is one of the best portable typers around.

This price is the lowest price that the M2 MacBook Air has ever seen, and is currently the cheapest way you can get hold of an Apple laptop. Unfortunately, you don’t have long to think about this one — they are disappearing faster than you can say ‘a reduced price MacBook? Sign me up!’

If you’re after one of the finest laptops that money can buy, you should look no further than the best MacBooks. Whether you’re looking at the MacBook Air line-up or the MacBook Pro range, weighing up a 13-, 14-, or 16-inch model, all MacBooks have oodles of power and an attention to detail in their designs that are second to none.

It’s the reason why the best MacBooks are so popular with so many different types of users. From the high-end designer working on a major creative project to the simple student looking for a lightweight workhorse to bring to a lecture, Apple’s portable computer range has a MacBook to suit all needs.

But which MacBook is right for you? With a wide range of prices, specification options, sizes and capabilities, making the choice can be difficult. Do you need an M3-chip in a 16-inch MacBook Pro, the top-tier supercharged machine at the premium end of Apple’s MacBook line-up? Or can you get by with an older M1 MacBook Air which, years after its initial release, still represents the best bang-for-buck laptop on the market?

We’ve tested every generation of MacBook to make sure you’re served with the precise information you need. Looking at every generation of Apple silicon, weighing up every screen size and chip configuration, if you’re looking for the best MacBook for you, this guide will make sure you grab the right model for your needs.

Quick list

Best overall

The best MacBook around isn't necessarily the most powerful, but arguably the best when power and price are balanced — as such, the best MacBook in our eyes is the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro. That's not the most expensive Mac by any stretch of the imagination (although it is not cheap), but it takes a top-quality processor in the M3 Pro and puts it in the svelte and attractive 14-inch MacBook Pro chassis.

For anyone looking for plenty of power, the M3 Pro MacBook Pro has it in spades. The M3 Pro chip features 11 CPU cores, divided up into 5 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. You can boost that up to 12 CPU cores and 18 GPUs, but you'll have to pay a lot more for the privilege.

Display duties are handled with a 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel, and it's an absolute stunner. Color is handled with aplomb, and the ProMotion runs everything along at a slick 120Hz. For the display nerds, there are 1 billion colors here meeting the P3 Wide color gamut, and TrueTone color keeps everything looking good no matter the environmental light. There's Apple's XDR high dynamic range as well, giving a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000 nits peak brightness across the whole screen.

Battery life is top-of-the-line as well — on a full charge, the 14-inch MacBook Pro will last 18 hours, and that only drops significantly if you start doing loads of hard work like video rendering. It's all kept cool with an active cooling system in its aluminum shell, and just like the previous models, you're only going to hear those fans turn on if you run the machine super hard.

Why is this the best MacBook overall? Because it gives everything you could ever actually need out of a MacBook, and means you don't have to spend through the nose to own one. This model, if you head to the Apple Store sets you back $1999. Sure, there are cheaper MacBooks, but this won't break the bank quite as much as some of the really powerful models.

Best on a budget

The MacBook Air M1 is not the newest machine out there, but it is the cheapest of the MacBooks that you can currently buy. It’s no longer stocked at Apple, but third party retailers still carry the MacBook Air M1, and we’ve seen its price tag reach crazy lows of as little as $399. You're still getting a hell of a computer — and you're not paying the most to get it. While it might not satisfy those who are looking for a MacBook with bucket loads of power on tap, it is more than adequate for users who want a MacBook for the lowest price possible.

That's not to say it's not got any power — far from it. For some light computing, document editing and even rudimentary photo editing, the M1 that resides inside its super slim shell is still a great performer for everyday computing. There are 8 CPU cores in there for all the computing stuff, and then a 7-core GPU that handles graphics duties. The M1 was a very powerful chip when it came out, and it's no-less powerful now — it's just that its sequels have upped the game.

The display is nothing to be sniffed at either, even if it does lack the Liquid Retina moniker of the newer models. It's plenty colorful for watching some YouTube videos, and the 2560x1600 native resolution makes text look super crisp on a smaller display like this one. There's P3 wide color as well, and it gets bright enough for use in broad daylight with 400 nits peak brightness.

Battery life is good, with a solid 18 hours of video playback. That means you can slip it in your bag and not worry about losing battery when you take it out and about — be that to class or to work. It'll be easy to slip into your bag as well, with its super slim chassis. In fact, at its slimmest the MacBook Air M1 is a paper-like 0.41 inches, making it one of the thinnest MacBooks ever made. That makes the laptop super portable — more so than most of its range mates.

The MacBook Air M1 is the best MacBook on a budget because it's so cheap. You can often save extra money on top of its already super low price. The best time to pick one of these up is during one of the many deals events throughout the year — that way you'll get the absolute best price possible.

Best for students

Students need a little more power than your average person for all the research and work they do on a daily basis — but they also need a machine that is portable enough to put into a bag without any trouble at all. The MacBook Air with M2 chip is just the right laptop for a student studying at college, striking the perfect balance of price, performance, and portability. It’s now the cheapest model available direct from Apple, replacing the M1 Air on Apple’s shelves — and its price tag means we still recommend it for students despite a more powerful M3 chip version now also being available.

Running things along in the background is the 8 CPU-core M2 processor, which also features 8 GPU cores to handle the graphics processing. That's not a top of the range processor, but a student doesn't need top of the range. Instead, this power option gives plenty of juice for all those Chrome tabs you need open while you revise for tests, and runs productivity apps like Pages with aplomb so you can get those crucial papers written. Crucially, it also offers phenomenal battery life, easily getting you through a day and into the next morning’s lecture if you forget to plug the charger in overnight.

That's not to mention how the MacBook Air looks — after all, that kind of thing can be important to the cool kids on campus. The slim MacBook Air has a new svelte design with a more uniform chassis than its wedge-like predecessor, and it's a look that we really like. It's slim too at just 0.44 inches thick. Portable and powerful: just what a student needs.

The display on this one was upgraded too, now a Liquid Retina. More importantly, however, it's also changed shape slightly — and it's a productivity godsend. Rather than 16:9 like most displays, the MacBook Air's screen is 16:10 which adds some vertical space, something you really notice when you're working on text in Pages or even in spreadsheet apps like Numbers. It's bright and colorful to boot — perfect for when you've stopped working.

This is the best MacBook for students because, as said up top, it balances power with portability — something that's super important when you have to cart your laptop around a college campus while getting some work done. If you're a student on a budget, then grab an M1 MacBook Air — you'll get a slightly less impressive machine, yes, but a solid one nonetheless.

Best for gaming

Gamers might think they want the most powerful laptop they can find — they also will unlikely be looking for a Mac. If you're after a Mac for work reasons or personal choice and you want to do a bit of gaming on the side, however, you should look no further than the base model M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch — and we'll tell you for why.

No, the M3 isn't going to run all the AAA games at 120FPS and 4K, but most of those games aren't available on Mac anyway. Instead, the kinds of games that you can run on a Mac are those directly ported over and optimized for use on a MacBook. Games like the Resident Evil 4 Remake run very well on an M3 chip, and even the very new (and award-winning) Baldur's Gate 3 will be munched up by the latest base model Apple chip with no problems at all. Indie games? Indie games are no challenge for the extremely potent M3 at the heart of the entry-level MacBook Pro.

"What about my AAA games? I want to play Cyberpunk!" Worry not, there is a solution. There is a very limited number of those optimized games that will run natively on Mac — and those that you'll find on Steam don't always work very well as they rely on a compatibility layer, which isn't an issue that those monster M3 Pro and Max chips are going to solve. Instead, you're better off running those AAA games on a service like Nvidia GeForce Now, which will stream games over the internet directly to you for a monthly fee. With these two things — the M3 running the ported, optimized games and GeForce now running those that wouldn't normally run on a Mac — you've got everything a gamer could want from a Mac.

The other bonus is that incredible screen — the same 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR from the more expensive models. That's a top quality display, and its ProMotion refresh rate of up to 120Hz will make any games you run on the MacBook buttery smooth. Just remember to grab one of the best wireless mice for Mac — the trackpad just isn't made for gaming.

Beyond your gaming specs there's some extras that just make it a great machine for normal computing tasks. Up to 22 hours of battery life is exemplary, and will give you plenty of juice if you're looking to game on the go. An excellent laptop, and our pick if you're looking for the best MacBook for gaming.

Best for creatives

If you're an on-the-go creative, photographer, or artist, then the latest 15-inch MacBook Air is the top pick for. It still provides plenty of power thanks to the upgrade to the base-level M3 chipset, but without the overkill in performance (and price) that the M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro line-up represents. And, you still have lots of screen real estate to see your canvases and art in large-scale detail.

As the name suggests, the headline feature here is the 15-inch Liquid Retina display. It's gloriously colorful, and while it lacks the 120Hz refresh rate of the ProMotion displays in the Pro models, it's still a wonderful panel, with great contrast and accurate color reproduction. P3 wide color is supported, with the ability to present 1 billion colors. The 500 nits peak brightness is a great bonus too, and you'll love how vibrant it is on the eye, even in direct sunlight.

Even without going up to the M3 Pro and M3 Max chip levels, there's plenty of power on tap as well, with M3 providing more than enough power for PhotoShop or Illustrator sessions. With support for up to 24GB of RAM there's plenty of multitasking power there as well, so you won't have to worry about having multiple layers in a project at all. For the computer nerds, there are 8 CPU cores here, joined by 10 GPU cores that handle those all-important graphics. Curiously, that's 2 more GPU cores than the base model 13-inch MacBook Air gets — which is just more juice for you to use in your work, as well as opening up some 3D overhead for gamers and CAD projects.

Battery life is good for when you want to take your work on a train or a bus, or you fancy working at the local cafe — you'll get up to 18 hours which means far fewer trips to the power outlet. You won't worry about anyone tripping over the cable and yanking the power cord (and your laptop with it): MagSafe is back so the connector just pops out without taking the laptop with it.

Artists and other creatives will love the extra screen size of the 15-inch MacBook Air, and then they'll slip it into their bag super easily with its 0.45 inch belt line. It's the creme de la creme of ultimate portable laptops, giving you oodles of power on the go. Hook up a USB-C drawing tablet and you're away. If you’re working on really demanding 3D projects or need to carry out light-speed video exports, maybe consider stepping up to a MacBook Pro. But for many creatives, they won’t be able to touch the sides of what this MacBook can achieve.

Most powerful

If you want the most powerful MacBook you can lay your hands on then you won't need to go any further than the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max. That's an impressive $7199 worth of laptop if you go for the fully specced machine — a true desktop replacement for all but the most power-hungry of users.

That is for the most extreme version of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, however, with 128GB of memory and an 8TB SSD, so make some sensible cuts and you still get a monstrous machine with a slightly less monstrous price tag. The M3 Max is a beast right across its configurations — there are 16 CPU cores on board, connected to an insane 40-core GPU. For those keeping track, that's an absolute powerhouse of a processor, and will absolutely destroy pretty much any computing task you throw at it.

For some users, however, that's exactly what they need. If you're a video editor for movies, a programmer or graphics specialist, then you'll need all the power that the most powerful MacBook can provide you with. Granted, you don't need to opt for all the RAM or SSD space that Apple tempts you with — the base Max option with a mere 32GB of memory is only $3499. Still a lot of money, but you're still getting that incredible processor for a little less financial outlay. 

There's more than just the power here — that ProMotion equipped 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is a stunner, with sumptuous colors and oodles of brightness on tap. The whole package is incredible, with all that power on tap in a deceptively slim chassis. The most powerful, most impressive MacBook Pro is the best if you want a laptop with everything — although you'll have to pay to get it.

Q&A

While Apple's latest best MacBook, the M3 MacBook Air is barely fresh out of the oven, and Apple's M3 line of chips is but a few months old, all eyes are firmly on what Apple has in store next for its computing lineup. Now, we've just got our clearest look yet at Apple's future plans for Mac. 

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple is planning "an accelerated Mac makeover" focused on the new M4 chips that will see every single Mac product moved onto the latest generation chip for the first time. 

The chips, which will include a big focus on on-device artificial intelligence, are dubbed Donan (for the M4), Brava (the M4 Pro and M4 Max), and Hidra, an M4 Ultra chip. 

The next wave of Macs

With the caveat that release dates can shift, Gurman predicts a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro could debut at the end of this year with the M4 chip, around the same time as a 24-inch M4 iMac.

These could be followed in late 2024 or early 2025 by the release of MacBook Pros with M4 Pro/Max options in 14 and 16-inch variants, alongside M4 and M4 Pro Mac Minis.

Spring 2025 would see the arrival of M4 MacBook Airs in 13 and 15-inch versions, which would mean they debut roughly a year after this year's M3 models, and a Mac Studio with a "high-end M4 chip" would arrive closer to the middle of next year.

As for the Mac Pro? You could be waiting until the second half of next year, but it'll reportedly come packing the M4 Ultra.

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Apple's latest MacBook Air, packing the M3 chip, has been a resounding success. We awarded it five stars in our review, but there's a significant drawback for buyers.

That's the fact that despite the relatively low base price (for an Apple laptop, that is), the default configurations come with just 8GB of RAM. Increasing it to the 16GB offered by many competitors at the same price range will cost you an extra $200.

While this felt like the year the discourse around 8GB reached a fever pitch across tech enthusiasts, reviewers and content creators alike, it appears Apple is ready to upgrade the base RAM just yet.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple's Mac marketing executive Evan Buyze, and VP of hardware engineering, Kate Bergeron, have been speaking with IT Home (in Chinese). 

Buyze pointed to web browsing and media playback as examples of things 8GB of RAM is enough for most tasks, as well as casual gaming and some light editing of photos and videos.

Is 8GB of RAM enough?

Bergeron explained that the 8GB of RAM works in tandem with Apple Silicon chips to offer unified memory architecture. This means all 8GB of RAM is used more efficiently.

Part of the issue is that Apple charges so heavily for the increased RAM options in its build-to-order options that it often feels like a hidden tax for anyone looking to push their Mac a little further than the tasks Buyze identified.

The MacBook Air (M3) begins at $1099, but it's $200 more to take it to 16GB, and then a further $200 for 24GB. That's on top of upping the storage from a miserly 256GB which also feels low (and also costs $200 to double).

Would you buy a Mac with 8GB of RAM? If not, what's your ideal number for a new machine?

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I was never convinced about displays with higher refresh rates. I remember being amazed when I first saw the Retina display on an iPhone 4, with a screen resolution so dense your eyes can't distinguish individual pixels, such that everything almost looked like a graphic magazine at first glance. I didn’t think another display upgrade would invoke the same reaction from me again.

It wasn’t until 2021 when I saw a MacBook Pro with ProMotion, Apple’s 120Hz display, running alongside a previous generation at 60Hz in an Apple Store, that I was convinced. Everything looked buttery-smooth — from moving the mouse to scrolling through web pages and photos. ProMotion convinced me to pay over £2000 / $2100 to step up from my then-broken 2013 MacBook Air, and I’ve never looked back.

It also prompted me to buy one of the best iPhones available, as the Pro models came with ProMotion — and still do to this day. An iPhone 15 Pro Max running at 120Hz is one of the best handsets I’ve ever owned.

Of course, ProMotion goes further back — the feature first appeared in 2017 with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and has remained on that tier of the iPad line-up ever since. Seven years later, I feel like it’s time to finally see 120Hz arrive on products that don't include the 'Pro' name, just so my dream of ProMotion on iPad mini and MacBook Air models can finally be a reality.

Scrolling with Air

I’m approaching the three-year mark of owning the MacBook Pro, and I’m starting to think about an upgrade. The battery life is starting to dwindle to three hours, and I’m also wondering if I even need a ‘Pro’ laptop at all.

This is where the 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 comes in. I love its thin design, its ‘blue’ midnight color, and the Air's recent push to larger screen sizes. The 18-hour battery life also puts it on par with how long my MacBook Pro used to last. Recently, I thought I’d go to an Apple Store to try one out, and instantly, I noticed the lower refresh rate. ProMotion isn’t available on this Mac. You may be someone who doesn’t notice it — I have a friend who can’t tell the difference between an HD and 4K image — but I am.

The absence made it a dealbreaker for me, so I’ve decided to wait until the feature trickles down. We’ve seen this happen before with other exclusive aspects of other high-end products, so I reckon the same will happen with ProMotion soon.

The trickle

It’s not the first time that we’ve seen features appear on lower-priced models. The dual camera on the iPhone 7 Plus was brought to the regular models after a few years, and Face ID went from being an exclusive feature of the iPhone X to appearing on more affordable devices after the iPhone XR in 2018.

The redesign of the iPad Pro in 2018, which reduced the bezels significantly, appeared on the iPad Air and regular iPad in 2021 — although Touch ID remained the core security feature of the cheaper devices. There’s a whole history of features coming down to Apple’s other products, as cheaper components become available as the years pass.

The name ‘ProMotion’ though, alludes to the feature being pro-exclusive. I do wonder if this was deliberate on Apple’s part so that the feature remains on Pro models only. Indeed, that’s currently the case. The feature is available on MacBook Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPad Pro — there’s a pattern here.

Yet, I don’t care about this logic, because there’s one more device that would make it an instant buy for me if ProMotion came to it.

A mini promotion

I’ve had a complicated history with the iPad as a whole. The tablet used to be my main device for everything. Then it became a device to type up notes on, as well as a device for reading a bunch of books and comics and watching plenty of videos. Now, it’s just a YouTube device. Its software has felt confusing to me in recent years — with Stage Manager for iPad, Apple’s latest effort at multitasking on the tablet, being very frustrating to use.

Throughout all of this though, I’ve always considered the iPad mini to be the best of the bunch. It’s the best iPad for reading, and its great battery life makes it the one that I always recommend to family and friends. However, the absence of ProMotion on the tablet holds me back from declaring it the perfect iPad.

Imagine an 8.3-inch display that can show content at 120Hz just like the high-end iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. Swiping through apps, watching videos, and reading Marvel comics at a high refresh rate in bed with an iPad mini is very appealing to me. Not to mention it would fix that awful jelly scrolling issue. I can’t see it being a matter of cost for Apple anymore — it’s been seven years since ProMotion first appeared, so bringing it to other models definitely feels overdue. Again, I can’t help but feel like the name ‘ProMotion’ has given it a connotation that makes it forever trapped with the Pro models. And that’d be a shame.

Instead, the ProMotion name could be given a course-correct. For future ‘Pro’ models, the refresh rate could be 240Hz, with a ‘ProMotion 2’ moniker. For non-Pro models, ‘ProMotion’ stays, as well as the 120Hz benefit. It splits the feature up, but it’s the best of both worlds for everyone.

There are potential solutions, like the above — so let’s see 120Hz come to all the models Apple, and soon!

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Apple’s M3 MacBook Air has only been out for three weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Amazon dropping the first significant discount on the product, bringing the base model below $1,000 less than a month after launch. 

Unveiled March 8, the M3 MacBook Air is undoubtedly one of the best MacBooks Apple has ever made. It combines the design and portability of Apple’s famed Air line, with the raw power and efficiency of the M3 chip. In our review, we were wowed by the excellent performance of that chip and its stellar battery life. While it likely won’t tempt M2 MacBook or even M1 MacBook Air owners to upgrade, if you’re still hanging onto that Intel MacBook, or want to join the party for the first time, this is the model for you. 

The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099, a fair price we’d be happy to recommend for the package. However thanks to an early Amazon discount, you can now save $100 when you pick one up at Amazon. 

Get $100 off the brand-new M3 MacBook Air 

•  MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy 

Apple’s M3 chip is faster and more powerful than the M2 chip, which was faster than the M1 before it. As you might expect, that means it is faster than ever when it comes to loading up apps, multitasking, rendering, gaming, and more. It’s also more efficient than its predecessors, so you get all of that power without sacrificing battery life. Indeed, the M3 MacBook Air is faster in benchmark scores than the old M1 MacBook Pro, which cost $1,999 when it debuted. 

The MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are some of Apple’s most popular products. Incredibly powerful, wrapped in sumptuous aluminum, and equipped with some of the most attractive screens, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a line of more premium laptops.

One of the first things that you might wonder when you first look at the line, however, is which MacBook is better — the MacBook Air, or the MacBook Pro? Which of the two MacBook styles is going to suit my needs? Do I need a more powerful processor, but a slightly less portable chassis? Or do I need something that’s super portable, but not quite as all-conquering inside? There is a MacBook for everyone, but that question is still the first and most important one.

The MacBook Air is a slim and light laptop aimed at most people. They are still powerful, and there are some great configuration options you can choose from to make them more useful for heavier workloads. You buy a MacBook Air, however, for its super slick and thin chassis. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, sacrifices some of that portability for more cooling potential, a better screen, and more powerful processor options. You buy a MacBook Pro because you want the most powerful laptop you can lay your hands on.

There’s a lot more to it, however, when it boils down to the details. The MacBook line uses Apple’s homegrown M-series chips, and even the base model M3 at the heart of the MacBook Air computers is an incredibly powerful processor that gives you plenty of juice to do even more complicated and power-hungry tasks.

Then there are the size options of the machine, of which there are several, each different between the Air and the Pro. No matter how you cut it, there’s a lot to think about when you’re thinking about buying a MacBook. We’re here to help you work out whether a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro is the one for you, diving deep into what really separates the two models.

Quick Specs

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Price

Price at a glance

The MacBook Air models are the cheaper of the two MacBook lines, starting at $999. The MacBook Pro models on the other hand start at $1,599. You can also pay to upgrade RAM and SSD, bringing the prices up even more.

This is probably going to be one of the biggest decision-makers for you, so it’s worth detailing the prices of the available models. There are a range of different prices for different MacBooks here, so you can work out how much you need to spend to get what you want.

We’ll start with the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air starts at $999 for the M2 MacBook Air, going up $100 for the $1,099 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, and then finally another $200 for the $1,299 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air has remained on sale even after the release of the M3 models and now takes its place as the cheapest MacBook that money can buy.

The MacBook Pro models come in at three different tiers as well, all with slightly different price points. The cheapest is the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, which uses the same chip as the latest MacBook Airs. That model starts at $1,599, $300 more than the 15-inch MacBook Air. Then there’s the more powerful M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts from $1,999, and finally, the 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro which you can buy from $2,399. 

Straight out of the gate, the MacBook Pro models are more expensive than any of the MacBook Airs that you can buy — although you do get some nicer specs for the extra money spent. That’s not the end of the story, however, as all the different models can be made more powerful with spec bumps configured on the Apple website, although you’ll quickly watch those prices rise as you add additional RAM and extra SSD space.

For the M3 MacBook Air models, you can add up to 24GB of extra RAM in 8GB, $200 increments. SSD size can be increased as well, with a 512GB or 1TB increase costing $200 and $400 respectively. 2TB costs even more, with an $800 price tag. You can also add a more powerful M3 chip with an extra graphics core into the chassis with a $100 upgrade — it might start off cheap, but you can spec it up to be expensive, to the tune of $2,299.

The Pro models can also be upgraded, although things are a little different — albeit no less expensive. The base model M3 MacBook Pro features vastly the same upgrade path as its slimmer Air siblings, so you can add in a max of 24GB of RAM or a 2TB SSD. Doubling the RAM to 16GB costs $200, and an extra 8GB to bring you to 24GB costs another $200 on top. The SSD can be upgraded from the base 512GB to 1TB for $200, and then if you want the 2TB option you’ll have to pay another $400.

The more expensive Pro models, however, can become extremely expensive when you add more advanced internal components. The first thing you can pop in, and pay for, are upgrades to the M3 chip. The M3 Pro chip (for both the 14 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro) can be upgraded with more cores for an extra $200, or you can opt for one of the two incredibly powerful M3 Max chips, which cost $600 or $900 extra.

Then you move on to RAM, where you can add even more power (and expense) to your MacBook Pro. If you’ve put one of the M3 Pro chips inside, you can upgrade the 18GB that comes as standard to 36GB for $400. Or, if you’ve gone for one of the Max chips, you can increase the RAM up to 128GB. That max upgrade costs a grand total of $1,600, or as we like to say, more than a 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. Bear in mind as well that the RAM numbers will depend on the Max chip that you chose — the largest amounts are only available for the most expensive chips.

Storage-wise, You can add up to an 8TB SSD into your MacBook Pro, although again, you need the most expensive Max chip in order to be eligible for that storage option. Those SSD upgrades cost the same as the SSD upgrades on the M3 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and then the 4TB and 8TB upgrades cost $1,200 and $2,400 respectively.

A 14-inch MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles costs $6,899, and a 16-inch model costs $7,199. It’s safe to say that the MacBook Pro is the more expensive of the MacBook family, although you do get more powerful specs for your money.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Screen options

Screen at a glance

The MacBook Air's feature stunning screens, but if you really want the best display possible then the HDR and high refresh rate screens of the Pro's are the way to go. You can hook up more displays to M3 MacBooks as well, although the Pro and Max chips allow for more display compatibility.

The screen is one of the most important parts of any laptop, and the MacBook line is well known for its stunning displays. There are some key differences between the displays on the MacBook Air line and the MacBook Pro, however, and they are well worth highlighting.

The MacBook Air is available in two different display sizes, 13 and 15-inch. The 13-inch display is a Liquid Retina panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 2560x1664 resolution. The 15-inch display is similar, although the resolution is a higher 2880x1864 to account for the larger screen size. Both feature more similar numbers under the hood as well, boasting 500 Nits peak brightness, P3 Wide Color, and True Tone.

In use, the MacBook Air screens are colorful, sharp, and smooth, making them perfect for most user tasks. For some users, however, there might be a demand for an even higher-quality display, for something like photo manipulation or video editing.

That’s where the incredible displays that come attached to the MacBook Pro models come into play. There are two different display sizes in this case, with a 14 and a 16-inch display on offer. Both options are Liquid Retina XDR displays, which means they have support for HDR color. They are super bright, reaching 600 nits in SDR content, and climbing to a peak of 1600 nits when viewing HDR content. They also have P3 Wide color, as well as True Tone.

There are two big bonuses of the Pro displays over those of the Airs — and that’s display resolution and refresh rate. The 14-inch display has a resolution of 3024x1964, while the 16-inch has a resolution of 3456x2234, both much higher than the resolutions of the MacBook Air displays. What does this mean during use? The Pro screens are crisper and more detailed, combining with the much higher brightness for a pretty incredible display experience, and one that’s much better in direct light.

The refresh rate of the two displays, however, will be the most noticeable difference in use. The Pro screens feature ProMotion, which ups the refresh rate to 120Hz for a super smooth experience while you’re scrolling around a document, video editing workspace, or web browser. It’s one of our favorite features of all, in fact, and we wish Apple would bring it to the Air.

The built-in display is only part of the picture, however, given that you may well want to plug in one or even two of the best external displays for MacBook. There are some caveats here, with each MacBook supporting a different number of displays, and some only allowing certain configurations when you’re using your MacBook.

The MacBook Air M2 can only support one display, whether the lid of the laptop is closed or open. The M3 MacBook Air ups that number to two external displays, although you have to keep the lid of the laptop closed for it to work. It’s a strange compromise, but an extra screen is a welcome addition.

The M3 model of the MacBook Pro has the same restriction to external displays, but the M3 Pro and Max models make things even more complicated. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro can support one display in a couple of different configurations. Single display-wise you can either hook up a 6K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, an 8K 60Hz over HDMI, or a 4K 240Hz over HDMI. If you want two displays, you can connect two 6K 60Hz displays over Thunderbolt, or one 6K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, and a 4K 144Hz display over HDMI.

M3 Max models are even more complicated, with different display layouts up to four separate external displays. If you want a single display, you get the same support as the Pro chip. For two displays, you can connect either two 6K 60Hz displays over Thunderbolt, or a 6K 60Hz monitor over Thunderbolt, and then up to 8K 60Hz over HDMI. For three displays it is three 6K displays over Thunderbolt, or two 6K displays over Thunderbolt, and up to an 8K display over HDMI. Four displays work the same as well — either four 6K 60Hz panels over Thunderbolt, or three 6K displays and one hooked up to HDMI up to 8K.

If you’re looking to connect more displays to your MacBook, then the MacBook Pro with Pro or Max chip is the way to go. If you’re just going to be hooking up one or two, however, then the MacBook Air will likely be just fine for you.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Processor

Processor at a glance

The MacBook Air computers are only available with the M3 chip inside, which is a super powerful little processor. If you want more power, however, you should look at the M3 Pro and Max-equipped MacBook Pro models.

The processor in the M3 MacBook Pro is the same that’s available in the slightly upgraded M3 MacBook Air — an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. They also contain 10-core GPUs, making them potent graphically too. This processor makes them the perfect machine to do light video and photo editing on, as well as other lighter workloads. Make no mistake, these are powerful processors, but they pale in comparison to some of the options that you can spec into one of the more expensive MacBook Pro models.

The MacBook Air 13-inch does have an extra processor option, that you’ll find in the base model. That has the same 8-core CPU, but loses two cores in the GPU. It does, however, save you $100 over the more powerful option.

Things get more impressive when you look at the power you can equip one of the M3 Pro or Max models with. The M3 Pro chip comes in two different guises, one with an 11-core CPU and a 14-core GPU, and one with a 13-core CPU and an 18-core GPU. That’s going to bring a big boost to performance, perfect for much heavier workloads like more complex video editing, programming, or 3D rendering.

The M3 Max chips are even more potent, packing in some serious performance numbers. You can either have a Max chip with a 14-core CPU and a 30-core GPU, or one with a 16-core CPU and a a 40-core GPU. For most people, these chips are far, far too powerful, although for those who need proper portable workstations then they are absolutely incredible.

With Apple’s newfound focus on AI, there are some impressive neural engines in its M-series chips as well. All of the chips are equipped with 16-core neural engines, which at the moment make for some solid extra performance numbers — although it's likely they’ll see more use with whatever AI applications Apple is currently cooking up.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Design

Design at a glance

The current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines have very similar styles of design, although the Air is thinner. Both look slim and stylish, however.

Apple’s current crop of MacBooks currently sit along the same design language, which means smooth curves and boxier looks. There are differences between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, however, and there are some features that might make one better for you than the other.

The MacBook Air is all about being as thin and as light as possible. The 13-inch, for example, is only 0.44 of an inch tall, making for an unbelievably slim chassis that will slip into a bag without any worry at all. There are some more colorful options as well, as the MacBook comes in either Starlight, Midnight, Space Grey, or Silver options. It even comes with color-matched charging cables.

The MacBook Pro models are thicker on the other hand, but not by much. It’s enough to notice it when slipping it into a bag, however, and while the 16-inch Pro is portable, you’re not going to want to carry its bulk around all day. It’s a less colorful machine as well, only coming in three different colors: Space Black, Space Gray, and Silver. Keep in mind that the Space Black option is reserved for the more expensive M3 Pro and Max models.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: RAM

RAM at a glance

The base RAM in the MacBook Air is 8GB, so you should upgrade to 16GB. Upgrades are expensive across the board, but they are often worth it to pull more performance from your MacBook.

The kind of RAM that comes equipped with the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro is technically the same, although you’ll be able to spec out more for the MacBook Pro at the Apple Store.

The M3 MacBook Pro and the two M3 MacBook Air models are all available with the same RAM configuration options — 8GB, 16GB, and 24GB. You have to choose exactly the amount that you need when you’re initially buying the MacBook, because Apple solder the RAM directly to the motherboard, so there’s no upgrading once the MacBook is actually in your hands. With pretty much all these models, we recommend upgrading to the 16GB option, as it allows for more multitasking and the laptop is capable of heavier workloads.

The M3 Pro and M3 Max laptops have different RAM configurations to make them even more powerful, although again, you won’t be able to upgrade the RAM after the fact. The M3 Pro comes with either 18GB or 36GB of RAM, and then the configuration for the two Max variants changes again. The 14-core variant can handle either 36GB or 96GB, while the 16-core version gets either 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB. All of the RAM upgrades will cost you, but if you want a more powerful computer you’ll need to pay the extra for the upgrade.

The MacBook Air is no slouch RAM-wise, and if you want an everyday laptop or one that's capable of some lighter editing tasks, then its RAM is more than enough. For more professional and heavier workloads, however, you’ll want to look at the more potent RAM options of the MacBook Pro.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Storage

Storage at a glance

The 256GB SSD in the MacBook Air models could do with bumping up to the 512GB option, but storage is all around very quick in both the Pro and the Air models. You can go all the way up to 8TB of storage with the MacBook Pro, although you'll need the most powerful (and expensive) chip.

Storage options are one of the easiest things to figure out when looking at the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Both have similar options, although if you want the most amount of portable storage, then the MacBook Pro is the way to go.

The MacBook Air is available in four different SSD sizes. There are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options available for you to choose from. One thing to bear in mind is that the base, 256GB M2 MacBook Air that you can still buy has a single NAND SSD, making it slower than the base model M3 MacBook Air which has a dual NAND setup. The rest of the storage options on all the other SSD sizes are dual NAND, so they are all as blisteringly fast as you’d hope from an internal SSD.

The M3 MacBook Pro starts at 512GB, and then you can upgrade to either a 1TB or 2TB SSD. The M3 Pro and Max have more storage options again. The M3 Pro gets an extra 4TB option, while the M3 Max lets you choose a 4TB or an 8TB SSD.

All of these SSDs in all the different MacBooks cannot be upgraded, so make sure you’re getting the amount you need from the day you order your machine. You can always grab a USB-C hard drive later on down the line, of course, but it's always worth getting as much as your budget will stretch to when you initially buy the laptop.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Battery life

Battery at a glance

Battery life on MacBooks is excellent on every model, with most lasting for 18 hours after a charge. If you go for a bigger, 16-inch Pro, however, you'll get a few more hours of juice for 22 hours of battery life.

Battery life is fairly similar throughout the whole of the MacBook line, so no matter the machine you go for you’re going to get a long-lasting powerpack. The MacBook Pros will net you a little more time powered on, but it’s not much and they are all more than enough to last you through a day without a plug socket nearby.

The MacBook Air is going to last you, according to Apple, 18 hours of Apple TV movie playback. It goes down a little if you’re browsing the web to 15 hours, which is perhaps more representative of a normal workday when you’re checking emails and checking over documents.

The MacBook Pro models, on the other hand, get a bit more movie playback, bumping the time up to 22 hours.  You’ll still get that 15 hours of web browsing, however, although this will depend on the workload that you’re demanding of the laptop.

Remember that you’ll see those battery numbers drop if you do super heavy work on your laptop, no matter the MacBook you’ve got, so don’t expect those numbers if you’re going to start exporting your latest 512GB video project in Final Cut Pro.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Extra features

Extra features at a glance

Connectivity on the MacBook Air models is ok, with two USB-C ports and a charging port. Pro models get more inputs, however. Keyboards are excellent, and both get high-impedance headphone jacks.

Most of the extra features are shared throughout the MacBook line, although the MacBook Pros do wrangle a couple of bonuses thanks to their larger chassis’, most notably when it comes to port count.

On that note, the MacBook Air models all feature two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, and you can use both for peripherals thanks to the addition of the MagSafe charging connector. On the other side of the MacBook is a headphone jack — and that’s it. You’ll likely need a docking station for this one if you want to plug in anything more than a mouse or a keyboard, or if you want to plug in anything USB-A.

You’ll also need a dock to plug in USB-A devices into the MacBook Pro line, although you won’t need one for a more modern desk setup. On the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro you’ll find two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, and a headphone hack. The M3 Pro and Max models get an extra USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, and all the MacBook Pros feature the MagSafe charging port.

The keyboards on the whole MacBook line are similar, all featuring spacious, clicky keys that are perfectly adequate for use both on the go and at a desk. Those looking for mechanical click and satisfaction might want to go for one of the best mechanical keyboards for Mac, however. All the keyboards feature a Touch ID key as well for password-free entry and Apple Pay in various apps including the App Store.

Track pads are virtually identical throughout, although the larger the MacBook the larger the pad. You’ll find them slick, responsive, and extremely smooth, and the Force Touch built-in adds more options to your clicking that you can customize in the settings menu. Whatever MacBook you buy, you’re going to get an excellent trackpad.

The FaceTime cameras that sit in the notches at the top of the screens of all the MacBooks are all the same — a 1080p HD camera that features computational improvements to make sure that video calls and recordings look as good as possible. They’re not going to blow you away, but they’ll more than get the job done and Jen from accounting isn’t going to complain that she can’t see you properly on the next company group call.

Finally there are the headphone jacks on all the models, which all feature high impedance so that you can plug in a pair of power-hungry audiophile or reference headphones. This is one for the audio producers, as you can do more on the go with your fancy studio headphones without the need for a separate headphone amp.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: macOS

macOS at a glance

All the latest Macs work with the latest version of macOS.

All of the different current line of MacBooks feature the latest version of Apple’s homegrown OS, macOS Sonoma. These are all brand new machines as well, so they’re going to support the latest versions of the software as it is updated over the years. Buying any one of these laptops isn’t going to lock you out of Apple’s next big feature.

Apple’s AI focus is expected to be announced this year, and thanks to the incredible power of the MacBook M-series processors that Apple has put into the line this year it's likely they’ll excel at whatever AI application Apple has prepared. The still available M2 MacBook Air might not be quite as prepared as its M3-powered siblings, however, so if you’re set on finding out what Apple has in store this year, then an M3 machine might be the way you want to go.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which is the best for you?

So after all that, we’re left with a question  — which should you buy, a MacBook Air, or a MacBook Pro?

We’ve been through all of the different specs and features of the two lines, and now we can wrap everything up. If you want something super portable and don’t want to spend all of your money on a laptop, then you should choose the MacBook Air. They are glorious machines, filled with great features and stunning design. They’re not powerful enough for the really heavy workloads, but they are plenty for people who just need enough power without going overboard.

For the power user or the professional, however, the MacBook Pro is the way to go. You trade in some portability for power, but you’ll get one of the most powerful laptops on the planet. Of course, not everyone is going to need the max specs of the MacBook Pro, but there is a MacBook Pro out there to cater to a load of different use cases and workloads. Just don’t feel like you need all of the options on offer, for most people the base model M3 Pro is going to be plenty.

One thing we would say, however, is that no matter what MacBook you’re going to buy, make sure the specs are all sorted from the moment you order. None of them can be upgraded once you’ve taken delivery of your MacBook, so you won’t be able to add more RAM or a larger SSD, for example. You don’t want to find yourself short on SSD storage or RAM further down the line, once you’ve already bought and started using the MacBook.

The ones we’d really recommend upgrading are the base model MacBook Airs. Those only come with 256GB SSDs and 8GB of RAM — spend the extra and upgrade to the 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. That will give you far more laptop for your money, and one that will stay snappy no matter how many tabs you open in Safari, or how many PDFs or sheets you have open.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: The models to buy

Which are the most cost effective of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro options? These are the MacBooks you should be speccing out if you're looking to pick one up.

The M2 MacBook Air might have just been replaced by the shiny new M3 MacBook Air, but that just means there are going to be more deals as retailers look to clear stock — and boy do we have a doozy.

You can currently save $300 on the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2, bringing it down to its lowest price ever, and crucially, less than $1,000. You can currently pick one up for $999 at Best Buy, the same price that you’ll find the 13-inch on the Apple Store.

Massive MacBook savings

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The M2 MacBook Air 15-inch is one of the best MacBooks that you can get your hands on, even now that it’s been replaced with a new model. This deal is the lowest price we’ve seen on it as well, bringing it below the $1,000 mark.

We’d say that it's well worth spending the extra $100 in this case and grabbing the 15-inch over the 13-inch model. It’s still portable but gives you more useable screen real estate so that you can get more work done throughout the day. Bear in mind that this is the 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD version of the MacBook, so those looking for a more powerful computer might want to look elsewhere, but this is more than enough laptop for most people.

The new M3 MacBook Air sure does look shiny and powerful — but that full launch price might put you off. There aren’t any official price drops as yet, but Best Buy has a great way of saving some money if you want to buy one of Apple’s latest machines.

If you trade in an old laptop (from any brand, we should add) you could get up to $1,200 of trade-in value towards a shiny new M3 MacBook Air. The top trade-in values are reserved for the most expensive laptops and desktops, of course, but it helps you get rid of a computer you’re not going to use anymore and saves you money on a brand-new MacBook.

Save up to $1200 with a trade-in

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

To get the most trade-in value, you’ll need to trade in a more expensive laptop or desktop. Apple-wise, that means a MacBook Pro with M3 Pro — something we reckon most people aren’t going to do.

We tried with various other models, however, and the savings are still excellent. If you’re trading in an M1 MacBook Air, for example, you could net a saving of $475 on a new M3 MacBook Air, bringing the base 13-inch model down to $624. That’s an excellent price — and it recycles your old computer without needing to sell it on or dispose of it separately.

You can trade in a laptop from any brand with any specs too, and have a look to see how much you’ll get on Best Buy’s Trade-in estimator. You will find that machines in rougher condition get less trade-in value, but a saving is a saving. If you want to save even more, then you should sign up for My Best Buy Plus for an extra $50 off — you’ll also get Apple Care + for nothing on top as well. 

The M3 MacBook Air is available now, with the 13-inch starting at $1,099 and the 15-inch at $1,299. It wrangled a five-star review from us, and easily ranks among the best MacBooks ever.

Apple's rumored March event may not happen at all, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said that a lack of an event wouldn't correlate with a lack of announcements, though, with Mac, iPad and accessories in line for a revamp.

Expect the long-rumoured iPad Air with a 12.9-inch display to arrive, as well as the debut of an OLED iPad, likely the iPad Pro. According to Gurman, there could be new Apple Pencil models and Magic Keyboard offerings to accommodate the new models, too.

For Mac buyers, the MacBook Air may be shifting to a 3nm chip, with M3 versions of the 13 and 15-inch models of the popular laptop.

Gurman notes that many of the new products mark significant updates to the existing lineup, so what about the event?

"Apple is instead planning to announce the new products on its website with a series of online videos and marketing campaigns," Gurman explains, also noting that production is likely underway on all of the above.

When could we see new iPads and Macs?

When it comes to nailing down a rough timeframe, Gurman expects the new devices to be compatible with a version of iOS 17.4 which is expected to ship by the end of the month.

"I’d expect the devices to arrive sometime in March or April," he says, noting that once those launch Apple will begin to focus on preparations for WWDC 2024, where it'll showcase its advances in generative AI technology - advances which may be revealed sooner than Apple would like.

MORE FROM IMORE

• 12.9-inch iPad Air leaked ahead of expected Spring launch — CAD renders reveal no major design changes aside from size increase
• OLED iPads get a production boost as LG and Samsung get to work on the displays
• Here's exactly how big Apple's exciting new OLED iPad Pro will be, and it's likely to arrive soon

If you are looking for a super powerful yet equally portable laptop, Apple’s MacBook Air combines excellent specs with a super light feel to fit in almost any situation. Now, with a whopping $300 off the retail price at Best Buy, the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air has never looked better. 

This gives you enough off to get some of the best Mac accessories too like a brand new hard drive, AirPods Pro 2, or a nice MacBook sleeve. At 15 inches, this MacBook is fantastic for browsing the internet, watching videos, and even playing some games.

M2 MacBook Air is now $300 off

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The M2 MacBook Air is the ultimate productivity device thanks to good specs, a great keyboard, and fantastic battery life. Given there is no M3 model of the MacBook Air, this is the best processor you will find in an Air model and it shows in its performance. 

Though the smaller 8GB of RAM might seem a little low in comparison to its competitors, it is specifically designed for Apple machines, making it much more efficient with less raw power than your average Windows laptop. If you’re worried the RAM will hold you back, you could always upgrade to the 16GB model, which is also $300 off at Best Buy and comes with double the storage. If you order now, you can get it shipped by as early as next week. 

In our 15-inch M2 MacBook Air review, we say it “might just be the perfect MacBook” and, at this price, it becomes even better. 

Want to bag a solid deal on a new MacBook Air? This saving on the 15-inch might not be the biggest that we’ve ever seen, but $200 is still a decent amount of money off one of our favorite laptops from last.

This deal marks the second-lowest price for this MacBook, with only a $100 markup on the price last seen over Black Friday. If you need a new laptop, then this deal could be just what you’ve been looking for. 

MacBook Air 15-inch $200 off

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The MacBook Air 15-inch is one of the best portable computers that we’ve ever seen. The 15-inch display gives it more space for you to do some work, with more room for spreadsheets, Pages documents, and even video calls. It’s plenty powerful too, with the M2 chip at its heart capable of some seriously impressive computing feats.

While you won’t be doing enormous 3D rendering tasks on it, you’ll certainly be able to do some fairly beefy video editing. Light gaming works well too, and as more games become available on macOS you’ll find that some dialed-down Resident Evil or Assassin’s Creed will run with no problem at all.

That screen and power come in a lovely looking and feeling aluminum shell that lives up to the super-slim legacy of the Air line. It’ll slip into a backpack with no qualms at all, even if you stick a protective case on it.

Not sure that the MacBook Air is the laptop for you? Still want to save some money? We’ve got you covered: Here are the best MacBook deals around.

Apple is expected to unveil updates to several of its key product lines in early 2024, according to a recent Bloomberg article. The list of refreshed products includes new versions of iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets as well as a new M3 MacBook Air.

But why the full-court press to launch new products so early in 2024? The article says a key reason is that Apple hopes to reverse a decline in Mac and iPad sales. On November 2, 2023, when Apple reported its financial results for its fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, which ended September 30, 2023, the report and earnings call revealed that, at the moment, the financial picture was a mixed bag. However, the report showed Mac revenues in 2023 were down significantly, to just $7.6 billion, or 34% year over year. Additionally, the report revealed that iPad revenues dropped to $6.4 billion, or 10% year over year. The Bloomberg article also noted that what was concerning was that Mac and iPad sales accounted for 15% of Apple’s revenue, a segment that had been “hard hit by a decline in consumer tech spending.” 

The lack of new Apple iPad models has also contributed to the company's dip in sales: "In fact," the article says, "2023 will be the first calendar year in the product's history when no new versions were released."  However, Apple is hoping the introduction of new iPad models and a new Mac Air will help "reinvigorate demand" in 2024. 

2023 was the first calendar year Apple released no new iPads

Here are some details on what Apple will be introducing in early 2024:

• Apple iPad Air, which are currently only offered in one size (10.9 inches), will be offered in an additional, larger-sized model, 12.9 inches.  
• The new iPad Pro model will come with an organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screen, which displays a wider range of colors.
• The new MacBook Air will be powered with its new M3 processor.

Apple’s strategy might be more of a challenge in 2024 than in year’s past, primarily due to the expected new offerings from competing technology companies. In fact, some analysts are skeptical that Apple can deliver. For instance, tech analyst Patrick Moorhead, CEO of Moor Insights & Strategy, tweeted on his Twitter: “Is the bloom off the Mac rose? I’m not sure yet, but Macs certainly don’t look like the juggernaut they appeared.” He also noted on the tweet that in the middle of 2024, Apple will see unprecedented competition in the notebook computer segment from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. That could be problematic for Apple since some have reported that Apple’s latest M3 chip may not perform that differently from laptops with M2 chips.

On the other hand, it’s also quite possible that Apple’s 2024 new product offerings may not be affected by the competition and may not translate into declining sales. That’s because consumers who buy Apple products often continue to purchase Apple products. For example, a 2021 study noted that Apple had exceptional brand loyalty (92%) compared with Samsung (65.2%) and Google (62.6%). Such loyalty may disguise if consumers are somewhat unhappy with new 2024 Apple products.

The Bloomberg article also said other expected 2024 launches included Apple’s Vision Pro headset, an updated Apple Watch, a new iPad mini, a revamped Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard accessories, among others.

A recent reports suggest that demand for the 15-inch MacBook Air plummeted after the back-to-school period, and rumors of no new MacBooks in 2023 mean sales will only go further down with time. One powerful spec advancement, however, is expected to raise interest again next year.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a top Apple analyst, demand for the 15-inch MacBook Air went down by 20% over the last year after the back-to-school period, and total MacBook shipments are expected to decline by 30% to 17 million units in 2023. 

No new MacBooks are due to launch by the end of 2023, which is normally a great way to increase interest in a product. Without this push, MacBook sales are expected to decline further until the next major launch. Black Friday does go live soon, so a small bump in sales is expected, but we’ll have to wait for 2024 to see sales figures return to normal. 

M3 to the rescue

In the same report, Ming-Chi Kuo says “Apple expects the M3 processor to boost MacBook shipments in 2024, but it remains to be seen whether this strategy will be effective.“ Apple isn’t putting out a new MacBook this year to allow space to refresh the line in 2024. This means Apple will clear out stock for a new product launch and marketing strategy. 

The M3 is the next generation of Apple’s own silicon chip. Expected to run on 3-nanometer technology, this allows Apple to fit even more on a smaller chip. Like the iPhone 15 Pro swapping to 3nm technology, this should result in a more efficient battery and more powerful chip. The sales decline at the latter half of 2023 could be a result of users waiting for the next major upgrade before purchasing a MacBook. Luckily, the M2 range is still incredibly powerful and will be for some time. 

More from iMore

• MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2,) review: Next-gen power, last-gen ...
• 16-inch MacBook Pro Review: 2 weeks later
• MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) review: Apple does it again

You won't be buying a new M3 MacBook Air or MacBook Pro before the turn of the year. That's according to a new report that dashes hopes of an imminent MacBook update.

There had been some expectation that Apple would refresh at least some of its laptop lineup with new M3 chips before the end of 2023, with an October unveiling having been the main focus of attention. But that now seems increasingly unlikely after a new report pointed to 2024 as the likely release.

The M3 chip will be Apple's first Mac chip to use the latest TSMC 3nm manufacturing platform, but any benefits that will have for laptop owners will not be realized until next year, it seems.

It's a waiting game

This is all according to a new report by the supply chain watchers at DigiTimes, at least. The outlet hasn't always been the most accurate when it comes to making predictions about Apple's plans, but this also isn't the first time that we've heard rumors that the expected October M3 laptop launch might not happen.

In this report, DigiTimes claims that Apple will be part of an increase in laptop shipments in 2024, thanks in part to the arrival of new laptops that will use TSMC's 3nm chips. Those chips will of course be the M3 offerings that will surely include the M3 Pro and M3 Max, too.

This doesn't necessarily mean that we won't see any M3 Macs before the year comes to a close, though. The 24-inch iMac and Mac mini are still possibilities for a 2023 unveiling, the former of which is long overdue an update and is still sold with the M2 chip.

None of the M3 chips will be the first Apple silicon to use TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process, of course. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max already have the A17 Pro inside, Apple's first 3nm offering.

Dropping to its lowest-ever price, there’s now a $200 saving on the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. It’s one of our favorite Apple releases of the year, and you’re unlikely to see a lower price than this one for some time. Five stars from us for the laptop, $200 off at Amazon. The perfect blend.

MacBook Air 15-inch at its lowest ever price

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

The MacBook Air is a stunning piece of hardware — even if it is just the 13-inch MacBook Air with a bigger screen. It’s incredibly slim, and the M2 processor at its heart makes sure that you’ll be multitasking and even playing some lightweight games with no problems at all.

It might not be the portable powerhouse of the MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch, but for those looking for a less expensive computer that will do everything they need, it’s a great option.

The model in the sale is the base model 8GB RAM version. That means that you’ll have plenty of RAM for lighter workloads, as well as enough battery life to last you through a long workday. For browsing the web it’ll be perfect too, especially with that larger screen.

The larger screen is really the star of the show here, and it is a stunner. Its 15-inch size is a great midpoint without being too big to be portable, and it’s just the right size to get more work done than you might on a slightly smaller screen. It’s bright, colorful, and pin-sharp — the only thing you might want is a slightly higher refresh rate, like the one you might find on its more expensive Pro counterparts.

MacBook Air 15-inch: Should you buy one?

At this price? It’s a no-brainer, particularly if you’ve had your eye on one for a little while. It’s a stunning machine, as we’ve said above, and this price makes it the same price as the MacBook Air 13-inch.

If you’re looking for the perfect large-screen portable Mac, then this is the only way to go — and you’re not going to find a price lower than this for some time.

The lack of Face ID on the Mac is something that continues to surprise, especially after Apple introduced the notch on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. As a biometric security feature, it's been huge on the iPhone and iPad Pro. And it could finally be on the way to the Mac.

That's if a new patent is any indication, anyway. This isn't the first time Apple has been said to have designs on bringing Face ID to the Mac of course, but this new patent appears to deal with one problem that previously hampered Apple's efforts — it might now have a way to put Face ID into the super-thin displays of its portable Macs.

Putting Face ID technology like that of the iPhone 14 into a MacBook display isn't possible right now, but if this patent is any indication, who knows what the future will bring?

Security first

The new patent, titled "Light Recognition Module for Determining a User of a Computing Device" and spotted by AppleInsider, takes pains to point out that Macs hold all kinds of sensitive data that needs to be kept private. It goes on to note that "to prevent unauthorized users from accessing this sensitive data, these computing devices may incorporate systems and mechanisms for authenticating users."

But while Face ID already does that, a new, thinner alternative would be needed for something like a portable Mac. The patent might have the answer, with Apple saying that its technology could use "a light pattern recognition module that may be incorporated within a computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, a notebook, a desktop computer, etc.)." The theory goes that a light emitter could project a predetermined pattern of light and then a sensor could detect "a pattern of light caused by reflection of the predetermined pattern of light from an object (e.g., a user)."

The patent shows that Apple would put such technology into a notch like the ones already housing FaceTime cameras today. There also appears to be a suggestion that future iMacs could have their own notches as well.

However, it's always important to temper expectations when it comes to Apple patents. They don't always relate to future products in obvious ways, although that doesn't seem likely to be the case here. Time will tell of course, but it seems clear that Apple does intend to bring Face ID to Macs at some point in the future.

Apple's 'The Underdogs' ads have proven popular since their COVID-era debut and they continue to be at the center of some of Apple's best work. The latest ad is all about Macs and how their security can help foil thieves.

These ads all follow a group of people who are starting their own business and using Apple devices and services to do it. In this instance, they're using iPhones and Macs to prepare for a big funding meeting only for a MacBook containing the proposal to be stolen. What results is a crazy manhunt to try and find the people that stole it — all the while teaching viewers about the security Macs employ these days.

The full ad runs for more than eight minutes and is more of a short story than an advertisement. And it's well worth your time, if only to laugh at the hapless thieves throughout.

Find My and more

The ad shows people using Find My a bunch of times, first to locate the stolen MacBook and then to locate a missing coworker, but that's just the start. In fact, Apple's credits list all of the features that were used in the ad and it's a long one that includes:

• Touch ID and Face ID
• Find My
• Passwords and Passkeys
• Safari fraudulent website warning
• End-to-end encryption
• Notify when left behind
• MDM remote lock
• MDM remote wipe
• Secure enclave
• Family sharing

Other Apple apps and services are used throughout including Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Card, FaceTime, and more. Check the ad out for yourself and you'll see just how packed it really is.

The list of Apple security features is a long one these days and Macs are more secure than ever. But that's only made possible by the way Apple's other services and devices tie into an overarching ecosystem that, while sometimes limiting for power users, is undoubtedly the star of the show here.

Using an old Mac and looking to upgrade? The 15-inch MacBook Air is arguably the best Mac for a whole ton of people right now.

Apple has a new chip on the horizon. As the M2 gets older, it's almost time for the Apple Silicon M3 to come around. It looks like we may get it as early as October as well. In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman said that Apple is looking at unveiling the M3 later this year, in October, with an iMac refresh.

The iMac will be the first Mac to get the M3 treatment, which makes sense, given that it skipped an M2 refresh. This will be the first refresh for the iMac since its launch back in 2021, which came with the M1 and an all-new design.

MacBook Air and Pro to get M3 later

Apple is set to hold a September event to unveil the next best iPhone, the iPhone 15. However, Gurman says Apple has another launch in October, likely for Macs, more specifically the M3 iMac.

Gurman wrote, "Now that Apple has gotten the 15-inch MacBook Air and new M2 Ultra-based Macs out the door, the October launch could feature the first Macs with M3 chips. October is too early for new high-end MacBook Pros or desktops, so the first beneficiaries of the new chip should be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro."

It's likely that the next MacBook Air is at least another year away, so it would be likely that the MacBook Pro with M3 chips arrives earlier in 2024, and the MacBook Air later in the year. A design change doesn't seem to be on the cards for any of these Macs, however, so it likely will just be a chip upgrade.

Gurman also commented that the iPad is unlikely to be featured at this launch. The iPad Pro will get the M3 and OLED screens with a refresh due in 2024. So for 2023, it looks like we may be looking at an iMac refresh in addition to the regularly scheduled iPhone and Apple Watch refreshes.

Amazon is still selling the M1 MacBook Air from Apple for $869, a deal that nobody should be buying if they want the best price on this Mac. 

We love the M1 MacBook Air at Prime Day thanks to its light weight and potent M1 chip, but over the last six months, this MacBook has spent more time at its deal price of $799 than it has at its usual price of $999. $869 (or $899 if you want a different color) is still technically a deal, but it's not one you should be taking any notice of right now. 

In my expert opinion, no one should be paying $869 for this laptop, especially given that Amazon Prime Day, which kicks off on July 11, is likely to see an even better price than the usual $799 sale target. If you're looking to splash your cash on a MacBook right now, there's a much better deal on the M2 MacBook Air that will only cost you slightly more, otherwise, you should wait. 

Don't get caught out

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

If you're happy to spend a bit more on a MacBook Air than the current price of the M1, or you don't want to tie yourself to a three-year-old model, then I'd recommend the excellent M2 MacBook Air, currently available in Midnight from B&H Photo for just $979. 

In our 13-inch MacBook Air review we lauded its fantastic new design and the power and efficiency of the M2 chip. This laptop also comes with MagSafe and some other improvements over the M1. So, if you don't mind pushing the boat out, go for this model. 

If you're heart-set on an M1 MacBook Air, stay tuned to our best Prime Day MacBook deals page, and we'll be sure to let you know when the price comes back down. 

The 13-inch MacBook Air is one of Apple’s best MacBooks thanks to its Apple silicon power and great portability. However, the smaller screen real estate means that for many, a monitor is vital for getting the most out of your device. 

A MacBook Air can benefit from an external display in a number of ways. For starters, you can run more windows and apps side-by-side, view images, text, and videos in more detail, and be more productive. What’s more, the best monitors for MacBook Air can also bring some immense connectivity upgrades, acting as a de-facto hub for your MacBook with connections for USB, power, and even ethernet. 

On the subject of real estate, there’s never really been a debate about the MacBook Air, because 13 inches was the only size on offer. However, with a new 15-inch option available, it begs the question as to whether Apple’s new larger-sized MacBook Air reframes the choice, do you need a monitor for MacBook Air?

Does the 13-inch MacBook Air need a monitor? 

The simple answer to this question is yes, when you’re out and about the 13-inch MacBook Air form factor is perfect for lightweight portability, but I’ll be damned if anyone can get anything done on a screen that small at home and in the office. Any monitor, even a paltry 1080p 21.5-inch monitor for $100 will vastly increase how much you can get done on a MacBook Air when you’re in the office. There are very few people who will be able to use a 13-inch MacBook Air without a monitor to complement it. 

Does the 15-inch MacBook Air need a monitor? 

The 15-inch MacBook Air begs a closer look, given the larger display reduces the need for more screen real estate somewhat. I use the 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2017 and find it perfectly adequate even in an office setting for getting work done. The key thing about the 15-inch display is that you can effectively run macOS’ built-in Split View function effectively, letting you position two windows side-by-side while keeping both of them usable. 

In my eyes, this means that the 15-inch MacBook Air is a much more viable option if you want a MacBook you can use on-the-go and in situ without splashing out on a monitor. However, there are still good reasons to get one.

You don’t need a monitor, but you want one

As noted, a monitor will vastly improve how much work you can get done on a MacBook Air by multiplying the amount of space you have for windows, files, and more. This means you’ll save time switching between applications, and you’ll spend less time fumbling around macOS’ clunky window management systems and more time getting work done. 

The MacBook Air only comes with two ports, but the right monitor could triple this, giving you options to plug in peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, hard drive, printer, fan, wireless router, and more. Of course, a good USB-C monitor will also deliver power to your MacBook, further reducing clutter and cabling on your desk. Connectivity is just one of the things you should consider when buying a monitor for your Mac. 

The answers to these questions then are fairly straightforward. Does the 13-inch MacBook Air need a monitor? I’d say absolutely. Does the 15-inch MacBook Air need a monitor? In all honestly probably not, but the right monitor could drastically improve how useful your device is and how productive you are. 

Amazon has announced that its Prime Day sale will take place on July 11 and 12, but this MacBook Air deal remains one of the best deals you can get on any Apple product, and it's already live. 

Apple silicon changed the game when it came to laptop processors, and the M1 changed the game when it came to MacBook Air. Whilst it has since been surpassed by Apple's M2 MacBook Air and the exciting new 15-inch MacBook Air, for several years the 13-inch M1 beast was the best MacBook when it came to value for money, and arguably, it still is. Check out one of the best Prime Day MacBook deals you can already buy. 

The best laptop. Ever.

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo

This 13-inch laptop is extremely light and thin, so it's very portable. It's also powered by Apple's M1 chip. Apple silicon is Apple's answer to chips from Intel and AMD, and the company currently leads the way when it comes to efficiency and battery life, as well as performance-per-watt. With that in mind, the laptop was an immense buy at its usual $999 price tag. At this unreal discount of just $799, it's the bargain of the century.

For $799 you can get a 256GB SSD MacBook Air in any of the three colors, along with 8GB of unified memory. The 13.3-inch Retina display is a joy to work on, and this laptop is perfect for anyone who wants to do computing on the go. 

It boasts an astonishing 18 hours of battery life, and will also provide plenty of power for Apple's newest software, macOS Sonoma. 

The best monitors for MacBook Air come in all shapes and sizes, with unique selling points and strengths. Since the launch of the M3 MacBook Air, it has even been able to work with two different external displays (as long as it's in clamshell mode) making multiple monitor use even easier. 

There are plenty of excellent uses for a second monitor, whether you are a home music producer, a spreadsheet expert, or a professional artist. With the best Macs, you can use the fantastic power of the M chips without it slowing down. 

We at iMore have managed to get our hands on tons of monitors, testing them for clarity, resolution, response rate, and so much more. Here are the best monitors for MacBook Air you can use right now. 

If you want something to use on the go, make sure to have a look through the best portable monitors and best 4K monitors for Mac while you're here. 

Quick list

Best overall

In my Philips 27B1U7903 review I was blown away by this monitor's immense display quality, and its incredible utility as a hub thanks to its extensive ports. It can deliver charging and display connectivity through Thunderbolt and has more ports for USB (both A and C), HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and audio. It looks absolutely fantastic thanks to its DisplayHDR 1400 technology and is the ultimate MacBook Air companion.

Best for gamers

If you're looking to game on your monitor as well as work on your MacBook Air alongside it, this superb screen from Dough is well worth your money. 4K, 144Hz, and using an unusual (but very rich and attractive) glossy panel, it's a premium display that can make your games look awesome and silky smooth in motion.

The Dough Spectrum 4K 144Hz glossy monitor port selection is incredible too. Not only does it offer Display Port 1.4, but the 27-inch screen has also 2x HDMI 2.1 for modern console's advanced display settings, 1x USB Type-C (video, 100W power for keeping your MacBook Air juiced, and USB hub capabilities), 1x USB Type-B (USB hub), 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB Type-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also supports the variable refresh rate tech offered up by Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s Freesync. It’s fully featured for the modern gamer's needs.

The Dough Spectrum 4K 144Hz glossy monitor is available now, priced at $1,099 for the display and an additional $99 for its svelte stand. It's available exclusively at the time of writing directly from Dough.

Best value

The Alogic Clarity monitor is available in a couple of different options. First, is the standard Clarity monitor, which is just that, a nice 4K monitor. It costs $699, and comes close in display quality to the Apple Studio Display for a fraction of the cost. Second is the Clarity Pro, which has the same display panel but a built-in camera — that option costs $849, still under the Apple Studio display. Finally, the top of the Clarity tree is the touch version, which has the Pro's camera, and, obviously, a touch screen.

We tried out the latter, and the extra features easily make it worth the extra, at $999 — you'll notice, still less than the Studio Display. It's really a miracle how Alogic has managed to pump so much goodness into such a reasonably priced professional-grade monitor.

Now, you're not going to get the best build quality out of this one. Not that it's bad; for $699 it's perfectly fine, but the competition is built slightly better with more metal all over the place. The on-screen menu is a little convoluted as well, but once you know where everything is and how it works you'll be fine. And then you'll get to enjoy its pin-sharp 4K display, with support for HDR and with superb color accuracy. An excellent monitor not just for the price, but overall.

Best premium

If you own a MacBook Air, it makes sense you might want to consider the Apple Studio Display, which we reviewed and were pleased with last year. First introduced in 2022 alongside the Mac Studio, the monitor offers a nearly perfect 5K display and matches the Apple aesthetic, as expected. 

You'll love the monitor's vibrant color accuracy, contrast, and detailed calibration option if you're creative. Are you a music fan? You'll appreciate its six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio and a three-mic array. When you add in the 12MP Ultra-Wide camera with Center Stage, you have a workhouse of a display that supports any number of professional activities.

For compatibility, the display comes with a Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB-C ports, which means you may need a dongle if you have a lot of devices and accessories to connect. 

The biggest concern about the Apple Studio Display is its price. It's likely more expensive than your MacBook Air.

Best big screen

The BenQ PD3420Q is awesome. It's an ultrawide display that makes using your MacBook Air with an external display a joy. It's pretty big at 34 inches, but that extra screen real estate is a game changer for productivity. The colors are sumptuous, the display crisp and clear, and the anti-glare coating does a stellar job.

The controls are cool, too. They're housed in a separate little dial of buttons in a puck. They're much easier to get to than traditional buttons on a monitor, giving you quick and easy access when you need to dial in the settings.

While the stand is on the larger side, you can easily adjust the height, and considering the price which sits around the $750 mark, you won't find a much better complete package.

Best budget

Compared to the all-singing, all-dancing monitors that dominate this list, this Philips display might not seem like something you might want to consider when buying a new monitor for your MacBook Air. If, however, you've spent all your money on a new MacBook but still need a monitor, then this will do you just fine.

The QHD resolution is still sharper and clearer than a 1080p option, and its 32-inch size will give you plenty of space to fit all your work. Connecting is easy over USB Type-C, as well as the HDMI and DisplayPorts should you need those with other kit you've got. It's a chunky monitor, so it will take up lots of space, but it's got plenty of punch to make up for it.

Oh, and it costs under $300.

Q&A

There are a few things you should consider when buying a MacBook Air. Here are our top considerations:

• Size - this is an obvious one, but the size of a monitor is very important. A larger display will mean more information and content shown on screen, while a smaller display will take up less room, be cheaper, and use less energy
• Resolution - the number of pixels in a display determines how much detail you see and how good the picture is. A 4K monitor is the standard these days. A 5K monitor like the Apple Studio Display will offer twice as much detail while keeping the proportions of macOS just right, but at a cost. You may also want to consider a normal 1080p HD monitor, which will have lower visual fidelity but cost much less. 
• Colors - Monitors will offer various color modes that can be used for things like photo and video editing, this is particularly important if you want to undertake visual-heavy tasks using your new monitor.
• Ports and connectivity - A monitor will take up one of your MacBook Air's ports, but the right monitor can actually expand and increase connectivity, with the best options listed here also acting like hubs to add USB connectivity, charging, and more 

The best monitor for MacBook Air - alternatives

All of these MacBook Air monitors hit the 27-inch display size sweet spot. For a larger display, I'd recommend the BenQ PD3220U, a 32-inch monitor from our best 4K monitors for Mac guide. 

How we test monitors

All of these MacBook Air monitors have been reviewed by iMore, and we've put them through their paces in a number of different ways. A monitor review includes testing in day-to-day use, and viewing in various scenarios to test performance in specific areas. That includes viewing videos, photo and video editing, gaming, and more. We also test these products over an extended period of time to ensure that products are reliable when it comes to durability and build quality, and are designed and built to last. 

Apple's brand new 15-inch MacBook Air is not even a week old, but Amazon is already selling it with a mighty $100 discount on both the 256GB and 512GB storage options if you buy it right now!

Apple's MacBook Air powered by Apple silicon is the company's most popular laptop thanks to its incredible portable power, great battery life, and slim form factor that make transportation and carrying it a dream. 

Previously only available as a 13-inch model, Apple unveiled the new 15-inch version less than two weeks ago at WWDC 2023. It features the same M2 chip as the 13-inch model, and a larger 15.3-inch screen with the battery life to match. 

15-inch MacBook Air gets its first savings

•  MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy 

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air has been rumored for some years now, and there's even evidence that Apple considered releasing one alongisde the original 11-inch and 13-inch models. While the MacBook Air is in many ways the perfect laptop for most people, thanks to its light weight and the awesome power of Apple silicon. 

Apple now makes its own chips for MacBook, ditching Intel in favor of the M2, which is a much more powerful and efficient chip means opening apps, multitasking, and processing have never been faster. 

The MacBook Air is perfect for students and employees on the go who don't need 120Hz ProMotion displays or the mammoth processing power of the M2 Pro and M2 Ultra.

This deal is available on both the 256GB and 512GB models in a couple of different colors. 

If you were expecting the M3 chip to debut at WWDC 2023 and felt disappointed at its absence, there may be some light in the M3 tunnel soon.

According to Mark Gurman's 'Power On' newsletter, Apple is well-underway on an M3 version of its 15-inch MacBook Air model, which is to be expected, with the M2 Ultra seemingly closing out the M2 line after its debut in June 2022.

But that's not all - he also says that a new iMac and a MacBook Pro with M3 are in development too, and we could see all of these begin to appear by the end of the year.

So if you're waiting for an M2 15-inch MacBook Air to be in stock soon, here's why it may be worth holding off still.

M3 to the Future

While Apple introduced the M2 Ultra with the Mac Pro and an updated Mac Studio just last week, the gains from M1 to M2 back in June 2022 shouldn't be forgotten.

For example, the memory you could use with an M1 Mac compared to an M2 jumped from 16GB to 24 GB - so if someone does a lot of video editing, a Mac with an M2 chip can better manage multiple 8K videos at once.

There are also the graphical improvements to consider - a 25% gain may seem small to some, but with Apple's newest efforts for gaming, such as the Game Porting Kit, this can result in better framerates. So when it comes to an M3 MacBook Air, it could be one of the first Macs to consider as a powerful Gaming machine, especially once macOS Sonoma arrives with its Game Mode later this year.

More cores and even more memory in this model could be the Mac to beat when it comes to gaming and video editing - and that's even before we consider what an 'M3 Pro' could be capable of.

Regardless, an M3 MacBook Air is an exciting prospect - but are you already planning on pulling the trigger for the 15-inch M2 model? Let us know in the iMore forums.

The WWDC 2023 keynote has been and gone, and while Apple’s Vision Pro headset stole plenty of headlines, there’s a robust series of updates to the company’s operating systems to look forward to, too.

Surprising many, though, was just how sizeable the macOS Sonoma update is. We weren’t expecting true widget support on the platform, a huge changeup for video conferencing, or an honest-to-god effort to take the “web” out of “web apps”, but here we are, looking at another impressive year.

Apple’s own silicon transition is complete, and now with the full Mac lineup sporting its processors, some Intel models aren’t long for this world (at least in terms of OS updates).

The following Macs will NOT receive macOS Sonoma, or any subsequent updates.

The Macs not getting macOS Sonoma

The 2017 MacBook Pro will not gain any further major firmware updates, whether you have the 13-inch or 15-inch model.

Apple’s superlight 13.3-inch MacBook Air from 2017 isn’t getting any updates going forward either.

Rounding out our trifecta of six-year-old laptops not getting macOS Sonoma, the 2017 MacBook has been put out to pasture. This marks the end of the 12-inch MacBook lineup when it comes to the latest OS, too.

And in terms of desktop hardware, the 2017 iMac will wave goodbye to updates, too.

What Macs are getting macOS Sonoma?

Only one desktop model that got macOS Ventura dropped support for the next version of macOS, meaning if you have the following computers, you’ll be able to run macOS Sonoma. And on the laptop side, Apple has confirmed the following machines will get the update when it launches later this year, as well as all subsequent models:

• iMac 2019 or later
• iMac Pro
• MacBook Air 2018 or later
• MacBook Pro 2018 or later
• Mac Pro 2019 or later
• Mac Studio
• Mac mini 2018 or later

Expect to see macOS 14 Sonoma release in the fall, with macOS updates usually landing in October.

It may traditionally be a software show, but that hasn't stopped Apple's WWDC 2023 from dropping some hardware surprises into the mix too — including the freshly announced, brand-new 15-inch MacBook Air.

The long-rumored new addition to the MacBook Air lineup adds two extra inches to the screen size of the existing MacBook Air M2 model, which has a screen measuring 13.6 inches.

The new 15-inch MacBook Air comes in multiple colors and features a 15.3-inch display with 5mm borders for a great look. You'll also benefit from a 1080p camera up top, while inside you'll get up to 50% more battery life than competing Windows laptops. That means that up to 18 hours of battery life will be offered. Need to charge? That's where MagSafe and USB-C charging comes in.

Speaking of ports, the MacBook Air comes with two Thunderbolt ports included.

In terms of specifications, the M2 chip comes with 8- and 10-core configurations with options for up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of fast SSD.

Apple says that the M2 15-inch MacBook Air comes with a three-mic array and a new six-speaker array for audio fans, while "force-canceling woofers" ensure that that deep bass sounds great even without headphones.

The new 15-inch MacBook Air comes in at $1,299, while the 13-inch model has seen its price fall to just $1099 as a result.

We're covering all the WWDC 2023 announcements live and as they happen. Don't miss all our Apple VR, iOS 17, macOS 14, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10 analysis so far.

Now would be a very bad time to buy yourself a Mac, and it isn't every day that I'd say that.

Normally, the best time to buy a Mac is whenever you need it — holding fire for the next big thing will ultimately mean that you never actually pick up the Mac you probably need today. But sometimes it just makes sense to hang on just a little while longer.

How much longer? Until Tuesday should probably do it. Let me explain why.

In the shadow of WWDC

You'd need to have been hiding in a hole somewhere to have missed the fact that Apple's WWDC 2023 event is about to kick off in just a few short days. Come June 5 Apple will unveil a raft of new software and, importantly, hardware.

That software will be what powers our iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs for the next year, but only after they're released in or around September. That's when the Reality Pro headset will likely go on sale as well, but what many of us are most interested in is what Macs will be announced.

And the fact that any Mac could arrive during WWDC is a good enough reason to wait before splashing the cash on a new computer. Because once those new Macs arrive, all kinds of things happen. 

Older is sometimes better

We're already expecting the 15-inch MacBook Air to debut, and that's a new product for Apple. But whenever there is a chance that an existing product could be refreshed it means that buying a new Mac can be problematic.

The obvious problem is that your brand-new Mac can immediately become old. Apple could be about to put an M2 Ultra into the Mac Studio, for example. If you buy an M1 Ultra Mac Studio today, you'll be missing out on that new chip for, likely, the same money. That could well make you sad, and while I'd argue that it shouldn't if you've been using that Mac Studio for months or perhaps even weeks, that's a difficult discussion to have after just one weekend.

But where things get more interesting is what happens with the older machines. The M1 Ultra is still a mighty fine chip and older Mac Studios could become cheaper almost overnight. If an M1 Ultra is fine for you — and we don't know what the M2 Ultra will be so that might well be the case for most — then the Mac Studio at a lower price is a win-win for many. That could instantly become the best Mac for a whole ton of people, assuming the price is right of course.

Then there's the used market. As people rush to buy the new hotness you can often find a bargain used Mac. People often want to liquidate their Macs as quickly as possible, and that's when you can strike. You get a cheap, preloved Mac and they get the shiny new one they want. Everyone benefits.

Keep your powder dry

All of that is to say, buying a new Mac right now is probably a bad idea unless you find yourself in dire need of a machine this weekend.

Thankfully, there might be a way around finding yourself in that situation as well. If you buy from Apple you'll have a 14-day return window which, theoretically, would allow you to take your new-old Mac back and swap it for a new-new one. In fact, those who buy online might just find that their orders automatically get swapped for the new version anyway. How cool is that?

So there we have it. There is normally no such thing as a bad time to buy a new Mac, except for the next few days. Unless you buy from Apple, maybe.

The smart money was already on Apple announcing at least one new Mac at the WWDC23 event on June 5. Now, it appears the company is getting ready to make it easier for people to buy one, too.

With rumors pointing to a 15-inch MacBook Air arriving at the very least, WWDC is shaping up to be a big one for Apple and buyers of its various wares. Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that Apple is ready to make it easier for people to buy that new stuff, although only if you have one of its existing devices.

According to him, June 5 also happens to be the day that Apple will begin to accept trade-ins for the Mac Studio, 13-inch M2 MacBook Air, and 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro.

Hey big spender

In a post to Twitter, Gurman appeared to hint that the move confirms that Apple will announce new Macs during the WWDC event. Whether we will see something new beyond that 15-inch MacBook Air remains to be seen, however.

Of course, while WWDC will be the event that sees Apple announce the new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV software, there is plenty of hardware to look forward to. Even beyond that, the Reality Pro mixed reality headset is expected to finally debut, bringing to end years of rumors and guesswork.

That headset isn't expected to go on sale immediately, though. Rather, Apple is expected to announce it during WWDC and then ship it months later to allow developers time to get their apps ready for the big release.

When that will be isn't known right now, but with Apple already expected to put the iPhone 15 lineup on sale in September — not to mention updated Apple Watches — it could be a busy last few months of the year for Apple and its retail employees.

Last year was one of the best ever for Mac — six new models, brand new chips, and some of the most exciting new products to come out of Cupertino in some time. We're hoping for more of the same this year, and while there might not be any news on an upcoming M4 chip any time soon, we're hoping that M3 makes its way into more machines in the Mac lineup. With WWDC coming up soon, we don't have long to wait to see what 2024 has in store.

But which of the current range of Macs is the best? Or is it worth waiting for the newly-announced M3 MacBook Air? Which machine fills the most needs, and more, while not being the most expensive model? We've compared every single Mac you can buy right now to find out which Mac is the best for a variety of users and use cases. 

Here, we’ll be looking at the whole range. That’s inclusive of our picks from the best MacBook line, including the 2023 versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the 15-inch MacBook Air M2, as well as last year's MacBook Pro 13-inch, and the MacBook Air M2 and M1. There are also desktop Macs, such as the new Mac mini, the M2 Mac Studio, and the M3 iMac. All of these Macs have been stacked against each other to find the best option all around (as well as picks for those with demanding workloads, or those on a tighter budget).

The Best Macs out there

Best Mac: MacBook Air 2022

The 2022 MacBook Air really is the laptop for almost everyone. It’s already the best MacBook for most people in our eyes, but it also manages to build a package that puts it at the top of the Mac tree, desktop or portable, overall as well. It was the second Mac with an M2 chip inside, but it was the first with a new design.

Replacing the then-aging M1 MacBook Air and its more wedge-like shape, the flatter, MacBook Pro-esque MacBook Air M2 brought some serious new design chops to the table. It’s sleek, attractive, and most importantly retains the thinness and lightness that makes it a truly portable machine. You can get it in more colors than any other MacBook as well, with fetching Space Gray, Silver, Starlight, and Midnight shades on offer. The screen that lies within the clamshell is a stunning Liquid Retina number, with an extra 0.3-inches giving you a little more space to work or play with compared to its predecessor. The keyboard has been improved as well, with more key travel and slightly larger keys, as well as a useful function row.

Inside the MacBook Air M2 is, obviously, that M2 chip. The M2 brought a massive boost of power to the MacBook Air, making it a true portable powerhouse. It’s cooled without a fan as well, so it is utterly silent in operation – although you’ll lose a little bit of performance over the actively cooled MacBook Pro 13-inch that comes with the same chip. There are RAM options up to 24GB, which is plenty for anyone, although the base model with its 8GB feels a step behind current RAM requirements. Sensible buyers would want to upgrade to 16GB of RAM for a degree of future-proofing. Storage-wise, you can choose up to a 2TB SSD, which is plenty, and it’ll last you a good long time with up to 18 hours depending on how you use the MacBook.

It starts at prices a little more expensive than the older model, coming in at $1199 for the base model. If you want to spec your machine up to something a little more potent, then you’ll have to pay a little extra on top of that price as well, although certain options like extra RAM are worth the outlay. That price makes it one of the less expensive Macs as well, and puts it firmly as the best Mac for almost everyone.

And don't forget the all-new 15-inch MacBook Air! With its larger screen it's arguably an even better machine, pretty much identical to the 13-inch MacBook Air in all other respects. However it's higher price tag puts it a little further out of reach of some pockets, hence the 13-incher being our model of choice.

iMore’s best Config:

Best budget Mac: Mac mini M2

The Mac mini is one of the newest machines on the list, and also one of the most impressive for the price. The base model only costs $599, making it the cheapest Mac that you can buy today. For the money, you’ll get a compact desktop with performance that you wouldn’t expect to find at this price point.

First, there’s the M2 under the hood, with a 10-Core GPU. That's more GPU power than found in the M2 in the base model MacBook Air M2, and it comes at a much lower price. There are plenty of options if you want to make the Mac mini more powerful as well, with a little extra RAM going a long way in making it a very competent computer for lighter workloads.

It’s not an unattractive little box, but it's also mostly just a slab of aluminum that sits on your desk with an Apple logo on top. It does require a monitor as well, so factor that into the end cost, although you can easily find one of the best Mac Monitors that fits within your price requirements.

We love this Mac for its price and performance, giving it five stars in our review. The inputs at the back are plenty for all your peripherals, and the specs help it keep up with its more expensive brothers and sisters. It's not the most flexible, given it needs to be rooted to a desk, but it's easily the best Mac if you don’t want to spend as much on your new computer.

There is a version you can get with the M2 Pro chip, too, which is even more powerful, but that makes it a little too expensive to be a ‘budget Mac’. It’s still an excellent machine, but not suitable for this section.

iMore’s best Config:

Best Mac for professionals: MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch

The staggering new M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBooks were launched less than 12 months after the M2 line, but there's a big difference to be found. The M3 chip line is built on a new 3nm process that packs more processing power into a smaller space. That means these chips are faster and more power-efficient than ever before. On the outside, not much has changed, the chassis is still the same square, premium aluminum shell. There's also the same number of ports including HDMI, MagSafe, USB-C, and an SD card slot. The big headline is a new Space Black color which is designed to repel fingerprints and is a real head-turner. 

Under the hood, the new M3 Pro is actually nerfed slightly over the M2 Pro lineup, featuring fewer GPU cores and less memory bandwidth. By contrast, the M3 Max boasts 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, as well as up to 128GB of Unified Memory clocked at 400GB/s. It's the model we tested in our review and an absolute beast. If you're on the hunt for a "Max" MacBook Pro, definitely choose the M3. If, on the other hand, you don't need all that power and the "Pro" M-series will do the job for you, it's worth looking around for a good deal on that M2 range. 

iMore’s best configuration:

Best Mac design: iMac M3

It was a long time coming, but when the M3 iMac landed, it didn't disappoint. With Apple's latest, fastest chipsets, and retaining that iconic design, Apple's family-friendly desktop machine remains a great entry point into the world of Mac. A gorgeous screen, slimline design and approachable set up (everything you need is in the box) means it still sees off its all-in-one Windows competition too.

However, we were disappointed to see the iMac still shipping with Lightning-port connection devices in terms of its Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. With all other elements of Apple's product line now moved over to USB-C, it feels a step behind the pack, and one final reason to keep those Lightning cables around.

After three-or-so years stuck on M1 chip hardware, the jump to M3 chipsets for the iMac is a big deal. While iMac owners are unlikely to push the chip to its limits, improvements on the GPU side will suit those looking to game on Mac, with the iMac a very competent gaming machine thanks to ray tracing and Dynamic Caching support.

It’s well-priced, although you may want to spend a little more and get a bit more RAM. For an extra $200 you’ll be able to use the iMac for longer as apps become more RAM dependent, and you’ll know that it will be able to multitask better as well. The base model costs $1299/£1399, but we’d recommend the more expensive $1899/£1999 model with a beefier processor, additional storage and RAM. 

iMore’s Best configuration:

Macs that didn’t make the cut

These Macs are all available to buy at the Apple store at the moment, but they are now either outdated completely or make little sense when compared to the other machines you can get. To be clear – these are not ‘bad Macs’. There are no bad Macs – but there are some that drastically need an update to make more sense in the grand scheme of the Mac lineup.

MacBook Pro 13-inch

One can’t help but ask ‘Why does this Mac exist?’ when looking at the MacBook Pro 13-inch with M2. Sure, its active cooling means its performance numbers are slightly better than the passively cooled MacBook Air M2, but the chassis that's been around for nearly ten years and the weird touch bar make it feel like an anachronism. If you want more power, you’ll spend the extra and grab the MacBook Pro 14-inch or 16-inch, and if you want something more portable then you’ll get the MacBook Air.

The only thing that sets it apart is its excellent battery life, which can last you up to 20 hours. Beyond that, however, this is a Mac to avoid.

MacBook Air M1

This is still a good computer, but it is now getting a little too out of date to recommend buying. It's cheaper than the new model, but its M1 chip could soon start to show its age. Spending the extra $200 on the M2 Air is the way to go here, given that we could be seeing even newer models that make this model completely defunct.

Mac Studio

The M2-generation Mac Studio is so powerful, it could end up being the last computer you ever buy. Making demanding, professional workflows look like preschool work, the latest Mac Studio should be the first choice machine for high-level video editors, 3D artists and professional musicians. But PC owners with a top-end GPU still have an edge in a few key areas.

This Mac didn’t make the list not because it's a bad machine. It's a very good machine in fact, with gobs of power at your disposal and loads of configuration options. It doesn’t make the list because it is starting to show its age in the wake of the M3-generation launches, meaning an M3 Studio variant is worth holding out for now.

Mac Pro

The new Mac Pro is another powerhouse, and all models are equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. There are loads of RAM options, and it will support up to six Pro Display XDRs which is a lot of mental 5K screens.

That said, the only people that should be buying this Mac are companies that need ridiculous amounts of processing power or people with more money than sense. It is a very powerful computer, but it is far, far too expensive. For most people with this sort of requirement, the Mac Studio now fits the bill. For ever more specialized workflows, if you don't know why you need a Mac Pro, that's a good sign that you don't need it at all.

Q&A

You likely have lots of questions about which Mac you should buy, how much Macs cost, what all this chip stuff is, and where the best place to buy a Mac is. We’ve answered all your burning questions below, so that you can make a more informed decision when you go to buy your new Mac.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both come with a few ports, but they don't come with some of the ones that you might need. That's where Plugable's new 5-in-1 hub comes into play.

Even Apple's very best MacBooks don't have USB-A ports on them, which could be a problem depending on the peripherals you use. They don't have Ethernet for high-speed networking either. But plug this hub in, and both of those problems are fixed, and then some. Just like with the other best USB-C hubs for MacBook Pro.

The Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C Hub might not be for everyone, but if you're someone who needs the ports that their MacBook Air or MacBook Pro just don't have, read on — this could be the choice for you.

Ports with a compromise

First, here's what you'll get. There's that gigabit Ethernet port which could be enough to sell this for a lot of people right out of the gate. Then there's a 3.5mm audio in/out port for those situations when you need to plug a microphone in.

Moving on, there are two USB-A 3.0 ports that support up to 5Gbps and finally a USB-C port that offers 40Gbps of throughput and 100W of pass-through charging which is as much as you're going to get without using a MagSafe charger.

While not the biggest collection of ports around, the selection the Plugable hub offers is likely to cater to most people's connectivity needs in terms of Ethernet and a couple of USB-A connectors. There's also a handy cutout that leaves space for your own MagSafe connector to do its thing as well.

The downside? You'll of course lose two USB-C ports which also means you lose two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the MacBook Air and two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the MacBook Pro. But if that's a compromise that makes sense for you, is it really even a compromise? It helps that Plugable has priced this thing reasonably as well.

You can order the Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C Hub from Amazon for $32.95 right now.

The rumored MacBook Air 15-inch has been pegged for release later this year by a number of different analysts, but display expert Ross Young now reckons that the newest MacBook could be coming sooner rather than later.

In a subscriber-only tweet, Young says that display production for the larger screens has ramped up, suggesting that the new larger MacBook Air is on its way a little sooner than expected. Young has been right about these things before, so there's decent weight to what he says.

A new, larger MacBook Air

As for the larger MacBook Air launch itself, it's one that's been looming over us for some time. There's been loads of speculation as to what the machine will look like, how big the screen is going to be, and what's going to be inside it. Some even speculated that the new MacBook Air wouldn't even be called the MacBook Air, but simply the 'MacBook' instead. This rumor didn't seem to have any legs, but we now have a clearer picture of what the new machine will look like.

The larger screen will come equipped on a chassis that looks like a blown-up version of the most recent MacBook Air redesign, with the same svelte curves and slick lines. The chip inside isn't likely to change from that model either, with the M2 under the hood. This won't be an upgrade inside then, with the only real change being the larger screen up top.

There's a lot we still don't know about the machine, such as the colors that it will come in. It would be easy to presume that it would come in the same colors as the 13-inch version, but until any official Apple announcement, we can only speculate. It's an interesting machine for sure, but will a MacBook Air with a big screen join the ranks of the best MacBooks? Or is it pushing what used to be the definition of the Air range, e.g small and lightweight, too far?

It hasn't been a good start to 2023 for Apple and the Mac, it would seem. Reports claim that despite the company now selling the best Macs it has ever built, people just aren't buying them.

In fact, that report claims that Mac sales were so poor at the beginning of 2023 that Apple told its chipmaker not to actually make any more chips. They weren't needed. The M2 was on hiatus, although things are reportedly finally started to move again.

It was claimed that demand for Apple's MacBooks had "dwindled," and we have to imagine that the M2 Mac mini wasn't doing much better. The Mac Studio still has the M1-series inside, and it looks increasingly unlikely that it'll get an M2 refresh as well.

So here we are. Apple seems to be struggling to sell its latest and greatest Macs and things have gotten bad. This begs the obvious question that I'm sure plenty inside Apple are also asking. They probably know the answer, too.

Why aren't people buying Macs?

For once, perhaps the first time in a long while, we can't necessarily blame the Macs for their seemingly slow demand. That hasn't always been the case — the Mac mini had its problems because it wasn't very fast. Then we had the MacBook that ran underpowered Intel chips, and let's not forget the butterfly keyboard that befell every Apple portable for years. You'd have had to really need an Apple portable to buy one of those.

But we're in the middle of something of a Mac golden age. They're all really good machines. Which might be part of the problem.

See, everyone rushed out and bought M1 Macs. They bought M1 MacBook Airs and they bought M1 Mac minis. Then they bought M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pros not to mention the M1 Max and M1 Ultra Mac Studios. And they're all just really, really good. So good that people just don't need to upgrade. What are they going to get, more cores and better GPU performance? On top of the insane upgrade that Apple silicon already was when compared to Intel, people are already more than happy with what they have.

And then there are those buying new machines. I'm writing this on a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro that's a few weeks old. There are some great deals to be had if you don't want or need the M2 version. And that makes that M2 version a hard sell.

The 15-inch MacBook Air

It's important not to forget the 15-inch MacBook Air, too. A Mac that has been rumored like crazy, there is now talk that the biggest-ever MacBook Air could arrive within weeks. And if you wanted something bigger than a MacBook Air but didn't want to go Pro, that's a pretty interesting proposition.

Enough to hold off buying a new Mac? Possibly, and that could well be something that's happening here. Some will at least be holding off long enough to see what Apple announced.

We don't yet know what the 15-inch MacBook Air will have to offer, unfortunately. But it'll either have an M2 or M3 chip inside. This brings us to the next potential issue.

M3 Apple silicon

It isn't likely to be all that long before M3 chips start to debut, and after a relatively small jump from the M1 to the M2, it's the M3 that's expected to be a bigger leap forward.

With that in mind, and with people perpetually worried about FOMO, some may be waiting for the next version of whatever machine they fancy before making a purchase.

The problem here is that people in that position will never make a purchase. There will always be something new on the horizon. Something better around the corner. And for those people good is never good enough. It could always be better.

To those people I'd say this — buy the Mac you need today. These Macs are pretty insane. and unless you're waiting for a new form factor like the MacBook Air, you can't really go wrong.

Choose the screen size you need. The RAM and SSD capacity that you want, and enjoy. Really, you'll love it.

You can't outrun these things. Just enjoy what you've got today instead.

Amid ongoing rumors that Apple is getting ready to launch a 15-inch MacBook Air, a future 13-inch MacBook Air could be about to shrink. That's according to a new report by an oft-reliable analyst.

The M2 MacBook Air currently has a 13.6-inch display, but a new report says that a future model could see that shrink to just 13.4 inches. But on a more positive note, it'll also gain an OLED display in the process.

Apple has long been rumored to have plans to move multiple product lines away from LCD displays and towards OLED with the MacBook Air just one of those making the switch. It's also thought that Apple's best iPad, the iPad Pro, will join the MacBook Pro in getting a similar OLED display.

Smaller, but not small enough

The idea of Apple launching a smaller MacBook Air might have some thinking of the 11-inch model of yesteryear. But this new model is nothing like that, with the slight shrinking simply down to the change of display technology.

The news of the change comes via display analyst Ross young who shared it with his paid Twitter followers. MacRumors subsequently reported on the tweet.

Young expects that Apple will release the larger 15-inch MacBook Air in 2023, using the existing LCD technology that it employs elsewhere. That too would presumably get an OLED upgrade in the future.

As for the MacBook Pro, that isn't expected to go OLED until 2026 at the earliest, while the iPad Pro could get 11-inch and 12.9-inch OLED models as soon as 2024.

Young does have form for getting these kinds of claims right of course. He famously confirmed that the iPhone 14 Pro would support a variable 120Hz refresh rate before it did, with the same being said for the MacBook Pro.

Those hoping for the return of the miniature 11-inch MacBook Air might be left to wonder what might have been, unfortunately. We keep hearing rumors of Apple reviving the 12-inch MacBook, but that has so far simply not happened.