system on a chip (SoC) by Apple for Macintosh computers

Apple M3 - Wikipedia
Apple M3 is a series of ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc., part of the Apple silicon series, as a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit … Wikipedia
Factsheet
General information
Launched M3, M3 Pro and Max: October 30, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-30)
M3 Ultra: March 12, 2025; 9 months ago (2025-03-12)
Discontinued M3 Pro and Max: October 30, 2024; 14 months ago (2024-10-30)
Factsheet
General information
Launched M3, M3 Pro and Max: October 30, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-30)
M3 Ultra: March 12, 2025; 9 months ago (2025-03-12)
Discontinued M3 Pro and Max: October 30, 2024; 14 months ago (2024-10-30)
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Apple_M3
Apple M3 - Wikipedia
1 month ago - Apple M3 is a series of ARM-based ... the iPad Air tablets. Released in late 2023, it is the third generation of ARM architecture intended for Apple's Mac computers after switching from Intel Core to Apple silicon, succeeding the Apple M2. Apple announced the M3 on October 30, 2023, at its ...
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Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102869
Identify your MacBook Air model - Apple Support
Tech Specs for MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) User Guide for MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) Colors: Silver, Starlight, Space Gray, Midnight · Model Identifier: Mac15,12 · Part Numbers: MRXN3xx/A, MRXQ3xx/A, MRXT3xx/A, MRXV3xx/A, MRXP3xx/A, MRXR3xx/A, MRXU3xx/A, MRXW3xx/A, MXCR3xx/A, MXCT3xx/A, ...
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Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 118551
MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs - Apple Support
Testing conducted by Apple in January 2024 using preproduction 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M3, 8-core CPU, and 10-core GPU, and preproduction 13-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M3, 8-core CPU, and 8-core GPU, all configured with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
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Apple
apple.com › newsroom › 2024 › 03 › apple-unveils-the-new-13-and-15-inch-macbook-air-with-the-powerful-m3-chip
Apple unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip - Apple
3 weeks ago - Featuring a powerful 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB of unified memory, the new MacBook Air is up to 60 percent faster than the model with M1 and up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.1 It also features up to 18 hours of battery life, which is up to six hours longer than an Intel-based MacBook Air.1 Users will feel the blazing speed of M3 in everything they do, from everyday productivity, to demanding tasks like photo and video editing, and software development.
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Amazon
amazon.com › Apple-2024-MacBook-13-inch-Laptop › dp › B0DLHG1HML
Amazon.com: Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Starlight : Electronics
Amazon.com: Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Starlight : Electronics
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Macworld
macworld.com › home › news
M3 MacBook Air: on-sale date, price, specs, features | Macworld
March 5, 2024 - As explained in our article about ... more than one external monitor, including the M3 MacBook Pro models that arrived in fall 2023....
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Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › computing › laptops › macbooks
I test laptops for a living and the MacBook Air M3 is my favorite laptop of the year | Tom's Guide
December 31, 2024 - 2024 was a significant year for the best MacBooks, with Apple releasing updated versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops. The latter are particularly interesting since they’re the first MacBooks packing Apple M4 chips.
Find elsewhere
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › MacBook_Air_(Apple_silicon)
MacBook Air (Apple silicon) - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - A redesigned model based on the Apple M2 chip was released in July 2022, and the first 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023. In March 2024, Apple introduced M3 chip-equipped MacBook Airs in both their 13- and 15-inch sizes.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › apple discontinues m2 and m3 macbook air
r/apple on Reddit: Apple Discontinues M2 and M3 MacBook Air
March 5, 2025 - M4 Macbook Air is cheaper than any M2 or M3 I have seen anyways. ... CCs don't "add a year", to add a year to manufacturer's warranty.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › MacBook_Air
MacBook Air - Wikipedia
November 15, 2025 - Ordering the 15-inch MacBook Air started on June 5, with the general availability having started on June 13. On March 4, 2024, Apple announced a refreshed M3 MacBook Air in both 13-inch and 15-inch siz...
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Talking Tech and Audio
talkingtechandaudio.com › blog › m4-macbook-air-worth-it
The M3 MacBook Air - enough is enough - David Lewis
April 9, 2025 - Although I’ve said a few times ... MacBook Air started at £1099 with 8GB of memory whereas this year’s model starts at £999 with 16GB of RAM....
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TechRadar
techradar.com › computing › laptops › macbooks
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) review: the best MacBook just got better | TechRadar
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) review: the best MacBook just got better
As well as all those aforementioned rumors about new MacBook Airs, when Apple launched · its M3 chip last year it also launched new M3-powered MacBook Pros and a new iMac. The fact that this was the first M-series launch to not feature a MacBook Air didn’t go unnoticed – and many of us ... Apple’s best laptop gets an upgrade
Rating: 5 ​
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Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › computing › laptops › macbooks
MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review: A small wonder
MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review: A small wonder
The latter is the most interesting ... in last year's Space Black color on the MacBook Pros. Midnight is my personal favorite but all the colors look great. Port selection is as thin as the laptop. We get a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the left side, and a headphone jack on the right. There’s also a MagSafe charging port, though you can use the USB-C ports to charge the laptop if you want. The Air M3 simultaneously ... The best MacBook for most people just got better
Rating: 4.5 ​
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EveryMac.com
everymac.com › systems › apple › macbook-air › specs › macbook-air-m3-8-core-cpu-8-core-gpu-13-2024-specs.html
MacBook Air "M3" 8 CPU/8 GPU 13" Specs (13-Inch, M3, 2024, MRXV3LL/A*, Mac15,12, A3113, 8611*): EveryMac.com
The Apple MacBook Air "M3" 8-Core CPU/8-Core GPU 13-Inch (2024) model features a 4.05 GHz Apple M3 processor with 8 cores (4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), an 8-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 8 GB or 16 GB of "unified" default onboard RAM (8 GB from March 4, 2024 until October ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookair › macbook air m3 - best specs to last 10y
r/macbookair on Reddit: Macbook Air M3 - best specs to last 10Y
March 5, 2024 -

Hey! I am medical student who has an Intel MBP from 2015, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
My computer hasn't failed me so far, except for the battery (which hasn't been replaced!!) that after 9 years of daily use now usually lasts for 2 hours.

I think it's time for an upgrade, and I was thinking about buying a M3 MBA. I use it for typical tasks, sometimes I have 15+ chrome tabs open at the same, a few spreadsheets on excel, a few pdfs open, spotify, etc. If possible, I would also like to sidecar with my iPad (which I can't, because I'm still on Catalina). Nothing out of the ordinary.

Now, I wanted my new MBA to last at least 9 years. Is 16GB of RAM enough, or should I future-proof it with 24GB of RAM? Because when I bought my MBP 9 years ago, 8GB was clearly enough for my demands, and now my MBP usually freezes or crashes when I'm not cautious with what I have open.

Besides that, what colour should I get? Do you have any takes on the new midnight anodized finish?

Thanks.

Top answer
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Not for everyone, but something to consider: People often want a Mac that lasts 10 years, and sometimes they will use that as an excuse to buy an over the top machine. Not saying that's what you are trying to do, but I want to throw out another option to consider. Might not be for you, but it could make sense for some people. Instead of dropping, say, $3000 on an overspecced Mac that lasts 10 years, drop $1500 on a Mac and 5 year later get another $1500 Mac. Basically get two midrange computer instead of a high end one. Here is why it could make sense: Let's pretend it is 2020 so numbers are easier Whatever machine you buy today will be obsolete in 10 years. A 5 years old machine may not be. You can load it with ram and drive space but your processor might not be up to speed. Note, I'm not saying it is unusable, but it'll be slow and might struggle with things, depending on your use case. If you buy a $1500 2020 Mac now, and replace it with a $1500 2025 Mac, (ignoring inflation) you would have spent the same amount of money. in 2030 you would have a 2025 mac instead of 2020 mac. I'm willing to bet your 5 years old midrange 2025 would outperform your 2020 high end in 2030. Financially, you are actually better off. a) the $1500 you save now could earn interest, b) your 5 years old 2020 Mac could be sold for a few hundred in 2025, which can go towards the new 2025 Mac, so your new Mac would be even less. Macs have decent resale value...up to a point. In 2030 not many people are interested in a 10 years old laptop. In terms of value, a 2020 Mac is basic worthless in terms of resale or trade-in Add battery life to that. Would you rather have a 10 years old battery or a 5 years old battery? This is not counting what new technology might be included in the next 5 years that you would want in a 2025 machine. Better screen? New ports? ? Image someone bought a high end, last-10-years mac before Apple introduce the high-rez retina displays, or an Intel Mac a few years before the new Apple Silicon. a 2015 Intel Mac that's meant to be used for 10 years could've been replaced with a base 2020 M1 Mac that would run circles around it. (thanks for reminding me u/nrubenstein ). Mac OS generally supports machines ~7 years old and newer. Apple will release security updates longer than that if they feel like What this means is that if your mac is 8 or 9 years old, obviously it still works, but you just won't have the latest OS. This is not a problem 99% of the time, except if you need a certain piece of software that requires a newer OS version. Otherwise, you just might miss out on software features in the latest OS. Disclaimer: Because someone is going to get pandantic with the numbers, the number are just a guide. The principle is to get two mid-range machine instead of a high end machine. I'm not saying people need to upgrade every year, but sometimes trying to stretch it too long might not actually make financial sense and could cost you productivity. Again, does not apply to everyone, but I often see people what to maximize the life of their mac (good idea in theory), but wanted to offer an alternative.
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M3 16GB/512GB will easily last well into 2030s. Only silver color should be considered if you want the laptop to look nice 10 years later as it is most durable with far less noticeable fingerprints or scratches compared to any other color.
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WIRED
wired.com › gear › apple › apple drops new macbook air with powerful m3 chip
Apple 13- and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: Price, Specs, Availability | WIRED
March 4, 2024 - Both models are available for purchase starting today and will begin to arrive on March 8. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism.
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CNET
cnet.com › tech › computing › laptops › m3 macbook air review (13-inch, 2024): redefining portable performance
M3 MacBook Air Review (13-inch, 2024): Redefining Portable Performance - CNET
Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch, 2024)
More than two decades experience ... and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds. ... CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. ... There's a tipping point when a computer goes from being useful to actually killing your productivity. This is where I'm at with my Intel-based 16-inch MacBook Pro, which I use for work. Testing the updated MacBook Airs with Apple's M3 chips only ...
Rating: 8.8/10 ​