The Apple MacBook Air M3 is the best laptop to buy right now. It’s extremely powerful, has a great battery life and comes in at a decent price – all reasons why it won two T3 Awards this year. Right now though, there are some big discounts on last year’s version, which features the M2 chip.
In fact, both the M2 and M3 models can be found at a bit of a discount right now. So, which one should you buy? Does the extra savings on the M2 make it worth going for an older model, or is it worth the extra spend on a 2024 M3 version?
Aside from the silicon M system on a chip (either the M2 or M3) the two models are practically identical. They have the same storage and RAM options, the same battery life and identical sizes and weights.
The newer M3 model does use the newer WiFi 6E protocol, which gives it a third band for less interrupted connections. That aside, it’s all down to the chip. Realistically, most users will struggle to push the M3 to its limit. You’d need to be either editing large video, 3D graphics or audio compositions to really see the benefit of its extra power.
If you plan to use your Mac for general web and imaging uses, the chances are you’ll be fine with the M2. Of course, it also depends on how long you intend to keep the MacBook. As years progress, the requirements of applications increase, and eventually the old processors will drop off the supported list – and the M2 will drop before the M3. But neither are likely to be phased out any time soon. (If you were considering buying an old Intel Mac, I’d advise against it though).
Price differences between the M2 and M3 models are just around $100 / £100. With that in mind, maybe paying a little extra is tempting. I would certainly advise going for 16GB of RAM if you are likely to do video or audio editing. However, for casual users, save your money and pick the basic M2 model – you’ll be more than happy.
