Apple’s introduction of the 15-inch model to its MacBook Air line-up last year was a pleasant surprise. As I pointed out in my review, the laptop was a remarkable addition which offered a larger display and an amazing six-speaker system, along with the same M2 chip from the smaller 13-inch variant.
Fast forward a couple of months later, Apple then introduced its successor in March this year. Featuring the company’s more powerful M3 chip, the next-gen MacBook Air 15 is touted to offer a significant boost in performance overall, while maintaining certain key elements from its predecessor. Also not forgetting that all of these are packed within the series’ signature slim profile, though its title as Apple’s thinnest laptop was recently dethorned by none other than its cousin, the 2024 MacBook Pro.
Obviously, you’re here to find out how the MacBook Air 15 M3 actually fares. So let’s get to it.
What Am I Looking At?
Without sounding like a broken record, the new MacBook Air 15 is exactly what you’d expect from a generational upgrade. However, the inclusion of Apple’s more recent M3 chip is probably the only change that matters, as everything else is already what we’ve previously seen from last year’s model.
Depending on how you look at this, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. That said, the 2024 model shares the exact same dimensions as its predecessor, coming in at 13.4 inches wide, 9.35 inches in depth and 0.45 inches thick, with a weight at only 1.51kg. In terms of colour options, the laptop is available in Midnight, Starlight, Grey, and Silver.
Similarly, it comes with the same 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, six-speaker setup, backlit Magic keyboard with Touch ID, Force Touch trackpad, up to 24GB RAM, up to 2TB of storage, and a battery that’s claimed to last over 18 hours on a single charge. It also has WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, along with I/O ports comprising a MagSafe 3 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 (40GB/s) ports with charging and DisplayPort compatibility.
What’s Good About It?
Performance-wise, the 2024 MacBook Air 15 completely leaves last year’s model in the dust, thanks to the aforementioned M3 chip. It goes without saying that handling typical day-to-day apps and productivity tools is a cakewalk for the laptop, and I personally did not encounter any signs of struggle throughout the experience.
However, much like its predecessor, the newer chip does show its limitations when gaming is concerned. Benchmarks for Rise of The Tomb Raider and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided returned similar results, with the MacBook 15 M3 averaging at over 30fps at High settings for both games, while loading speeds are pretty fast. On the other hand, less graphically demanding games such as No Man’s Sky, Stray, Hades, and Honkai Impact 3 will run smoothly at high frame rates.
In case it wasn’t obvious enough, the MacBook Air 15 is not a high performance monster for gaming, as it was not intended to be one in the first place. However, it does provide you with the ability to do so if you wish, but ever so modestly.
For battery, I’m glad to report that the laptop inherits the long lasting battery life from its predecessor. Like it, I’ve managed to push the MacBook Air 15 over 10 hours with an external monitor attached, and well over 14 hours on its own. And if needed, you can also use the USB-C port to charge it, which means you can actually hook it up to a power bank if the charger and MagSafe cable isn’t available.
Another delightful feature that’s carried over is the six-speaker setup, which performs equally as good as last year’s model. Audio is loud, crisp and clear, with decent sound staging and depth. It won’t replace your home stereo setup but for personal use, it does a hell of a good job.
What’s The Catch?
For one thing, the unchanged design of the new MacBook Air 15 M3 may not impress everyone. I personally had a tough time telling the difference between the laptop and M2 version when I placed them side by side, and it sure didn’t help that Apple decided to pass me the same Starlight colour.
Other than that, my gripes with the 2024 model are exactly the same as its predecessor. There’s only two USB-C ports with no other I/O options, Face ID support is still missing, and the large yet ugly notch on its display exists to only house a 1080p webcam.
And let’s not forget about its RM6,199 starting price, which will blow a hole in your wallet.
Should I Buy It?
If you’re thinking of upgrading from a MacBook that’s already several generations old, then the 2024 MacBook Air 15 is something you may want to consider getting. Even more so if you plan to stay within Apple’s ecosystem.
However, if you’re on the 15-inch M2 model, you can give this one a pass. Trust me, apart from the upgraded performance, you’re not missing out much.
