M3 Macbook Air release date: Here’s everything you need to know

Benchmarks for M3 chip indicate that CPU is up to 21% faster than M2, and GPU is up to 15% faster

Emily Martin - Feb 13, 2024

A representational image of M3 chip. — Unsplash/file

With a heaping amount of buzz surrounding the release of Apple's upcoming Macbooks, rumours and speculations hint at the imminent release of the M3 Macbook Air with an steadiness in its design as no changes are expected.

Since Apple revealed 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models running on M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips at an event the company held in October last year, its just a matter of time when the M3 chip will make its way to the Macbook Air.

When will M3 Macbook Air will release?

The M2 MacBook Air was released in 2022, so it has been available for more than 18 months. In June 2023, Apple introduced the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air, and it is anticipated that both models will receive simultaneous updates in the future.

In July 2023, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, known for extensive reporting on Apple developments, initially stated that Apple might unveil an update to the 13-inch MacBook Air at a second fall event in 2023. However, he later revised his prediction, suggesting that we may have to wait until 2024 for a new MacBook Air.

In a newsletter he published in October, Gurman wrote: “Those waiting for a new MacBook Air will likely need to hold on a bit longer. I’m told that the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 models have just reached the EVT stage, or engineering verification test, which would put them on schedule for between spring and summer of next year at the earliest.”

In a follow up to his previously mentioned predictions, Gurman verified in late January 2024 that new MacBooks are being heavily produced. Sources indicate that the new MacBook Air will be released at the same time as new iPads in the spring.

Based on this information, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ models might launch with updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models, which are coming around March.

M3 Macbook Air performance

Earlier this year, Apple introduced the M3 chip in the updated MacBook Pro models. This chip is the first to be built on Apple's 3-nanometer process, which brings improvements in performance and efficiency.

Benchmarks for the M3 chip indicate that the CPU is up to 21% faster than the M2, and the GPU is up to 15% faster.