What Is Apple's Latest MacBook Innovation?

What Is Apple’s Latest MacBook Innovation?

Apple’s been on a tear with the latest updates to its MacBook line of computers. The newest MacBooks are the M3-powered 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air.

M3 MacBook Air.

Apple

The newest MacBook Air machines don’t differ drastically from the M2 models, but they’re faster and more capable overall—and still offer the ultra-thin build users know and love.

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MacBook Air (M3): 13-inch and 15-inch Models

The M3 MacBook Air arrived upon the heels of the 14-inch and 16-inch M3, M3 Max, and M3 Pro models. These MacBook Air laptops carry over the strengths from the M2 lineup with a few noticeable upgrades, including support for two external displays and performance that rivals the latest MacBook Pros.

Here’s a look at M3 MacBook Air specs:

Chip : Apple M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 8GB, up to 24GB of unified memory
Storage : 256GB, up to 2TB SSD
Battery : Up to 18 hours
Display : 13.6- and 15.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports

Is an M3 MacBook Air Worth It? 3 Reasons Why You Should Buy One

14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Chip

The M3 chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro represents the base option in the M3 chip family. Like its higher-performing counterparts, the M3 chips introduces accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing and a faster GPU.

Here are some key specs for the 14-inchM3 MacBook Pro :

Chip : Apple M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 8GB, up to 24GB of unified memory
Storage : 512GB, up to 2TB SSD
Battery : Up to 22 hours
Display : 14.2-inch Retina XDR display with True Tone and ProMotion technology
Ports and charging : Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro): 14-inch and 16-inch Models

The M3 Pro chip is available in both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. This chip increases processing power, storage, and memory.

Key M3 Pro MacBook specs include:

Chip : Apple M3 Pro, up to 12-core CPU, up to 18-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 18GB, up to 128GB of unified memory
Storage : 512GB, up to 8TB SSD
Battery : Up to 22 hours
Display : 14.2- and 16.2-inch Retina XDR display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : Three Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot

MacBook Pro (M3 Max): 14-inch and 16-inch Models

M3 Max MacBook Pros differ ever so slightly from the M3 Pro models. The main distinctions are the processor, storage, and memory options, which are significantly higher.

M3 Max specs to know:

Chip : Apple M3 Max, up to 16-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 18GB, up to 36GB of unified memory
Storage : 512GB, up to 4TB SSD
Battery : Up to 22 hours
Display : 14.2- and 16.2-inch Retina XDR display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : Three Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot

15-inch MacBook Air With M2 Chip

TheM2 MacBook Air packs a lot of power into a slim, not-as-light-as-the-smaller laptop. The 15-inch Air could be mistaken for the 14-inch Pro at a quick glance.

These are the specs for the M2 MacBook Air:

Chip : Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 8GB, up to 24GB of unified memory
Storage : 256GB, up to 2TB SSD
Battery : Up to 18 hours
Display : 15.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports

MacBook Pro (M2): 14-inch and 16-inch Models

Prior to the 15-inch Air, the latest additions to the MacBook family were the M2 updates to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. They jumped over the M2 and have either the M2 Pro or M2 Max.

The specs for the M2 MacBook Pro models:

Chips : Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max, 10- and 12-core CPU, 16- to 38-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : 16GB, up to 96GB of unified memory
Storage : 512GB, up to 8TB SSD
Battery : Up to 18 hours
Displays : 14.2- and 16.2-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : 3 Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot

13-inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip

TheM2 MacBook Pro is identical to the 13-inch M1 model in every way except for the chip. It even includes a Touch Bar and a headphone jack. The M2 model can be upgraded with more memory and storage, but aside from faster processing, the M1 and M2 models are the same out of the box.

If you already have a MacBook with the M1 chip, there’s no need to upgrade. That said, the M2 MacBook Pro is a budget-friendly alternative to the more expensive 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. But think of it more like the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air rather than the 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Here’s an overview of the specs:

Chip : Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory : Up to 24GB of unified memory
Storage : Up to 2TB SSD
Battery : Up to 20 hours
Display : 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
Ports and charging : Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
Sensors : Touch ID and Touch Bar, Force Touch trackpad

M3 MacBook Pro: News and Price, Release Date, Specs; and More

Previous MacBook Models

The Apple MacBook has made its presence known since 2006. The earliest models include the original MacBook and the first versions of the MacBook Pro.

You can find a comprehensive list of allMacBook Pro models andMacBook Air releases starting from 2006 and 2009, respectively, on Apple’s website. Here’s a quick overview of MacBook models as they’ve appeared over the years.

MacBook Pro 13-inch, M1 (2021)
MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch, M1 Pro or M1 Max (2021)
MacBook Pro 13-inch Intel and M1 (2020)
MacBook Air Retina, 13-inch and M1 (2020)
MacBook Pro 13-inch, 15-inch, and 16-inch (2019)
MacBook Air Retina, 13-inch (2018-2019)
MacBook Air 13-inch (2017)
MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch (2016-2018)
MacBook Pro Retina, 13-inch and 15-inch (2012-2015)
MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch (2012)
MacBook Air 11-inch and 13-inch (2009-2015)
MacBook Pro 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch (2009-2011)
MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch (2006-2008)

When Is the Best Time to Buy a MacBook?

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