I want to know if the 16GB - 512GB version Macbook Air is perfect for graphic designing. And to use software like Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro (for small scale video editing), After effects, etc?
The pro is worth the upgrade for screen, speakers, battery, performance - if you are happy to pay for it. I have a M1 14" pro and its still bullet proof performance wise.
I had a 13inch pro, Quad core I5, it was bullet proof too, until about 2 weeks ago when the logic board fried and the battery gave up. Thats how macs go, they run great for about 5 years (heavy usage) then they just start crapping out. Battery or charging issue usually.
@@SwissCheese112 can confirm. My MacBook Pro 15inch just died last year. Bought it in 2018. 5 years of regular usage, video editing on FCPX and photos editing on Lightroom. One morning I opened it and nothing happened. Logic board died. That was painful. I'm careful with my purchases now.
@@TheDanEdwardsthe problem is the upgrade prices. $400 for 8gb and 512 is ridiculous. Just an example but the new HP Spectre cost $50 to go from 16 to 32gb
I purchased a Macbook Pro M3 Pro 18GB having come from a Macbook Air M2 16GB. I did not see any improvements, just additional bulk. I was hoping the additional memory helped. I decided to return the Macbook Pro and purchase a Macbook Air M3 with 24GB memory.
@@AyushBhadouria Unless you need something specifically that the M3 Pro chip offers, or you want the better display, I'd stick with the M2 Air with those specs. 16GB vs 18GB won't make much difference. Note: If you are doing something with heavy sustained loads, the M3 Pro might be better due to the active cooling system. (In my case, the fans rarely kick on). I hope this helps.
Kyle - Thanks for another helpful video. I’m a retired EE who has made the transition to the Apple infrastructure (phone, tablet, desktop) over the last year. I’ve got to say that I find your channel to be invariably helpful with straight, fact-based, honest opinions while omitting the oohs and ahhs of the unboxing videos, the corner cases some obsess over, and the WAGs about the next Apple announcement. Keep up the great work! Frank
Thanks for this. I was considering the Air, but I've had memory pressure with 16gb. I was tempted to get the M2 MacBook Pro SKU the just released that has 1tb and 24gb of RAM, but I broke down and bought the 16" MBP with 512 and 36GB RAM. Still, that's a very pricey difference. The whole thing was brought on by my base M1 Mac MIni starting to crap out on me when recording video. I love the more powerful machine, but the cost is still a big issue.
Very helpful, thank you. I've been holding off buying an M1/M2 Pro because I always liked the Air better. I don't need 120Hz or Mini Led or all the other gimmicks, that's why I never could get myself to buy a Pro. Since I do a lot of the things you do (Affinity, Adobe, Clip Studio, a little bit of Blender) I'm glad to know that the M3 can handle that type of work. Now I can finally pull the trigger and get an Air. Thank you very much for your review.
I traded my 2018 Intel MacBook Pro for a new MacBook Pro M3 8GB 512 and decided to exchange it for the MacBook Air M3 with 16GB and I think it's snappier than the M3 pro. I was hoping to not be disappointed with the slight downgrade on the display but I have no regrets. Mostly, I wanted a thinner unit and the 15" Air is perfect for me. I had some experience with the M1 Pro in 2020 and it was sooo much faster than my Intel Pro.
Thanks for the review! I ordered the 15 inch M3 MacBook Air with 24 GB memory and 2 TB SSD, awaiting delivery. The main reason is light weight, no fan that can break down, and it is my traveling companion and backup so I can still do full time consulting work when I’m not working at home on my M2 Ultra Mac Studio 64 GB 2 TB.
This video solidifies my decision to keep the 13” M3 air. I have until tomorrow to decide to keep it or get a Pro. I got the same version as you minus the Gb to 256 though. But I’m absolutely loving it so far. Thought maybe I’d need a pro, do I really. What I do, nope. And the 13” is perfect size for me.. I did talk my employer into getting me the M1 air that’s on sale. Working great, I’m doing office work and some editing and photo editing via canvas and websites. So glad they lowered the cost, I’m an Apple girly. But I am super excited about the M3 air. Plus STARLIGHT, need I say more.
I'm debating myself on going from a 16" older pro model to the 13" Air (instead of the 15). I keep telling myself I'm wanting a more compact laptop, but screen real estate is something I do worry bout. I do office work myself - have you come across any use cases where you have wished you had the 15" air instead by now?
Hi from New Zealand Kyle! Excellent video and just what i needed.. my 2017 super spec'd quad core intel Macbook Pro just developed a screen fault and I decided it was time to upgrade.. to the new Macbook Pro.. OF COURSE! I couldn't believe my luck that the new M3 Air has JUST been released. You know how it is, it's usually "oh i just bought the M2 and the M3 is out. Not this time! And after a bunch of videos your very detailed review sealed the deal. Instead of spending a boatload more I'm going with the Macbook Air 15.. I use FCP and a bunch of other programs of course, and I'm feeling super happy to go with the Air (as I'm about to travel for 6 months) and it looks like it'll do everything I need. THANKS! You saved me considerable dollars.. it hasn't arrived yet but I ordered after watching this, so chur bro! (as we say in NZ.. or choice brutha.. LOL)
@@possiblyinsane6995 The M3s have the best single core performance in the laptop industry based on Geekbench 6 scores. Otherwise, you are correct about everything else. M1 Pro 14-inch > M3 Air outside of single core performance.
@@possiblyinsane6995 it will not overheat if you will work in normal way without intensive computations. I will use XCode, JetBrains sometimes it is needed for additional RAM.
@@studymainiano it is not. I made a comparsion table and any way a Pro-version begins from $~3000, and M3 Air I bought for ~2100. It is near by $1000 difference for fan+few cores.
Great review. It's great how you get straight to the meat of this without all of the waffle almost all reviewers suffer from. I never once felt like I had to fast forward or speed up your video. You've also got me thinking about selling my M1 Pro MBP and replacing it with the M3 Air.
@Leon-tm5tj checking the specs on my M1 Pro and you're probably right -- it's got a 10-core CPU and 14-core GPU, 200GB/s memory bandwidth and a fan of course.
Have been going back and forth between the 15" air and the 14" pro, my biggest concern is the heat, the 14" having a fan vs the conductive cooling of the air is the 1 thing that I worry about, I do a lit of parametric modeling (free cad) for 3d printing and cad work but I think you have answered the performance questions around that so its just the heat, and perhaps the ruggedness of the air vs the pro.
I have the M1 Pro 14 inch. Great machine. But if they ever come out with an Air with USB C on BOTH sides and a mini led option I’d really have to think about it.
If you're leaning toward just getting a new laptop that you occasionally use with an external monitor then why not? If you're using your MPB like it's a Nintendo switch, where it IS your desktop computer and can be a hand held as well then of course get the MBP. By the same measurement no one would get Macbooks at all and just get iPads.
For $100 more you can just get the m3 MBP which has better screen (brightness), speakers, more ports, a fan so it doesnt get throttled and overheat and it's only 90 grams heavier than the 15' m3 MBA
I'm actually torn between the base M3 macbook pro and the 15 inch air. For me, the decision is really down to the display, is the air's display really not noticeably worse than the pro for most general use cases?
I’ve had both and gone back and forth between them. Honestly it’s not that noticeable unless you’re doing heavy media consumption. The thing I notice the most is the 120hz refresh but even then only 60 isn’t terrible unless I’m gaming.
Right, so I got an iPhone 15 pro instead of the regular model simply because my eye seems to really pick up on and appreciate the higher refresh rate. That said, do you think the OS animations in the macbook pro really make the most of 120 hz and does it make the whole computer seem more responsive?@@Thatbeardedguy86
I was in the same boat and went with the pro. I compared both screens at an Apple store and felt the pro was brighter/smoother in SDR and definitely better for HDR. Also wanted 16mb ram/512mb storage and the price difference was only $100. For that money you get a better screen, more ports, and fan for cooling chip. Biggest downside is loss of screen real estate.
I've gotten the M3 MacBook Air yesterday as an upgrade from the M1 MacBook Air. I even had double the ram and storage on the M3 MacBook Air to make it worth the upgrade from the M1 MacBook Air!
Nice video thank you! I'm in the market for a new mac (my first one) and I cant decide between the 16gb ram Air or the 8gb pro...both m3. I'm gonna use it for Figma mostly and light browsing. What is your suggestion?
I was caught between the 13" Air and a 14" MBP. I really don't love the fact that the air doesn't have a fan. Not that I really do anything intensive on a laptop, but if/when I do, it seems silly to have it throttled because it has no fan. I just happened to get $300 off the 14" MBP w/ 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, so it ended up being the same price as a 13" Air w/ 16GB RAM/1TB SSD. I'd recommend folks looking for deals like that at Best Buy and other stores, unless you really want to save that
Which MacBook is better for video editing? Both are almost the same price on Education sale. MacBook air m2 16gb 512gb VS MacBook air M3 16gb 256gb. Or, anything else do you recommend?
Looking at the specs of the M3 air, i’m not considering the M3 Pro at all. I do lots of photo editing, cleaning up in Photoshop, editing in Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve. And Ive done all of that with my almost 10 year old Pro (definitely not all at once lol!)
I was making the decision between the Air and the M3 Pro. I could definitely get by with the Air but the M3 Pro is going for around $1600 in the refurb store and I couldn’t turn that down.
@@possiblyinsane6995 I got a 18gb/1tb M3 Pro (the processor upgrade) for $1800. You’re not going to find that for anywhere near that price outside of refurb. And Apple’s refurb program is *excellent*
I have a base M2 MBA and it is also an amazing machine. I prefer the Air to the Pro series fro the reason theyv are so easy to carry when you are on the go and powerful enought to do all kind of jobs even photo editing. For me the most important is my creativity more than the last technology I am looking for good machines able to help me this si why I really like the Air line-up.
Its about time i found someone talking about the 16gb configuration of M3 MBA that im hopefully getting this weekend. So what i gather as an aspiring video editor is: 1. Go easy on the heavy VFX (im a rookie/novice at best lol) 2. Its a well rounded and extra portable system with a lot to offer (im very excited to have a quality machine to bring places) Good video friend! Thanks!
I really frustrated with screen because could not watch any movie with full screen. The black lines up and bottom does not disappear neither in youtube or any browser (safari, mozilla) full screen video. This is also same as in your screen. My dell laptop i bought in 2012 still work very vell and watch any movie in full screen. Do i miss something?
I just ordered a new macbook air 13 with 16GB ram after having my macbook pro 2017 for over 7 years at that point. (still works) For me the price plays a role in making a decision, also that the air is lighter. I tested both of them in the store. Yes, I wish I had the even better display, even better keyboard, battery and speakers but do I need it or better saying is it worth my 500 + Euros more -> No and I really want a light portable device. Hopefully I will be happy with the air
how has it been? im between just getting the 16gb m3 air and balling out with the 18gb m3 pro. I also want a sleek design but i feel like the 120hz screen and performance might just be worth it?
THE Review that I was looking for. Thanks! Just a banal question, for the blender renders, what if I opt for a 16 GB RAM Air and compare its swiftness with M3 Pro one? Will the Air be better. Just trying to work out which one suits me best. I certainly wouldn't want a 100° hot device on my lap.
Sorry for the silly question but If i’m using it for say netflix or photo editing for 4 hours straight, would it get really heated up? How long until it does actually start heating up
Great video!! The only thing I wish the air had is 120hz+ refresh rate. Outside of that I have no reason to opt for the pro as the advancements in the air fully support my needs and more (heavy productivity workflows + light photoshop)
Three of my sons and I have 16" or 14" Pro models (M1 & M2 Pros). We just bought this exact machine for my wife and she loves it. For what she is doing, probably the most demanding being photo editing from time to time, it's almost overkill but should last her for many years to come. While I just saw your video after purchase many of your points are the exact same reasons we went with this one! Excellent points!
So I have a dilemma. I’m looking at getting a replacement for my 2013 MacBook Pro that is been a great computer this entire time. I’m looking at a MacBook Air M3 with 16 GB of ram and a one terabyte hard drive versus an M2 air with 24 GB of ram and one terabyte Ssd. The price is essentially the same, but I cannot decide which would be better long-term.
Hello and thank you for that interesting Video. I am also looking for a MacBook at the moment and I am still not sure between a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. I want to use the MacBook for some Gaming most of the time and also outdoors. My thought is that the MAcbook pro with its fan inside that cools the chip down and the better display on the pro would be better for that purpose than the Air. Whatdo you think?
Music production is not as demanding as video production, which is I proved and favoured in the M3 over the previous 2 generations. You should be fine with 16g, and the air will be preferable as no fans mean no noise. But you'll need a thunderbolt dock, as you'll probably also need to link a sound interface. And some external SSD disks, which make more sense than going above 512gb of Ram. You may find good deals on the m2 variants, which are better for sound production anyway.
Okay cool ! So , I only need one usbc.. I have the UAD Apollo and it works fine with only one usbc port. 2 TB ssd is enough for my library stuff . I think I take 24gb ram ..
I have a 13inch macbook air w M3 and i was worried if it will perform to my expectations. I had a 16inch macbook pro w m3 max processor before this 13. I am very impressed w the macbook air. Its on all the time, no gaming but several apps open all the time, its on all the time. It only has 8gb ram but ive yet to see it slow down.
The ability to use more external displays is a huge plus...I wish my M2 Air could get that feature with a software update as it seems like it is more of a software limitation. I won't be upgrading anytime soon, so that would make me far more satisfied with my M2 macbook.
3:21 Actually MacBook Air M3 supports up to 11 Full HD monitors via DisplayLink. For example, using StarTech quad dock you can have four external monitors with the lid open.
In that case, it's not Mac that supports it, it's DisplayLink that enables it. I wouldn't recommend anyone use DisplayLink unless they have to, personally.
I noticed mine gets pretty hot on the bottom without really doing much. Is that normal since it’s passive cooling and is it something to be concerned about regarding the hardware under the hood?
I'm slowly drifting out of software development as I approach the age of 40. Looking at grabbing a Macbook Air M3 13 inch for writing / screenwriting and light video editing. I'm a little concerned that I might need to get a Mac Mini or Mac Studio with more GPU cores eventually for video editing. I tried a Surface Pro 9 for awhile, but it doesn't feel like the right platform to write on. It's not a bad device, but I don't love the keyboard and I need a little more room. I appreciate that the Air can be used with two monitors now. That's pretty huge. I'm hoping to work on a short film on my Macbook Air. Thinking I might need to grab an external drive (only got the 512GB), but hoping to capture my footage on my iPhone 15 Pro.
Hi Kyle Great video ! I was wandering do you think the MacBook Air i/o is a limitation and how do you manage storage ? I was thinking of getting a pro book and use the SD slot for additional storage .
I run everything through external SSDs and a thunderbolt hub at my desk. I'd personally never use SD for storage as it's super slow, but if you don't care about speed and you're just looking for something small and easy that doesn't drain battery, I guess it'd work.
Cheers buddy, would you listing your external ssd setup. I am looking to start creating content and storage is an area where I want to be sure I am good back up solution
8gb of RAM is not enough, my M1 air doesn't feel smooth when I use it. I'm not a heavy user, I mostly use it for browsing and it feels like some sort of elephant straining to fit in the laptop. I mean, if you're an experienced laptop/pc user you can say in no time that this piece of gear feels slow. A browser on my 5 years old 400$ PC with 16gb of RAM feels like a breathe of air in comparison with Macbook M1. If you want to buy a macbook for a minimal price, the best choise is to find an older M1 version for 600-700$, but not a 1000$ M3! If you really want to have the latest thing, wait a bit and buy a version with at least 16gb of RAM when you'll have a bit more money or wait for a sale.
My base MB Pro 13 M1 is 3.5 years old and still super-fast. I use some housekeeping tips to keep it running like a beast. They are just general care and attention, and they work for me. I restart at least once a week. I close windows I am not using. Overnight, I close out windows to clear the cache and set the browser to reopen previous closed windows. I do not use tabs; I have a separate window for each website. These keep my Mac blistering fast and comparable with 16GB Windows alternatives.
been enjoying your videos for awhile and recently subscribed. have you considered or have you made any coding tutorial videos? would be interested to at least see your coding workflow and any videos to help those just getting into iOS app development (or any development)
XHDR screen and 6 piece speaker system really take watching movies on it to whole different level, the bigger 14.2” screen is cherry on top. Also having the fans helps a ton for sustained performance (MacBook air throttles significantly after any heavy task of more than 10mins). You get all of these benefits for just $100 more, thats no brainer to me.
I do Mobile development & use Android studio which is really resource hungry software on windows. But, on My M2 Air 16, 512, I find it doing way better. The build time is reduced by 30 to 40%. Well my windows PC had i5 7th gen, 8 GB RAM. But man! This is still so fast! I don't use GPU much. I'm not into video editing and all that. So for me, Air series is more than enough. 🙌🏻
@@saulgood2366 May I know what you consider as pros then? You don't seem to be able to answer it either. Need more time to get the answer from the internet?
Budget and specs, let’s say you have $1700, you have the m3 air and m3 pro. The airs starts at $1099 with 8 core gpu 8 gigs of ram and 256gb ssd. The pro starts at $1599 10 core gpu 8 gigs of ram and 512ssd. If you put $400 dollars into the air you get a 10 core gpu 16 gigs or ram 512 ssd, now your at the same price as the pro but you have 8 more gigs of ram. If you put more than a $100 on your pro you will exceed your budget if you want to have a 10 core gpu 16 gigs of ram and a 512ssd will put you at $1800, so if you have a budget of $1800 you can get an air with a 10 core gpu 24 gigs of ram with a 512ssd, or a 10 core gpu with 16 gigs of ram and 1tb of storage. At this point I would personally choose the air, more colors and a better bang for your buck. Besides a little smaller screen, but the choice is yours I’m only in 8th grade but I would like to get a base air. I hope you can find the Mac you like.
So I am wondering if I brought a lemon… I just brought the m3 a week ago… my first Mac.. and it’s extremely slow and glitchy. I’m considering returning it
Just so no one has to ask anymore, the wallpapers are here 😂iokyle.gumroad.com/l/venl
what about the wallpaper in 0:02 ?
@@lielazulay2206 I wasn't happy with it, so it didn't make the cut
@@KyleErickson thats a shame I would pay money just for it 😅 it looks great
I want to know if the 16GB - 512GB version Macbook Air is perfect for graphic designing. And to use software like Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro (for small scale video editing), After effects, etc?
Thanks for the link. I just purchased.
The pro is worth the upgrade for screen, speakers, battery, performance - if you are happy to pay for it. I have a M1 14" pro and its still bullet proof performance wise.
But will it be that big of a difference for a average user?
@@x6da9crain yes it would because the screen and speakers are noticeably better even for an average user, whoever that may be.
I had a 13inch pro, Quad core I5, it was bullet proof too, until about 2 weeks ago when the logic board fried and the battery gave up.
Thats how macs go, they run great for about 5 years (heavy usage) then they just start crapping out. Battery or charging issue usually.
@@SwissCheese112 can confirm. My MacBook Pro 15inch just died last year.
Bought it in 2018.
5 years of regular usage, video editing on FCPX and photos editing on Lightroom.
One morning I opened it and nothing happened.
Logic board died.
That was painful.
I'm careful with my purchases now.
battery not that much better, if someone has ipad pro with oled i dont see why you’d get mbp pro. you can get mb air and sidecar to you ipadpro
Someone needs to tell Apple that a 8 gb RAM, 256 SSD laptop in 2024 is unacceptable.
What is stopping you from buying a MacBook with more RAM and a bigger SSD?
@@TheDanEdwardsthe problem is the upgrade prices. $400 for 8gb and 512 is ridiculous. Just an example but the new HP Spectre cost $50 to go from 16 to 32gb
then why are you here@@Thatbeardedguy86
Acceptable for those who can actually afford
Bunch of Reddit idiots commenting
JUST the video I’ve been looking for! Love your balance on content/talk
I purchased a Macbook Pro M3 Pro 18GB having come from a Macbook Air M2 16GB. I did not see any improvements, just additional bulk. I was hoping the additional memory helped. I decided to return the Macbook Pro and purchase a Macbook Air M3 with 24GB memory.
What type of work do you do on your Macs?
You have the same range of machines I have. (M2 Air 16GB, and an MBP Pro 18GB). I agree with you.
@@ellisz5972 hey i am confused between getting the air m2 16gb 512gb or spending 480 dollars more on the m3pro 18gb 512gb.
@@AyushBhadouria Unless you need something specifically that the M3 Pro chip offers, or you want the better display, I'd stick with the M2 Air with those specs.
16GB vs 18GB won't make much difference.
Note: If you are doing something with heavy sustained loads, the M3 Pro might be better due to the active cooling system. (In my case, the fans rarely kick on).
I hope this helps.
why would you do that. M3 macbook air doesnt have a 24 gb 😂
Kyle - Thanks for another helpful video. I’m a retired EE who has made the transition to the Apple infrastructure (phone, tablet, desktop) over the last year. I’ve got to say that I find your channel to be invariably helpful with straight, fact-based, honest opinions while omitting the oohs and ahhs of the unboxing videos, the corner cases some obsess over, and the WAGs about the next Apple announcement. Keep up the great work! Frank
Just bought the MacBook Air M3 in starlight and LOVE it! I'm using it for school as well. the transition was smooth from my 2020 MacBook
How’re u liking it so far? What specs would you recommend for a computer science undergrad student?
@@umairx25m1 is all it needs
The quality of your videos are 200%. I see you as one of the top tech RUclipsrs out there. It is a joy to watch your videos. The visuals are STUNNING!
Amazing video, love the production quality and the information is spot on as it's generalized to everyone and not just tech enthusiasts.
Gorgeous desk setup 🤙🏻 love the green wall and wood
That was the best review I've watched for these new models. You've saved me a few hundred bucks--Thank you!
Thanks for this. I was considering the Air, but I've had memory pressure with 16gb. I was tempted to get the M2 MacBook Pro SKU the just released that has 1tb and 24gb of RAM, but I broke down and bought the 16" MBP with 512 and 36GB RAM. Still, that's a very pricey difference. The whole thing was brought on by my base M1 Mac MIni starting to crap out on me when recording video. I love the more powerful machine, but the cost is still a big issue.
Very helpful, thank you. I've been holding off buying an M1/M2 Pro because I always liked the Air better. I don't need 120Hz or Mini Led or all the other gimmicks, that's why I never could get myself to buy a Pro. Since I do a lot of the things you do (Affinity, Adobe, Clip Studio, a little bit of Blender) I'm glad to know that the M3 can handle that type of work. Now I can finally pull the trigger and get an Air. Thank you very much for your review.
I traded my 2018 Intel MacBook Pro for a new MacBook Pro M3 8GB 512 and decided to exchange it for the MacBook Air M3 with 16GB and I think it's snappier than the M3 pro. I was hoping to not be disappointed with the slight downgrade on the display but I have no regrets. Mostly, I wanted a thinner unit and the 15" Air is perfect for me. I had some experience with the M1 Pro in 2020 and it was sooo much faster than my Intel Pro.
Where to find the wallpaper ? Thats a crazy one
Thanks for the review! I ordered the 15 inch M3 MacBook Air with 24 GB memory and 2 TB SSD, awaiting delivery. The main reason is light weight, no fan that can break down, and it is my traveling companion and backup so I can still do full time consulting work when I’m not working at home on my M2 Ultra Mac Studio 64 GB 2 TB.
Can you please compare this 16/512 model m3 air with the base m3 MacBook pro performance wise in the long run
This video solidifies my decision to keep the 13” M3 air. I have until tomorrow to decide to keep it or get a Pro. I got the same version as you minus the Gb to 256 though. But I’m absolutely loving it so far. Thought maybe I’d need a pro, do I really. What I do, nope. And the 13” is perfect size for me.. I did talk my employer into getting me the M1 air that’s on sale. Working great, I’m doing office work and some editing and photo editing via canvas and websites. So glad they lowered the cost, I’m an Apple girly. But I am super excited about the M3 air. Plus STARLIGHT, need I say more.
I'm debating myself on going from a 16" older pro model to the 13" Air (instead of the 15). I keep telling myself I'm wanting a more compact laptop, but screen real estate is something I do worry bout. I do office work myself - have you come across any use cases where you have wished you had the 15" air instead by now?
This was a genuinely useful review, thank you Kyle
Hi from New Zealand Kyle! Excellent video and just what i needed.. my 2017 super spec'd quad core intel Macbook Pro just developed a screen fault and I decided it was time to upgrade.. to the new Macbook Pro.. OF COURSE! I couldn't believe my luck that the new M3 Air has JUST been released. You know how it is, it's usually "oh i just bought the M2 and the M3 is out. Not this time! And after a bunch of videos your very detailed review sealed the deal. Instead of spending a boatload more I'm going with the Macbook Air 15.. I use FCP and a bunch of other programs of course, and I'm feeling super happy to go with the Air (as I'm about to travel for 6 months) and it looks like it'll do everything I need. THANKS! You saved me considerable dollars.. it hasn't arrived yet but I ordered after watching this, so chur bro! (as we say in NZ.. or choice brutha.. LOL)
love that wallpaper where did you get it?
I just bought the 15 inch version with 16GB and hope it works well for me as a designer and going into web design, UI /UX.
The only thing holding me back from getting one of these is my M1 Pro MBP 14. It's paid for 🙂
why would you get an m3 to replace your m1 pro, the m1 pro will run circles around the m3.
@@possiblyinsane6995 I know, that was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. It sounded funnier in my head.
@@possiblyinsane6995 The M3s have the best single core performance in the laptop industry based on Geekbench 6 scores. Otherwise, you are correct about everything else. M1 Pro 14-inch > M3 Air outside of single core performance.
Bro I need your wallpapers? I need em. Love your content! You kick ass! My new fav tech reviewer.
Thanx for the review, Kyle! I‘ve decided to order the MacBook Air 15” M3 with 24 GB RAM! 👍
what do you want all that ram for, whats your workload this piece of garbage overheats
If you can pay that much then get a pro bro
@@possiblyinsane6995 it will not overheat if you will work in normal way without intensive computations. I will use XCode, JetBrains sometimes it is needed for additional RAM.
@@studymainiano it is not. I made a comparsion table and any way a Pro-version begins from $~3000, and M3 Air I bought for ~2100. It is near by $1000 difference for fan+few cores.
@@drkovalex Hmm just bought a new pro m3 pro chip for $1999. 18gb and 512 gm. So almost roughly same price range. Now the Max starts at around $3k ish
Just buy my Macbook air M3 15inches last week, i am very impressed with this slim guy! I love it!
Great review. It's great how you get straight to the meat of this without all of the waffle almost all reviewers suffer from. I never once felt like I had to fast forward or speed up your video. You've also got me thinking about selling my M1 Pro MBP and replacing it with the M3 Air.
@Leon-tm5tj checking the specs on my M1 Pro and you're probably right -- it's got a 10-core CPU and 14-core GPU, 200GB/s memory bandwidth and a fan of course.
Have been going back and forth between the 15" air and the 14" pro, my biggest concern is the heat, the 14" having a fan vs the conductive cooling of the air is the 1 thing that I worry about, I do a lit of parametric modeling (free cad) for 3d printing and cad work but I think you have answered the performance questions around that so its just the heat, and perhaps the ruggedness of the air vs the pro.
Which MacBook do you use?
Get the pro
I have the M1 Pro 14 inch. Great machine. But if they ever come out with an Air with USB C on BOTH sides and a mini led option I’d really have to think about it.
Nicely explained, tests, test results, video editing thing, so on and added info.. thanks man!
If you're leaning toward just getting a new laptop that you occasionally use with an external monitor then why not? If you're using your MPB like it's a Nintendo switch, where it IS your desktop computer and can be a hand held as well then of course get the MBP.
By the same measurement no one would get Macbooks at all and just get iPads.
Great review. Wondering if I should replace my m1 MBP 14" for the 15" M3 Air. Can't wait for the new wallpaper pack.
For $100 more you can just get the m3 MBP which has better screen (brightness), speakers, more ports, a fan so it doesnt get throttled and overheat and it's only 90 grams heavier than the 15' m3 MBA
Yup I looked at them both and was a hard decision . For me the extra real estate on the 15 Air screen was more important.
Macbook air m3 16/512 or Macbook pro m3 8/512 ?
I'm actually torn between the base M3 macbook pro and the 15 inch air. For me, the decision is really down to the display, is the air's display really not noticeably worse than the pro for most general use cases?
I’ve had both and gone back and forth between them. Honestly it’s not that noticeable unless you’re doing heavy media consumption. The thing I notice the most is the 120hz refresh but even then only 60 isn’t terrible unless I’m gaming.
Right, so I got an iPhone 15 pro instead of the regular model simply because my eye seems to really pick up on and appreciate the higher refresh rate. That said, do you think the OS animations in the macbook pro really make the most of 120 hz and does it make the whole computer seem more responsive?@@Thatbeardedguy86
I was in the same boat and went with the pro. I compared both screens at an Apple store and felt the pro was brighter/smoother in SDR and definitely better for HDR. Also wanted 16mb ram/512mb storage and the price difference was only $100. For that money you get a better screen, more ports, and fan for cooling chip. Biggest downside is loss of screen real estate.
I've gotten the M3 MacBook Air yesterday as an upgrade from the M1 MacBook Air. I even had double the ram and storage on the M3 MacBook Air to make it worth the upgrade from the M1 MacBook Air!
Should I get the Macbook pro M1 16Go RAM and 512 Go SSD or The Macbook Air M3 16Go RAM and 512 Go SSD ?
I wish MacBook Air M4 would have OLED 120hz screen, it would be perfect and best laptop ever:)
What software/app did you use to see the performance of the Mac? Great video!
outstanding review go ahead you review one device in very different aspect thank you
I’m considering upgrading to the M3 MacBook Air from my mid 2019 MacBook Air
I’ve said many times: no more 60 Hz displays for me. On any device. Ever. That’s why I stick to a MBP (120 Hz).
*Each new device* "Best money can buy"
Nice video thank you! I'm in the market for a new mac (my first one) and I cant decide between the 16gb ram Air or the 8gb pro...both m3.
I'm gonna use it for Figma mostly and light browsing.
What is your suggestion?
I was caught between the 13" Air and a 14" MBP. I really don't love the fact that the air doesn't have a fan. Not that I really do anything intensive on a laptop, but if/when I do, it seems silly to have it throttled because it has no fan. I just happened to get $300 off the 14" MBP w/ 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, so it ended up being the same price as a 13" Air w/ 16GB RAM/1TB SSD. I'd recommend folks looking for deals like that at Best Buy and other stores, unless you really want to save that
Which MacBook is better for video editing? Both are almost the same price on Education sale. MacBook air m2 16gb 512gb VS MacBook air M3 16gb 256gb.
Or, anything else do you recommend?
Same question here.
@@stormtrooper253 I bought the M3 model.
Do you think someone who just wants to make heavy unity builds occasionally, will air work?
Does the air m3 8gb ram worth it? for light ios development + web and mainly productivity work (product managment) ?
15 inch 8gb/512 m3 air OR 13 inch 16gb/512 m3 air....
which ones better? I am a student. Heavy use next 3 years for sure.
Always go for more RAM
Cool video, thanks. I went and ordered MBA 13" M3 24GB 1TB 🚀
Bruh that makes absolutely no sense. Just get the pro at that point.
@@caydenpo1001you realise for the 14 inch pro 1 tb and 24 gb it’s like 400 more at least over here in the UK
@@caydenpo1001 it does makes sense to me, to match this configuration PRO would cost me another £350/400 and it's heavier etc.
Looking at the specs of the M3 air, i’m not considering the M3 Pro at all. I do lots of photo editing, cleaning up in Photoshop, editing in Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve. And Ive done all of that with my almost 10 year old Pro (definitely not all at once lol!)
Nice info. Returned MacBook Pro and waiting on my MacBook Air M3 to arrive. Thank you
Thanks for making these videos! I've been so sort between Mac models
Does the paint on Midnight's sockets chip after months/years of use?
100% at the point! Good review - Thnx!
How did you get that wallpaper in 4:58…pls help I like it
Excellent info, New Subscriber and a comment for your algorithm!
I was making the decision between the Air and the M3 Pro. I could definitely get by with the Air but the M3 Pro is going for around $1600 in the refurb store and I couldn’t turn that down.
its going for 1,699 and is only three hundred dollars less. why get a used one? especially when you can get it brand new on sale a lot of the times.
@@possiblyinsane6995 I got a 18gb/1tb M3 Pro (the processor upgrade) for $1800. You’re not going to find that for anywhere near that price outside of refurb. And Apple’s refurb program is *excellent*
Helpful video. Any reason to upgrade my M1 Air 16gb 1 Tb SSD?
I have a base M2 MBA and it is also an amazing machine. I prefer the Air to the Pro series fro the reason theyv are so easy to carry when you are on the go and powerful enought to do all kind of jobs even photo editing. For me the most important is my creativity more than the last technology I am looking for good machines able to help me this si why I really like the Air line-up.
Its about time i found someone talking about the 16gb configuration of M3 MBA that im hopefully getting this weekend.
So what i gather as an aspiring video editor is:
1. Go easy on the heavy VFX (im a rookie/novice at best lol)
2. Its a well rounded and extra portable system with a lot to offer (im very excited to have a quality machine to bring places)
Good video friend! Thanks!
I really frustrated with screen because could not watch any movie with full screen. The black lines up and bottom does not disappear neither in youtube or any browser (safari, mozilla) full screen video. This is also same as in your screen. My dell laptop i bought in 2012 still work very vell and watch any movie in full screen. Do i miss something?
I just ordered a new macbook air 13 with 16GB ram after having my macbook pro 2017 for over 7 years at that point. (still works) For me the price plays a role in making a decision, also that the air is lighter. I tested both of them in the store. Yes, I wish I had the even better display, even better keyboard, battery and speakers but do I need it or better saying is it worth my 500 + Euros more -> No and I really want a light portable device. Hopefully I will be happy with the air
how has it been? im between just getting the 16gb m3 air and balling out with the 18gb m3 pro. I also want a sleek design but i feel like the 120hz screen and performance might just be worth it?
THE Review that I was looking for. Thanks! Just a banal question, for the blender renders, what if I opt for a 16 GB RAM Air and compare its swiftness with M3 Pro one? Will the Air be better. Just trying to work out which one suits me best. I certainly wouldn't want a 100° hot device on my lap.
Sorry for the silly question but If i’m using it for say netflix or photo editing for 4 hours straight, would it get really heated up? How long until it does actually start heating up
Great video!! The only thing I wish the air had is 120hz+ refresh rate. Outside of that I have no reason to opt for the pro as the advancements in the air fully support my needs and more (heavy productivity workflows + light photoshop)
Three of my sons and I have 16" or 14" Pro models (M1 & M2 Pros). We just bought this exact machine for my wife and she loves it. For what she is doing, probably the most demanding being photo editing from time to time, it's almost overkill but should last her for many years to come. While I just saw your video after purchase many of your points are the exact same reasons we went with this one! Excellent points!
So I have a dilemma. I’m looking at getting a replacement for my 2013 MacBook Pro that is been a great computer this entire time. I’m looking at a MacBook Air M3 with 16 GB of ram and a one terabyte hard drive versus an M2 air with 24 GB of ram and one terabyte Ssd. The price is essentially the same, but I cannot decide which would be better long-term.
I got my M3 16GB 512Gb 13” today! Love it
Hello and thank you for that interesting Video. I am also looking for a MacBook at the moment and I am still not sure between a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. I want to use the MacBook for some Gaming most of the time and also outdoors. My thought is that the MAcbook pro with its fan inside that cools the chip down and the better display on the pro would be better for that purpose than the Air. Whatdo you think?
If you want to do gaming then MacBooks are not it. Get a windows one at the same price and are much better at it
If your videos were a movie, they would win the Oscar for best photography. I just love the colors
Happy with mine. Compiles code quicker than my desktop. It’ll do.😊
What can you recommend for music productions .. logic and the air or pro ? 24gb / 2 tb air ?
Music production is not as demanding as video production, which is I proved and favoured in the M3 over the previous 2 generations. You should be fine with 16g, and the air will be preferable as no fans mean no noise. But you'll need a thunderbolt dock, as you'll probably also need to link a sound interface. And some external SSD disks, which make more sense than going above 512gb of Ram. You may find good deals on the m2 variants, which are better for sound production anyway.
Okay cool ! So , I only need one usbc.. I have the UAD Apollo and it works fine with only one usbc port. 2 TB ssd is enough for my library stuff . I think I take 24gb ram ..
excellent video - subscribed
I have a 13inch macbook air w M3 and i was worried if it will perform to my expectations. I had a 16inch macbook pro w m3 max processor before this 13. I am very impressed w the macbook air. Its on all the time, no gaming but several apps open all the time, its on all the time. It only has 8gb ram but ive yet to see it slow down.
Hi Kyle! As always really nice video. Which widget is the second 12, the one with the activity graph
The ability to use more external displays is a huge plus...I wish my M2 Air could get that feature with a software update as it seems like it is more of a software limitation. I won't be upgrading anytime soon, so that would make me far more satisfied with my M2 macbook.
Looking forward to the follow up video!
What about the base model which I can afford with 8 Gb of RAM?
Thank you for this vid, very useful ❤️🔥
3:21 Actually MacBook Air M3 supports up to 11 Full HD monitors via DisplayLink.
For example, using StarTech quad dock you can have four external monitors with the lid open.
In that case, it's not Mac that supports it, it's DisplayLink that enables it. I wouldn't recommend anyone use DisplayLink unless they have to, personally.
Love mine, got the base model but I don't push mine to hard but once an awhile, very happy!
I noticed mine gets pretty hot on the bottom without really doing much. Is that normal since it’s passive cooling and is it something to be concerned about regarding the hardware under the hood?
Which MacBook Pro? Planning on getting an M2 Touchbar. Refurb
I'm slowly drifting out of software development as I approach the age of 40. Looking at grabbing a Macbook Air M3 13 inch for writing / screenwriting and light video editing. I'm a little concerned that I might need to get a Mac Mini or Mac Studio with more GPU cores eventually for video editing.
I tried a Surface Pro 9 for awhile, but it doesn't feel like the right platform to write on. It's not a bad device, but I don't love the keyboard and I need a little more room. I appreciate that the Air can be used with two monitors now. That's pretty huge.
I'm hoping to work on a short film on my Macbook Air. Thinking I might need to grab an external drive (only got the 512GB), but hoping to capture my footage on my iPhone 15 Pro.
Is the 8 gb ram enough for graphic design?
Hi Kyle
Great video !
I was wandering do you think the MacBook Air i/o is a limitation and how do you manage storage ?
I was thinking of getting a pro book and use the SD slot for additional storage .
I run everything through external SSDs and a thunderbolt hub at my desk. I'd personally never use SD for storage as it's super slow, but if you don't care about speed and you're just looking for something small and easy that doesn't drain battery, I guess it'd work.
Cheers buddy, would you listing your external ssd setup. I am looking to start creating content and storage is an area where I want to be sure I am good back up solution
8gb of RAM is not enough, my M1 air doesn't feel smooth when I use it. I'm not a heavy user, I mostly use it for browsing and it feels like some sort of elephant straining to fit in the laptop. I mean, if you're an experienced laptop/pc user you can say in no time that this piece of gear feels slow. A browser on my 5 years old 400$ PC with 16gb of RAM feels like a breathe of air in comparison with Macbook M1. If you want to buy a macbook for a minimal price, the best choise is to find an older M1 version for 600-700$, but not a 1000$ M3! If you really want to have the latest thing, wait a bit and buy a version with at least 16gb of RAM when you'll have a bit more money or wait for a sale.
My base MB Pro 13 M1 is 3.5 years old and still super-fast. I use some housekeeping tips to keep it running like a beast. They are just general care and attention, and they work for me. I restart at least once a week. I close windows I am not using. Overnight, I close out windows to clear the cache and set the browser to reopen previous closed windows. I do not use tabs; I have a separate window for each website. These keep my Mac blistering fast and comparable with 16GB Windows alternatives.
I'd like to know how the choices handle Logic Pro. Not sure how you do that. Is there a speed test that addresses this? Youth wants to know.
Very good review.
where did you get that colorful splash background?!
What monitors are you using, Kyle? Are you happy with the setup?
studio display right now, but trying some other gear out soon
@@KyleErickson and the vertical one?
hey buddy is macbook air m3 with 8GB ram and 256GB SSD comfortable for coding
Great review. Curious to know (ballpark) what cpu temps were like using just design and photo editing software. Thoughts?
I'll look into that more when I make the actual Air vs Pro video
@@KyleErickson Cool! Looking forward to it.
Thanks for this great content ❤
been enjoying your videos for awhile and recently subscribed. have you considered or have you made any coding tutorial videos? would be interested to at least see your coding workflow and any videos to help those just getting into iOS app development (or any development)
where are the wallpapers you use in the video? The ones in the link are the not the same
XHDR screen and 6 piece speaker system really take watching movies on it to whole different level, the bigger 14.2” screen is cherry on top. Also having the fans helps a ton for sustained performance (MacBook air throttles significantly after any heavy task of more than 10mins). You get all of these benefits for just $100 more, thats no brainer to me.
Only with intels. Most people don’t need a pro since they’re not doing pro work.
@@saulgood2366 You read too much Apple slide deck.
You seem to get confused on who are these pros.
I do Mobile development & use Android studio which is really resource hungry software on windows. But, on My M2 Air 16, 512, I find it doing way better. The build time is reduced by 30 to 40%. Well my windows PC had i5 7th gen, 8 GB RAM. But man! This is still so fast! I don't use GPU much. I'm not into video editing and all that. So for me, Air series is more than enough. 🙌🏻
@@kamikakushi_ your PowerPoint presentations and google docs use do not define you as a ‘pro’ no matter how much you wish it.
@@saulgood2366 May I know what you consider as pros then?
You don't seem to be able to answer it either. Need more time to get the answer from the internet?
Which one would you recommend if your In school for IT and doing coding? The m3 MacBook Air or m3 MacBook Pro?
Budget and specs, let’s say you have $1700, you have the m3 air and m3 pro. The airs starts at $1099 with 8 core gpu 8 gigs of ram and 256gb ssd. The pro starts at $1599 10 core gpu 8 gigs of ram and 512ssd. If you put $400 dollars into the air you get a 10 core gpu 16 gigs or ram 512 ssd, now your at the same price as the pro but you have 8 more gigs of ram. If you put more than a $100 on your pro you will exceed your budget if you want to have a 10 core gpu 16 gigs of ram and a 512ssd will put you at $1800, so if you have a budget of $1800 you can get an air with a 10 core gpu 24 gigs of ram with a 512ssd, or a 10 core gpu with 16 gigs of ram and 1tb of storage. At this point I would personally choose the air, more colors and a better bang for your buck. Besides a little smaller screen, but the choice is yours I’m only in 8th grade but I would like to get a base air. I hope you can find the Mac you like.
So I am wondering if I brought a lemon… I just brought the m3 a week ago… my first Mac.. and it’s extremely slow and glitchy. I’m considering returning it
Extremely helpful. Thanks.
I dont know what to buy right now M3 mackbook air or M3 pro mackbook pro and i want to use it for programing.