One big point that I‘m missing in most of the 14 Pro vs 15 Air comparisons is the considerably larger usable screen real estate on the 15 Air. Much bigger than the small difference in numbers suggests. If it was just for the slightly bigger weight, sure I‘d take the 14 Pro any day for it’s overall better components. But the bigger screen real estate makes a much bigger difference in daily usage than a screen that gets brighter while watching hdr content or the slightly better speakers. This is pronounced due to scaling. On a 15 air the standard „working“ resolution is 1710 × 1107 pixels, with the Pro 14 it’s 1512 × 982 pixels and the 16 Pro has 1728 × 1117 pixels. So the standard scaled resolution and with it the usable desktop space is much closer to the 16 Pro whilst the 14 Pro is closer to the 13,3 models. Everyone who’s used two windows next to each other knows the benefits of this. And yes I‘m aware that I can use an external monitor and most of the time I don’t.
Exactly what I though. I almost put my eyes on the PRO 14", but I was afraid about the screen size as a limit for me, who usually zoom in the whole screen on an old 13" model. The Air 15" look fit better for me, although the PRO potencial.
@@dragospahontuyou’ll notice within 2-3 years. Point is making it last longer. As time goes on everything will EAT memory, especially the new on-device AI stuff apple is releasing
@@user-vx1tr7kx6r could be a point, but Apple is really good at optimizing. For browsing it's still enough to open 20 tabs (what most people are doing) Only for video editing or gaming do you need the extra ram.
@@MatthewMonizI just bought the m3 pro 16” MacBook Pro a week ago . Just wondering if just the mini led is worth the price paid $2,249. Or if not have mini led is fine and that I should get the new m3 air 15. I’m just kinda picky ever since I got a oled lg tv. I mainly watch Netflix and TH-cam and sports on the MacBook. Should I keep the pro or return and get the air ? Or wait for the m3 iPad pros and get one of those instead?
Honestly for just watching content the IPS display is absolutely fine. However, if HDR is super important to you it will look better on the Mini-LED display since it can get much brighter
@@Johnmims65 if you don't need the power of the Pro just get the air + the iPad. Watching stuff on an iPad is much more ergonomic than a laptop, and the air is so much lighter than the pro with almost the same screen size. Only con is one more device to charge, but if you get the M2 air 15 it can be even cheaper and just as good!
I really don’t understand why people expect a HUGE change from one release to another. They just renewed the MacAir not a LONG time ago. Why expect a drastically change?
@@lorenzo6777 eBay! I think it’s going for 949 now, but it’s still a good deal! It’s in midnight color and delivers within 2 days~. 1 year warranty. And you can return it within 30 days if you don’t like it. It’s been verified by eBay, and it’s not a random seller.
It always cracks me up how people complain about how similar Apple products are to the previous versions. People… the changes are incremental. A year is relatively short. But if you look at the 5 year difference between products… that’s what you should go off of. Also, maybe don’t buy a new iPhone/macbook every year?.. Consumers are getting out of hand
@@kalivarapuramacharanYes very much don't get disctracted by the apple communitys fear mongering about needing the newest thing and all the upgrades. Base model m1 rocks!
Just ordered the 16GB/1TB M3 Air in Midnight. Still prefer the air over the pro due to the unmatched portability. I can have my photos and movies anywhere on the go noiseless and without carrying a brick. That’s finally what a notebook is for. For gaming I use my Desktop PC or Nintendo Switch.
I've never understood the portability argument. The 15 inch air is 90g lighter than the 14 inch pro. Unless your back can only carry exactly 1.51kg and anything at 1.6kg makes you feel like you're carrying a brick, that feels like a non argument. Also, you aren't walking 24/7. You'll be sat in your car or in a train, bus, whatever for most of your time commuting so even then the weight difference would be on whatever's carrying you, not you. When you aren't moving in a car or walking a few metres you'll be seated at a desk using the thing
Recommendation, don't use EDM as a test for audio quality. Most tracks don't bring out the clarity of the speakers because EDM is never designed to do that. Instrumental focused music such as Jazz or Classical will allow you to hear finer details that come from the tweeters due to the better fidelity. As always, great video and thanks for doing the 2023 vs 2024 Blade 14, keep it up!
@@MatthewMoniz sing sang sung by Gordan Goodwin's Big Phat Band is one of my favorite to test with. Punchy bass from the drums and low brass and nice treble with the saxes and trumpets. Thanks for listening!
I probably cant use that and would get a copyright strike. I'll take a look and see if I can find something that's not under DMCA@@Rizzo2009 Thanks though!
@@yensteelnope , they fixed at the M3 lineup. You can get it right now, with same speeds as the 512. But, if you are going to keep 8gb RAM, sometimes the sistme will look for SSD space to turn then into a virtual machine. So, if you edit videos sometimes, better 16 Ram or 512SSD. Otherwise, 8GB and 256 Ssd are working fine at the m3 line
@@ReginaldoKonoMatthew Moniz has much higher SSD speeds than any other TH-cam reviewer. Everybody has around 2100 mb/s write and Matthew has above 3200. I just cannot understand why.
IPS display on these 13" and 15" are flicker free. If you suffer from eye strain from PWM in OLED or mini led screens, this IPS screen is way easier on the eyes. Dont just go with specs that Miniled or OLED is automatically always better.
I had the 14” M3 pro 18/512 for about a month and it bothered my eyes for some reason. Maybe because I have to wear reading glasses when using it. I ended up taking it back. I recently bought the 13” M4 iPad Pro 16/1tb and haven’t had any problems. Looking at getting the 16” M3 pro with either 18/512 or 36/512. Should be easier on the eyes.
I mean if it’s not broke why fix it? Buuuut, they should not be doing yearly upgrades, I think a minimum 3-year upgrade cycle would be great. Also knocking the prices down OR adding a bunch of included accessories would be nice.
At this point that’s gonna be the case for most tech. People don’t buy new stuff annually so when you upgrade in 3-5 years it will be much more different
I was considering the m3 Macbook air but I decided to get Apple certified refurb 14 in M3 Macbook pro with 16 Gb ram and 512 ssd for $1376 much cheaper and better than Air.
I am a Graphic Designer and a Photographer from India who works on multiple layers in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom Classic, Figma and Canva, also I am planning to start learning video editing using Adobe's Premier Pro or Davinci Resolve and motion graphics using Adobe After Effects. Currently, I am using an AUS ROG Zephyrus G14 from 2020 with 16 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage (this is the base model btw which has a Ryzen 5 4600 HS CPU and a Nvidia GTX 1650 ti GPU). I usually have multiple apps running and this is how it might look on average: 1. Photoshop 2. Illustrator 3. Figma (along with Photoshop on rare scenarios) 4. Lightroom Classic (sometimes along with Photoshop) 3. A browser (2 different ones like Brave and Firefox sometimes), 4. Apple Music, 5. Windows file explorer (4 to 5 tabs), 6. A communication app (like Slack or Teams) and 7. Notion. So now can you tell me whether a person like me can get away with a decently specced Macbook Air (like a 15-inch model with 24 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage) instead of a much more powerful Macbook Pro?
After I heard the M3 MBA 15 inch is coming out, I was going to buy it, but I ended up getting MBP M3 Pro 14 inch model on sale at Best Buy last night, originally $1999, but got it for $1799. The M3 MBA sounds tempting to get, but I can't say no to M3 Pro MBP.
this is new macbook air so obviously this wont go on sale immediately. But M2 15" air have been going on sale for $300 and these new ones will soon as well. Then you will see this is way more cheaper than $1799 sale price MBPs.
@@Evan-kj6yeLove it!!! I was able play Final Fantasy XIV and edit some photos via Adobe Photoshop without a issue. I highly recommended it if you need more than 8GB ram, this one comes with 18GB ram (not 16GB) which to me is perfect for me.
I don’t think anyone will read this, but I noticed a slight difference in the keyboard between the Air and the Pro, with the Pro feeling slightly softer. I preferred the Pro keyboard.
I'm really leaning toward the MBP over the MBA. Ports are important to me. Did I miss it, is the screen on the MBP better than the 15" MBA? I really like the dark color and the fingerprints don't bother me. I'm sure with a little effort it can clean up. This is the same "problem" I faced with my Fujifilm XPro3 Camera in Dura/dark grey color. So I think I could live with that.
After switching from a 16" Pro with mini LED to the 15" Air with IPS, I have to say that this display is actually better. The mini LED just doesn't look right when watching videos. The IPS is much smoother. Compare the mini LED next to the new 13" iPad Pro OLED and it becomes super obvious.
i find it so stupid that you can't choose to have the laptop screen off when 2 montiors are plugged in so you can use the keyboard / touchpad. It's literally there for the taking and feels so stupid. Overall I'd pick M2 Air any day if I was an Apple Air user
clearly you could turn off the internal monitor with 2 externals connected, that has zero to do with the keyboard/mouse and is another silly apple choice to get you to buy a keyboard/mouse in order to nickel and dime you to death@@MatthewMoniz
What would be the recommendation for studying 2+ years and then working for another 2-3 years? I want high value, and for it to be a good work machine going into 2030. Leaning towards getting a previous year refurbished model either from MicroCenter or Apple to maximize output for my dollar.
Make sure ti has 16GB of RAM because that's something you can't upgrade later. Storage you can always substitute with external drives or cloud services. Refurbished is a good idea to get more for less.
I suggest modifying macbook pro versions. There is also the m3 max processor which is basically the best and can be configured with RAM choices like 48 gb, 64 gb etc. If you give that much money for a base model, you can increase it a bit more to get the best macbook while you are at it. If you are looking to get a PC for today's tasks, then Huawei matebook d16 would suffice (i9 13900h, 16 gb ram, 1 tb ssd) with no separate graphics card (it is a price performance sleek laptop with 16 inch matte screen for work, school etc). For M3 processor (not the pro or max model), I suggest the macbook air models.
@@tarkgundogdu8940I don't really care about the M3 processor if the performance jump is marginal and I'm not planning on using the dual monitor setup and the fingerprint fix doesn't really influence me. If i can find a refurbed Macbook Pro w/ good specs for a reasonable price, then that's what I'll do.
Yes. There is no many differences in M series Macbook. If you use lots ai applications such as photo editing, then you could noticed the time required for each operation is shorter.
@@imelguapo The MBA keyboard is the same size as the MBP keyboard and is comfortable to use. The speakers on the MBA are on the top instead of the sides and the speaker grilles on the MBP are more for looks since the actual speakers are pretty small in comparison.
I checked it out in the store to find out--the keyboard and "feel" of holding the 15 Air is superior to the 14" MBP. Hated the black keyboard bed on the 14. That's what felt cheap to me. @@imelguapo
I initially considered getting the M3 Air but stuck with my MacBook Pro 13-inch with M2, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD (with Touch Bar). Unfortunately, reviewers haven't paid attention to this specific configuration, which has left us out of the upgrade discussion. I'm actually relieved by this because it means I can prioritize my own preferences over reviews. Having had the chance to use my friend's M3 Air, I must say I wasn't impressed when comparing it to my Touch Bar-equipped 13-inch. Admittedly part of the disappointment lies with the reviewers and lack of professional comparison on the tech reviewer side. Overall, I find the M3 Air to be rather dull in comparison.
Man, I would be okay with an IPS panel that is this color accurate, this bright and with this color gamut. I also appreciate how the calibration perfectly matches other apple devices, despite the panel type of those other devices, which is a pretty remarkable feat. It's just - i would pay an extra $100 for a higher refresh rate display. Maybe Apple doesn't think people buying this will benefit more from a higher refresh rate than longer battery life, but at least let me choose to make that tradeoff (and I would gladly make that trade off).
To my aging eyes, the MacBook Pros have a dramatically brighter, vivid screen that frankly (to me) limits my consideration of the MacBook Airs. I don't do heavy usage like many people, but I've really preferred MacBook Pros for about 15 years now over laptops. My first Pro was a 16in; the second was a 15in, which was from 2015. So I just purchased a 14in Pro; it's spectacular, but the smaller size is an adjustment from my 15in Pro. Its much brighter, as the technology has improved over the last decade. I'm hoping that I'll get used to the smaller size. I eventually might get a 16in pro as well, but for now, my aging 15in Pro and new 14in Pro (especially for travel), will do. thank you!
I will get the M3 MBA because prices in Europe went bonkers currently and its one of the more price efficient choices (never thought I would say that.) an X1 Carbon for instance without descrete graphics costs 400-500 more :D
I don’t really think the longevity of the display is a valid excuse for not upgrading to an oled panel since the warrenty on oled has gotten much better and the burn in is much less of a problem on new displays. 2:40
Matthew! great review! got a question, can you do dual monitor with lid closed AND use an external dock for external accesories while connecting the second monitor to the dock (without display link).
Here's a Question: Can the M3 Pro and/or Air serve as a substitute for the Mac Mini? Also, my ideal M3 Air would be a 1TB SSD with 16GB RAM. Not sure if I'd be ready to ever get a Laptop with 2TB SSD, 24GB RAM and more. By then, I should just be saving up for a Desktop instead. 😅
@@MatthewMoniz Follow-up Q: Do you think Apple will release an M3 Mac Mini? The last model came out just over a year ago, so I'm wondering if Apple would refresh a product like that quick enough, unless it's already future proof.
Question, you said every air model has the same screen, but as far as features the M1 uses PWM, while m2 does not. I would love to know whether the new model has PWM or not. I would have loved to order a MBP but the screen would hurt my eyes according to testimonies that I read.
Here in my country the price difference between the air 15 m3 and the pro 14 m3 is a 250$ difference. Does that seem worth it? Or would the bigger screen real estate be the more useful choice
go for pro, better speaker, better screen. I found myself listen to music on Pro's speaker a lot more than on my air. I use air for typing only, I like air keyboard, it's harder.
Which would be easier to see with aging eyes - the bigger 15 inch MBA display or the higher resolution 14 inch MBP display? Using my current 13 inch MBA M1 is getting annoying for my eyes.
There are 17 models listed on Dells website right now with 256GB of storage, most with 8GB of ram too. Most of them in the same price bracket as the MBA. But only Apple gets flack for this. Why?
Most of dells 8gb ram laptops are between 300 and 800 dollars. That's a big difference in price. I do see a latitude for $1049 with 8gb of ram but that's a business laptop not a consumer one. Also if I review a dell laptop with 8gb of ram that costs $1299 I'll make the exact same comment.
Most Windows reviews are sponsored, well, of late, nearly everyone. So, reviewers get high-spec variants and keep the base spec private. That could be in the NDA. As you say, last year, Dell, MS, Samsung and LG all offered 8GB variants as a base, yet not a murmur from YT. Yet when a Mac is released you can guess everyone will jump on the I hate Apple 8GB bandwagon! I suppose that is what success brings, people want to cut you down and complain about anything. The reality is there is nothing bad about 8GB. It is by far the biggest seller in the Air sales list and has made the MB Air the best-selling PC in the world for many years. It is targeted at certain users, and the techie YT bubble fails to comprehend that, or just know that is what people want to hear and doesn't tell people why having 8GB is, in fact, a positive (lower entry point for those that cannot afford $1500 for 16GB/512GB)>
Andy i dont appreciate you assuming things, you're always welcome to ask me! Yes, there are sponsored videos and I've always been upfront about them. As for NDA's, they have nothing to do with spec variants. NDAs are only signed to prevent us from talking about a product until launch date. This is standard regardless of the video being sponsored or not. As for lower end spec'd models it depends on the laptop. If its a budget product I've received many 8GB laptops in the past but WIndows is pretty much 16GB standard on most new laptops. Unless you're looking at super budget laptops under $800. The biggest problem is not so much 8gb of ram for the regular user but the insanely high price tag to jump from 8 to 16GB of RAM on a Macbook. It's like 4-6X more expensive compared to any other laptop. This forces people to pick up the 8gb model then have to upgrade sooner rather than later.16Gb should be the base model at a $1299 price point. @@andyH_England
@@MatthewMoniz e.g. I checked Dell site today and £1000 for XPS 13 12th gen i5/256GB/8GB (2022) but currently £230 off. They also have XPS 13 Plus at £1000 for 13 gen/i5/8GB/512GB (2023). Dell has been doing the same thing as Apple for years, yet find me a review mentioning this! Let alone complain that it is unacceptable, as YT creators do in every review about the Air ad infinitum! Intel did not make 8GB versions this year, so Dell could not release a base 8GB. They have therefore raised their base prices accordingly (now £1600), as Apple would do if they had started at 16GB/512GB. So this is what I still need to get. If Apple base is 16GB/512GB at £1600 like Dell, why are people complaining about Apple having a £500 cheaper entry level to help those get into Macs who do not have the money for a 16GB/512GB version? Why are YT creators jumping on Apple's back for offering something Dell (and others do not)? I fail to understand the logic. It is frustrating for me to work out why. And please only premium-v-premium, not ASUS or ACER mid-range. Upgrade costs are expensive, but Apple makes its margins on these to enable it to discount the base models. Check out Samsung; they have also reverted to this business model, which is acceptable, though expensive.
Still not sure what to get - The M3 Air 13" (with 16gb Unified memory and 1Tb storage) £1,699, M3 MacBook Pro 14" which has 16gb unified memory and 1Tb storage £2,099, or 14" MacBook Pro M3 Pro chip with 18gb unified memory and 1tb storage £2499. Or is there a different config I should consider? Having written this out my feeling is the middle one is best? If the cost isn't a major factor, within reason, and I will not be doing super advanced video editing etc Is, for instance, the HDMI port a big benefit? I feel the main downside, rarely mentioned, is the extra weight - but is that such a burden (0.31KG heavier)? - which would you choose?
@@chrisallette247 Thanks - trying to see how to configure that, at that price - and I can't. Can only seem to get 18Gb Unified memory on the M3 Pro chip, and that starts at £2,099 but only 512 GB SSD? How do you get your deal?
By this storage difference plus the convince of touch screen and likely a lower price it is a no-brainer to take the Surface even if the Mac is slightly more powerfull. But I can barely imagine a school task where this matters.
@@oida10000 ok thank you , I think comfort , usability are important too. Someone is selling a used surface pro 8 £1250 and I can get a new Apple M3 Air 16gb 512gb £1244 student discount
Liked the review. If you’re going to assert the MacBook Pro 14 has a better display (which is true) might be helpful to throw up/out a number to make that case.
Seems like a no brainer to get a MacBook Pro if you do video editing or lots of graphics work. If not, the air without the extra RAM is the way to go for people who just browse and stream content.
I believe they have the base M3 MacBook Pro to fill the void of not having that base 13 inch anymore. Base users should just be using the Air. I believe they should do the same for the Air that they do with the Pro by starting the higher screen size at higher specs. They have the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 MAX on the Pro, and that should not be, take M3 out, and reserve for the Air. M3 Pro should be the base model in the Pro line. Apple isn’t the only one with this issue, think about trucks for example. Pricing runs into each other. Do you buy the high trim Midsize truck, a lower trim half ton, or just go straight for the near bottom trims of an HD truck if said brand offers one of course?
Yes, for the price the base cost is high compared to similarly priced windows machines. That said, 8 gigs of ram is perfectly fine for the general consumers use case. The vast majority of TH-cam influencers who are recommending 16 gigs are viewing that justification through their own creative pursuits and individual use case. The reality is that $1,200 will get you far more bang for the buck on the Windows end. My issue has less to do with the 8 gig starting point. It's the over $200 added cost to upgrade to 16 gigs and a 512 SSD with which I take issue.
Even bigger issue than upgradibility with macs is repairability. Say, your ssd fails, then instead of replacing with a $20 ssd, your whole 2000$ device will be worthless. Apple has made them so irreparable that even the components of same model are not interchangeable. Tech reviewers like this guy never talks about this issue
The new Macbook Air M3 15" 16GB/512GB is similarly priced with Macbook Pro M3 14" 16GB/512GB. Despite the 1" monitor size difference, in terms of performance in everyday use, with main tasks photo editing and web development (using sometimes Virtual Machines with Parallels), which one would somebody suggest? Should any of them perform better for that tasks?
I guess the MBA 16GB will perfect habde it, since I used parallels in a old Intel MBA 8gb. Bit, of course, the PRO with M3BPRO will be better., bit not need for this, as Less as you do not intend to play game on the windows virtual machine.
I thought the mic is improved on the m3 air over the m2 (according to other reviewers). As well as the doubling of WiFi performance with 6e, better gaming with ray tracing, dynamic caching etc-all on the m3 but not the m2. Also, heat dissipation is better with 15m3 (haven’t tried - just according to some reviewers).
Sometimes, I really wonder why Apple is releasing very marginal updates to their iDevices, such as the M3 MacBook Air. They should address customer pain points such as releasing base models with only 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage.
8gb is fine if you're just browsing the web, light photoshop and most general use. If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open or really want to push the system I'd go with 16.
@Matthew Moniz why do you have much higher SSD speeds than any other TH-cam reviewer? Everybody has around 2100 mb/s write and you got above 3200. I just cannot understand why. Max Tech for example got around 2100. Is the SSD on the 15inch faster than on the 13inch?
If I have 2400$ budget and I’m between M3 air 13 highest one and that will give me 24GB ram and 2TB Or M3 pro 14 the base one give 16 GB and 1 TB What should I get for a laptop will stay with me for a very long time
it's called "greed". It’s one thing when you make an expensive product and include all the new technologies in it and for 5 years you can forget about updating the gadget. It’s another matter when they deliberately (artificially) stretch out modernization (including programmatically limiting the capabilities of equipment) in order to add some little thing every year and sell it to those who are ready to spend money on minor upgrades every year.
Do you need the two cables connected for two screens? Or can you use a single TB cabled dock station? With two screens connected to the dock then. Cannot find the answer anywhere.
Thanks for the comparison. Well done analysis. I think I am sticking with mu M2 14" MBP. I feel I need 512/16GB and don't see the values in the 13 or 15" MBP configured that way and its worse display.
Curious if Apple could push to partner with Valve to get more games on Mac, rather than developers individually. They are doing great work with Rosetta 2 to get more apps compatible on Apple ARM silicon, so I wonder if it'd be possible to get Linux virtualization going through Steam via SteamOS...
I don't know what triggered it, but Valve pretty much wants nothing to do with Macs any more. All these years later, Steam has not been updated to support Apple Silicon. Even NVIDIA, whose feud with Apple goes back more than a decade, released their GeForce Now client as an ARM64 app.
In Canada, the 15" M3 MBA with 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD goes for $2,249. As luck would have it, there was a 14" M3 MBP with the same amount RAM and SSD storage in the Apple refurbished store going for $1,999 CDN. So, I went with the latter. It will be arriving in about a week.
So where I live right now there is an offer for a brand new 14'' M3 Macbook Pro with 16gb ram at 1660. (so basically free ram upgrade to 16gb) . Do you think thats a deal I should not miss? I was thinking of the Macbook air m3 16gb ram initially but now im hesitating.
heylo actually i am confused a lot to buy whether macbook air max version ( 8 core cpu and 10 core gpu, 16gb ram and 512gb ssd) or pro ( 12 core cpu and 18 core gpu, 18gb ram and 512gb ssd/1tb ssd)... actually i am wanting to have a laptop for programming, gaming, editing. I wonder if macbook air would be suffiecient or i might have to buy the pro verson only?
I hope GTA 6 will be available on Mac....that being said, I have a 2012 MacBook Pro...I know I am on borrowed time with it, so am looking at upgrading...looking to go with another MacBook pro..but even then, I am skeptical...unlike the older Macs, You cannot upgrade your RAM, because its all 1 unit with the new M3 chip...You cannot replace your battery or upgrade your hard drive, because its soldered onto the board..but on the other hand, thats the way the industry is going, so I guess me looking for longevity, I am pretty much screwed. lol
Does anybody know if the speakers support Dolby Atmos? I had a Macbook Pro M1 Pro from 2021 and I am thinking about buying a Macbook air but I really really need to get at least the same sound quality..
as a idiot I bought a pretty much maxed out a 16 inch M3 MacBook Pro max, I only held back on the storage 4Tb not 8, but my M1 air 16gb exports and imports Photoshop files almost as fast, its on Coding where it drops off but not so much as it makes a difference, I just grab another beer when on the move id reckoned the M1 air for 90% of people
I choose the MacBook Air 15 for its larger screen, sleek beauty and light weight. 16/500 config. It's simply the most beautiful lightweight computer I have ever owned in my life. And I hate fans, which suck donkey ass.
m2 Pro with 16GB is much better option, unless all you do is work on docs and surf the internet. :p Myself - a Linux guy, running EliteBook G10 835 7840U/32GB/2TB Samsung 990 Pro and damn ok.
look you and I know that appla macbook handles ram way more efficiently than on window. so yeah, while you are better off with 16 gb or ram, you cannot compare 8 gb of ram on the mac with 8 gb of ram on a PC. I had the macbook pro m1 with 8 gb of ram and unless you. had 3 or 4 applications open at once or operating in the background, there was not any problem. it would not have been the same on windows. That said yeah, I would still recommend 16 gb. but please as a tech reviewer you should know better
Seriously, Apple is providing such a catch with the external display connection. Definitely, Apple sucks….. Also, the 60Hz display lags behind the competition.
Samsung's laptops very overpriced mediocre laptops. That's why, not a lot of people buy it. Instead I recommend checking HP, Dell and Lenovo models. For the same amount, you get really powerful machines my friend. Even gaming is possible. For productivity and battery macbook air M1 for $700 worth the money
One big point that I‘m missing in most of the 14 Pro vs 15 Air comparisons is the considerably larger usable screen real estate on the 15 Air. Much bigger than the small difference in numbers suggests. If it was just for the slightly bigger weight, sure I‘d take the 14 Pro any day for it’s overall better components. But the bigger screen real estate makes a much bigger difference in daily usage than a screen that gets brighter while watching hdr content or the slightly better speakers.
This is pronounced due to scaling. On a 15 air the standard „working“ resolution is 1710 × 1107 pixels, with the Pro 14 it’s 1512 × 982 pixels and the 16 Pro has 1728 × 1117 pixels. So the standard scaled resolution and with it the usable desktop space is much closer to the 16 Pro whilst the 14 Pro is closer to the 13,3 models. Everyone who’s used two windows next to each other knows the benefits of this. And yes I‘m aware that I can use an external monitor and most of the time I don’t.
The larger screen also helps cooling.
Exactly what I though. I almost put my eyes on the PRO 14", but I was afraid about the screen size as a limit for me, who usually zoom in the whole screen on an old 13" model. The Air 15" look fit better for me, although the PRO potencial.
@@AndrewUKLondon Not sure this really matters when the 14 Pro has a fan and the Air doesn't though
Exactly!!! Thanks for pointing this out!
i aint reading allat
Easy choice for 90 percent of people. The Air is lighter, cheaper, has a bigger screen, and a slightly nicer keyboard. Just upgrade to the 16gb RAM
You wouldn't notice the difference from 8 to 16gb. Not worth 200$
@@dragospahontuyou’ll notice within 2-3 years. Point is making it last longer. As time goes on everything will EAT memory, especially the new on-device AI stuff apple is releasing
@@user-vx1tr7kx6r could be a point, but Apple is really good at optimizing. For browsing it's still enough to open 20 tabs (what most people are doing)
Only for video editing or gaming do you need the extra ram.
@@user-vx1tr7kx6r I'm already noticing the slowdown lol. Just using bunch of browsers with ton of tabs and very light web dev using vscode (nextjs)
@@user-vx1tr7kx6r Are you sure about that? I hear that argument about 16gb RAM since I bought my first Macbook in 2015.
I made my choice last year when the MBA 15 released and opted for a refurb'd M1 Pro MBP 14. Way more bang for the buck and perfect for my use case.
Smart move!
Much better laptop (except in battery life but the M1 was already great at that)
@@MatthewMonizI just bought the m3 pro 16” MacBook Pro a week ago . Just wondering if just the mini led is worth the price paid $2,249. Or if not have mini led is fine and that I should get the new m3 air 15. I’m just kinda picky ever since I got a oled lg tv. I mainly watch Netflix and TH-cam and sports on the MacBook. Should I keep the pro or return and get the air ? Or wait for the m3 iPad pros and get one of those instead?
Honestly for just watching content the IPS display is absolutely fine. However, if HDR is super important to you it will look better on the Mini-LED display since it can get much brighter
@@Johnmims65 if you don't need the power of the Pro just get the air + the iPad.
Watching stuff on an iPad is much more ergonomic than a laptop, and the air is so much lighter than the pro with almost the same screen size. Only con is one more device to charge, but if you get the M2 air 15 it can be even cheaper and just as good!
I really don’t understand why people expect a HUGE change from one release to another. They just renewed the MacAir not a LONG time ago. Why expect a drastically change?
I just got a refurbished m2 macbook air 15 inch with 512gb for 900 bucks. So that's a good deal to me! 100% battery health and in mint condition.
Where’d you get it and did it include a warranty?
@@lorenzo6777 eBay! I think it’s going for 949 now, but it’s still a good deal!
It’s in midnight color and delivers within 2 days~.
1 year warranty. And you can return it within 30 days if you don’t like it.
It’s been verified by eBay, and it’s not a random seller.
@@lorenzo6777I got it from eb@y, and yes.
@@lorenzo6777 Apple sells certified refurbished products, typically at 15% discount, with full warranty.
ram?
It always cracks me up how people complain about how similar Apple products are to the previous versions. People… the changes are incremental. A year is relatively short. But if you look at the 5 year difference between products… that’s what you should go off of. Also, maybe don’t buy a new iPhone/macbook every year?.. Consumers are getting out of hand
Ram - this is why wont upgrade my m1 air any time soon
I just got a m1 air the other week and it’s really nice lol. I don’t see a need to upgrade unless you just want to.
@@imelguapo very solid machine, Apple made it too good
Hey im thinking to get a new laptop.. do u think buying a M1 Air still worth it ??
@@kalivarapuramacharanabsolutely! My buddy picked one up a few weeks ago! He says it’s a beast!
@@kalivarapuramacharanYes very much don't get disctracted by the apple communitys fear mongering about needing the newest thing and all the upgrades. Base model m1 rocks!
Just ordered the 16GB/1TB M3 Air in Midnight. Still prefer the air over the pro due to the unmatched portability. I can have my photos and movies anywhere on the go noiseless and without carrying a brick. That’s finally what a notebook is for. For gaming I use my Desktop PC or Nintendo Switch.
I've never understood the portability argument. The 15 inch air is 90g lighter than the 14 inch pro. Unless your back can only carry exactly 1.51kg and anything at 1.6kg makes you feel like you're carrying a brick, that feels like a non argument.
Also, you aren't walking 24/7. You'll be sat in your car or in a train, bus, whatever for most of your time commuting so even then the weight difference would be on whatever's carrying you, not you. When you aren't moving in a car or walking a few metres you'll be seated at a desk using the thing
@creditrazer981 Everyone has different port requirements, and people have been doing just fine with 60 Hz for decades.
Recommendation, don't use EDM as a test for audio quality. Most tracks don't bring out the clarity of the speakers because EDM is never designed to do that. Instrumental focused music such as Jazz or Classical will allow you to hear finer details that come from the tweeters due to the better fidelity. As always, great video and thanks for doing the 2023 vs 2024 Blade 14, keep it up!
Great suggestion! Ill try to find a good Jazz song with some bass as well to test the low end. Thanks for watching!
@@MatthewMoniz sing sang sung by Gordan Goodwin's Big Phat Band is one of my favorite to test with. Punchy bass from the drums and low brass and nice treble with the saxes and trumpets. Thanks for listening!
I probably cant use that and would get a copyright strike. I'll take a look and see if I can find something that's not under DMCA@@Rizzo2009 Thanks though!
@@MatthewMoniz oh dang, didn't think about that. I'll see if I can find something for you to help with your work load
@@MatthewMonizThank you! No other reviewer listens to this suggestion.
The 512 model in the air is the one to get but the 14 inch 512 offers better value for money..
I honestly feel if you have a desktop then air is just right
Wonder if the 256 one (Too small anyways) still have that slow speed the older laptops had.
@@yensteelnope , they fixed at the M3 lineup. You can get it right now, with same speeds as the 512. But, if you are going to keep 8gb RAM, sometimes the sistme will look for SSD space to turn then into a virtual machine. So, if you edit videos sometimes, better 16 Ram or 512SSD. Otherwise, 8GB and 256 Ssd are working fine at the m3 line
@@ReginaldoKonoMatthew Moniz has much higher SSD speeds than any other TH-cam reviewer. Everybody has around 2100 mb/s write and Matthew has above 3200. I just cannot understand why.
@@ReginaldoKono That's great to hear!
IPS display on these 13" and 15" are flicker free. If you suffer from eye strain from PWM in OLED or mini led screens, this IPS screen is way easier on the eyes. Dont just go with specs that Miniled or OLED is automatically always better.
I had the 14” M3 pro 18/512 for about a month and it bothered my eyes for some reason. Maybe because I have to wear reading glasses when using it. I ended up taking it back.
I recently bought the 13” M4 iPad Pro 16/1tb and haven’t had any problems. Looking at getting the 16” M3 pro with either 18/512 or 36/512. Should be easier on the eyes.
That’s a good point that I was unaware of, thank you for the advice.
"The differences compared to the previous model are very minor" should be the motto of Apple.
Don't forget the copy and paste of iphones with the same components lol 😂
I mean if it’s not broke why fix it? Buuuut, they should not be doing yearly upgrades, I think a minimum 3-year upgrade cycle would be great. Also knocking the prices down OR adding a bunch of included accessories would be nice.
m2 vs m1
At this point that’s gonna be the case for most tech. People don’t buy new stuff annually so when you upgrade in 3-5 years it will be much more different
Aka "Think Similar" vs "Think Different" lol
They still put no 120HZ refresh rate on the air. Really? It’s 2024. Even cheap pc’s have them.
Typical Apple
I was considering the m3 Macbook air but I decided to get Apple certified refurb 14 in M3 Macbook pro with 16 Gb ram and 512 ssd for $1376 much cheaper and better than Air.
Smart move!
2:25 I like the MacBook Air 15 speaker.
I am a Graphic Designer and a Photographer from India who works on multiple layers in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom Classic, Figma and Canva, also I am planning to start learning video editing using Adobe's Premier Pro or Davinci Resolve and motion graphics using Adobe After Effects.
Currently, I am using an AUS ROG Zephyrus G14 from 2020 with 16 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage (this is the base model btw which has a Ryzen 5 4600 HS CPU and a Nvidia GTX 1650 ti GPU).
I usually have multiple apps running and this is how it might look on average:
1. Photoshop
2. Illustrator
3. Figma (along with Photoshop on rare scenarios)
4. Lightroom Classic (sometimes along with Photoshop)
3. A browser (2 different ones like Brave and Firefox sometimes),
4. Apple Music,
5. Windows file explorer (4 to 5 tabs),
6. A communication app (like Slack or Teams) and
7. Notion.
So now can you tell me whether a person like me can get away with a decently specced Macbook Air (like a 15-inch model with 24 gigs of memory and 1 TB of storage) instead of a much more powerful Macbook Pro?
After I heard the M3 MBA 15 inch is coming out, I was going to buy it, but I ended up getting MBP M3 Pro 14 inch model on sale at Best Buy last night, originally $1999, but got it for $1799.
The M3 MBA sounds tempting to get, but I can't say no to M3 Pro MBP.
Im planning on getting one this summer for school, how is the M3 for you?
this is new macbook air so obviously this wont go on sale immediately. But M2 15" air have been going on sale for $300 and these new ones will soon as well. Then you will see this is way more cheaper than $1799 sale price MBPs.
@@Evan-kj6yeLove it!!! I was able play Final Fantasy XIV and edit some photos via Adobe Photoshop without a issue. I highly recommended it if you need more than 8GB ram, this one comes with 18GB ram (not 16GB) which to me is perfect for me.
Just got my M3 Pro MBP 14 on sale last night at Best Buy for $1699. Super stoked. Returned a 15” MBA 16/512 so was only $100 more
I don’t think anyone will read this, but I noticed a slight difference in the keyboard between the Air and the Pro, with the Pro feeling slightly softer. I preferred the Pro keyboard.
What do you mean by softer?
I'm really leaning toward the MBP over the MBA. Ports are important to me. Did I miss it, is the screen on the MBP better than the 15" MBA?
I really like the dark color and the fingerprints don't bother me. I'm sure with a little effort it can clean up. This is the same "problem" I faced with my Fujifilm XPro3 Camera in Dura/dark grey color. So I think I could live with that.
air has no pro motion like pro (120hz vrr)
After switching from a 16" Pro with mini LED to the 15" Air with IPS, I have to say that this display is actually better. The mini LED just doesn't look right when watching videos. The IPS is much smoother. Compare the mini LED next to the new 13" iPad Pro OLED and it becomes super obvious.
i find it so stupid that you can't choose to have the laptop screen off when 2 montiors are plugged in so you can use the keyboard / touchpad. It's literally there for the taking and feels so stupid. Overall I'd pick M2 Air any day if I was an Apple Air user
It’s not something I think apple is doing on purpose it’s just the limitations of the base m3. But ya it’s annoying
they want you to buy the keyboard and mouse trackpad 💰
clearly you could turn off the internal monitor with 2 externals connected, that has zero to do with the keyboard/mouse and is another silly apple choice to get you to buy a keyboard/mouse in order to nickel and dime you to death@@MatthewMoniz
Watching this on my MacBook Air M1. I don’t see a reason to upgrade at the moment.
There isn't. Bit better design but it's minor.
If you don't mind using obsolete technology, it's fine.
@3:04 I couldnt agree more!!! 16gb ram and 512gb ssd should be the bare minimum at that price point in 2024! 😤
Update: Now that apple offers 16gbs with their base model in Macbook Air at the same price, I think its the best choice for most people.
I really wish the Mac air came in space black. I midnight is nice but that hint of blue doesn’t look great in my opinion.
What would be the recommendation for studying 2+ years and then working for another 2-3 years? I want high value, and for it to be a good work machine going into 2030.
Leaning towards getting a previous year refurbished model either from MicroCenter or Apple to maximize output for my dollar.
Make sure ti has 16GB of RAM because that's something you can't upgrade later. Storage you can always substitute with external drives or cloud services. Refurbished is a good idea to get more for less.
I suggest modifying macbook pro versions. There is also the m3 max processor which is basically the best and can be configured with RAM choices like 48 gb, 64 gb etc. If you give that much money for a base model, you can increase it a bit more to get the best macbook while you are at it. If you are looking to get a PC for today's tasks, then Huawei matebook d16 would suffice (i9 13900h, 16 gb ram, 1 tb ssd) with no separate graphics card (it is a price performance sleek laptop with 16 inch matte screen for work, school etc). For M3 processor (not the pro or max model), I suggest the macbook air models.
@@tarkgundogdu8940I don't really care about the M3 processor if the performance jump is marginal and I'm not planning on using the dual monitor setup and the fingerprint fix doesn't really influence me. If i can find a refurbed Macbook Pro w/ good specs for a reasonable price, then that's what I'll do.
people are obsessed with finger prints which has nthing to do with performance or built quality.😢
Can’t find where is the Air part in a 15 inches laptop.
Hope, they will bring back the the 12 inch MacBook with a M chip.
12 inch?! 😂 You’re on your own there pal.
Yes. There is no many differences in M series Macbook. If you use lots ai applications such as photo editing, then you could noticed the time required for each operation is shorter.
I don’t understand the 15 air… if there’s no speaker then why isn’t the keyboard larger? It just looks weird imo
+ the keyboard looks cheap
@@imelguapo The MBA keyboard is the same size as the MBP keyboard and is comfortable to use. The speakers on the MBA are on the top instead of the sides and the speaker grilles on the MBP are more for looks since the actual speakers are pretty small in comparison.
I checked it out in the store to find out--the keyboard and "feel" of holding the 15 Air is superior to the 14" MBP. Hated the black keyboard bed on the 14. That's what felt cheap to me. @@imelguapo
I don't like this apple strategy where their products compete between them and the differences are not so many.
It can definitely make it more confusing trying to pick one
2:08 simple & clean setup 😮❤
I initially considered getting the M3 Air but stuck with my MacBook Pro 13-inch with M2, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD (with Touch Bar).
Unfortunately, reviewers haven't paid attention to this specific configuration, which has left us out of the upgrade discussion. I'm actually relieved by this because it means I can prioritize my own preferences over reviews.
Having had the chance to use my friend's M3 Air, I must say I wasn't impressed when comparing it to my Touch Bar-equipped 13-inch. Admittedly part of the disappointment lies with the reviewers and lack of professional comparison on the tech reviewer side.
Overall, I find the M3 Air to be rather dull in comparison.
Every business major college student on their way to the Apple store to buy this laptop to use Chrome. 🤦
U jealous much?
Man, I would be okay with an IPS panel that is this color accurate, this bright and with this color gamut. I also appreciate how the calibration perfectly matches other apple devices, despite the panel type of those other devices, which is a pretty remarkable feat. It's just - i would pay an extra $100 for a higher refresh rate display. Maybe Apple doesn't think people buying this will benefit more from a higher refresh rate than longer battery life, but at least let me choose to make that tradeoff (and I would gladly make that trade off).
To my aging eyes, the MacBook Pros have a dramatically brighter, vivid screen that frankly (to me) limits my consideration of the MacBook Airs. I don't do heavy usage like many people, but I've really preferred MacBook Pros for about 15 years now over laptops. My first Pro was a 16in; the second was a 15in, which was from 2015. So I just purchased a 14in Pro; it's spectacular, but the smaller size is an adjustment from my 15in Pro. Its much brighter, as the technology has improved over the last decade. I'm hoping that I'll get used to the smaller size. I eventually might get a 16in pro as well, but for now, my aging 15in Pro and new 14in Pro (especially for travel), will do. thank you!
I will get the M3 MBA because prices in Europe went bonkers currently and its one of the more price efficient choices (never thought I would say that.) an X1 Carbon for instance without descrete graphics costs 400-500 more :D
Oh wow that’s crazy! Definitely a better deal then .
I don’t really think the longevity of the display is a valid excuse for not upgrading to an oled panel since the warrenty on oled has gotten much better and the burn in is much less of a problem on new displays. 2:40
Matthew! great review! got a question, can you do dual monitor with lid closed AND use an external dock for external accesories while connecting the second monitor to the dock (without display link).
Yeah you can
Here's a Question: Can the M3 Pro and/or Air serve as a substitute for the Mac Mini?
Also, my ideal M3 Air would be a 1TB SSD with 16GB RAM. Not sure if I'd be ready to ever get a Laptop with 2TB SSD, 24GB RAM and more. By then, I should just be saving up for a Desktop instead. 😅
Sure you can substitute it for a mac mini if you really want too but a Mac Mini is cheaper
@@MatthewMoniz Follow-up Q: Do you think Apple will release an M3 Mac Mini? The last model came out just over a year ago, so I'm wondering if Apple would refresh a product like that quick enough, unless it's already future proof.
Question, you said every air model has the same screen, but as far as features the M1 uses PWM, while m2 does not. I would love to know whether the new model has PWM or not.
I would have loved to order a MBP but the screen would hurt my eyes according to testimonies that I read.
Here in my country the price difference between the air 15 m3 and the pro 14 m3 is a 250$ difference. Does that seem worth it? Or would the bigger screen real estate be the more useful choice
go for pro, better speaker, better screen. I found myself listen to music on Pro's speaker a lot more than on my air. I use air for typing only, I like air keyboard, it's harder.
@@MrWh4327782 mf uses a pro for typing lmao
Which would be easier to see with aging eyes - the bigger 15 inch MBA display or the higher resolution 14 inch MBP display? Using my current 13 inch MBA M1 is getting annoying for my eyes.
Same concern…
I traded my 13" MBA for the 15". I'll never look back.
"So...'" you ask, how do you compare the 15"MBA to your 16"MBP?" Same answer.
Did you end up buying one of these? I have the same question and trying to decide which is easier on the eyes. Larger screen or higher FPS?
@@TStriker13 I found out that some people have trouble seeing the Macbook Pro displays. I got a Macbook Air 15. Good so far.
@@martingifford5415 Thanks for responding. No complaints so far? Screen is smooth as you are scrolling through webpages?
Why not compare with M3 Pro?
There are 17 models listed on Dells website right now with 256GB of storage, most with 8GB of ram too. Most of them in the same price bracket as the MBA.
But only Apple gets flack for this. Why?
Most of dells 8gb ram laptops are between 300 and 800 dollars. That's a big difference in price. I do see a latitude for $1049 with 8gb of ram but that's a business laptop not a consumer one. Also if I review a dell laptop with 8gb of ram that costs $1299 I'll make the exact same comment.
Most Windows reviews are sponsored, well, of late, nearly everyone. So, reviewers get high-spec variants and keep the base spec private. That could be in the NDA. As you say, last year, Dell, MS, Samsung and LG all offered 8GB variants as a base, yet not a murmur from YT. Yet when a Mac is released you can guess everyone will jump on the I hate Apple 8GB bandwagon! I suppose that is what success brings, people want to cut you down and complain about anything.
The reality is there is nothing bad about 8GB. It is by far the biggest seller in the Air sales list and has made the MB Air the best-selling PC in the world for many years. It is targeted at certain users, and the techie YT bubble fails to comprehend that, or just know that is what people want to hear and doesn't tell people why having 8GB is, in fact, a positive (lower entry point for those that cannot afford $1500 for 16GB/512GB)>
Andy i dont appreciate you assuming things, you're always welcome to ask me! Yes, there are sponsored videos and I've always been upfront about them. As for NDA's, they have nothing to do with spec variants. NDAs are only signed to prevent us from talking about a product until launch date. This is standard regardless of the video being sponsored or not. As for lower end spec'd models it depends on the laptop. If its a budget product I've received many 8GB laptops in the past but WIndows is pretty much 16GB standard on most new laptops. Unless you're looking at super budget laptops under $800. The biggest problem is not so much 8gb of ram for the regular user but the insanely high price tag to jump from 8 to 16GB of RAM on a Macbook. It's like 4-6X more expensive compared to any other laptop. This forces people to pick up the 8gb model then have to upgrade sooner rather than later.16Gb should be the base model at a $1299 price point. @@andyH_England
@@MatthewMoniz e.g. I checked Dell site today and £1000 for XPS 13 12th gen i5/256GB/8GB (2022) but currently £230 off. They also have XPS 13 Plus at £1000 for 13 gen/i5/8GB/512GB (2023). Dell has been doing the same thing as Apple for years, yet find me a review mentioning this! Let alone complain that it is unacceptable, as YT creators do in every review about the Air ad infinitum! Intel did not make 8GB versions this year, so Dell could not release a base 8GB. They have therefore raised their base prices accordingly (now £1600), as Apple would do if they had started at 16GB/512GB.
So this is what I still need to get. If Apple base is 16GB/512GB at £1600 like Dell, why are people complaining about Apple having a £500 cheaper entry level to help those get into Macs who do not have the money for a 16GB/512GB version? Why are YT creators jumping on Apple's back for offering something Dell (and others do not)? I fail to understand the logic. It is frustrating for me to work out why. And please only premium-v-premium, not ASUS or ACER mid-range.
Upgrade costs are expensive, but Apple makes its margins on these to enable it to discount the base models. Check out Samsung; they have also reverted to this business model, which is acceptable, though expensive.
Still not sure what to get - The M3 Air 13" (with 16gb Unified memory and 1Tb storage) £1,699, M3 MacBook Pro 14" which has 16gb unified memory and 1Tb storage £2,099, or 14" MacBook Pro M3 Pro chip with 18gb unified memory and 1tb storage £2499. Or is there a different config I should consider? Having written this out my feeling is the middle one is best? If the cost isn't a major factor, within reason, and I will not be doing super advanced video editing etc Is, for instance, the HDMI port a big benefit? I feel the main downside, rarely mentioned, is the extra weight - but is that such a burden (0.31KG heavier)? - which would you choose?
I went M3 MacBook Pro 14 18GB/1TB for £1800 in Space Black. Both the 15 and 14 Pro feel about the same weigh in hand.
@@chrisallette247 Thanks - trying to see how to configure that, at that price - and I can't. Can only seem to get 18Gb Unified memory on the M3 Pro chip, and that starts at £2,099 but only 512 GB SSD? How do you get your deal?
Snagged an “open box” MBA 15 special at Best Buy last year for $979! Absolutely love it!
Good choice!
For a 15 year old high school student do you recommend Microsoft Surface Pro 8 - 32gb - 1TB or Apple Macbook Air M3 - 8gb - 256gb?
By this storage difference plus the convince of touch screen and likely a lower price it is a no-brainer to take the Surface even if the Mac is slightly more powerfull. But I can barely imagine a school task where this matters.
@@oida10000 ok thank you , I think comfort , usability are important too. Someone is selling a used surface pro 8 £1250 and I can get a new Apple M3 Air 16gb 512gb £1244 student discount
Liked the review. If you’re going to assert the MacBook Pro 14 has a better display (which is true) might be helpful to throw up/out a number to make that case.
The Apple up-sell for an extra 8gb ram and 256gb storage is annoying as hell.
I think the refurb M2 14” MBP Pro is the best bang for your buck.
Absolutely if you can get an older model or refurbished unit you'll save more
I think that model has shit battery life.
Coming from i9 16” MBP, would a 16GB 1TB 15” MBA give me much better performance for Logic?
3:27 - model details
3:39 - benchmark
Why do you need 512GB? Plenty of people don't have a lot of media.
Seems like a no brainer to get a MacBook Pro if you do video editing or lots of graphics work. If not, the air without the extra RAM is the way to go for people who just browse and stream content.
I believe they have the base M3 MacBook Pro to fill the void of not having that base 13 inch anymore. Base users should just be using the Air. I believe they should do the same for the Air that they do with the Pro by starting the higher screen size at higher specs. They have the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 MAX on the Pro, and that should not be, take M3 out, and reserve for the Air. M3 Pro should be the base model in the Pro line. Apple isn’t the only one with this issue, think about trucks for example. Pricing runs into each other. Do you buy the high trim Midsize truck, a lower trim half ton, or just go straight for the near bottom trims of an HD truck if said brand offers one of course?
Yes, for the price the base cost is high compared to similarly priced windows machines. That said, 8 gigs of ram is perfectly fine for the general consumers use case. The vast majority of TH-cam influencers who are recommending 16 gigs are viewing that justification through their own creative pursuits and individual use case. The reality is that $1,200 will get you far more bang for the buck on the Windows end. My issue has less to do with the 8 gig starting point. It's the over $200 added cost to upgrade to 16 gigs and a 512 SSD with which I take issue.
Even bigger issue than upgradibility with macs is repairability. Say, your ssd fails, then instead of replacing with a $20 ssd, your whole 2000$ device will be worthless. Apple has made them so irreparable that even the components of same model are not interchangeable. Tech reviewers like this guy never talks about this issue
@@shaikhhar6911 💯 agree. Very good point.
The new Macbook Air M3 15" 16GB/512GB is similarly priced with Macbook Pro M3 14" 16GB/512GB. Despite the 1" monitor size difference, in terms of performance in everyday use, with main tasks photo editing and web development (using sometimes Virtual Machines with Parallels), which one would somebody suggest? Should any of them perform better for that tasks?
I guess the MBA 16GB will perfect habde it, since I used parallels in a old Intel MBA 8gb. Bit, of course, the PRO with M3BPRO will be better., bit not need for this, as Less as you do not intend to play game on the windows virtual machine.
I thought the mic is improved on the m3 air over the m2 (according to other reviewers). As well as the doubling of WiFi performance with 6e, better gaming with ray tracing, dynamic caching etc-all on the m3 but not the m2.
Also, heat dissipation is better with 15m3 (haven’t tried - just according to some reviewers).
They are updating the software on the M3 Pro to support 2 monitors.
MacBook Pro with the base M3 processor, not the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro.
Between the m3 15” MacBook Air with 16gb ram and 512ssd and the m3 pro 14” MacBook Pro that’s on sale for $1,749.99 which one should I get?
if prices are equal mbpro
@@MatthewMoniz $1649.99 for the air and $1749.99 for the pro. I’ll mainly be using for watching TH-cam and streaming services.
@@MatthewMoniz well now the prices aren’t even the m3 pro is back at $1999.99 and the air is $1649.99
Which spec M2 Air would you get ?
Sometimes, I really wonder why Apple is releasing very marginal updates to their iDevices, such as the M3 MacBook Air. They should address customer pain points such as releasing base models with only 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage.
So basically comes down to which ever offers best deal on apples refurb line-up 😂
Should I get 16gb ram to future proof? In what instances would 8gb ram be viable?
8gb is fine if you're just browsing the web, light photoshop and most general use. If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open or really want to push the system I'd go with 16.
Absolutely get 16GB, on my M1 Pro MBP I have open an IDE, Word and 40-50 tabs and it's always around 9-10GB
I would go for 24 gb RAM for future proof.
@Matthew Moniz why do you have much higher SSD speeds than any other TH-cam reviewer? Everybody has around 2100 mb/s write and you got above 3200. I just cannot understand why. Max Tech for example got around 2100. Is the SSD on the 15inch faster than on the 13inch?
If I have 2400$ budget and I’m between M3 air 13 highest one and that will give me 24GB ram and 2TB
Or M3 pro 14 the base one give 16 GB and 1 TB
What should I get for a laptop will stay with me for a very long time
it's called "greed". It’s one thing when you make an expensive product and include all the new technologies in it and for 5 years you can forget about updating the gadget. It’s another matter when they deliberately (artificially) stretch out modernization (including programmatically limiting the capabilities of equipment) in order to add some little thing every year and sell it to those who are ready to spend money on minor upgrades every year.
Do you need the two cables connected for two screens? Or can you use a single TB cabled dock station? With two screens connected to the dock then. Cannot find the answer anywhere.
Great question let me test it out and get back to you
Thanks for the comparison. Well done analysis. I think I am sticking with mu M2 14" MBP. I feel I need 512/16GB and don't see the values in the 13 or 15" MBP configured that way and its worse display.
Why not review it to an M1 Max or Pro?
Lots of M1 Pro comparisons in the charts I showed. M3 max is to well ahead to be a viable comparison
Sir what BATTERY LIFE test you did in all MacBooks?
Kind of pisses me off that Apple has a monopoly on such sexy color and aluminum builds. Not a single Windows laptop comes close.
I dont think they have a monopoly its just they do it really well. There's some nice PC laptop builds out there too
Just install windows then?
The 60hz is a deal breaker for me. I'm happy with the MBP 14 which I got 2 weeks ago. Justified.
…. But the air doesn’t have fans why did he say they have them and acting like they’re so silent. They’re nonexistent lol.
Curious if Apple could push to partner with Valve to get more games on Mac, rather than developers individually. They are doing great work with Rosetta 2 to get more apps compatible on Apple ARM silicon, so I wonder if it'd be possible to get Linux virtualization going through Steam via SteamOS...
I don't know what triggered it, but Valve pretty much wants nothing to do with Macs any more. All these years later, Steam has not been updated to support Apple Silicon. Even NVIDIA, whose feud with Apple goes back more than a decade, released their GeForce Now client as an ARM64 app.
The thumbnail background - Does anyone know where it's from? It's great!
In Canada, the 15" M3 MBA with 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD goes for $2,249. As luck would have it, there was a 14" M3 MBP with the same amount RAM and SSD storage in the Apple refurbished store going for $1,999 CDN. So, I went with the latter. It will be arriving in about a week.
I was excited for a new Ipad Pro (I have the 2018) and I was hoping for an M3 refresh but it looks bleek 😕
How do the keyboards conpare to both the air and pro? Which one is more like the apple magic keyboard for the 6th gen ipad pro 12.9?
I was deciding on getting the m1 pro MBP then this came out.Which will be the better choice? pls help me decide on this.
The problem is if you upgrade to the MacBook Pro for $100 you lose 1” of screen size
What is with everyone and fingerprints/
I know right like who cares lol
So where I live right now there is an offer for a brand new 14'' M3 Macbook Pro with 16gb ram at 1660. (so basically free ram upgrade to 16gb) . Do you think thats a deal I should not miss? I was thinking of the Macbook air m3 16gb ram initially but now im hesitating.
I would take the 14 in this case if I were you
heylo actually i am confused a lot to buy whether macbook air max version ( 8 core cpu and 10 core gpu, 16gb ram and 512gb ssd) or pro ( 12 core cpu and 18 core gpu, 18gb ram and 512gb ssd/1tb ssd)... actually i am wanting to have a laptop for programming, gaming, editing. I wonder if macbook air would be suffiecient or i might have to buy the pro verson only?
I hope GTA 6 will be available on Mac....that being said, I have a 2012 MacBook Pro...I know I am on borrowed time with it, so am looking at upgrading...looking to go with another MacBook pro..but even then, I am skeptical...unlike the older Macs, You cannot upgrade your RAM, because its all 1 unit with the new M3 chip...You cannot replace your battery or upgrade your hard drive, because its soldered onto the board..but on the other hand, thats the way the industry is going, so I guess me looking for longevity, I am pretty much screwed. lol
MacBook M1 is still good enough, I will keep mine and continue using it, perfect
Does anybody know if the speakers support Dolby Atmos? I had a Macbook Pro M1 Pro from 2021 and I am thinking about buying a Macbook air but I really really need to get at least the same sound quality..
as a idiot I bought a pretty much maxed out a 16 inch M3 MacBook Pro max, I only held back on the storage 4Tb not 8, but my M1 air 16gb exports and imports Photoshop files almost as fast, its on Coding where it drops off but not so much as it makes a difference, I just grab another beer when on the move id reckoned the M1 air for 90% of people
Why do you need 16GB ram? People buy the Air to run Chrome 🤷
I choose the MacBook Air 15 for its larger screen, sleek beauty and light weight. 16/500 config. It's simply the most beautiful lightweight computer I have ever owned in my life. And I hate fans, which suck donkey ass.
m2 Pro with 16GB is much better option, unless all you do is work on docs and surf the internet. :p
Myself - a Linux guy, running EliteBook G10 835 7840U/32GB/2TB Samsung 990 Pro and damn ok.
look you and I know that appla macbook handles ram way more efficiently than on window. so yeah, while you are better off with 16 gb or ram, you cannot compare 8 gb of ram on the mac with 8 gb of ram on a PC. I had the macbook pro m1 with 8 gb of ram and unless you. had 3 or 4 applications open at once or operating in the background, there was not any problem. it would not have been the same on windows. That said yeah, I would still recommend 16 gb. but please as a tech reviewer you should know better
Ahh, a youtuber that doesn't shout ... how quaint yet delightful 🤩
Seriously, Apple is providing such a catch with the external display connection. Definitely, Apple sucks….. Also, the 60Hz display lags behind the competition.
The keyboard on air feels better than pro
thank you for including an intel core ultra on the benchmark😊
Haha no problem
Can U compare it with the Galaxy book 4 pro 15
Samsung's laptops very overpriced mediocre laptops. That's why, not a lot of people buy it. Instead I recommend checking HP, Dell and Lenovo models. For the same amount, you get really powerful machines my friend. Even gaming is possible. For productivity and battery macbook air M1 for $700 worth the money
The new MacBook M3 Air 15 base model is £100 cheaper, than the MacBook M2 Air 15
M3 macbook air vs samsung galaxy book 4