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.
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.
@@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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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?
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
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 ..
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.
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.
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?
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
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?
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 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.
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*
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!
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 have been looking endlessly for a video that tells me if my MacBook Air m3 is good enough for Final Cut Pro 4k timeline editing or if I had to buy a Mac mini m4 and Im thinking that you answered my question despite no one and I mean no one having a direct Macbook air m3 to Mac mini m4 comparison.. Thank you! sub earned!
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!
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?
I just got my first Mac Book Air M3 yesterday (I have always used a HP), I have an iPhone 15 pro max and I have the air pods pro and air pods 2nd gen but back to the Mac, I am still trying to get used to using it and I can not figure out how to open another web page and how do you power it down? I have a lot of questions since this is my very first Mac but they will come in due time.
In the menu bar, You can go to File -> New Window. Or you can just press Command + N. If you wanna open another tab, press the + icon in the safari window, or File -> New Tab or command + T. You power it down by going to the menu, clicking the Apple logo -> Shut Down
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.
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
Lmao are you asking if it is powerful enough for graphic design? Just get a 14" or 16" M1 Pro or get an M2 Air instead and save yourself $600-$1000, depending on what you go with. If you want something light and 15", then get the m2. If you want something more powerful than either the m1 or m2 airs, then get an M1 Pro. But really you would barely even need an M1 Air for graphic design, and you definitely don't even need that. You would be fine with a 2015 15" MacBook Pro for like $300 if you just want something for graphic design.
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?
Basic/light use that's probably fine. For gaming I'd say it'll depend on the game. Anything in the Apple Arcade should be fine, but bigger titles you'll probably need both more RAM and storage.
8-256 is nice for MBA 13" M1 at cheap, but for new M3 machine don't go anywhere below 16 GIGs of RAM. it will serve you for 5 years at least and probably be inadequate at the end, while 8 GB for new machine is on ridiculous side even now.
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.
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
Great video. Debating between this and pretty much same spec macbook pro m3. How does this aire hook up to another screen without hdmi port, and can a wireless mouse be connected without having to plug anything in (reciever)? Thanks
I’m after a new machine for console streaming via capture card. And then of course video editing. Would the M3 Air handle this ok? Or better off going with the M3 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.
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!)
Thanks for the review! I'm a photographer and I travel more and more, which is why I'm thinking between the Macbook Air 13" M3 16GB/1Tb and the Macbook pro 14" M3 pr 18Gb/1tb. I usually do post-production on Mac Studio. The Macbook is actually needed for copying and sorting the pictures while I'm waiting at the hotel or at the airport. Maybe 1-2 times I would also take a complete wedding material to the end in LrC, but this is an exceptional case, so I would use the machine about 4-6 times for this and basic average things. What made me think of the Macbook Air was its light weight, portability, and it would be just about right for the purpose, but I am a bit worried about the heating. However, the cooling of the Macbook Pro M3 pro is positive for me, but its weight not really, because of its portability. To what extent do you feel that you would be mentioned too much under these conditions, with these conditions?
Since you are an photographer you may or maynot end up using lot of generative AI features which will develop with time,currently you wont need that power but better to future prrof since you are investing money,I would suggest a higher RAM cofiguration on the pro 18 gb may not be sufficient.
Hey Kyle I'm very confused that if I should go for this one or galaxy book 4 360 since I have S23 with me but efficiency and long term thing makes me feel like Mac is better but sometimes since I have S23 I feel like samsung will be better . Can you please suggest me which will be better ?? I am MBA student
My question. What is the issue of scratches or scrapes from connectors etc? Does the black paint scratch and come off and you can see the silver underneath?
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
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 😂
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 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
JUST the video I’ve been looking for! Love your balance on content/talk
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.
The quality of your videos are 200%. I see you as one of the top tech TH-camrs out there. It is a joy to watch your videos. The visuals are STUNNING!
That was the best review I've watched for these new models. You've saved me a few hundred bucks--Thank you!
Amazing video, love the production quality and the information is spot on as it's generalized to everyone and not just tech enthusiasts.
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.
Gorgeous desk setup 🤙🏻 love the green wall and wood
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.
Where to find the wallpaper ? Thats a crazy one
This was a genuinely useful review, thank you Kyle
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)
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.
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.
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.
Can you please compare this 16/512 model m3 air with the base m3 MacBook pro performance wise in the long run
love that wallpaper where did you get it?
Bro I need your wallpapers? I need em. Love your content! You kick ass! My new fav tech reviewer.
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.
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
Just buy my Macbook air M3 15inches last week, i am very impressed with this slim guy! I love it!
What software/app did you use to see the performance of the Mac? Great video!
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
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.
100% at the point! Good review - Thnx!
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.
Sir just love ur aesthetic colourful wallpapers....where do u source?
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 ..
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.
How did you get that wallpaper in 4:58…pls help I like it
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.
You just saved me about $1800. I was about to go for the new M4 MBP, but went with the M3 Air with the new spec bump of 16GB of memory. Thanks!
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?
10:45 thats the app he’s using during 10:45 - 10:48 looks like some sort of activity monitor. What’s the apps name?
i would like to know as well
It’s called CleanMyMac X
How are your thermals and is it uncomfortable to the touch?
Thanks for making these videos! I've been so sort between Mac models
Thank you for this vid, very useful ❤️🔥
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
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!
Thanks you so much for details
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?
Does the air m3 8gb ram worth it? for light ios development + web and mainly productivity work (product managment) ?
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.
outstanding review go ahead you review one device in very different aspect thank you
Helpful video. Any reason to upgrade my M1 Air 16gb 1 Tb SSD?
where are the wallpapers you use in the video? The ones in the link are the not the same
What wallpaper is show in this video? I don’t see it on your store.
I got my M3 16GB 512Gb 13” today! Love it
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 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.
excellent video - subscribed
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*
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!
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?
Thanks for this great content ❤
Does the paint on Midnight's sockets chip after months/years of use?
I have been looking endlessly for a video that tells me if my MacBook Air m3 is good enough for Final Cut Pro 4k timeline editing or if I had to buy a Mac mini m4 and Im thinking that you answered my question despite no one and I mean no one having a direct Macbook air m3 to Mac mini m4 comparison.. Thank you! sub earned!
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).
If your videos were a movie, they would win the Oscar for best photography. I just love the colors
Excellent info, New Subscriber and a comment for your algorithm!
Again great video!
Love mine, got the base model but I don't push mine to hard but once an awhile, very happy!
*Each new device* "Best money can buy"
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!
Where can we get the wallpaper on the right at 12:09 plz
He makes wallpaper set’s, for $3 USD, its an unreleased set, idk when it’ll be available
Yes I saw his site but unfortunately it’s not released. I would be more than happy to buy it !
I’m considering upgrading to the M3 MacBook Air from my mid 2019 MacBook Air
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?
I just got my first Mac Book Air M3 yesterday (I have always used a HP), I have an iPhone 15 pro max and I have the air pods pro and air pods 2nd gen but back to the Mac, I am still trying to get used to using it and I can not figure out how to open another web page and how do you power it down? I have a lot of questions since this is my very first Mac but they will come in due time.
Open up a second web page is CMD + T (tab)
In the menu bar, You can go to File -> New Window. Or you can just press Command + N. If you wanna open another tab, press the + icon in the safari window, or File -> New Tab or command + T.
You power it down by going to the menu, clicking the Apple logo -> Shut Down
thank you! @@rondobrondo
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.
Looking forward to the follow up video!
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
Is the 8 gb ram enough for graphic design?
Incredible review.. futuristic video review 🔥
Do you think this would be good computer for graphic design? The 15” version?
Lmao are you asking if it is powerful enough for graphic design? Just get a 14" or 16" M1 Pro or get an M2 Air instead and save yourself $600-$1000, depending on what you go with. If you want something light and 15", then get the m2. If you want something more powerful than either the m1 or m2 airs, then get an M1 Pro. But really you would barely even need an M1 Air for graphic design, and you definitely don't even need that. You would be fine with a 2015 15" MacBook Pro for like $300 if you just want something for graphic design.
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
For basic use and light gaming is 8-256 is enough?
From personal experience, yes
I would get 16gb minimum@@hansen-house
But when new software comes out it’s going to get slower
Basic/light use that's probably fine. For gaming I'd say it'll depend on the game. Anything in the Apple Arcade should be fine, but bigger titles you'll probably need both more RAM and storage.
8-256 is nice for MBA 13" M1 at cheap, but for new M3 machine don't go anywhere below 16 GIGs of RAM. it will serve you for 5 years at least and probably be inadequate at the end, while 8 GB for new machine is on ridiculous side even now.
Macbook air m3 16/512 or Macbook pro m3 8/512 ?
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.
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
Very good review.
What is the max refresh rate if you connect a 4k Display?
Great video. Debating between this and pretty much same spec macbook pro m3.
How does this aire hook up to another screen without hdmi port, and can a wireless mouse be connected without having to plug anything in (reciever)? Thanks
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
Nice info. Returned MacBook Pro and waiting on my MacBook Air M3 to arrive. Thank you
I’m after a new machine for console streaming via capture card. And then of course video editing. Would the M3 Air handle this ok? Or better off going with the M3 pro?
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.
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!)
Thanks for the review! I'm a photographer and I travel more and more, which is why I'm thinking between the Macbook Air 13" M3 16GB/1Tb and the Macbook pro 14" M3 pr 18Gb/1tb. I usually do post-production on Mac Studio. The Macbook is actually needed for copying and sorting the pictures while I'm waiting at the hotel or at the airport. Maybe 1-2 times I would also take a complete wedding material to the end in LrC, but this is an exceptional case, so I would use the machine about 4-6 times for this and basic average things. What made me think of the Macbook Air was its light weight, portability, and it would be just about right for the purpose, but I am a bit worried about the heating. However, the cooling of the Macbook Pro M3 pro is positive for me, but its weight not really, because of its portability. To what extent do you feel that you would be mentioned too much under these conditions, with these conditions?
Yes!
You'll be completely fine with an AIR. You don't even need an M3 Air for what you are describing. You would be fine with an m1 air
Since you are an photographer you may or maynot end up using lot of generative AI features which will develop with time,currently you wont need that power but better to future prrof since you are investing money,I would suggest a higher RAM cofiguration on the pro 18 gb may not be sufficient.
Hey Kyle I'm very confused that if I should go for this one or galaxy book 4 360 since I have S23 with me but efficiency and long term thing makes me feel like Mac is better but sometimes since I have S23 I feel like samsung will be better . Can you please suggest me which will be better ?? I am MBA student
Should I get the Macbook pro M1 16Go RAM and 512 Go SSD or The Macbook Air M3 16Go RAM and 512 Go SSD ?
What did you choose?
@Всепро-ш8е The M1 pro 👍🏾
@@cyberlexl3136 any issues with it?
Very cool video and It makes me feel better about my choice
Extremely helpful. Thanks.
My question. What is the issue of scratches or scrapes from connectors etc? Does the black paint scratch and come off and you can see the silver underneath?
no, over time you might get some wear there, just a faint ring around the sharp edge, but that's all from what I've seen
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?