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Apple Silicon MacBook Air Q&A
Published March 17, 2024
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What are all the differences between the 13" and 15" Apple Silicon MacBook Air "M3" and the 14" MacBook Pro "M3"? Which is best for my needs?
There are three "2024 M3" Apple Silicon MacBook Air models -- the MacBook Air "M3" 8 CPU/8 GPU 13", "M3" 8 CPU/10 GPU 13", and "M3" 8 CPU/10 GPU 15".
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (13" & 15" MacBook Air M3 Models)
In addition to higher-end models with "M3 Pro" and "M3 Max" processors, there is a single entry-level "Late 2023 M3" 14" MacBook Pro -- the MacBook Pro "M3" 8 CPU/10 GPU 14".
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (14" MacBook Pro M3)
Based on email received by EveryMac.com, there is a great deal of interest in comparing these similarly priced MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. The differences can be subtle and easy to overlook. A detailed evaluation is particularly worthwhile, accordingly.
External Differences
Although all of these models use essentially sealed and disposable case designs made of aluminum and glass, there are differences between them.
The 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models are slightly thinner -- 0.44 or 0.45 of an inch compared to 0.61 of an inch -- and slightly lighter -- (2.7 and 3.3 pounds compared to 3.4 pounds) -- than the 14" MacBook Pro "M3".
The 14" MacBook Pro "M3" is offered in either a silver color or a darker "Space Gray" option whereas the 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models are available not only in silver and "Space Gray" but also warm gray "Starlight" and dark blue "Midnight" options.
The displays on 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models are good quality, but the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" display is significantly better quality, higher-resolution, and brighter, as well.
The 13" and 15" MacBook Air models have "Liquid Retina" displays -- 13.6" (2560x1664) and 15.3" (2880x1864) -- respectively. These displays are LED-backlit with IPS, Wide color (P3), "True Tone" technology that automatically adjusts color temperature, 224 ppi, and provide 500 nits of brightness.
The 14" MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has a higher-resolution 14.2" (3024x1964) "Liquid Retina XDR" display. It also is LED-backlit with IPS, Wide color (P3), and supports "True Tone" technology. However, it is 254 ppi, provided up to 600 nits of brightness for SDR content, up to 1000 nits of sustained full-screen brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness displaying HDR content, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, as well as support for 1 billion colors. It also supports ProMotion (for adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz), which makes a big difference for fast moving images, in particular.
All of these models have "Scissor Switch" keyboards, a large "Force Touch" trackpad, "Touch ID" authentication, and a 1080p webcam in a "notch" at the upper portion of the display, but the smaller 13" MacBook Air "M3" models have four speakers whereas the 15" MacBook Air "M3" and 14" MacBook Pro "M3" models have six speaker systems. The 14" MacBook Pro "M3" also has a reportedly higher quality three-mic array for better sound input, as well.
Connectivity Differences
Connectivity is a major point of differentiation between the 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models and the 14" MacBook Pro "M3".
All of these models have two "Thunderbolt / USB 4" ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3, and a "MagSafe 3" power connector.
However, the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" models also have an HDMI port and an SDXC-capable SD card slot, whereas the MacBook Air models do not.
Curiously, though, the MacBook Air models officially have better external display support -- two external displays (one 6K and one 5K) when the lid is closed -- whereas the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" officially only supports one exterior display up to 6K. However, Apple reportedly has promised to add support for a second external display to this MacBook Pro with an upcoming software update (higher-end MacBook Pro models already officially support multiple external displays).
For new Mac users who aren't familiar with Apple's hardware strategy, the company previously has disabled hardware capabilities in software on entry-level products to attempt to push users to buy more expensive models. This was common back in the iBook days, as well.
Third-party adapters -- like site sponsor OWC's USB-C Dual HDMI 4K Display Adapter with DisplayLink -- also make it easy to add more displays than are officially supported, too.
Identification Differences
As carefully hand documented from each notebook itself by EveryMac.com, the 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models as well as the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" have different Model Numbers, EMC Numbers, and Model Identifiers.
At least at the moment, these identifiers are unique, although there always is the possibility that some identifiers will be shared by future models.
In general, though, the Model Identifier in software tends to be a fairly reliable way to differentiate between these notebook lines and others for the long-term:
| Mac Model | Model No. | EMC No. | Model ID |
| Air M3 13" | A3113 | 8611 | Mac15,12 |
| Air M3 15" | A3114 | 8612 | Mac15,13 |
| Pro M3 14" | A2918 | 8304 | Mac15,3 |
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature can uniquely identify each of these notebooks by other identifiers, as well.
More information about specific identifiers is provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
Internal Differences
Although there are numerous differences between specific interior parts in the 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" models and the 14" MacBook Pro "M3", notebooks equipped with the same processors/graphics processors have essentially the same performance-related components and these models benchmark at roughly the same speed when otherwise configured identically.
However, most notably, the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" is cooled by an internal fan, which means that it is less likely to throttle under heavy use and may have a longer lifespan, too. The 14" MacBook Pro "M3" also has a larger battery and can deliver more runtime on some tasks, also.
All of these models essentially are sealed and disposable and all have processors, graphics processors, RAM, and storage that cannot be upgraded after purchase.
Comparison Chart
The above differences between the 13" and 15" MacBook Air "M3" and 14" MacBook Pro "M3" models -- displays, ports, speakers, external display support, batteries, identifiers, color options, dimensions, weight, and starting prices -- are summarized below:
 Air M3 13" |
 Air M3 15" |
 Pro M3 14" |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size: | 13.6" | 15.3" | 14.2" |
| Resolution: | 2560x1664 | 2880x1864 | 3024x1964 |
| Wide Color: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| True Tone: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ProMotion: | No | No | Yes |
| PPI: | 224 ppi | 224 ppi | 254 ppi |
| Brightness: | 500 nits | 500 nits | 600 nits |
| Architecture: | M3 | M3 | M3 |
| Processor Cores: | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Graphics Cores: | 8/10 | 10 | 10 |
| Cooling: | Passive | Passive | Active (Fan) |
| Std. RAM: | 8, 16 GB | 8, 16 GB | 8, 16 GB |
| Max. RAM: | 24 GB* | 24 GB* | 24 GB* |
| Std. Storage: | 256, 512 GB | 256, 512 GB | 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Max. Storage: | 2 TB* | 2 TB* | 2 TB* |
| Speakers: | Four | Six | Six |
| Thunderbolt: | 2 Ports | 2 Ports | 2 Ports |
| HDMI: | No | No | Yes |
| SD Card: | No | No | Yes |
| Ext. Displays: | 2 | 2 | 1/2** |
| Battery W Hrs: | 52.6 W Hr | 66.5 W Hr | 70 W Hr |
| Battery Life: | 15-18 Hours | 15-18 Hours | 15-22 Hours |
| Color Options: | Silver Gray Starlight Midnight |
Silver Gray Starlight Midnight |
Silver Gray |
| Height (In): | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.61 |
| Width (In): | 11.97 | 13.40 | 12.31 |
| Depth (In): | 8.46 | 9.35 | 8.71 |
| Weight: | 2.7 lbs | 3.3 lbs | 3.4 lbs |
| Model Number: | A3113 | A3114 | A2918 |
| Model Identifier: | Mac15,12 | Mac15,13 | Mac15,3 |
| Intro Price (US): | US$1099 US$1299 US$1499 |
US$1299 US$1499 US$1699 |
US$1599 US$1799 |
| Intro Price (CA): | C$1449 C$1699 C$1949 |
C$1749 C$1999 C$2249 |
C$2099 C$2349 |
| Intro Price (UK): | £1099 £1299 £1499 |
£1299 £1499 £1699 |
£1699 £1899 |
| Intro Price (FR): | €1299 €1529 €1759 |
€1599 €1829 €2059 |
€1999 €2229 |
| Intro Price (AU): | A$1799 A$2099 A$2399 |
A$2199 A$2499 A$2799 |
A$2699 A$2999 |
| Intro Price (SG): | S$1599 S$1899 S$2199 |
S$1899 S$2199 S$2499 |
S$2299 S$2599 |
* These models can be configured with additional RAM and storage at the time of system purchase. The RAM and storage cannot be upgraded later.
** Future macOS update promises to add support for a second external display.
So, is a MacBook Air "M3" or MacBook Pro "M3" model best for me? Which one should I choose?
If price is your primary concern -- and ignoring less capable models from earlier years -- the 13" MacBook Air "M3" is your cheapest new option. It also is the smallest and lightest. Of course, you may wish to alternately consider new or used earlier MacBook Air models to save even more money.
The 14" MacBook Pro "M3" costs at least US$500 more than the cheapest 13" MacBook Air "M3", but only US$300 more than the cheapest 15" MacBook Air "M3".
Although this looks like a substantial price difference at first glance, the 14" MacBook Pro "M3" also is equipped with 512 GB of storage by default. Upgrading the storage alone to 512 GB on the MacBook Air models adds US$200 to the total price, bringing the price premium of the MacBook Pro to just US$100 over its 15" MacBook Air contemporary. If you don't need 512 GB of storage, then it isn't especially valuable to you, and you might also choose to just stick with the MacBook Air. However, if you would like 512 GB of storage, the 14" MacBook Pro already represents a relatively good value over the MacBook Air options accordingly.
The 14" MacBook Pro also provides (1) a much better quality display, (2) an HDMI port, (3) an SD card slot, (4) better cooling, and (5) longer battery life.Taking the higher capacity SSD into account, those are especially compelling reasons to choose the 14" MacBook Pro for an extra US$100.
In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new Apple Silicon MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. On the other hand, if you need to sell a Mac, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older notebook with an instant quote and prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
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