Update March 8th: This article was updated with a $50 discount for My Best Buy Plus & Total members at Best Buy.

The wait is over for Apple fans itching to get their hands on the latest MacBook Air. After months of speculation, Apple finally pulled back the curtain on its next generation of ultraportable laptops, powered by the company’s highly anticipated M3 chip. The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models aren’t just a spec bump, though – they represent a leap forward in performance and future-proofing.

Preorders for the reimagined MacBook Air lineup kicked off yesterday, with devices slated to ship starting this Friday, March 8th. The 13-inch model will start at $1,099, while its larger 15-inch sibling commands a $1,299 entry price.

• M3 MacBook Air (13″) — from $1,099 at Amazon / Apple / Best Buy ($50 off My Best Buy Plus/Total members only) / B&H Photo
• M3 MacBook Air (15″) — from $1,299 at Amazon / Apple / Best Buy ($50 off My Best Buy Plus/Total members only) / B&H Photo

But what exactly are you getting for that premium?

Under the hood: the M3 advantage

If Apple’s claims hold true, the M3 chip could be a game-changer. The Cupertino tech giant boasts that the latest silicon offers a staggering 60% performance uplift compared to the outgoing M1 chips found in the previous MacBook Air. Feeding that horsepower is an overhauled 16-core Neural Engine designed to accelerate machine learning tasks.

The M3 isn’t just about raw muscle, though. It also brings hardware-accelerated features like ray tracing and mesh shading to Apple’s consumer laptops for the first time. Creatives and gamers alike stand to benefit from these cutting-edge graphics capabilities traditionally reserved for burlier machines.

A portable multimedia powerhouse

While internal upgrades are the headliner, the new MacBook Air models have plenty of other tricks up their sleeves. The laptops flaunt Apple’s vibrant Liquid Retina displays with an impressive 500 nits of peak brightness. They also double down on multimedia prowess with upgraded speaker systems – four speakers on the 13-inch and a beefier six-speaker array on the 15-inch model.

Thankfully, portability doesn’t take a hit. Apple managed to retain the thin-and-light dimensions that made the Air a cult favorite, all while bolstering durability and ease-of-use. The new anodized midnight color option promises to cut down on pesky fingerprints, and the return of MagSafe charging simplifies cable management.

Futureproofing on multiple fronts

Looking ahead, the M3 MacBook Air lineup seems poised to keep pace with the latest connectivity standards. Both sizes support Wi-Fi 6E out of the box, granting access to the 6GHz band for faster wireless speeds where available. There’s also no shortage of I/O options, with 2x Thunderbolt ports enabling high-speed data transfers and support for up to two external displays while the lid is closed.

Of course, all this cutting-edge silicon doesn’t come cheap. Power users looking to max out specs with up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage will need to budget well over $2,000 for their dream machine. Those sticking to baseline configs can still expect to pay a premium over the previous generation, though – the performance leap doesn’t come for free.

Disclaimer: Prices and promotions mentioned in this article are accurate at the time of writing and are subject to change based on the retailers’ discretion. Please verify the current offer before making a purchase.