Apple unveils new 13" and 15" MacBook Air with M3 chip

A few hours ago we told you about a rumor doing the rounds, saying Apple would announce some new hardware this week via press release only, without an event. And today that"s happened. There are still no new iPads in sight, but the company has taken the wraps off its newest MacBook Air laptops - a 13-incher and a 15" one. These are very important products for Apple, as the 13" MacBook Air is the world"s best selling laptop, and the 15" model is the world"s best selling 15-inch laptop.

They both use Apple"s M3 chip, making them "up to 60%" faster than the model with the M1 chip and "up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air" from a few years ago.

The Retina Display has up to 500 nits of brightness, support for 1 billion colors, support for up to two external displays (when the lid is closed), and "up to 2x the resolution of comparable PC laptops".

The laptops have up to 18 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 6E, two Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a three-mic array, speakers with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, and Touch ID. They are available in four colors: midnight, pictured below (featuring "a breakthrough anodization seal to reduce fingerprints), starlight, space gray, and silver.

They will be available on Friday, March 8, with pre-orders opening today in 28 countries. The 13" MacBook Air starts at $1,099, and the 15" model at $1,299. The 13-inch version with the M2 chip remains available for $999.