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MacBook Air 13-inch M3 Review: The Everyday Laptop to Beat, If 8GB Is Enough

The Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip is a silent everyday laptop, best for students and office workers. Rated 4.8 out of 5 across 1,074 user ratings. The main drawback: memory and storage cannot be upgraded later. We scored it 4.8 out of 5.

By ZappyZep, Tech Editor Published September 26, 2026 Updated September 26, 2026
4.8Our score
Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 2 Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 3 Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 4 Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 5 Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 6 Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight, view 7
Product gallery, 7 images

Prices shown were correct on September 26, 2026 and change frequently.

TL;DRThe Short Answer: Is the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip Worth It?

Silent, light and good for a full day away from the charger, the M3 MacBook Air is hard to fault for everyday work. The question is the base configuration: 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage cover school, office work and light editing comfortably, but they cannot be upgraded later, so heavy multitaskers should think twice.

NoFussDeal rates the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip 4.8 out of 5 at $849.00. Last updated September 26, 2026.

Key Facts

Product Dimensions
11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
Color
Midnight
Item Weight
2.7 pounds
Special Feature
Fingerprint Reader
Brand
Apple
Model Name
MacBook Air

What Stands Out

  1. Apple M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU in a fanless design
  2. 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that supports 1 billion colors
  3. Battery rated by Apple at up to 18 hours
  4. 2.7 pounds and 0.44 inches thin, in the Midnight finish
  5. Two Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe charging, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E and Touch ID

Strengths and Drawbacks

What works

  • Completely silent, with no fan
  • Battery easily lasts a full day of work or classes
  • Sharp, vibrant 13.6-inch display
  • Light and thin enough to forget in a bag
  • 8GB handles schoolwork, Office and light editing smoothly
  • Works seamlessly with iPhone for messages, calls and Handoff

What does not

  • Memory and storage cannot be upgraded later
  • 256GB fills quickly without cloud or external storage
  • Both Thunderbolt ports are on the left side
  • Heavy developer or video work can feel slower than on higher-memory Macs

Features in Depth

01

13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display

Screen Size 13.6 inches Product Dimensions 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches Color Midnight

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen supports 1 billion colors, with slim bezels that make the most of a compact body.

$849.00 4.8/5 Check price
02

M3 Chip in a Fanless Design

CPU Model Apple M3 Graphics Card Description Integrated Special Feature Fingerprint Reader

Apple's M3 pairs an 8-core CPU with a 10-core GPU, and the Air cools it passively, with no fan.

$849.00 4.8/5 Check price
03

8GB Memory and 256GB Storage

Ram Memory Installed Size 8 GB Hard Disk Size 256 GB Item model number MRXV3LL/A

This model has 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD. Both are built into the chip package and board, so neither can be upgraded after purchase.

$849.00 4.8/5 Check price
04

Battery, Ports and Portability

Item Weight 2.7 pounds Batteries 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) Operating System Mac OS

Apple rates the battery at up to 18 hours. The Air weighs 2.7 pounds and has two Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe charging port and a headphone jack, plus Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

$849.00 4.8/5 Check price

How We Scored It

Based on
The manufacturer's published specifications and the product's live Amazon listing.
Owner rating
4.8 out of 5 on Amazon, recorded September 26, 2026
How we score
We score each thing that comes up most in owner feedback on the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop. Eight things come up most in owner feedback: all eight draw praise. Its ratings average 4.8 stars (90% five stars, 6% four, 1% three and 3% one or two), so every score starts at 96, that average on a 100 point scale. Where opinion is split, we take off 6. Where it draws mostly complaints, we take off 12. Then we read ten owner reviews in full (every one we found gave it four or five stars) and move the score up to 5 points either way depending on how the owners who mention it rated the product. Our overall score starts from the same 4.8 star average and loses 0.1 for each thing that draws mostly complaints, with 0.1 more when at least a tenth of ratings are one star, never more than 0.3 in all. Nothing comes off here, so it stays at 4.8. Read our editorial standards

Performance

Two of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Speed

One of the ten owner reviews we read mentions it. That owner gave the product four or five stars. Score 96: its 4.8 star average on a 100 point scale.

96Positive

Weight

Apple lists the item weight as 2.7 pounds. Three of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Battery Life

Eight of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Appearance

Apple lists the color as Midnight. Five of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Screen Quality

Apple lists the screen size as 13.6 inches. Four of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Owner Satisfaction

90% of ratings are five stars and 6% are four. 1% are three stars and 3% are one or two. Very few ratings land that low. Score 96: its 4.8 star average on a 100 point scale.

96Positive

Value for Money

Four of the ten owner reviews we read mention it. All of them gave the product four or five stars. Score 98: we started at 96 and added 5 because the owner reviews that mention it are positive, capped at 98, the highest any score goes.

98Positive

Specifications

Size and weight

Product Dimensions
11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
Item Weight
2.7 pounds

Materials and warranty

Color
Midnight

Other specifications

Special Feature
Fingerprint Reader
Brand
Apple
Model Name
MacBook Air

What Buyers Say

Based on 1,074 Amazon customer ratings, averaging 4.8 out of 5, recorded 12 September 2026. See the reviews on Amazon

5 stars 90%
4 stars 6%
3 stars 1%
2 stars 1%
1 stars 2%
★★★★★

Perfection in every way

First off, the size for the 13 inch air Mac is a big enough size for a screen. I was expecting it to be smaller, but was pleasantly surprised.The quality of the screen and resolution and wha… Read it on Amazon
Joe · July 28, 2024 · Verified
★★★★★

For anyone wondering if the base model is enough, let me assure you - it absolutely is!

I recently purchased the 2024 MacBook Air M3 (base model) and it has completely blown me away. For anyone wondering if the base model is enough, let me assure you - it absolutely is!Here's w… Read it on Amazon
matthew Sturdevant · July 10, 2024 · Verified
★★★★★

Totally capable and worth the buy

I recently bought this machine for two purposes. The deal was I'd use this for my freelance work for a month while my 2019 Macbook Pro was being fixed and then my niece gets it for college. … Read it on Amazon
buyer · August 6, 2024 · Verified
★★★★★

Feels great, AWESOME and chill! (coming from a PC person)

First off, I'm a gaming PC person. I do digital art as my main career, but wanted a laptop that could help me focus on studies and art. I got an HP Pavillion Aero 13, but it was too distract… Read it on Amazon
Lawrence · August 18, 2024 · Verified
★★★★★

First ever MacBook for School

My first ever MacBook. Have always been a windows guy but thought I’d give it a try. Overall it’s been about two months of using and I love it so far. Have had multiple people comment how ni… Read it on Amazon
Adam M. · July 7, 2024 · Verified
★★★★★

great product

great product use everyday came exactly as advertised, very sleek smooth outside and love the color this laptop stays charged longer then any I have ever seen and makes no sound what's so ev… Read it on Amazon
Stephen · July 13, 2024 · Verified

Setting It Up

  1. Power On and Run Setup

    Open the lid and the Air starts up. Follow Setup Assistant to choose your language and Wi-Fi network and sign in with your Apple ID. If you are an existing Apple user, expect the first hour to feel slower while it syncs your iCloud data.

  2. Register Touch ID

    Add your fingerprints in System Settings under Touch ID & Password. Touch ID then unlocks the Mac, fills passwords and approves Apple Pay.

  3. Charge with MagSafe

    Connect the charging cable to the MagSafe port on the left side. The magnetic connector releases if the cable is pulled, which saves the laptop from being dragged off a table.

  4. Plan Your Storage

    With 256GB on board, turn on iCloud Drive or OneDrive for documents and photos early, before the drive fills. Reformat any Windows (NTFS) external drives you want to write to, or install a driver.

  5. Set Up the Display

    In System Settings under Displays, turn on True Tone and pick a larger or smaller text size to taste. Night Shift warms the screen in the evening.

  6. Connect Accessories

    Plug a hub or dock into one of the two Thunderbolt ports for USB-A, HDMI or card readers. To use two external displays, connect them and close the lid.

Common Questions

Is the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip worth it?

Yes: we score it 4.8 out of 5. The M3 MacBook Air is about as good as an everyday laptop gets.

What do owners say about the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip?

Rated 4.8 out of 5 across 1,074 user ratings, with 90% giving it five stars and 2% one star.

What are the downsides of the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip?

Memory and storage cannot be upgraded later. 256GB fills quickly without cloud or external storage.

How do you clean the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip?

Wipe the screen with a soft, slightly damp microfibre cloth.

How does iPhone continuity work on the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 Chip?

Start an email on your iPhone and finish it on the Mac, send texts and take calls from the laptop, and copy on one device to paste on the other.

On Video

6 videos

M3 MacBook Air Review - 6 Months Later

6 Months Later
All videos
  1. M3 MacBook Air Review - 6 Months Later 6 Months Later
  2. Here's the Thing about the M3 Macbook Air... Marques Brownlee
  3. New M3 MacBook Air is here! UrAvgConsumer
  4. M3 MacBook Air 13-inch Unboxing – Midnight Color Looks INSANE! Mehar Usman Tech
  5. Unboxing the 13-Inch M3 MacBook Air in Midnight 💻 CNET
  6. Unboxing the M4 MacBook Air 13” Midnight 🔥 Andrew Clare

The Verdict

4.8Out of 5

The M3 MacBook Air is about as good as an everyday laptop gets. It is silent, light, quick in daily use and lasts a full day with room to spare, and the 13.6-inch display is a pleasure to work on. The base 8GB, 256GB configuration handles schoolwork, office tasks, browsing and light photo editing smoothly, even for buyers who worried about the memory. Its limits are about what you choose at checkout: memory and storage are fixed, 256GB fills quickly, and heavier development or video work runs better on more memory. Add left-side-only ports and the need for a hub, and those are the only real compromises.

Who should buy it

  • Students and office workers
  • Windows users trying a Mac for the first time
  • iPhone owners who want everything to sync
  • Travellers who value weight and battery life over ports

A quiet, fast and beautifully built laptop that most people will be happy with for years. Pick a configuration with more memory and storage only if your work is heavy or your files live locally.

Check price on Amazon

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