While we’d all love to edit our indie short films and client projects from a dedicated PC complete with all the bells and whistles that you’d find in a full-scale post-production studio, the reality is that for many video editors, you have to work with what you have.
Or, more appropriately in this case, what you have the budget to purchase. So, for those looking for a more affordable, but still new and very capable MacBook laptop, Apple has unveiled new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops that start at $1,099.
Equipped with M3 chips that are set to make the laptops up to 60 percent faster than the M1 models, these should be quite impressive, to say the least. And represents a solid option for the right video editors looking for this budget and performance. Let’s take a look.
Apple M3 MacBook Air Models
Just announced via Apple, these new M3-equipped MacBook Air will sport many improvements and new features from the previous models. While the M3 performance might be the most important, it’s also cool to see the new MacBook Air models include up to 18 hours of battery life and a Liquid Retina display that showcases up to 500 nits of brightness.
With the M3 chip in particular the laptops will offer an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine that Apple says is primed for making use of future AI models, plus a built-in GPU that will allow for better mesh shading and ray tracing.
The new MacBook Air models will also feature an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E, along with added support for the 6GHz band and faster download speeds overall. There are also some neat, but not video editing helpful, upgrades like a new 1080p FaceTime camera, three microphones, and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.
Support for Two External Displays
Now for video editors in particular (plus other types of content-creating creatives), one new killer feature for these new MacBook Air models is going to be this new support for two external displays that can be operated when the laptops are closed.
This could be quite helpful for video editors looking to try to get the best of both worlds with a more sophisticated home video editing setup that features the dual monitors running off the laptop, plus the ability to of course take the laptop on the run if you need to bring it on set for shoots.
MacBook Air external displays
Price and Availability
As is usually the case with Apple laptops, there are several options to consider if you do want to go with a new M3 MacBook Air option. Both 13-inch and 15-inch models will have options for 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB, plus upgrades for base SSD storage.
But, if you’re interested in getting the best value for these new devices, here are the specs and purchase options for the base 13-inch model that are set to start shipping here by March 8th, 2024.
- Apple M3 8-Core Chip
- 8GB Unified RAM | 256GB SSD
- 13.6" 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina Display
- 8-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.3
- 2 x Thunderbolt / USB4
- FaceTime Full HD 1080p Camera
- Backlit Magic Keyboard
- Force Touch Trackpad | Touch ID Sensor
- macOS
Apple 13" MacBook Air (M3, Space Gray)
The Space Gray Apple 13.6" MacBook Air now features the Apple M3 chip, which has many improvements over its predecessor, the M2. The Apple M3 8-Core Chip provides the power and performance efficiency needed to handle all your creative workflows.
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