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Apple MacBook Air M1 vs Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch

The M3 Air is the better laptop for most people: a newer chip, a bigger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen, a 1080p webcam, four speakers with Spatial Audio and a sharper design. The M1 Air still holds up well for browsing, writing and video calls, and its fanless build and all-day battery are proven. Reviewers and owners praise both for silence and battery life; the M1's 720p camera and 8GB base memory are the main weak points, while the M3 costs more for its gains.

  • Choose the MacBook Air M1 if you want a quiet, light everyday laptop for web, docs and calls and don't need the best camera or screen.
  • Choose the MacBook Air M3 if you want a newer chip, a larger brighter display, a 1080p webcam and better speakers in a slightly thinner body.

Prices

  • Apple MacBook Air M1: $372.69 at Walmart (checked today)
  • Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch: $999.99 at Reliant Cellular (last seen Nov 10)
  • Difference: the Apple MacBook Air M1 is $627.30 cheaper than the Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch at the latest prices (Nov 10 and Nov 14)
Apple
Apple MacBook Air M1

Apple MacBook Air M1

4.5(8,200 ratings)
$372.69at WalmartChecked 9 h ago
See all prices and details
Visit Walmart
Pros
  • Silent fanless design
  • Proven all-day battery life
  • Light and thin
  • Runs macOS and Apple Silicon apps well
Cons
  • 720p webcam looks soft on calls
  • 8GB base memory limits heavy multitasking
  • Older design with thicker bezels
  • No MagSafe charging
Apple
Macbook Air (A3113) M3

Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch

Macbook Air (A3113) M3

$999.99at Reliant CellularChecked Nov 10
See all prices and details
Visit Reliant Cellular
Pros
  • Faster M3 chip with better graphics
  • Larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
  • 1080p webcam and four speakers with Spatial Audio
  • MagSafe charging frees both Thunderbolt ports
Cons
  • Costs more than the M1
  • Base memory still 8GB
  • No fan, so sustained heavy loads throttle
  • Fewer ports than a Pro

What separates them

Apple MacBook Air M1Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch
ChipApple M1, 8-core CPU and 7- or 8-core GPUApple M3, 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU on 3nm
Display13.3-inch Retina, 2560 x 1600, 500 nits13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits, 1 billion colors
Webcam720p FaceTime HD1080p FaceTime HD
SpeakersStereo speakersFour speakers with Spatial Audio
DesignWedge shape, fanless, about 2.8 lbFlat uniform body, fanless, about 2.7 lb, under half an inch thin
PortsTwo Thunderbolt/USB 4Two Thunderbolt/USB 4, MagSafe charging, headphone jack
BatteryUp to 18 hours, 49.9WhUp to 18 hours
Memory ceilingUp to 16GB unified memoryUp to 24GB unified memory

Price history

$599.00$285.55
Oct 28Nov 14
  • Apple MacBook Air M1: lowest $285.55 on Oct 30; $372.69 on Nov 14.

Prices at every store

Apple MacBook Air M1

  • WalmartNew

    In stockSold by Reebelo

    $372.69Checked 9 h ago
    Visit Walmart
  • Macpro-laNew

    In stock

    $384.00Checked 58 min ago
    Visit Macpro-la
  • WalmartNew

    In stockSold by TekDeals

    $429.00Free shippingChecked Nov 12
    Visit Walmart
  • Apple SharkNew

    Availability unknown

    $499.00Checked Nov 13
    Visit Apple Shark
All 36 stores and price history →

Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch

  • Reliant CellularNew

    In stockReturn policy

    $999.99Checked Nov 10
    Visit Reliant Cellular
Prices and history →

Specs compared

SpecApple MacBook Air M1Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch
CPU cores8 CPU cores total: 4 high-performance and 4 hig…—
GPU cores8 GPU cores total—
Neural Engine16 Neural Engine cores—
Display size13.3”—
Display resolution2560 x 1600—
Battery life18 hours—
Web browsing battery15 hours—
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6—
SSD capacityup to 2TB—
Unified memoryUp to 16GB—
Fans0 fans—
External display6K display—
Show all 40 specsShow fewer specs
SpecApple MacBook Air M1Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch
ModelApple MacBook Air M1 Gold 8GB/256GB (MGND3FN/A)…—
OS VersionMac OS 11.0, Big Sur—
Main Storage256GB SSD—
Storage TypeSSD—
Storage InterfaceATA—
Battery Capacity49.9-watt-hour—
Battery TypeLithium-polymer—
Front Camera Resolution720p—
Camera FeaturesFaceTime HD camera—
Wireless Connectivity

What reviewers say

Apple MacBook Air M1

  • 4.5 / 58,200 ratings

With 4.5 out of 5 from about 8,200 ratings, owners mostly praise the speed, silence and battery life. Common complaints are the low-resolution webcam and the limited ports and memory.

What people mention
  • PerformancePraisedOwners say the M1 handles browsing, office apps and light photo editing without slowdowns.
  • Fan noisePraisedThe fanless design stays silent even under load.
  • BatteryPraisedReviewers report a full day of use on one charge.
  • WebcamCriticisedThe 720p FaceTime camera is called soft and noisy compared with newer laptops.

Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch

Reviewers and owners rate the M3 Air highly for its battery life, silent operation and light build. Most say it is fast enough for everyday work and light creative apps. Complaints center on the 8GB base memory and the two-port layout.

What people mention
  • BatteryPraisedOwners report getting through a full workday without the charger.
  • NoisePraisedThe fanless design stays silent even under load.
  • MemoryCriticisedReviewers say the 8GB base configuration struggles with many tabs and heavier apps.
  • PortsCriticisedTwo Thunderbolt ports are called limiting for monitors, drives and card readers.
Reviews
  • Best Laptops of 2025

Questions and answers

Which is better for video calls and remote work?
The M3 Air. Its 1080p camera, three mics and four speakers make calls look and sound clearly better than the M1's 720p camera and stereo speakers.
Is the M1 Air still worth buying?
Yes, for basic use. It handles browsing, documents, streaming and light photo editing smoothly and runs silently. Skip it if you need a sharp webcam or more than 16GB of memory.
Which lasts longer?
Both are rated up to 18 hours. The M3 is newer, so Apple will support it with macOS updates for longer, which matters if you keep a laptop five years or more.
Do either have fans?
No. Both are fanless, so they run silent but slow down under long sustained loads like video export. The M3 handles those loads faster before throttling.
Is the M3 worth stepping up to?
For most buyers, yes. The bigger screen, 1080p camera, better speakers, MagSafe and newer chip are real everyday gains. Stay on the M1 if those don't matter to you.
Which is better for students?
Either works for notes, papers and online classes. The M3's brighter larger screen and better camera help with lectures and group calls; the M1 is lighter on the wallet and still capable.

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Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
—
Wireless TechnologiesWi-Fi 6—
Wireless ProtocolsBluetooth 5.0—
Processor BrandApple—
Graphics Memory0 GB—
Number Of Processor Cores8-core (CPU)—
Integrated GPUYes—
Processor Clock Speed3.2 GHz—
Max Turbo Speed3.2GHz—
Highlighted Performance Features16-core Neural Engine—
Processor ChipsetM1 Chip—
64-Bit ComputingYes—
Cache4MB L3 cache—
Ports And InterfacesUSB-C, DisplayPort, USB 3.1—
Wireless CommunicationsBluetooth, Wi-Fi—
Resolution2560 x 1600—
Operating SystemMac OS—
With Retina DisplayYes—
Drive TypeSolid State Drive—