Apple’s MacBook Air series has long been a favorite for its sleek design, exceptional battery life, and reliable performance. In 2024, Apple introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air with the new M3 chip, expanding its lineup with a larger display, improved hardware, and enhanced user experience. Whether you’re a student, professional, or creative, this device promises to deliver on all fronts. Here’s our in-depth review of the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15″.
1. Design and Build Quality
The first thing you’ll notice is the 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, housed in the ultra-thin aluminum chassis that Apple is known for. At just 11.5mm thick and weighing 1.51 kg, this MacBook Air is incredibly lightweight for its size, making it perfect for users who want the benefits of a larger screen without sacrificing portability. The Space Grey finish adds a modern, professional touch, making it a stylish choice for work or travel.
Apple’s attention to detail is evident in its backlit keyboard, which offers comfortable, responsive typing even in low-light conditions. The large Force Touch trackpad is as precise and smooth as ever, making multitasking effortless.
2. Display
The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display is one of the standout features of this MacBook Air. With a resolution of 2880 x 1864, the visuals are incredibly sharp, and the True Tone technology adjusts the color temperature based on your environment, providing a more natural viewing experience. Whether you're editing photos, watching movies, or working on spreadsheets, the display offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast.
The larger display gives you more screen real estate, making it ideal for multitasking. For users who want more room to work with, especially creative professionals, the upgrade from the 13-inch model is significant.
3. Performance
At the heart of this MacBook Air is Apple’s latest M3 chip, offering a significant performance boost over the previous M2 model. With 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, the M3 chip delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks like browsing, video calls, and document editing, while also handling more intensive workloads like video editing, coding, and light 3D rendering.
Paired with 8GB of unified memory, this model offers smooth multitasking and quick app switching. While 8GB is sufficient for most users, those working with large media files or running virtual machines may want to consider upgrading to 16GB for more demanding tasks.
4. Storage and Connectivity
The 256GB SSD provides fast storage speeds, making boot times and file transfers swift and efficient. However, for users dealing with larger files like video projects, the base storage might fill up quickly, so upgrading to a higher capacity SSD may be worth considering. As expected from Apple, the SSD offers excellent performance, but the lack of user upgradeability means you’ll need to make sure the storage size suits your long-term needs.
For connectivity, Apple has kept it minimal with two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports, allowing for high-speed data transfers and external display support. Additionally, the inclusion of a MagSafe charging port ensures secure and efficient charging without occupying one of the Thunderbolt ports. However, the limited number of ports may require an external hub for users who need to connect multiple devices.
5. Battery Life
One of the most impressive aspects of the MacBook Air 15″ is its battery life. Thanks to the energy-efficient M3 chip, Apple promises up to 18 hours of usage on a single charge, depending on your workflow. This makes it perfect for students, professionals, or anyone who needs a laptop that can last through a full day of work without constantly searching for a power outlet.
6. Camera and Audio
Apple has equipped the 2024 MacBook Air with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a significant improvement over older models. The camera delivers crisp, clear video quality, making it ideal for video calls or online meetings. The inclusion of Apple’s image signal processor helps in reducing noise and improving low-light performance, so even in dim environments, you’ll look great.
The studio-quality three-mic array picks up your voice clearly during calls, while the six-speaker sound system delivers surprisingly rich audio for a laptop this thin. The support for Spatial Audio enhances the overall media experience, providing immersive sound whether you're watching movies or listening to music.
7. Security and Other Features
Like other recent MacBooks, the 2024 MacBook Air comes with Touch ID, allowing you to securely unlock your laptop and make online purchases with a fingerprint. This makes the laptop both convenient and secure, eliminating the need to type in passwords.
Additionally, macOS Ventura (soon to be updated to Sonoma) offers a seamless and powerful experience, with features like Stage Manager and Continuity further improving productivity, especially for users within the Apple ecosystem.
8. Pricing
The 2024 MacBook Air 15″ with M3 chip is priced starting at around ₹1,34,900 (or $1,299), which places it in the premium category. While this is a significant investment, the performance, design, and overall experience make it worth the price for users who value quality, portability, and power in one package.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
The Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15″ with M3 chip is an exceptional laptop that bridges the gap between performance and portability. With its stunning Liquid Retina display, impressive battery life, and the power of the M3 chip, it’s ideal for professionals, students, and creatives alike. While it may not be the best choice for heavy video editors or gamers who need more RAM or a dedicated GPU, it excels in almost every other area, making it one of the best all-around laptops of 2024.
If you’re looking for a lightweight, powerful laptop with a large display and excellent battery life, the MacBook Air 15″ is a top contender that won’t disappoint.