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MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) vs MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024)1MacBook Air (M2, 2022)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air M3 against MacBook Air M2
FigureMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Price£1,0993launch price£1,2494launch price
ChipM3chipM2chip
CPU8-coreCPU8-coreCPU
GPU8-coreGPU8-coreGPU
Memory8GB5unified memory, base8GB6unified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released8 March 20243ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 4 March 2024.15 July 20224ReleasedIn select Apple Stores; orderable online from 8 July 2022.
Security updatesNot available7Security updatesNot available7Security updates
Price
The MacBook Air M3 is £1,099 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Air M2 is £1,249 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) · 304.1 × 215 mm footprintMacBook Air (M2, 2022) · 304.1 × 215 mm footprint

Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Dimensions11.3 x 304.1 x 215 mm11.3 x 304.1 x 215 mm
Weight1.24 kg1.24 kg
ColoursSilver, Starlight, Space Grey, MidnightSilver, Starlight, Space Grey, Midnight
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.8No USB-A ports.9
HDMINo HDMI port.10No HDMI port.11
SD card slotNo SD card slot.10No SD card slot.11
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeYesYes
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch IDBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Touch IDYesYes

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Display size13.6 in13.6 in
Resolution2560 x 16642560 x 1664
Pixel density224 ppi224 ppi
Display typeLiquid Retina displayLiquid Retina display
Brightness500 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.10No nano-texture display option.11

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
ChipApple M3 chipApple M2 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores88
Performance cores44
Efficiency cores44
GPU cores88
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM3 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU or 10-core GPUM2 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU
Memory (base)8GB58GB6
Memory (maximum)24GB524GB6
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 24GB58GB, 16GB or 24GB6
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents12No, as Apple documents12
Memory bandwidth100 GB/s100 GB/s
Storage (base)256GB256GB
Storage (maximum)2TB2TB
Storage options256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engine

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Battery capacity52.6 Wh52.6 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles131,000 cycles13
Video playback (claimed)18 h18 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h15 h
Included power adapter30 W30 W
Fast chargingYesYes

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth5.35.3
EthernetNo Ethernet port.10No Ethernet port.11
External displays (base)1141

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera1080p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersFour-speaker sound systemFour-speaker sound system
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingThree-mic array with directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) against Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
SpecificationMacBook Air M31MacBook Air M22
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate15macOS 27 Golden Gate15
Model identifierMac15,1216Mac14,216
Model year20242022

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M3 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M2 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air with M2 available to order starting Friday, July 8 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  6. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  7. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs. Read 14 Sep 2026

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  9. MacBook Air (M2, 2022): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Tech Specs. Read 14 Sep 2026

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  10. MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. MacBook Air (M2, 2022): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  12. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  13. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Air M3. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Air M2. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air with M2 available to order starting Friday, July 8, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Air M3 (13-inch, 2024)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Air M2 (2022)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.