Light as a feather for travel, with plenty of power for all tasks and plenty of battery life for the whole day - the MacBook Air M3 seems to be the ideal companion for long-term travelers and remote workers who work on the go or vacationers who want to edit more demanding photos and videos. Does the thin notebook meet its requirements? What are the strengths and weaknesses? I took a close look at the MacBook Air M3 – the best-selling 13-inch notebook in the world – and tested it extensively.

After a day at the computer, especially on the go between quick meals out and crumbly snacks, my notebook looks bad - everything is full of fingerprints, maybe even a small blob or two on the casing. And the keyboard shines with joy because it has been in constant use. You can really see every little fingerprint, especially on dark notebooks.

And if I do that MacBook Air If I work all day long, the coating doesn't save the elegant laptop in midnight blue. But anyone who doesn't put too much strain on their computer can look forward to significantly fewer fingerprints and smudges on the notebook's casing. And of course the remaining highlights of this high-performance laptop in small format (or alternatively in the larger 15-inch version).

For all eventualities on the go

Luckily, this isn't a problem that a microfiber cloth can't solve. And so with the MacBook Air M3 I can fully concentrate on my work when I'm away from home - writing texts, editing photos and using AI applications that make me even more productive and make my work a lot easier. I don't need a charging cable. The battery lasts all day. And if you're on the go for a long time and run demanding applications, you can recharge the economical M3 Mac with a power bank.

The best thing about mobile working with the notebook is simply the compact format - the device is simply super light and thin. This really makes a clear, noticeable difference compared to larger, traditional laptops, which are often referred to as drag tops for a reason.

As you can see, the MacBook Air M3 really impressed me in my detailed test. In my opinion, there is hardly a more practical and useful device for mobile working while traveling in the most beautiful places destinations or in the co-working space. Below I'll put together all the information you need to know about the MacBook Air M3.

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Traveling with the MacBook Air M3 - as you can see, you don't notice anything

I pack my suitcase and take with me: a notebook that is so light and thin that you can hardly feel it. And that is probably my most important personal experience that I have had with the compact device – it is handy. By that I mean I'm much more likely to pick it up, open it up and have a much lighter and faster one

I have access to this device more than to permanently installed computers and larger laptops. When I have an idea, I open the MacBook Air and write it down - no matter where I am. And when I need a high-quality edited photo or video, I sit on a park bench and quickly send the finished work to my iPhone via AirDrop.

Quickly at hand, always and everywhere

My personal experience with the MacBook Air - especially with the M3 chip - is that you have a device with you that is always quickly available to you. You never turn it off - you just open and close it as needed. A real power pack with which you can capture and implement your ideas immediately. Lately I've been working a lot with artificial intelligence and have started using some resource-intensive programs. Here too, the small and light notebook scores points in every respect.

If you travel a lot or like to work in a café, outdoors or in a co-working space, you will enjoy a MacBook Air with an M3 chip. I quickly noticed a big difference compared to my large 16-inch MacBook Pro (approx. 41 centimeters). The small Air simply takes up much less space in the bag,

Strengths and weaknesses of the MacBook Air M3

The MacBook Air M3 has many strengths and very few weaknesses overall - the strengths far outweigh the disadvantages. The notebook is characterized by its lightness and compactness, which make it an ideal 13-inch notebook for on the go. Its elegant and minimalist housing appeals to users who value design and portability.

The powerful M3 processor effortlessly handles a variety of tasks, from using artificial intelligence to video editing to photo editing. For those who write a lot, the pleasant keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience. In addition, the battery lasts all day, depending on the intensity of use. You rarely have to take the charging cable out of your pocket.

However, the MacBook Air M3 also has its weaknesses. The price can be quite high, depending on the features you choose. The device also lacks a ProMotion 120 Hz screen, which could be a significant disadvantage for some users, especially if they value particularly smooth image reproduction.

Power

• light and compact 13 inch notebook
• elegant, minimalist housing
• powerful M3 processor for versatile tasks such as the use of artificial intelligence, video editing and photo editing
• pleasant keyboard for users who write a lot
• The battery lasts all day depending on the intensity of use

weaknesses

• the price can be steep depending on the features
• no ProMotion 120 Hz screen
• two Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe all only on the left - that could be 1. three USB4 ports and 2. also one of them on the right side of the notebook

iPad (Pro) or MacBook Air M3 – which device for whom?

If you frequently on road If you are, you are probably thinking about whether you should use an iPad or a MacBook. This is almost a question of faith: many users prefer to have a large one at home MacBook Pro, use an iMac or a MacMini while on the go iPad Air or iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Use pencil. That depends entirely on your own needs and requirements.

For many purposes, I would say that the iPad Pro, including the optional Magic Keyboard, is the ideal companion. The iPad is particularly ideal for consuming content. However, you can also render high-quality videos and images and work professionally in many areas.

But the MacBook Air makes the decision difficult. When my brother - a die-hard iPad Pro fan - tried out my MacBook Air M3, he was blown away by the thin and light device with the powerful processor and long battery life. In addition, as soon as you use important applications that are not available in the App Store, you will definitely have to use the MacBook Air.

Alternatives to the MacBook Air

Of course, there are also some alternatives to the MacBook Air that you could consider: for example the Galaxy Book 4 Pro 14, with which the competitor Samsung would like to score points. The Huawei MateBook X Pro is also an alternative for anyone who prefers a Windows operating system.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is a compact 14-inch laptop with a high-resolution OLED touchscreen and a current Meteor Lake processor from Intel. It offers a high-quality metal chassis and, despite its thin build, a good selection of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI. The basic variant costs 1.899 euros* (RRP in Germany, including VAT).

The performance of the Core Ultra 7 155H processor is sufficient for everyday use, but does not reach its full potential, especially when compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13 with M3 chip. Silent mode ensures quiet operation but further reduces performance. The battery life is not competitive with the MacBook or the Huawei MateBook X Pro.

Huawei MateBook X Pro

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is a light and robust notebook equipped with a 13th generation Intel Core processor. It offers 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD for fast file transfers and smooth operations. The device has a smooth metal body, weighs just 1,26 kg and is equipped with a magnetically controlled nano-optic coating that reduces light reflection. It also has an intelligent heat dissipation module that minimizes overheating and noise.

Table – the main characteristics of the MacBook Air M3

Below I have put together a table for you in which I have summarized the most important features of the compact notebook at a glance.

Specification	Description
Colors	Silver, North Star, Space Gray, Midnight
Price	from 1.549 euros (8-core GPU, 256 GB SSD)
chip	Apple M3 chip with 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 8-core or 10-core GPU, 16-core neural engine
Memory Bandwidth	100 GB / s
MediaEngine	Hardware accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, AV1 engine for decoding
Display	13,6″ Liquid Retina display, 2560 x 1664 pixel resolution, 500 nits brightness, P3 color space, True Tone technology
random access memory	8 GB shared RAM, optionally expandable to 16 GB or 24 GB
Power supply and battery	Up to 18 hours of movie playback, 52,6 watt-hour lithium polymer battery, 30W or 35W USB-C power adapter
memory	256GB or 512GB SSD, optionally expandable to 1TB or 2TB
charging and expansion	MagSafe 3, 3,5mm headphone jack, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
Display support	Supports two external displays up to 6K at 60Hz
Features	Hardware accelerated ray tracing, ProRes encoding and decoding engine, AV1 decoding engine

MacBook Air M3 as an ideal travel companion

My conclusion

As you may have noticed, I'm an avid user of the MacBook Air with M3 chip. And as I sit in a café and write this article on the device, it becomes clear to me once again why: You have such easy access to this notebook. You can grab it with one hand, you don't need to turn it on, just open it up and you can start using it straight away.

It makes my work a lot easier when I have quick access to my device - especially when I'm on the go. And that makes the MacBook Air M3 the ideal companion when traveling. In combination with one iPhone and mean AirPods Pro I have the ultimate productivity machine to let my mind flow anywhere and capture what I have to say and show the world.

Which notebook are you currently using? Are you considering purchasing a MacBook Air M3? Share your experiences in the comments.