13 inch MacBook Air M3 release window speculation

When will we see a 13" MacBook Air with M3 chipset?

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We’ve only heard whispers about a 13 inch MacBook Air M3 release date window, and very little in the way of specs or pricing info, but there have been rumors that have suggested this new device could be on the horizon for late 2023.

Have a read below for the latest leaks/rumors/info, plus our own speculation on what we think this new device could look like.

13 inch MacBook Air M3 release window prediction

Top Apple commenter Mark Gurman has recently stated his belief that a 13 inch MacBook Air with M3 chip, and also a 13-inch MacBook Pro with the same chipset will be revealed this October.

Apple has a history of releases in October – back in 2020 they had the ‘Hi, Speed’ virtual event on Tuesday the 13th of October 2020 where they showed off the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and HomePod mini. In 2021 they ran the Apple Unleashed event on Monday the 18th October where it unveiled new MacBook Pros. In 2022 the company decided not to run an event, but instead announced the new iPad Pro via a press release – this also took place on Tuesday the 18th of October.

We think it’s therefore likely that a the new device will be unveiled in the second or third week of October 2023, and the actual release (when you can buy it off the shelves) between 1-3 weeks after that (as the usual pattern goes). Our 13 inch MacBook Air M3 release window prediction is therefore somewhere between Wednesday 25th October – Friday 17th November, 2023, though at this stage this is remains educated guesswork.

13-inch MacBook Air M3 specifications (speculated)

In terms of the core specs we don’t expect to see much in the way of difference from the current 13-inch MacBook Air (2022 variant), with the exception of the chipset of course and possibly a couple of other areas. RAM and storage are unlikely to change, and though there will likely be some changes to the weight and dimensions, plus the aesthetics of the device, these are unlikely to be particularly huge differences.

Although we’ve had no information to base this on, it would seem a good idea if Apple upgraded the Wi-Fi card from WiFi 6 to at least WiFi 6E (like the MacBook Pro 16 has). We’ve already seen the first WiFi 7 laptops released on the Windows OS, so this would also be nice, though is less likely.

Though we’d like to see the current display upgraded to the 60Hz/120Hz ProMotion, Liquid Retina XDR panel that’s on the MacBook Pro 16 (with its 1000nits XDR and 1600nits HDR support), this seems less likely as Apple will want to maintain something to differentiate between the Air and the Pro variants of the MacBook, with the latter having the more premium price tag to reflect its better specs.

• CPU: Apple M3 chip
• Screen size & resolution: 13.6-inch 16:10 (2560 x 1664, 224ppi)
• Display: 60Hz, Liquid Retina IPS (500nits), non-touchscreen
• Memory: 16/32/24GB unified memory
• Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB SSD
• Ports: 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
• Dimensions: 0.44″ x 11.97″ x 8.48″ (approx)
• Weight: 2.7lbs (approx)
• Misc: 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6E/7, Bluetooth 5.3, 4 speakers
• Colors: silver, space gray, starlight, midnight

13-inch MacBook Air M3 price prediction

The 2022 13 inch MacBook Air with M2 chip was originally priced at $1,199 for the starting loadout when it released, though it has now dropped to $1,099 for a brand-new unit.

The 2023 15 inch Macbook Air with M2 chip has a starting MSRP of $1,299.

We therefore expect a 2023 13 inch MacBook Air with M3 chip price to be somewhere between $1,199 – $1,299 for the starting model, though it remains purely speculation at this point, like everything else!

13-inch MacBook Air M3 release FAQs

Will there be an M3 MacBook Air?

We certainly expect there to be an M3 MacBook Air released at some point, the only question is when? The latest rumors suggest we may see the 13″ model before the end in 2024 however.

What are the current MacBook Airs?

Currently you can pick up either 15-inch or 13-inch version of the M2 MacBook Air, which are both very similar besides the different display sizes.

13 inch MacBook Air M3 release date window speculation

Although info is a bit scarce currently, we will be updating this page with 13 inch MacBook Air M3 release date news, plus info on the specs and price as it comes out. In the meantime do check out our other laptop and Apple guides and news releases. If you’re looking for a laptop for your studies also consider reading our best laptop for students guide.