Why the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is the best MacBook Air

Our review of Apple's new MacBook Airs is out, and our esteemed reviewer Devindra Hardawar gave them both equal scores of 90. That's a very good score! But I think Devendra is underselling it MacBook Air 15 inchIt's the best laptop I've used in years. It deserves at least an extra point or two, in my humble opinion. To me, it's a Goldilocks laptop, just right, and I think a lot of people would feel the same way if they could realize that a 13-inch laptop isn't the ultimate form factor that Apple has been throwing at it over the past decade.

For years now, the 13-inch Air has been Apple's best laptop for most people, with an undeniably excellent combination of power and portability. After a complete redesign for 2022, there's not much to set the Air apart this year. This is not bad in itself, as it is a sign of a product that has matured over the years to near perfection; This year's model has a new chip to keep performance as fresh as possible.

At some point, largely due to the MacBook Air's dominance for more than a decade, the 13-inch form factor became the de facto laptop size for most people. Especially those who wanted a Mac, because in the past 10 years, the 16-inch Macbook Pro (and the 15-inch model that came before it) has become too expensive for most people. As such, the big screen has become a “professional” feature, and not something most people can afford.

Fortunately, Apple addressed that last summer with the 15-inch MacBook Air, a computer that retains everything we love about the 13-inch model in a slightly larger and heavier package. For more money and a slightly larger device, I got a larger screen that I really appreciate when using the Air as my primary computer without a monitor. For me, 15 inches is the perfect size for a laptop. If you feel the same way but Apple has bumped up the pricing, you should definitely check out the 15-inch MacBook Air.

The 13-inch model will certainly remain the default choice for most people, partly because it's cheaper. And if you travel a lot, you'll probably be happier with a smaller, lighter machine. But I think a lot of people will be happier with the larger screen, because the Air's 15-inch screen is still very thin and light. Devendra disagrees, noting that the larger laptop is a half-pound heavier, “more awkward” and a little “annoying” to carry. That's fair — I didn't have the same experience because I've never used a 15-inch monitor alongside a 13-inch one. Instead, I compared it to Apple's two MacBook Pro models, and the Air was lighter than both. In fact, it's more than a pound lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

While I do think most people will be just as happy with the 15-inch Air, if not happier, there are a few use cases worth pointing out to illustrate the point. Devindra said the Air did a pretty good job of playing some of the newer games available to it P lies And Stranded death. If you're a fan of games, whether it's titles like these or the more casual options from Apple Arcade, there's no doubt that they're more fun on a bigger screen.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is also a great choice for older users, people with visual impairments (or, frankly, anyone who prefers larger elements on their screen). When I use the 15-inch Air, I enjoy having more pixels to show off more of the apps I'm using. But, you can easily scale the screen elements so you have the same canvas as the 13-inch Air, but on a larger scale. Of course, the displays on the Air series aren't as pixel-dense and sharp as the MacBook Pros, but they're still beautiful and won't look overly pixelated if you decide to scale the UI.

But forget about specific use cases. Quite simply, I'm a fan of the 15-inch Air. Just It feels right – Much more portable than any 15-inch screen computer. I don't feel like I'm giving up screen size for something easier to hold; Instead, it's a computer I can take anywhere and not feel restricted while using it. Maybe I'm overestimating the appeal – you Can Simply connect your Air 13-inch to a monitor at home for a larger screen and then have a smaller PC on the go. But for someone who likes the idea of ​​a single PC that can work in any context, the 15-inch Air fits my bill.