MacBook Air pick of the month

If funds allow, the 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) is now available at prices that would have seemed extraordinary twelve months ago — check Amazon for the current figure, but expect a very significant discount against its original retail price. If you need to be more frugal, a 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022) can still be found refurbished at a very competitive price. M1 models are harder to track down in good condition now, and with the M4 generation firmly established, the M2 sweet spot has shifted decisively downmarket. Avoid 8 GB machines for development work or anything demanding — and avoid 256 GB storage models entirely, as they are measurably slower due to SSD architecture constraints and will leave you short on space embarrassingly quickly.

TL;DR — My pick of the month is the 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (14-inch or 15-inch, M3, 2024) bought refurbished or as discounted new old stock on Amazon. Prices have fallen considerably since the M4 Air launched. Always compare across Apple Refurbished, Amazon, and John Lewis before committing.

This note reflects the market as it stands in early 2026. Apple currently sells the M4 MacBook Air as its mainstream laptop, which means M3 models are available refurbished directly from Apple and heavily discounted new from Amazon and John Lewis. M2 models are increasingly found only in the refurbished or second-hand market. You can find good-condition used machines at Computer Exchange (CeX) and through Amazon Renewed, and Costco occasionally stocks specific configurations at competitive prices.

The MacBook Air line was substantially redesigned with the M2 in 2022 — a flatter, more angular body, Liquid Retina display, 1080p webcam behind the notch, MagSafe 3 charging, and two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. The M3 model (released early 2024) kept that design but added Wi-Fi 6E and, crucially, support for two external displays simultaneously with the lid closed — a genuinely useful upgrade for anyone working from a desk. The M4 MacBook Air, launched in early 2025, refined the formula further with Apple's latest chip generation, improved Neural Engine performance for on-device AI tasks, and a slightly brighter display. All of this means the M3 now occupies the same value position the M2 held a year ago: excellent hardware at a meaningfully reduced price.

Apple Intelligence — Apple's on-device AI feature set — is fully supported on M3 and M4 machines and requires at least 8 GB of unified memory, though in practice the features run noticeably more smoothly with 16 GB. This is yet another reason to avoid the base-spec configurations. Writing tools, image generation, priority notifications, and the expanded Siri capabilities all benefit from headroom, and that headroom is fixed at the point of purchase. There is no upgrading RAM on any of these machines after the fact.

Heavy workload specification — 16 GB memory, 512 GB storage

	Amazon	Renewed / New old stock	MacBook Air (13-inch or 15-inch, M3, 2024)	Mac15,12 / Mac15,13	A3113 / A3114	8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU	16 GB	512 GB	Check Amazon for current price
	Amazon	Renewed	MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)	Mac14,2	A2681	8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU	16 GB	512 GB	Check Amazon for current price
	Amazon	Renewed	MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021)	MacBookPro18,3 / MacBookPro18,4	A2442	8-Core CPU, M1 Pro	16 GB	512 GB	Check Amazon for current price
	Amazon	Renewed	MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)	MacBookPro17,1	A2338	8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU	16 GB	512 GB	Check Amazon for current price

Apple Silicon is now in its fourth generation with M4, and the platform has matured enormously since the original M1 launch. Every Mac sold today runs Apple Silicon, the Rosetta 2 translation layer handles the remaining legacy Intel software gracefully, and the third-party software ecosystem has fully caught up. This is no longer a transition story — it is simply the way Macs work. What that means practically is that an M2 or M3 machine bought today is buying into a settled, well-supported platform with years of macOS updates ahead of it. Apple's published support windows suggest M2 machines will receive software updates well into the late 2020s.

M4

The M4 chip, which powers the current MacBook Air lineup launched in early 2025, brings Apple's latest CPU and GPU architecture along with a significantly upgraded Neural Engine — the dedicated hardware that accelerates Apple Intelligence features. Performance gains over M3 are meaningful rather than transformative for everyday tasks, but the Neural Engine uplift is substantial and becomes more relevant as Apple Intelligence features expand with each macOS release. If you are buying new today, M4 is the right choice. If you are buying on a budget, M3 remains excellent and M4 features will matter to most users only gradually over time.

M3

The M3 chip delivers a powerful 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24 GB of unified memory. It is meaningfully faster than M1 across all workloads and brings two important practical upgrades to the MacBook Air: Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless on compatible networks, and support for two external displays simultaneously when the lid is closed. That second display capability alone makes the M3 Air a far more capable desk machine than its predecessor. Apple Intelligence is fully supported.

M2

M2 was Apple's second-generation Apple Silicon chip and represented a genuine step forward from M1 in both CPU and GPU performance. The 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU, and 100 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth gave it headroom that still holds up well in 2026. The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) also introduced the redesigned body — thinner, with MagSafe 3, a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, and the 1080p webcam — that the M3 model carried forward unchanged. The main limitation versus M3 is the single external display restriction and the absence of Wi-Fi 6E. For most users, neither will matter day to day. Apple Intelligence is supported on M2 with 16 GB of RAM.

macOS support

All Apple Silicon MacBooks — M1 through M4 — run the current version of macOS and receive updates through the standard Software Update mechanism. In 2026, macOS Sequoia and its successors are available to all of these machines. Apple's track record on Silicon support suggests these machines will continue to receive major OS updates for the foreseeable future, which is a meaningful advantage over the Intel models they replaced.

MacBook Air (M3, 2024) — what sets it apart

The M3 model supports two external displays simultaneously with the lid closed, has Wi-Fi 6E, and benefits from the M3 chip's improved efficiency and media engine. These are not trivial upgrades if you use an external monitor setup or are on a fast Wi-Fi 6E network. The design is identical to the M2 model, which is no criticism — it remains one of the best-looking and most practical laptop designs on the market.

Shared strengths — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Air (M3, 2024)

Both models share the same striking flat design in four finishes, the 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 1080p FaceTime camera, MagSafe 3 charging, two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports, Touch ID, and the fanless architecture that makes them completely silent under all but the most sustained workloads. Both are available in 15-inch variants too, which adds screen real estate without adding a fan. Neither can be upgraded after purchase — RAM and storage are fixed — so the configuration you buy is the configuration you keep. Spend the extra for 16 GB and 512 GB. You will not regret it; you will regret not doing so.

Pros — MacBook Air (M3, 2024) 16 GB/512 GB

• Processor: Apple M3 chip — 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU.
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) for faster speeds on compatible networks.
• Displays: Two external displays supported simultaneously with lid closed.
• AI: Full Apple Intelligence support with 16 GB RAM.
• Value: Prices have fallen sharply since the M4 Air launched — strong value in the refurbished and new old stock market.

Pros — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) 16 GB/512 GB

• Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 2560 × 1664, 224 ppi, 500 nits.
• Power: MagSafe 3.
• Processor: Apple M2 chip — 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU.
• Memory: 16 GB or 24 GB unified memory configurations available.
• Ports: Two Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports.
• Input: Force Touch trackpad, full-size backlit keyboard, Touch ID.
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3.
• Audio: Four-speaker sound system, 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance support.
• Price: Now significantly cheaper than M3, and an excellent entry point into the modern MacBook Air design.

Cons — MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

• Only one external display supported (lid open counts as the second).
• Wi-Fi 6 rather than 6E — a minor real-world limitation for most users.
• The 256 GB storage model uses a single NAND chip and is measurably slower — avoid it entirely.

Cons — MacBook Pro and MacBook Air (M1, 2020) models

• No MagSafe 3 — charging via USB-C only.
• Older wedge design, smaller battery, lower-wattage adapter.