Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) vs Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
41.4Performance30.7
29.8Display26.5
55.3Battery33.3
79.6Portability76.6
4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)3 spec wins — Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) wins this laptop face-off, 48.4 to 38.5, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+22) and performance (+11). Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
- Stronger performance score: 41 vs 31
- Stronger display score: 30 vs 27
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 33
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 77
- 38% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 18.5 mm
Reasons to pick the Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
- 100% higher storage: 512 GB vs 256 GB
- 71% higher charging: 60 W vs 35 W
- 14% lower weight: 1.3 kg vs 1.51 kg
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $1,299
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+25% | 12.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | LCD (glass, convertible touchscreen, MPP 2.0/USI 2.0 stylus support) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+25% | 400 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core 3 304 |
| Graphics | Apple M3 10-core GPU | Intel Graphics (1 Xe3 core, up to 2.3GHz) |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | DDR5-6400 (SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB+100% |
| Storage type | SSD | M.2 2230 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,130Top 26% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,066Bottom 19% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+33% | 50 Wh |
| Charging | 35 W | 60 W+71% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.3 kg+14% |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+38% | 18.5 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Overmolded shock-absorbing TPU over plastic with an internal metal structure |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 4x swappable Expansion Cards (2x rear Thunderbolt 4, 2x front USB 3.2 Gen 2; USB-C/USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, microSD/SD options), 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE213) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p 30fps (2MP OmniVision OV02C sensor, 80° FOV), hardware privacy switch |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | None on this configuration — fingerprint reader is bundled only with the Core 5 320/Core 7 350 pre-built tiers, not Core 3 304 |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Fedora 44 (KDE Plasma) (Windows 11 Home/Pro option available) |
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