The 15-inch MacBook Air M3 is the one to get.

You get better speakers, longer battery life, and a bigger screen — same performance, same chip, same weight penalty is minor. Unless you absolutely need the lightest laptop possible, the 15-inch is the better value.

The M3 chip is identical in both sizes, so no speed difference. The 15-inch has a six-speaker sound system (the 13-inch has four), and the battery lasts about an hour longer due to the larger chassis. It’s only half a pound heavier — 3.3 lbs vs 2.7 lbs — which you won’t notice in a bag.

The real tradeoff is portability. If you’re on planes, trains, or coffee shops every day, the 13-inch is more nimble. If your laptop mostly sits on a desk or table, the extra screen real estate and better audio are worth the slight bulk.

Either way, both are great laptops. But the 15-inch is the smarter buy for most people.