Apple has announced the new MacBook Pro and 24-inch iMac with the new M3 chip.

The new Apple M3 chip that powers these is the first Mac silicon slice manufactured using TSMC's 3-nanometer process.

In the course of our review, we had the opportunity to test several models equipped with the M3 chip, and we're here to tell you that the M3 chip helps the latest MacBooks reach new heights of performance, while also earning excellent scores in battery life tests. We haven't had a chance to test the M3 Pro models in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks yet, but we have tested the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 and 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max and found that they deliver great battery life overall. We have found that the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 and 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max deliver excellent battery life overall.

However, while these new MacBooks outperform even the best Windows laptops when it comes to battery life, they still can't beat the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2. The reigning king of best laptops in battery life lasted more than 18 hours in our battery life test, which challenges users to surf the web via Wi-Fi for an extended period of time and use the laptop until it breaks down.

In this test, every laptop display was set to the same (slightly lower) 150-nit brightness, so there is no guarantee that these new MacBooks will have the same time before the battery runs out.

But don't let that dampen your enthusiasm. We have used these laptops extensively ourselves as part of our review. I review many laptops for Tom's Guide, and it's nice to have a laptop with a long battery life so I can carry it around all day at home, in the office, or in the classroom without worrying about charging.

Some of my favorite Windows laptops only last 8-10 hours in battery tests. I love them, but I don't like the low battery warning if I leave the charger at home all day or start playing games while unplugged. So while I may never get more than 17 full hours of use out of this new MacBook, I do appreciate the peace of mind and sense of safety that comes with watching the battery low indicator take its time to deplete.

To show you what I mean, let's take a quick look at the battery test results.

Apple's MacBooks have led the market in battery life since they started carrying Apple silicon.

That honor still belongs to the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) with the M2 Max chip, as the results below show. This beast of a machine lasted nearly 19 hours in our battery life test, followed closely by the MacBook Pro 13-inch M2's 18+ hour battery.

However, now that the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been discontinued, the MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 will effectively replace the older 13-inch Pro, making it the new #2 MacBook with the best battery life.

Adding in a selection of the latest Windows laptops and comparing the new M3-powered MacBooks to the battery life of laptops in general reveals the true power of the MacBook.

As the extensive chart of test results below shows, the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 lasts nearly twice as long as competing Windows ultraportables like the Dell XPS 15 OLED (2023). The only Windows laptop we reviewed that can compete is a special case like the Panasonic Toughbook 40. This briefcase-sized, paramedic rugged laptop has a built-in battery pack that ultraportables do not.

As you can see, the M3 chip gives the latest generation of Apple's professional-grade MacBooks great battery life. While it can't beat the best MacBooks for battery life, it clearly shows that Apple continues to put Intel and AMD to shame when it comes to power efficiency in portable PCs.

However, while Apple is the undisputed king of laptop battery life in 2023, things could change in 2024. Intel needs to improve chip performance and power efficiency, which is probably why the company is going after Apple and AMD with a "chiplet" design in its upcoming 14th-generation CPU, Meteor Lake.

When the first Intel Meteor Lake CPUs arrive in December, they could bring serious competition to Apple's M3 MacBook with an entirely new CPU/GPU/NPU design with a built-in "AI" engine like Apple's Neural Engine. Part of this AI engine's job is to dynamically optimize the battery life of the next generation of Windows laptops, and maybe even have a chance to overtake Apple's MacBook in 2024. Stay tuned.