M3 is not just a redesign.
Angular Material 2 relied on static SCSS compilation. If you wanted "Dark Mode", you had to generate a second CSS file or duplicate classes.
Material 3 is built on CSS Custom Properties (Tokens). You change one variable in JS, and the entire app updates instantly.
02. --md-sys-color-primary
The new system exposes semantic tokens. You don't use "Blue-500". You use "Primary", "On-Primary", "Surface-Container".
--md-sys-color-primary: #6750A4;
--md-sys-color-on-primary: #FFFFFF;
{'}'}
--md-sys-color-primary: #D0BCFF;
{'}'}
Deep Dive: HCT Color Space
Material 3 isn't just random hex codes. It uses the HCT (Hue Chroma Tone) color space.
This mathematically guarantees contrast. "Tone 40" text on "Tone 90" background always meets WCAG AA standards, regardless of the Hue (Blue, Red, or Green).
04. The Senior Engineer's Take
White Labeling Dream
If you build B2B apps, M3 is a lifesaver. You can fetch a customer's specific brand color from the backend and set it via document.body.style.setProperty() on load.
The entire Material library (Buttons, Inputs, Checkboxes) will respect that runtime value.