No Broadwell based MBA replacement this year.
While I agree that Apple will probably not update the MBA soon, I think it is highly unlikely that the MBA update will be postponed until 2015. Here is my argument for a 2014 refresh.
The Apple update cycle is based mostly on the Intel refresh cycle. Broadwell will be released Q3 this year, or a quarter behind schedule. Apple will probably have broadwell processors by the start of fall, just because of their tight connection with Intel. Skylake will be released Q2 of 2015 because it is the same die size as Broadwell, allowing for Intel to get back on schedule. I can't imagine a 2015 Broadwell MBA, because Apple will almost certainly have a June, 2015 Skylake MBA release. If they don't update in 2014, Apple will not have a Broadwell MBA, which is unlikely. The most likely event is Apple releasing a new MBA 6 months from now right before the holiday season, lining up their update so it isn't too close to this update, but not too close to the next update. I would hope for it to be earlier, but that is not likely.
Since there hasn't been a major update on one of their flagship computers this year, this recent refresh is most likely just a mid-cycle update because of the broadwell delay. Marketshare typically drops off before expected updates, and since many people know that the MBA has a release date of around June, they would have taken a pretty big hit this year when people stopped buying MBAs before June. They manage to cut losses by releasing an updated version during the slump, and dispell any thoughts of an iminent release in June. This wasn't the 2014 MBA, it was just a minor update to maintain sales during the late-cycle slump. A 2014 Broadwell MBA is way more likely than a 2015 Broadwell MBA. The only other scenario is that Apple throws us for a loop and pops an A-series chip in there this June.
That is just my opinion, based entirely on what has happened in the past. If you have any inside source, or any other supporting evidence, I would love to hear your reason for Broadwell not coming in 2014.
Matt
