Okay, two factors have led me to this conclusion, so hear me out here.
1) Apple will not consolidate their two MacBook lines. Laptops are the main part of their Mac business, so it would make no sense to only sell one product in that category. The recent redesign of the Pro is here to stay for about 4-5 years, during which it can not be everything people want from an Air. The Air still holds its niche as an ultraportable.
2) That said, the new Pro is very Air-like. If Apple gave the fabled retina display to the Air, it would make them even more similar. In terms of weight they are less than a pound apart, and a retina display would only make the Air heavier. The Air needs to move into its own space, away from the Pro.
With those things considered, I believe the headline feature will be, wait for it, no cooling fan.
How will this be done? Apple will give it a low-voltage processor, like the Intel Atom, which has come a long way from crappy netbooks. I doubt they will switch to the ARM platform, not in the short term anyway. If they do, they will do it with all their Macs at once.
An Air with a low-power processor and a low resolution display removes the one remaining roadblock to reducing its weight - the battery. The battery will get smaller, but battery life will remain the same, in exchange for shorter charging times and even more portability.
This could happen this year. If it does, expect the Air to be accompanied by a corresponding update of the Pro to appease the "we want Haswell" crowd. Those who need that power will flock to the 13-inch Pro. Those who care about the price point will stick with the Air. Those who wanted an 11-inch laptop with Haswell are out of luck, but every Apple update is bound to disappoint somebody.
Retina Airs and touchscreens for Macs are probably half a decade down the line. At that point they may consolidate the MacBook line, but they'll also introduce a new product to further bridge the gap between the MacBook and the iPad
1) Apple will not consolidate their two MacBook lines. Laptops are the main part of their Mac business, so it would make no sense to only sell one product in that category. The recent redesign of the Pro is here to stay for about 4-5 years, during which it can not be everything people want from an Air. The Air still holds its niche as an ultraportable.
2) That said, the new Pro is very Air-like. If Apple gave the fabled retina display to the Air, it would make them even more similar. In terms of weight they are less than a pound apart, and a retina display would only make the Air heavier. The Air needs to move into its own space, away from the Pro.
With those things considered, I believe the headline feature will be, wait for it, no cooling fan.
How will this be done? Apple will give it a low-voltage processor, like the Intel Atom, which has come a long way from crappy netbooks. I doubt they will switch to the ARM platform, not in the short term anyway. If they do, they will do it with all their Macs at once.
An Air with a low-power processor and a low resolution display removes the one remaining roadblock to reducing its weight - the battery. The battery will get smaller, but battery life will remain the same, in exchange for shorter charging times and even more portability.
This could happen this year. If it does, expect the Air to be accompanied by a corresponding update of the Pro to appease the "we want Haswell" crowd. Those who need that power will flock to the 13-inch Pro. Those who care about the price point will stick with the Air. Those who wanted an 11-inch laptop with Haswell are out of luck, but every Apple update is bound to disappoint somebody.
Retina Airs and touchscreens for Macs are probably half a decade down the line. At that point they may consolidate the MacBook line, but they'll also introduce a new product to further bridge the gap between the MacBook and the iPad