Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display

MacRumors · Feb 19, 2013, 08:55 AM

Taiwanese newspaper Economic Times reports [Google translation, via Macotakara] that Apple is lining up suppliers for its next-generation MacBook Air for launch in the third quarter of this year.

According to the report, the MacBook Air will not only be receiving internal upgrades to Intel's new Haswell platform but also a "facelift" with new external features, including the possibility of a Retina display. The report also claims that suppliers will begin shipping components to Apple's assembly partner Quanta during the second quarter of the year.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously included an updated MacBook Air in his 2013 Apple product roadmap, predicting a late second quarter or early third quarter launch for the device. He did, however, indicate that the update would not include Retina displays, which would require substantially more battery power than the current displays and likely force a redesign to also accommodate a somewhat thicker display assembly.

Pricing remains another question for Apple, as the MacBook Air is the company's entry-level notebook and Apple will likely be very hesitant to raise that floor. But while Apple's Retina MacBook Pro models carry significantly higher pricing than their non-Retina counterparts, a significant amount of that cost is related to a shift to solid-state drives, which are already used in the MacBook Air.

Consequently, a shift to a Retina display for the MacBook Air may add a much smaller price premium to the lineup. Apple could also choose to separate the MacBook Air into Retina and non-Retina lines as it has for the MacBook Pro, or offer Retina displays as higher-end options on a unified lineup.

Article Link: Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display

carl0sian · Feb 19, 2013, 08:57 AM

Apple bashing begins right about now.....

Throw Out · Feb 19, 2013, 08:57 AM

Redesign? Retina?

Ddyracer · Feb 19, 2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Image

Taiwanese newspaper Economic Times reports [Google translation, via Macotakara] that Apple is lining up suppliers for its next-generation MacBook Air for launch in the third quarter of this year.

According to the report, the MacBook Air will not only be receiving internal upgrades to Intel's new Haswell platform but also a "facelift" with new external features, including the possibility of a Retina display. The report also claims that suppliers will begin shipping components to Apple's assembly partner Quanta during the second quarter of the year.

Image

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously included an updated MacBook Air in his 2013 Apple product roadmap, predicting a late second quarter or early third quarter launch for the device. He did, however, indicate that the update would not include Retina displays, which would require substantially more battery power than the current displays and likely force a redesign to also accommodate a somewhat thicker display assembly.

Pricing remains another question for Apple, as the MacBook Air is the company's entry-level notebook and Applw will likely be very hesitant to raise that floor. But while Apple's Retina MacBook Pro models carry significantly higher pricing than their non-Retina counterparts, a significant amount of that cost is related to a shift to solid-state drives, which are already used in the MacBook Air.

Consequently, a shift to a Retina display for the MacBook Air may add a much smaller price premium to the lineup. Apple could also choose to separate the MacBook Air into Retina and non-Retina lines as it has for the MacBook Pro, or offer Retina displays as higher-end options on a unified lineup.

Article Link: Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display

About time. I guess if it was their flagship product it would've had Retina before the MacBook Pro.

FSMBP · Feb 19, 2013, 08:59 AM

Don't they already have 13" Air Retinas...13" rMBP? It's not like Apple didn't try to design the 13" rMBP to be as thin as possible.

Dwalls90 · Feb 19, 2013, 08:59 AM

That would almost require a dedicated GPU, and would provide too much cross over with the Air and Pro w/ Retina. I don't think the 11" could drive retina, and there is already a 13" Pro w/ retina.

Seems like a bogus rumor.

embraceware · Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM

Little typo: "Applw will likely" > "Apple will likely"

phillipduran · Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM

Microsoft Surface killer?

Gemütlichkeit · Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM

Call me crazy but the Air doesn't need retina or any of the performance hits when it comes to displaying that high of a resolution on a portable machine.

The pixel density is already good

syd430 · Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM

If it gets any thinner and lighter I will have to find a Surface Pro to use as a weight so it doesn't float away

pancakedrawer · Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM

Retina isn't going to happen without discrete graphics. The current rMBPs struggle as it is and Apple will want something to differentiate the two lineups.
MacBook Airs are about portability and affordability.

iphone495 · Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM

I would be shocked if the next MacBook Air doesn't come with a retina display. REAL SHOCKED!

Futurix · Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwalls90

That would almost require a dedicated GPU, and would provide too much cross over with the Air and Pro w/ Retina.

13.3'' Pro does not have dedicated GPU and still works fine

Astroexe · Feb 19, 2013, 09:03 AM

Of course the next line is going to have Retina, the question is, however, what else?

If Apple really want to make this product the next thing in their range along an iPad they're going to need something else than super-thin.. maybe Microsoft's "Surface" Tablet-and-PC-hybrid will have an effect on Apple's flagship Light, Portable and Ultra-useable Notebook.

wschutz · Feb 19, 2013, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iphone495

I would be shocked if the next MacBook Air doesn't come with a retina display.

I would be socked if the next MacBook Air comes with a retina display and updated internals and they call it 'redesigned'

Mike MA · Feb 19, 2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillipduran

Microsoft Surface killer?

Already been before?

smiddlehurst · Feb 19, 2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwalls90

That would almost require a dedicated GPU, and would provide too much cross over with the Air and Pro w/ Retina.

Nah, the 13" rMBP doesn't have a discrete GPU and it manages just fine. With the big improvements Haswell should bring to that side of Intel's processor offerings running the display shouldn't be an issue. What may be more of a problem though is the CPU requirements that are causing trouble on the current rMBP's when it comes to maintaining the framerate of the OS. If Apple can't resolve that via software the lower power CPU's in the Air's might really struggle to deliver a solid user experience.

Honestly though the bit that would worry me is power requirements for that screen. This being Apple I'm sure they'll work it out before launching a retina Air but unless they've got something up their sleeves in terms of display tech I'd think getting one out this year might be tricky. As always it'll be interesting to see where this goes...

Mattjeff · Feb 19, 2013, 09:04 AM

This is good news for me... Bad for my bank account.

maccuser · Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancakedrawer

Retina isn't going to happen without discrete graphics. The current rMBPs struggle as it is and Apple will want something to differentiate the two lineups.
MacBook Airs are about portability and affordability.

Thats if they choose retina it comes after June (Hassewell) which doubles the current graphics performance and has a better battery life

seems plausible to me

Chuck-Norris · Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM

is now still okay to buy a retina macbook pro?

Cynicalone · Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM

We are headed to a point where the Air & Pro line's will be consolidated. The Air with Retina display would be one step closer to that.

Eventually you will just have the 11, 13, 15 inch MacBook with Retina Display.

I think this year it is more likely that we would see a 1080p IPS panel in the Air, at least the 13 inch model.

Dionte · Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM

Thanks for the heads up, soon I will need a new laptop to replace the brick I currently carry around.

syd430 · Feb 19, 2013, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancakedrawer

Retina isn't going to happen without discrete graphics. The current rMBPs struggle as it is and Apple will want something to differentiate the two lineups.

They will just introduce Retina on Air and add a discrete GPU to the 13" rMBP. Problem solved

Heresiarch · Feb 19, 2013, 09:06 AM

MacBook Air with Retina will be a complete overlap of the 13" MBP Retina. Call me crazy but I think a even thinner and lighter MBA without retina will be much more attractive.

Unless of course, they could somehow make a MBA with Retina while still retain the MBA form, and somehow make a 13" MBP with Retina but this time with a DGPU in it, then it'll make sense to have both products coexisting.

Mr. Retrofire · Feb 19, 2013, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemütlichkeit

Call me crazy but the Air doesn't need retina or any of the performance hits when it comes to displaying that high of a resolution on a portable machine.

The hardware is not the problem. The drivers are the problem. Even IGPs from 2009 have no problem with the "retina" resolution.

Feb 19, 2013, 08:55 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display Taiwanese newspaper Economic Times reports [Google translation, via Macotakara] that Apple is lining up suppliers for its next-generation MacBook Air for launch in the third quarter of this year. According to the report, the MacBook Air will not only be receiving internal upgrades to Intel's new Haswell platform but also a "facelift" with new external features, including the possibility of a Retina display. The report also claims that suppliers will begin shipping components to Apple's assembly partner Quanta during the second quarter of the year. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously included an updated MacBook Air in his 2013 Apple product roadmap, predicting a late second quarter or early third quarter launch for the device. He did, however, indicate that the update would not include Retina displays, which would require substantially more battery power than the current displays and likely force a redesign to also accommodate a somewhat thicker display assembly. Pricing remains another question for Apple, as the MacBook Air is the company's entry-level notebook and Apple will likely be very hesitant to raise that floor. But while Apple's Retina MacBook Pro models carry significantly higher pricing than their non-Retina counterparts, a significant amount of that cost is related to a shift to solid-state drives, which are already used in the MacBook Air. Consequently, a shift to a Retina display for the MacBook Air may add a much smaller price premium to the lineup. Apple could also choose to separate the MacBook Air into Retina and non-Retina lines as it has for the MacBook Pro, or offer Retina displays as higher-end options on a unified lineup. Article Link: Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display
	0

Feb 19, 2013, 08:59 AM	#5
FSMBP macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2009	Don't they already have 13" Air Retinas...13" rMBP? It's not like Apple didn't try to design the 13" rMBP to be as thin as possible. __________________ Still don't get why I can't save a PDF from an email on iPhone without some third-party app.
	24

Feb 19, 2013, 08:59 AM	#6
Dwalls90 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Feb 2009	That would almost require a dedicated GPU, and would provide too much cross over with the Air and Pro w/ Retina. I don't think the 11" could drive retina, and there is already a 13" Pro w/ retina. Seems like a bogus rumor. __________________ MacBook Pro 2820QM + iPhone 5 + iPad 3 Jailbreaking An iOS Device - iOS Themes
	0

Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM	#8
phillipduran macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Iowa	Microsoft Surface killer? __________________ That's "Geniuses," not Genii, genius. To err, is PC.
	1

Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM	#9
Gemütlichkeit macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2010	Call me crazy but the Air doesn't need retina or any of the performance hits when it comes to displaying that high of a resolution on a portable machine. The pixel density is already good __________________ "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God." -Thomas Jefferson
	26

Feb 19, 2013, 08:57 AM	#2
carl0sian macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2011	Apple bashing begins right about now.....
	9

Feb 19, 2013, 08:57 AM	#3
Throw Out macrumors member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Germany/Brazil	Redesign? Retina?
	1

Feb 19, 2013, 09:00 AM	#7
embraceware macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2008	Little typo: "Applw will likely" > "Apple will likely"
	1

Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM	#10
syd430 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Australia	If it gets any thinner and lighter I will have to find a Surface Pro to use as a weight so it doesn't float away
	19

Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM	#11
pancakedrawer macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Melbourne	Retina isn't going to happen without discrete graphics. The current rMBPs struggle as it is and Apple will want something to differentiate the two lineups. MacBook Airs are about portability and affordability.
	6

Feb 19, 2013, 09:01 AM	#12
iphone495 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2012	I would be shocked if the next MacBook Air doesn't come with a retina display. REAL SHOCKED!
	3

Feb 19, 2013, 09:03 AM	#14
Astroexe macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2012	Of course the next line is going to have Retina, the question is, however, what else? If Apple really want to make this product the next thing in their range along an iPad they're going to need something else than super-thin.. maybe Microsoft's "Surface" Tablet-and-PC-hybrid will have an effect on Apple's flagship Light, Portable and Ultra-useable Notebook. __________________ 13" MacBook Pro; iPhone 3GS; 21.5" iMac; Custom-Built PC
	0

Feb 19, 2013, 09:04 AM	#18
Mattjeff macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2008	This is good news for me... Bad for my bank account.
	4

Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM	#20
Chuck-Norris macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2012	is now still okay to buy a retina macbook pro?
	1

Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM	#21
Cynicalone macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Okie land	We are headed to a point where the Air & Pro line's will be consolidated. The Air with Retina display would be one step closer to that. Eventually you will just have the 11, 13, 15 inch MacBook with Retina Display. I think this year it is more likely that we would see a 1080p IPS panel in the Air, at least the 13 inch model.
	4

Feb 19, 2013, 09:05 AM	#22
Dionte macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Detroit	Thanks for the heads up, soon I will need a new laptop to replace the brick I currently carry around. __________________ app dot net
	1

Feb 19, 2013, 09:06 AM	#24
Heresiarch macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Netherlands	MacBook Air with Retina will be a complete overlap of the 13" MBP Retina. Call me crazy but I think a even thinner and lighter MBA without retina will be much more attractive. Unless of course, they could somehow make a MBA with Retina while still retain the MBA form, and somehow make a 13" MBP with Retina but this time with a DGPU in it, then it'll make sense to have both products coexisting.
	1

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode