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15-Inch MacBook Air Rumored for 2023, But New 12-Inch MacBook Now Unlikely

I think Apple may be hoping that small laptop buyers go for the 11” or 12.9” iPads with keyboards instead. For most uses of a small laptop, an iPad is actually a very suitable device. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’ve been the proud owner of both the 12.1” PowerBook, and the 11.6” MBA. I have used the 11” iPad Pro as my ONLY “computer” at home for the first 18 months of COVID. It’s perfect for typing emails and documents, but also RDPing to my work PC, and even things like Citrix.

zachz said:
I bought a 16" MBP purely for the size -- although I do enjoy the screen and speakers, but would've preferred a lighter device.
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Me too.

Since I don’t need the portability anymore (and I have an 11” iPad Pro), I wanted something bigger, but didn’t need “Pro” power. Got the 16” MBP anyway.
 
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This should be a great option for those who want a larger screen in a laptop without the need for the MacBook Pro's power or mini-LED tech. Although it's not my main computer right now, I would like to potentially replace my aging 15" 2016 MBP with one of these.
 
blazerunner said:
Does Apple think everyone has hands the size of Michael Jordans? WTF is wrong with them killing off small devices?
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There is no mention of killing smaller devices here? Unless you’re referring to the 12” which was killed off because it was garbage with intel.

If they’re going to bring something back it makes sense to go with the 15” given they currently have nothing in that range. While their 13-14” laptops serve for people who are happy with smaller devices.

Also are you related to Donald Trump? 😅
 
I personally don't see the appeal of a 15" Air, given how the small footprint is one of the main features of the air, but given how much it was requested in the forum, I hope Apple will release it.
It would make many people happy.
 
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iPhone Mini => Plus
MacBook 12" => 15"

Past: Great presentations with all music in you pocket or an envelope with a MacBook. Highly portable quality products.
Now: 2 products of the same huge size where the cheapest never sells.
 
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hangkous said:
iPhone Mini => Plus
MacBook 12" => 15"

Past: Great presentations with all music in you pocket or an envelope with a MacBook. Highly portable quality products.
Now: 2 products of the same huge size where the cheapest never sells.
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Instead:

iPhone: 5,8" + 6,4"
iPhone Pro: 6,1" + 6,7"

MacBook Air: 12" + 15"
MacBook Pro: 14" + 16"
 
Shalev said:
once you hold a 2 pound notebook everything feels like a TANK... my dream machine? 2 pound 14' MacBook Pro.
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Exactly this. The M2 MacBook Air beats the stuffing out of the old 12" MacBook on every count... until you carry it around for a few minutes and realize that somewhere in that extra 0.7 pounds and ~1", you lost the ability to forget that laptop is there until you need it, almost like a comfortably pocketed phone. I would pay a hefty premium over the MBA to get that magical feeling back.
 
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I wonder if there is an M2 Pro version if a 120Hz screen would be possible or if it will be a case of it’s a new product and they will stick with 60Hz and next one will be 120hz in typical leave them wanting more Apple fashion.
 
A MB Air with M2 Pro. Now I'm intrigued. Why would they do that with a fanless laptop? Currently using an Intel 16" MBP. I don't need the screen estate as I mainly use external screens, but I do need the CPU power. For a pro I now have to settle for a 14" while the Air does have 15". Doesn't feel right. I'd prefer a 15" MPB with M2 Pro. Guess that won't happen. Nor any mini iPhone in the forseeable future. Bummer.
 
Apple is no longer able to design miniaturised hardware because its software literally sucks: with limited batteries they can't handle the energy absorption because the software is now out of hand, and that's why there are no more 38mm Apple Watch, iPhone mini, MacBook, and the iPad mini is increasingly out of Apple's plans.
To make adequate miniaturised hardware you need competent designers and capable engineers, the first ones Apple made them all run away, the latter it never had.
Apple pulls the rope because at the moment there is still room for exploitation of batteries, when the problem of resources for batteries becomes predominant Apple will not be able to make up for, because the only resource he has is to design huge hardware with minimal batteries (they have a weight, a volume and above all a cost), in the hope that it will be able to reach the goal of 12 months, that is, when the new most scarce but most expensive hardware is ready to replace it, in a cycle that believes infinite.
 
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Mr_Risin_Mojo said:
Sounds good but probably the price won't be so "Air"...
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That will be the problem.

The M1 Air was priced so well … and was an outlier.

Even if Apple does make a 15” air, I’m sure it’ll be at gouging level pricing with crummy base specs, thus limiting desire for it straight away. They simply can’t help themselves.

Apple are addicted to meager base specs and gouging everyone on overpriced upgrades
 
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JippaLippa said:
I personally don't see the appeal of a 15" Air, given how the small footprint is one of the main features of the air, but given how much it was requested in the forum, I hope Apple will release it.
It would make many people happy.
Click to expand...
I would love this to replace my 2009 MBP 15". So many years with this sized screen I don't want a 14" and don't need the power or weight of the MBP16". As my main (only) computer it doesn't travel outside but does spend time on my chest whilst couching it. I do prefer this to an iPad I think.

Ok so there is an immediate wow factor looking at the latest 16"iteration and the sound, where does it all come from? Magic. But in all honesty my music I mainly AirPlay to decent HiFi, editing RAW would be the heaviest stuff. As long as the screen uniformity and color accuracy is good, this sounds perfect for my use.

Only thing is, 2TB would be on my wish list and I suspect this upspec will drive it to the MBP16" base price or beyond Who knows.
 
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blazerunner said:
Does Apple think everyone has hands the size of Michael Jordans? WTF is wrong with them killing off small devices?
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Um, NO ONE BUYS THEM. You don't keep making products that don't sell or sell such a small fraction of your sales that you waste resources on them. The iPhone mini had production axed almost immediately and they still haven't sold that inventory yet.
 
Apple speculation? I am amazed how Covid has interrupted the supply-chain of everything. Everything from breakfast cereals to semiconductors has slowed progress. Apple Engineers have designed fantastic improvements to their products but reliable production of those improvements is still uncertain. The number of sleepless nights for management at Apple must be significant. I have a great deal of respect for anyone in this business. I retired many years ago.
 
I have the 13 inch M1 Pro and I really miss my OG retina 15 inch. 13 inch is just tiny, open any Adobe app and I constantly have to scroll down the panel groups just to change fonts and stuff. I have the Mac set to the option to give the most desktop realestate and it's still just too small. I'm tempted to download an app that will let me run the Mac in native resolution.
 
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Mr. Dee said:
If its gonna be 15 inch, then it can't be classified as an Air. 15.5 is a large device and the idea of the Air was due to its lightness and easy to carry around. This to me sounds like either a successor to the 13.3 MacBook Pro with touch bar or possibly a new category, MacBook Studio perhaps? But Air doesn't sound like it. Even the new MacBook Air doesn't feel like an Air, Apple really should have just called it "MacBook" and still keep the tear drop design as a category itself that's updated with the latest Apple silicon.
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The M1 Air (1.29kg) is the same weight as the previous Intel Air (1.29kg). The M2 Air is slightly lighter (1.2kg). I did a rough extrapolation for a 15” MBA and it would still be lighter than the 14” MBP.

Air means different things in Apple’s product naming scheme. In iPads it seems to mean the middle of the line product. In laptops it has often but not always been the thinnest and lightest.

A thin and light 15” laptop would be the thinnest and lightest of the larger screen MacBooks, so you could make a case for calling it an Air. Apple could call it a MacBook (plain) but they seem to have settled on using the power of the ”Air” name after their failure to get the 12” MacBook to take over that spot.
 
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Mr_Risin_Mojo said:
Sounds good but probably the price won't be so "Air"...
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If you look at the prices of equivalently spec’d 14 and 16 MBPs, the price difference is $200. With everything else the same, that is then the price to upgrade from a 14” to 16” screen. That suggests that the price to upgrade from 13.5” MBA to a 15.5” MBA would also be about $200. If we use the 13.5” 8/256 GB and 8CPU/10GPU M2 Air at $1299, that puts a theoretical 15.5” Air at $1499.
 
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