15-Inch MacBook Air Still on Track to Launch in April, Says Analyst

[MacRumors]

Apple's rumored 15-inch MacBook Air is still on track to launch in April, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Young has a very good track record with display-related information about future Apple products.

Last month, Young said Apple's supply chain had started production of display panels for a new 15-inch MacBook Air, which would be the largest display size ever offered for the laptop. At the time, Young said he expected this MacBook Air to be released in early April, and he reiterated that timeframe in a brief tweet today.

If the 15-inch MacBook Air launches in April, there is still a chance of an announcement and pre-orders being sooner. Apple often announces new products in March, but it did hold an April event in 2021, so both months are possibilities.

The existing 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip launched in July 2022 after being announced at WWDC a month earlier. It's still not entirely clear if the 15-inch model would be equipped with the M2 chip or the M3 chip, as rumors have conflicted. Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that a 15-inch MacBook with M2 and M2 Pro chip options would be released in the second quarter of 2023, potentially without Air branding.

Apple has normally reserved larger display sizes for the MacBook Pro, so a 15-inch MacBook Air could provide customers with more screen real estate at a lower price point. The laptop would also have a larger chassis, allowing for a bigger battery.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models to launch between late spring and summer.

Article Link: 15-Inch MacBook Air Still on Track to Launch in April, Says Analyst

 

[CWallace]

If it actually happens in the next 45 days, my (virtual) money is on M2 with M3 launching at WWDC with the new 13" MacBook Air.

 

[JPack]

Makes sense. Apple isn't going to start panel production in February and wait until end of the year to launch it. N3E doesn't start MP until mid- to late-2023. Those rumors about M3 were silly.

 

[surfzen21]

If this happens, I wonder what everyones revised M3 launch will be.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Instantly ordering the Macbook Air 15" (Midnight) right away!

It would be ideal if it is announced tomorrow via press release and the Shipped/Delivery date is set in April 2023.

 

[munpip214]

15” M2 coming next.
M3 will be fall. I Don’t expect <12 months between models.
WWDC needs to focus on software and not hardware, except the potential for headset

 

[Onimusha370]

Yeah I agree with others above on M2/M3, if it's launching soon (feel like we're going to get some press releases this week) then M2 makes most sense, with M3 in the fall based on A17.

 

[compwiz1202]

Instantly ordering the Macbook Air 15" (Midnight) right away!

It would be ideal if it is announced tomorrow via press release and the Shipped/Delivery date is set in April 2023.

and how many times will this change by the end of the day? First Apr then Summer then Apr again. I need to make a spreadsheet for all the changes,

 

[greenbreadmmm]

My take:

15" is called the MacBook and launches with M3 this spring.

13" MacBook Air is updated later this year and renamed.

 

[gpat]

M3 is coming in 2024. 15" is coming with M2 and there will still be high demand for it.

 

[docbop]

Apple's rumored 15-inch MacBook Air is still on track to launch in April, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Young has a very good track record with display-related information about future Apple products.

Last month, Young said Apple's supply chain had started production of display panels for a new 15-inch MacBook Air, which would be the largest display size ever offered for the laptop. At the time, Young said he expected this MacBook Air to be released in early April, and he reiterated that timeframe in a brief tweet today.

If the 15-inch MacBook Air launches in April, there is still a chance of an announcement and pre-orders being sooner. Apple often announces new products in March, but it did hold an April event in 2021, so both months are possibilities.

The existing 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip launched in July 2022 after being announced at WWDC a month earlier. It's still not entirely clear if the 15-inch model would be equipped with the M2 chip or the M3 chip, as rumors have conflicted. Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that a 15-inch MacBook with M2 and M2 Pro chip options would be released in the second quarter of 2023, potentially without Air branding.

Apple has normally reserved larger display sizes for the MacBook Pro, so a 15-inch MacBook Air could provide customers with more screen real estate at a lower price point. The laptop would also have a larger chassis, allowing for a bigger battery.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models to launch between late spring and summer.

Article Link: 15-Inch MacBook Air Still on Track to Launch in April, Says Analyst

If it has a M3 I'll order on right away, if not then wait to see what happens with MacBook Pro 16 in the next few months.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

If it has a M3 I'll order on right away, if not then wait to see what happens with MacBook Pro 16 in the next few months.

I think the next time we will see a new Macbook Pro 14" - 16" will be in the first quarter of 2024. They were just released not too long ago.

Apple unveils MacBook Pro featuring M2 Pro and M2 Max

Apple today announced the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro featuring M2 Pro and M2 Max, Apple’s next-generation pro silicon.

www.apple.com

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

After Mark Gurman clearly demonstrated he really doesn't know much about this potential product. My money is on Ross Young. I too believe and hope it will be released in April. Waiting patiently...

 

[Chazak]

Instantly ordering the Macbook Air 15" (Midnight) right away!

It would be ideal if it is announced tomorrow via press release and the Shipped/Delivery date is set in April 2023.

That would be very nice. Doubtful though.

 

[sw1tcher]

If it actually happens in the next 45 days, my (virtual) money is on M2 with M3 launching at WWDC with the new 13" MacBook Air.

I'm going with an M2 in the 15 inch MBA and then we'll see updated 13 inch and 15 inch MBA later in the year, probably right before the holidays like when the M1 launched in November 2020... or push it back to January 2024 like how Apple announced the M2 Pro and M2 Max MBP in Jan 2023. I think it's just too soon to see 3nm M3 chips in the next month or two considering TSMC just started mass production of them at the end of December 2022.

 

[Chazak]

After Mark Gurman clearly demonstrated he really doesn't know much about this potential product. My money is on Ross Young. I too believe and hope it will be released in April. Waiting patiently...

Gurman and Ko, on average, are usually pretty good.

I have trouble understanding why so many seem so happy to hate on both of them. Is it because they are the more known names? Seriously.

 

[sw1tcher]

My take:

15" is called the MacBook and launches with M3 this spring.

13" MacBook Air is updated later this year and renamed.

13" MBA becomes MacBook Mini
15" MBA becomes MacBook
14" MBP becomes MacBook Pro
16" MBP becomes MacBook Ultra

 

[Chazak]

First day of preorders if it has a M3 brain, but I doubt it will debut with a M3.

I would love to be wrong!

 

[Chazak]

13" MBA becomes MacBook Mini
15" MBA becomes MacBook
14" MBP becomes MacBook Pro
16" MBP becomes MacBook Ultra

Since they brought out a new generation last summer with the Air naming scheme, it seems very doubtful they would walk away from it for updated variations less than a year later. If they were going to bail, it would have been when they released the first M2 version.

Air will be part of the naming scheme.

 

[sw1tcher]

Highly unlikely they will abandon a branding that has been and is so successful. Air will be part of the naming scheme.

Unlikely? You're forgetting Apple abandoned PowerBook for MacBook during Intel chip transition. Apple seems to be stuck on this regular, Pro, and Ultra naming scheme.

 

[greenbreadmmm]

Since they brought out a new generation last summer with the Air naming scheme, it seems very doubtful they would walk away from it for updated variations less than a year later. If they were going to bail, it would have been when they released the first M2 version.

Air will be part of the naming scheme.

Perhaps the re release the 12" model and that becomes the new air?

This would be after the m3 MacBook 13" comes out and they phase out the entry m1 air, and replace that price point with the new 12" air?

Just spit balling of course.

 

[The Barron]

I am ready to place my order for the 15" regardless of the final name and the M2 chip is just fine with me, so bring it, Apple.

 

[mongobongo]

Wild guess; too soon for M3 but M2 too old and underwhelming, therefore M2 Pro option on the high end.

 

[anakin44011]

Air will be part of the naming scheme.

I just wonder if they are ever going to reconcile the iPad Air (which is premium over the least expensive iPad) and MacBook Air (which is the least expensive MacBook...but not always the lightest). I'm not quite sure what "air" means anymore.

A 15" MacBook certainly isn't going to be light (so it really isn't an "Air")...but if they just call it a MacBook, then they've really confused the term on the iPad side.

I understand that not everything needs to fit into Steve Jobs' simplistic 2 x 2 grid (after all, they sell an order of magnitude more devices...maybe 2 orders of magnitude if you include the iPhone), but it might be nice if the names meant something.

After all, they dropped the PowerBook name when they dropped the PowerPC chip. "MacBook" took a little while to get used to, but at least it made sense.

 

[applesed]

Fool me once, shame on Gurman. Fool me twice, shame on Macrumors for giving him real estate in their articles. It’s all so entertaining!