Apple's Upcoming 15-Inch MacBook Air: What We Know

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Love the new updated picture of the MacBook Air.

However, I prefer the old Macbook Air symmetrical design. It's more flushed and iconic to the MacBook Air's.

 

[Bobby Smallwood]

On an M2? Sure. M2 Pro? Doubt it. Although I'm simply doing educated guessing. Based of increase in die size and power consumption on an M2 v M1. I believe such characteristics will carry in M1 Pro v M2 Pro.

I think the m1 Pro uses 50% more power than the M1. so 50% more power with double the area, it could work. There is also a rumor that the M2 Pro/MAX may be made on the 3nm node. If this is correct they should have no problem with a M2Pro 15" MBA/MB, that said I would rather have active cooling, who knows what Apple will do.

 

[jav6454]

I think the m1 Pro uses 50% more power than the M1. so 50% more power with double the area, it could work. There is also a rumor that the M2 Pro/MAX may be made on the 3nm node. If this is correct they should have no problem with a M2Pro 15" MBA/MB, that said I would rather have active cooling, who knows what Apple will do.

Well, the article states it'll be the M2 Pro, not the M1 Pro. Furthermore, TSMC has come forth and stated their 3nm process isn't ready for release yet until late next year.

 

[jclo]

?

It's a typo, sorry about that. I've fixed it up. Meant to be MacBook Pro.

 

[Salty Pirate]

Hell Yeah

M2, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Midnight, cannot wait

 

[Craigwilliam]

I think it's time to get rid of the "Air" from Macbook Air and just call them Macbooks again. MacBook, and Macbook Pro. iMac and Mac Pro... and uh Mac Studio as well. Maybe you could have a Macbook Studio for this 15inch Macbook, a Studio on the go? I don't know I guess it goes against the Mac Studio being a performance machine for the studio. The Macbook Studio would just be a bigger screen.

 

[nquinn]

I'd be pretty surprised if they gave it the M2 Pro chip. There would be very little to differentiate it from the 16" Pro.

Maybe main difference would be no mini-LED screen for cost savings? (and no M2 Max variant)

Weird lineup.

Macbook Air 13.6" = M2
Macbook Pro 13.3" = M2 (needs to go)
Macbook Air 15" = M2 and M2 Pro???. I think M2 only but who knows.
Macbook Pro 14" = M2 Pro / M2 Max
Macbook Pro 16" = M2 Pro / M2 Max .. you can see how close this one is to the Air 15" though.

 

[cocky jeremy]

We "know" nothing. We just speculate and guess.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Here I was sold on the new MacBook Air M2 but if this is potentially on the horizon, I might just have to wait to see if anything happens or if we get anything more than just speculation. It would be an automatic purchase for me and the perfect laptop for most people including lower-end "pro" users who could even go for M2 pro chip options and don't need the new MacbookPros with fans that can handle consistent high load usage.

For me the M2 Pro chip would be purely about the extra RAM. My current machine, a 16" 2021 M1P MBP 32GB/2T is overkill on the CPU front, and massive overkill for GPU (I'm a software dev). The RAM is about VM's, but I will be asking myself if 24GB might be enough if this 15" MBA shows up. Might be my next machine down the track.

I'd also love to get rid of these stupid muffled, muddy, hollow force-cancelling woofers. The frequency spectrum might be technically impressive, but the character of the sound is terrible. And sure, all the reviewers raved about them, but I bet any money they merely listened to them a couple of times and then drooled about them for views, and none of them are actually having to put up with using those speakers daily. Believe it or not, for watching movies or TV, my 15" 2015 rMBP sounds better! Sure, it has way less bass, but doesn't sound all kinds of wrong. So maybe the new MBA with the 4 normal speakers, rather than the 4 + 2 force-cancelling woofers of the MBP actually sounds decent.

 

[Bobby Smallwood]

Well, the article states it'll be the M2 Pro, not the M1 Pro. Furthermore, TSMC has come forth and stated their 3nm process isn't ready for release yet until late next year.

Do you have a source for that, all the info that is only a few days old says second half of 2022

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Apple's 3nm M2 Pro chip to enter mass production later this year

It will be manufactured by TSMC. Apple unveiled the M1 chip back in November 2020 and announced its successor - the M2 - at its WWDC event earlier this...

www.gsmarena.com

 

[mac1984]

Just give it a gigantic battery and I'm down.

 

[bumblebritches5]

I feel like Apple should do the opposite, get rid of all the Errors/Airs.

 

[minik]

Is 15-inch a sweet spot? I don't think Apple will re-introduce a 15-inch class notebook again. Notebook running macOS, 13.3" (MacBook Pro M2 and MacBook Air M1), 13.6" (MacBook Air M2), 14.2" and 16.2" (MacBook Pro M1 Pro/M1 Max). I think we're missing a 12" model.

iPadOS: from 8.3" to 12.9" in five different SKU. There's rumor with a bigger display iPad.

 

[aloshka]

These rumors are kind of idiotic. Here is my prediction of a macbook air 15"

1. It will be 15" or 14-15
2. It will have a keyboard and trackpad
3. The keyboard will not be the butterfly keyboard
4. It will have a notch, maybe bigger, maybe smaller
5. It will run the m2 chip, or maybe something newer
6. It will be a laptop
7. It will come in some colors
8. It may or may not have mini led

These are all assumptions anyone can make and I wouldn't even call them rumors as they are based on logical reasoning. I mean come on...has apple become so boring that articles with assumptions are the only interesting thing anyone can come up with. These aren't rumors, these are guesses based on absolutely nothing new or interesting.

 

[heller]

hey apple

 

[JPack]

Won't be called MacBook Air - that's for sure.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I hope this strategy extends to the iPad as well. Maybe Apple is beginning to realise that you don’t need to be a ‘professional’ (at least in their definition) to want a larger display.

It’s more about product segmentation and having the “value” ladder be as clear as day -If two products at first glance appear to be of equal size then surely they are equal value.

Apple doesn’t want that. They want you to agonize over all the pros and cons of spending more or less, until you eventually give into the bigger purchase because there’s no way to get a portable Mac with a big display without shelling out big time. It’s always been like that.

A 15” MacBook that comes in at maybe $1000 or less than the 16” MacBook Pro, then nearly all consumers just go for the cheapest even if all the other features besides the display size are much less than what the MBP offers.

The 15” MacBook will not be a thing as long as the biggest MBP is around 16”.

 

[Chrjy]

I'm not so sure. As a M1 MBA owner, this could really impact their MPB lineup.
I have both a MBA and MBP. The only reason I keep my MBP is due to screen size, I'd happily lose a small amount of screen real estate and stick with a MBA as my main driver.
The only thing of concern, if this is true, is that I specced an M2 MBA with 16GB RAM and it pushed it to £1749 - crazy money considering I picked up a brand new M1 MBA for £900 with 8GB RAM.

 

[JPack]

It’s more about product segmentation and having the “value” ladder be as clear as day -If two products at first glance appear to be of equal size then surely they are equal value.

Apple doesn’t want that. They want you to agonize over all the pros and cons of spending more or less, until you eventually give into the bigger purchase because there’s no way to get a portable Mac with a big display without shelling out big time. It’s always been like that.

A 15” MacBook that comes in at maybe $1000 or less than the 16” MacBook Pro, then nearly all consumers just go for the cheapest even if all the other features besides the display size are much less than what the MBP offers.

The 15” MacBook will not be a thing as long as the biggest MBP is around 16”.

The existence of 13.6-inch MBA along with 14-inch MBP suggests otherwise.

Apple can simply price 15-inch MacBook at $1,999. They're happy to sell twice as many 15-inch models if the margins are right.

It doesn't matter there are fewer $2,499 16-inch MBP buyers. Apple would be selling twice as many 15-inch models at $1,999.

 

[boss.king]

Most likely it'll end up being just a 15" MacBook; I fail to see an M2 Pro in there with passive cooling.

I doubt it would have the M2 Pro, it would probably just default to the upgraded M2 (the one in the 13” Pro). The Pro and Max chips are a pretty clear differentiator for the (actual) Pro line.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Is 15-inch a sweet spot? I don't think Apple will re-introduce a 15-inch class notebook again. Notebook running macOS, 13.3" (MacBook Pro M2 and MacBook Air M1), 13.6" (MacBook Air M2), 14.2" and 16.2" (MacBook Pro M1 Pro/M1 Max). I think we're missing a 12" model.

iPadOS: from 8.3" to 12.9" in five different SKU. There's rumor with a bigger display iPad.

The MacBook “value ladder” gets completely screwed up if you add a new option between 14” and 16” Pros.

I’m sure Apple might have prototyped a 15” laptop recently. But we won’t see it unless Apple drops the 14” MBP, keeps the 16” and adds an even bigger MBP, 18” or larger.

But Apple also doesn’t want you to replace your Studio Display or iMac with a MBP. So a larger than 16” MBP also is not happening.

Apple are grand masters of product segmentation. Adding a wide variety of in-between options in your product lineup is terrible product segmentation and very bad for the bottom line.

15” cheaper than MacBook Pro MacBook is a leaker fantasy. Never happening.

 

[wood1208]

Love it. Only thing I need to know is 15-Inch MacBook Air is coming. The 13.6" and 15" Macbook Air will dominate non-pro MAC laptop segment and desirable purchase/upgrade for those moving away from Windows.
15" Macbook Air has a desirable place between 14.1" and 16.1" Macbook Pros.

In MAC laptop line up, we have 16.1", 15", 14.1", 13.6",13" and probably 12". At last Apple covered all bases for MAC laptop line.

 

[femike]

The 15in could be designed with better passive cooling, a larger battery, and have ports added on the other side. This is the minimum what I would expect them to do.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

Perhaps it will be called the MacBook Studio

Nice take! You know what that is why they're willing to put an M2 pro chip in it for users who require a little bit more, but still don't need full pro level features.

The naming nomenclature just rolls off the tongue.

 

[asdfjkl;]

I fail to see an M2 Pro in there with passive cooling.

I agree. There's no way the Pro will work with passive cooling.