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

boss.king said:
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.
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Which is why I think it'll be a MacBook.
 
transpo1 said:
Why would they call a portable computer “studio,” though?
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Why does Microsoft have a surface laptop studio? It may be the bridge device when the MacBook Air 13" is too small & the MacBook Pro is too much power. I don't know. It's just branding.
 
One can throw so many rocks into the air (pun intended) that one will eventually hit 🤦‍♂️
 
jav6454 said:
Which is why I think it'll be a MacBook.
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I guess it depends what MacBook means in the new lineup. Air used to be premium back when nothing was thin and light, but now I don’t know what gap it fills. The M1 Air is the value consumer option, the M2 air is the premium consumer option, the 13/14/16” Pros are the budget and small/big premium Pro machines. Is MacBook just a big consumer option?
 
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boss.king said:
I guess it depends what MacBook means in the new lineup. Air used to be premium back when nothing was thin and light, but now I don’t know what gap it fills. The M1 Air is the value consumer option, the M2 air is the premium consumer option, the 13/14/16” Pros are the budget and small/big premium Pro machines. Is MacBook just a big consumer option?
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That's why the whole getting rid of the wedge was a mistake.
 
jav6454 said:
That's why the whole getting rid of the wedge was a mistake.
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I’m confused. Why? Wedge or no, the Air is still a solid thin and light machine. Maybe a MacBook could take the 13” Pro’s slot as a Studio laptop and bridge the gap between consumer and pro, much like the Mac studio sits between the Mini and forthcoming Mac Pro?
 
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boss.king said:
I’m confused. Why? Wedge or no, the Air is still a solid thin and light machine. Maybe a MacBook could take the 13” Pro’s slot as a Studio laptop and bridge the gap between consumer and pro, much like the Mac studio sits between the Mini and forthcoming Mac Pro?
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The Air should have kept the wedge in all honesty. Why? In my opinion, it harkens the sleekness of ultra-thin notebook. Now? Just looks horrible. Ew notch.

That said, agreed with product positioning.
 
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DHagan4755 said:
Why does Microsoft have a surface laptop studio? It may be the bridge device when the MacBook Air 13" is too small & the MacBook Pro is too much power. I don't know. It's just branding.
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Fair enough. The better branding IMHO would still be MacBook Air, just in 15” size. A MacBook Studio seems like it would just muddy the waters and confuse people who should buy Pro machines.
 
A 15” MBA with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD would be absolutely perfect for my dad. He currently has a 2017 15” MBP that is very much starting to show its age, but a 16” MBP is complete overkill for him. Even a 14” MBP is overkill. But the screen of a 13” MBA (or 13” MBP) is just too small for him. He doesn’t have a desk or anything, so an external monitor isn’t an option either. Hopefully this rumor is true, and hopefully he can hold off until early next year!
 
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jav6454 said:
The Air should have kept the wedge in all honesty. Why? In my opinion, it harkens the sleekness of ultra-thin notebook. Now? Just looks horrible. Ew notch.

That said, agreed with product positioning.
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I personally never liked the notch wedge, but I can see why others did. It didn’t seem like a thin design to me for the last few years because the back was so chunky — maybe if they had just slimmed the hinge side a bit it could have stayed a wedge, but I think the new design seems a lot sleeker. All personal taste though.
 
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Wokis said:
Interesting thing. I felt that the general consensus 10 years ago was that 13” was the size sweet spot for laptops as it made them feel pretty portable, and that 15 and up was almost like a compromise you did to get better performance. Granted bezels are smaller now but it will still be “big”.

I’m intrigued to see if it could become a big seller. My money’s on that the 13” will remain the default but that doesn’t exclude offering alternatives, of course.
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I don’t see that there was consensus on this just that that was all that Apple was willing to provide in the consumer line of laptops. In the PC world 15” laptops are very popular. Lots of people want a larger screen, either because they want more workspace or they need things a little larger for their vision needs. They don’t need the power, weight, and cost of a 16” MBP. Just something a little bigger and a little more expensive than a 13” MBA. A 15” would be wider than a 13” but would not need to be significantly thicker and then the weight would still be less than the 14” MBP..
 
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Especially with the M2 and upcoming M3, there will be a lot of folks for whom the M# processors provide more than enough processing power, but still need a larger screen (e.g., those doing spreadsheet work). A 15" M# Air would be perfect for them.

It does make sense to disconnect processing power and screen size (i.e., not require those who just need more screen size to purchase a Pro/Max), since these really are two separate requirements.

The one key potential downsize of a 15" M2 Air to a buyer is that Apple continues to nerf the non-Pro/Max chips by limiting them to 2 monitors (which means one external for the notebooks). I.e., the very people that would buy an M2 are those that need more screen real estate. Yet when those same people use that device at home, they'll be screen-limited to one external display.

That of course won't be an issue for some potential 15" M2 Air buyers, but it will be for others.

This is the one key way in which, even with a 15" M2 Air, Apple will not have separated processing power and screen real estate requirements.

[Though if it's coming in 2023, it will probably be an M3 Air, with A16-based microarchitecture and an N3 process. TSMC just release their latest roadmap, and says volume production of the N3 chips will start in 2H 2022. It remains to be seen whether Apple will continue to limit display support on the M3.]
 
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noraa said:
A 15” MBA with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD would be absolutely perfect for my dad. He currently has a 2017 15” MBP that is very much starting to show its age, but a 16” MBP is complete overkill for him. Even a 14” MBP is overkill. But the screen of a 13” MBA (or 13” MBP) is just too small for him. He doesn’t have a desk or anything, so an external monitor isn’t an option either. Hopefully this rumor is true, and hopefully he can hold off until early next year!
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I think you hit the nail on the head.

A 15" Air would be perfect for those of use who need a screen larger than 13" but have absolutely no need for the power/performance (and price) of the Macbook Pro models. Nothing exists in the current lineup.

It's why I'm still working on a 2015 Macbook Pro (15") and would love to upgrade but nothing meets my needs. I think there would be immense demand for a 15" Air.
 
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wood1208 said:
The 13.6" and 15" Macbook Air will dominate non-pro MAC laptop segment
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I think for the 13.6 to dominate anything it would have to come down in price first.
There seem to be a number of people who we’re excited for the new MBA and then decided against it because of the high(er) price.
 
Apple ALWAYS ties specs, display size/quality, and price together exponentially to clearly and aggressively define the value of each product: The less you pay, the smaller display size you get and the less impressive specs.

The minute Apple does a low spec laptop with a display that's as big as the Pro devices, or a small display laptop with specs as good as the Pro device's, the value hierarchy is broken and total revenue will suffer tremendously.

1st Gen SE was not kept iPhone 5 size and style to appease the "small phone lover" demographic. It was kept small to not cannibalise iPhone 6S sales.

Apple cannot have two devices occupy the same "step" on the "value ladder".

This is the same reason why the "analyst predictions" of Apple doing a 5.5" iPhone 8 Plus SE 3rd for launch in 2022 was absolutely ridiculous and just as far-fetched as a 15" inch MacBook.

Look at the iPad lineup, it's the exact same strategy: The less you pay the smaller the specs and display, and vice versa.

What's next, a new 30" Studio Display to kill most Pro Display XDR sales?

Y'all are day dreaming big time with all these in-between devices. Apple has never done them and never will!
 
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