Bloomberg: Apple Working on 'Thinner and Lighter' High-End MacBook Air With MagSafe, Could Launch in Second Half of 2021

[jlc1978]

Thinner and lighter is fine for the Air, as long as they bring back a full set of ports on the Pro.

A Pro machine should include the ports needed for Pro work, without having to carry a bag full of dongles. It should include HDMI, USB-A, and Ethernet.

A pro machine should have the most flexible ports possible so you can attach whatever device yo need to at the time, which is USB-C; rather than limiting you to legacy formats such as USB-A and ethernet, or even HDMI, all of which can be connected via dongle.

USB-C gives pros, and everyone else, the ports they need for work; especially if you're already carrying the cables attaching an adpater to the end is minor vs. being stuck with legacy ports.

 

[robertcoogan]

Why......WHY APPLE.....

Enough with the thinness obsession. Not everybody wants a wafer for a laptop. It also keeps the keyboard in seemingly-terminal-crap-land as it doesn't have enough key travel to help a flea to a push-up. I thought when Jonny left things would look up...

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Of course they didn't make a 15" version. That would completely cannibalise sales of the 16" Pro.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The $899 M2 12’ Macbook Air will be a great entry-level device for first time buyer.

How did you extrapolate a 12" MBA from the thread article?

 

[lambertjohn]

The $899 M2 12’ Macbook Air will be a great entry-level device for first time buyer.

So would a $999 13" M1 Macbook Air. Not sure what anyone would do with a 12 foot Macbook Air anyway.

 

[Del Martes]

They should have the 13 and a 15 inch air. I would love a 15.

Good idea! A 15" would be good for everything--web browsing, reading PDF books, watching movies, etc, etc.

I was thinking about jumping on the upcoming M1 16" MBP--just for the screen size. But.....I don't need the computing power.

 

[Del Martes]

Of course they didn't make a 15" version. That would completely cannibalise sales of the 16" Pro.

Not necessarily. Those who need the computing power would still go with the pro.

 

[goodwilldrums]

When it comes to MagSafe instead of USB-C for charing. I don’t see any problems with this as long as the notebooks will continue to feature USB Type-C ports, which they obviously will and those ports are still being capable of providing power to the system. And hopefully the power adapter itself will stay the same with a USB-C connector on the adapter making the only difference between using USB-C for charging and using MagSafe will be the cable you connect into the adapter.

Meaning the machines themselves stay universal, the adapter itself stays universal it’s just up to the user to decide if they are going to use the USB-C to MagSafe or the USB-C to USB-C cable for charging.

I agree. It would be a huge step backward for them if they only allow charging via magsafe and not also continue to allow USB C PD on all ports. If they want to add magsafe that's fine, but I don't think I'll ever use it. My current setup is only 1 cable at my desk going to a hub that provides external display, power, usb a, sd card, etc. Looks very clean, would be a huge bummer if they went back to having to need a dedicated cable just to provide power.

 

[laptech]

The thinness of the machine will be dictated by the thickness of the battery. Also, the thinner a machine becomes the lcd display hinge becomes an even bigger weak point. Also, a laptop is supposed to be able to withstand some bangs and bumps but I doubt even a thinner machine to that of the current Air's will be able to.

 

[Apple_Robert]

What would Apple have to gain by going thinner with the MBA? The bottom case is already tampered, which makes for easier, more natural typing.

 

[Grayfox691]

I'm most interested in what this adoption of MagSafe will look like. Port real-estate on the Air is already pretty slim so the adoption of the old style MagSafe port would be interesting. Would we still get the two USBC ports? I certainly hope so. I have an old MacBook and well as I only have one you can take it from me that you need at least two... Perhaps apple could try to go with wireless charging but there would be plenty of complications down that road as well. Guess we'll see.

 

[Shadab121]

I hope they come with a form factor similar to the new xps 13.

 

[pray2crom]

sigh.... again with aesthetics over function. Would it kill apple to let their macbooks to have some heft to allow for better thermal management. I thought apple was against fat shaming?

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

I'm really waiting for a 17" Air... similar to the Dell XPS 17 but with that tiny M1 SoC. With slim bezels that's almost the same as old 15" notebooks anway.

No, seriously, in the past it was a compromise between mobility and weight... That is no more.
I'd like a large and ultrahin laptop please. Mass should not exceed 1.8kg.

 

[Think creative]

I was so stoked on the 14 inch MacBook Pro (and still am) but that they may have considered a 15 inch air and are currently not going forward with it... I'm sad. Honestly the sweet spot for me would be a 14-15 inch air and a new iMac would be the killer set up for me and my business. I'll settle happily for a 14 Pro and a new larger iMac though.

 

[richinaus]

I was so stoked on the 14 inch MacBook Pro (and still am) but that they may have considered a 15 inch air and are currently not going forward with it... I'm sad. Honestly the sweet spot for me would be a 14-15 inch air and a new iMac would be the killer set up for me and my business. I'll settle happily for a 14 Pro and a new larger iMac though.

I was thinking similar for my WFH set up
Will still have the desktop machines in the office though, as iMacs and laptops just dont cut it for my daily work.

If all these rumours come true, I will be in the market for the following :

11“ IPad Pro 2021 edition [home]
Macbook air [this super thin version] [work travel sofa etc]
14” / 16” macbookpro [office - presentations mobile work] - decision depends on specs
24” imac [WFH - and hobbies]
Macpro mini [the new cube] + new apple monitor [office]

I can reduce it down quite a bit to one laptop [14” MBP] and one desktop [pro mini] but where is the fun in that . My software subscriptions costs more than a laptop alone.

crossing fingers developers ramp up on the native apps too [adobe, rhino, Autodesk Etc], as we are all intel still, with an M1 MBP for testing / partner Use.

 

[blackNBUK]

Not necessarily. Those who need the computing power would still go with the pro.

The issue for Apple is that few people need the computing power; just look at the reception the basic M1 Macs have got, they are more than enough for a huge variety of users. Apple needs to convince people to buy the more expensive versions and it looks like they are going to do it with the amount of RAM, number of ports, number of external displays and (sadly) the size of the display.

 

[Osamede]

Oh, a thinner Macbook?? Must be a lot of customers asking for such a feature…

Where's the end to this? A single layer of gold or a buckminsterfullerene type sheet with see-thru features like in the Expanse? What does Guo Mingzhi predict?

The “benefit” is to segment better and maximise profits by making this one have less battery life than the “Pro”. Because the M1 is giving you too much in their eyes, so if they are going to standardise on this then they have to find other ways to squeeze more money out of those who can be squeezed.

But don’t expect the reviews to tell you that - they will play see no evil and pretend that the Air was a porker and needed to be slimmed down.

 

[Abazigal]

Oh, a thinner Macbook?? Must be a lot of customers asking for such a feature…

Where's the end to this? A single layer of gold or a buckminsterfullerene type sheet with see-thru features like in the Expanse? What does Guo Mingzhi predict?

A device that is meant to be carried around can never be too thin or light.

 

[richinaus]

The “benefit” is to segment better and maximise profits by making this one have less battery life than the “Pro”. Because the M1 is giving you too much in their eyes, so if they are going to standardise on this then they have to find other ways to squeeze more money out of those who can be squeezed.

But don’t expect the reviews to tell you that - they will play see no evil and pretend that the Air was a porker and needed to be slimmed down.

In my eyes it is a porker though and have no idea why people buy it over the current 13” M pro.

The air should be the thinnest and lightest laptop Apple make, as that is what it is meant to be - AIR. Not in comparable size and weight to a MBP.

 

[KPOM]

why compare the 12" MB?? that laptop has 12" instead of 13.3" and smaller battery

I’m comparing the size and weight of Apple’s smallest notebook in 2017 with their smallest notebook at the beginning of 2021.

 

[Mainsail]

And this is the reason it made no sense to me to race out and trade-in my 2020 i3 MBA for a 2020 M1 MBA. You just knew Apple was going to release a new form factor for the MBA within a year or earlier.

 

[travod]

will 2022 macbook air get 14 inch screen tho? i hate the apple cycle ugh

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

If I can't shave with the edge of it then it's too thick.

It needs to be razor thin, as Apple often advertises it to be

 

[HPDoor]

I have been hanging on to my 2015 MagSafe Macbook Pro. It has been worth the wait....