Do you think we will see a Retina MacBook Air?

[ctdonath]

People want it....Considering earlier rumors of the Macbook Air getting a retina display in Q3 anyway I'm more inclined to think we might just see the upgrade this WWDC.

Apple needs it to stay ahead of the competition. Retina MBA might not be a "must have" quite yet, but commercially it will be well before the next sensible release date. sees where the competition is skating to, and better be there and gone ahead before they arrive. I figure ultrabooks in general will go retina in about 6 months (Christmas push), and the MBA line will crash & burn if not retina by then. Between that and the apparent release coming next week, I can't see not doing a retina MBA pronto.

And considering the recent viable start of 4K monitors, coupled with the better-blow-your-socks-off Mac Pro update, we could very well see the entire product suite go retina no later than the next expected releases for each line.

Everyone is scrambling toward retina. must be there first & best (or close enough to not matter) or they'll take a hit.

Yes, some naysayers can't see the difference and/or don't care about higher resolutions. The bulk of customers can, so that's where must go.

 

[skaertus]

Apple needs it to stay ahead of the competition. Retina MBA might not be a "must have" quite yet, but commercially it will be well before the next sensible release date. sees where the competition is skating to, and better be there and gone ahead before they arrive. I figure ultrabooks in general will go retina in about 6 months (Christmas push), and the MBA line will crash & burn if not retina by then. Between that and the apparent release coming next week, I can't see not doing a retina MBA pronto.

And considering the recent viable start of 4K monitors, coupled with the better-blow-your-socks-off Mac Pro update, we could very well see the entire product suite go retina no later than the next expected releases for each line.

Everyone is scrambling toward retina. must be there first & best (or close enough to not matter) or they'll take a hit.

Yes, some naysayers can't see the difference and/or don't care about higher resolutions. The bulk of customers can, so that's where must go.

Tim Cook keeps bragging about how Apple's products are the best, and how price is not a concern, how they always try to make the best product and not the best product for the price range, and how they don't care about cannibalization. If that is all true, then Apple should release a MBA with a retina display, unless there is a very good technical (and not economic) reason for not doing it.

 

[iRun26.2]

No they won't. The best you will see this upgrade cycle is slightly thinner rMBP, which Haswell will allow them to do. But it is impossible to make an Air with retina display while retaining its current form factor and battery life, with the available technologies.

There are certain technological realities, people. Apple doesn't just make stuff by magic and smoke. And you cannot wish "retina MBA" into existence.

Why should we simply take your word for it? (What proof so you have?)

 

[skaertus]

No they won't. The best you will see this upgrade cycle is slightly thinner rMBP, which Haswell will allow them to do. But it is impossible to make an Air with retina display while retaining its current form factor and battery life, with the available technologies.

There are certain technological realities, people. Apple doesn't just make stuff by magic and smoke. And you cannot wish "retina MBA" into existence.

Well, I just don't know. Apple may choose to tweak the MBA internally, with minor external changes, so it supports a retina display. It has done that with the 3rd gen iPad.

You should remember that Haswell saves a lot of battery, so Apple may take advantage of it and add a retina display to the MBA without making battery life shorter.

 

[iRun26.2]

Please don't add retina....it will ruin everything that's good about an MBA. if you want retina, just buy a rMBP13 that no one wants!!

What are you talking about?!

Did the retina Phone 4 ruin the iPhone? Was it a lot thicker? Was the battery life significantly worse? Was it significantly more expensive?

No, no, no!!! It was a fantastic hit!

Apple could do the same with the MBA.

----------

[picks up iPad 4, looks it over]

Retina MBA? They pulled off the iPad 4 (much to naysayers' surprise), so why not? Better processor, keyboard, and a few ports don't take up that much more space.

Exactly! It's astounding how many people here are so certain they know what Apple can and can not do technically. The naysayers are not engineers who work for Apple.

 

[skaertus]

What are you talking about?!

Did the retina Phone 4 ruin the iPhone? Was it a lot thicker? Was the battery life significantly worse? Was it significantly more expensive?

No, no, no!!! It was a fantastic hit!

Apple could do the same with the MBA.

----------



Exactly! It's astounding how many people here are so certain they know what Apple can and can not do technically. The naysayers are not engineers who work for Apple.

Exactly!

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Please don't add retina....it will ruin everything that's good about an MBA. if you want retina, just buy a rMBP13 that no one wants!!

What do you mean by no one wants a 13" rMBP? I think it's the best laptop in the market today. Just perfect. It was just too expensive before the price drop.

 

[ctyrider]

Why should we simply take your word for it? (What proof so you have?)

You shouldn't. You can just wait until Monday.

 

[2IS]

Apple is in kind of an odd position with the MBA. Add Retina, and canabolize rMBP 13 sales. Don't add Retina and have an inferior display to just about any current Windows UltraBook in the same price bracket.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Tim Cook keeps bragging about how Apple's products are the best, and how price is not a concern, how they always try to make the best product and not the best product for the price range, and how they don't care about cannibalization. If that is all true, then Apple should release a MBA with a retina display, unless there is a very good technical (and not economic) reason for not doing it.

Apple does have a recent history of bringing products to market that aren't ready. that is the last thing we need. No MBA with UI lag.

 

[skaertus]

Apple does have a recent history of bringing products to market that aren't ready. that is the last thing we need. No MBA with UI lag.

It won't have a UI lag with the new integrated graphics card.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Do you think we will see a Retina MacBook Air at WWDC 2013?

Yes!

Here is a comparable example:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/month/2013/20130605-01.html

- 3200x1800 14" IGZO display
- Intel® Core™ i5-4200U (Haswell)
- Intel® HD Graphics 4400 IGP (Haswell)

 

[interessiert]

YES (...should) - but

Yes, if Apple intends to stay competitive in 11" to 13" Laptops. Otherwise... It is horrible if you look at our Buyer's Guide: Dominating colors yellow and RED. That says all about the NEEDS for Apple - and our needs, too ;-)
OS X is ONE, but competitive hardware is essential for midrange success.
So: YES!
The more we get fast portable Thunderbolt harddrives and TB-docking stations to USB 3.0 and HDMI, the more more Retina Air Books are an effective solution for many users 🙂
Fears: My feeling is, that they renew MBA with Haswell and some other stuff and we have to wait to the generation after next end of this year 2013 or early beginning of 2014 (because of R-display shortages).

 

[iRun26.2]

You shouldn't. You can just wait until Monday.

But, if Monday comes and Apple does not upgrade the MBA to have retina screens, I will not be any more convinced that you are an expert in knowing what Apple can and can not do.

It very well may be that the MBA screens do not yet come with a retina version. In order to keep up with the competition, Apple will need to add a retina screen option eventually. Like the 13" MBP, it will probably come as an option to upgrade (for a higher price). This would allow Apple to still keep the price low on entry level system (non-retina) yet still compete with the Windows 8 ultra-books by having a (more expensive) retina version.

 

[Stetrain]

[picks up iPad 4, looks it over]

Retina MBA? They pulled off the iPad 4 (much to naysayers' surprise), so why not? Better processor, keyboard, and a few ports don't take up that much more space.

The 11" Macbook Air has a 35wh battery.

The iPad 4 has a 42.5wh battery.

Both devices don't really have any room left over for more battery, they're already packed as full as they can be.

The 11" Air has less room for battery and it also has a much more power hungry Intel CPU/GPU. Even with the power savings coming with Haswell, an Intel ULV processor is still in a whole different power/cooling class than an ARM chip like Apple is using in the iPad.

A retina 11" Air would require a huge reduction in the power usage of such a high density display. Sharp has promised some savings there with its new IGZO displays, but they need to be able to produce enough of them to meet Apple demands, have high enough quality, and low enough cost before they could actually make it into a shipping product.

 

[Nee412]

Apple was rumored to be sourcing thinner parts for the Air. That means they are either making more space inside the current chassis, or reducing the Air's size.

More space inside the current footprint could be for a larger battery to help power a Retina display.

Chances are we will see either a thinner MacBook Air or a MacBook Air with Retina Display at this years WWDC.

 

[iRun26.2]

Apple is in kind of an odd position with the MBA. Add Retina, and canabolize rMBP 13 sales. Don't add Retina and have an inferior display to just about any current Windows UltraBook in the same price bracket.

Apple knows that the iPad also canabolizes MBA sales. They still make plenty of money.

More important than canabolizing rMBP sales, though, is stealing sales away from Window 8 ultra-books. Having to move to Windows 8 could be a deturant to some (retina) ultra-book purchasers. If the MBA was similar it would give those users a better option (especially since Windows 7 works very nicely in BootCamp on a MBA).

 

[iRun26.2]

Apple was rumored to be sourcing thinner parts for the Air. That means they are either making more space inside the current chassis, or reducing the Air's size.

More space inside the current footprint could be for a larger battery to help power a Retina display.

Chances are we will see either a thinner MacBook Air or a MacBook Air with Retina Display at this years WWDC.

You make a very good point that I haven't seen mentioned before: Almost all electronic components constantly become smaller and use less power. In addition, new components often combine several components that were previously separate (which often makes the new component cheaper).

As an electrical engineer I am constantly on the lookout for components that can make my products smaller and more power efficient. There is a constant march towards component efficiency and reduced size

Surely the Apple hardware engineers are aware of component innovations (besides the CPU and screen) that could make MBA smaller, lighter, and more power efficient. Heck, they may have high enough volumes (and cash) that they could specify custom ASICs for the MBA. .

 

[skaertus]

Apple knows that the iPad also canabolizes MBA sales. They still make plenty of money.

More important than canabolizing rMBP sales, though, is stealing sales away from Window 8 ultra-books. Having to move to Windows 8 could be a deturant to some (retina) ultra-book purchasers. If the MBA was similar it would give those users a better option (especially since Windows 7 works very nicely in BootCamp on a MBA).

Yes, pretty much that. It doesn't matter for Apple if people buy the rMBP or the MBA or the iPad, as long as they keep buying its products. Apple of course would like to push the most expensive products to its customers, but if the cheaper ones sell in volume, then what's wrong with that? It's better to let the MBA cannibalize the rMBP than to let Acer, Asus, Dell or Samsung do that cannibalization.

 

[2IS]

More important than canabolizing rMBP sales, though, is stealing sales away from Window 8 ultra-books. Having to move to Windows 8 could be a deturant to some (retina) ultra-book purchasers. If the MBA was similar it would give those users a better option (especially since Windows 7 works very nicely in BootCamp on a MBA).

I agree with you and hope Apple does too. Based on the lack of rumors though, the next MBA will not have Retina, OR Tim Cook has made some real progress on containing new product leaks.

I hope its the ladder, then maybe we get rMBA AND iOS 7 with some actual features (that we aren't hearing about) and not just a "flatter look and feel" (which is all we have been hearing about)

 

[throAU]

Doubt it.

When apple are ready to go retina everywhere you will see the air line dropped, the "pro" line dropped and both lines merged into 11-15" "Macbooks"

I suspect that will be 2014-2015

 

[skaertus]

Doubt it.

When apple are ready to go retina everywhere you will see the air line dropped, the "pro" line dropped and both lines merged into 11-15" "Macbooks"

I suspect that will be 2014-2015

I guess that won't happen. Apple has kept two lines of laptops for ages. The Air and the Pro are made towards different audiences. The 13" Pro is similar to the 13" Air in several aspects; but the next-gen Air should be thinner and lighter.

 

[MacRazySwe]

I would love to see a MBA with Retina Display, and a chassis that does not squeek (i.e a bottom case that does not come loose). I think that would honestly be the best laptop ever, for me and my usage.

For now, the higher quality and better screen of the rMBP sways me toward it.

Btw, there are so many people out there claiming it impossible for Apple to provide the MBA's with retina displays, at least if the size, weight and battery life of todays models were to be maintained. Honestly though, I call BS. Have you guys seen the Asus Zenbook Infinity? It's 15.5mm thick versus the MBAs 17mm. It sports a 2560x1440 display.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7035/...-with-the-most-beautiful-notebook-at-computex

Oh, and the Fujitsu has >3000 pixels x ...whatever.

That said, there's no doubt it can be done. So why hasn't Apple done it yet? Why do we have to pay more, for a thicker and heavier computer in order to obtain a Retina display? IMO a rMBA would be a lot more interesting than the rMBP 13".

Come on Apple - you used to be ahead of the curve!

 

[B...]

I would love to see a MBA with Retina Display, and a chassis that does not squeek (i.e a bottom case that does not come loose). I think that would honestly be the best laptop ever, for me and my usage.

For now, the higher quality and better screen of the rMBP sways me toward it.

Btw, there are so many people out there claiming it impossible for Apple to provide the MBA's with retina displays, at least if the size, weight and battery life of todays models were to be maintained. Honestly though, I call BS. Have you guys seen the Asus Zenbook Infinity? It's 15.5mm thick versus the MBAs 17mm. It sports a 2560x1440 display.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7035/...-with-the-most-beautiful-notebook-at-computex

Oh, and the Fujitsu has >3000 pixels x ...whatever.

That said, there's no doubt it can be done. So why hasn't Apple done it yet? Why do we have to pay more, for a thicker and heavier computer in order to obtain a Retina display? IMO a rMBA would be a lot more interesting than the rMBP 13".

Come on Apple - you used to be ahead of the curve!

And we know nothing of their battery life yet. They might be good, but maybe not.

 

[iRun26.2]

I guess that won't happen. Apple has kept two lines of laptops for ages. The Air and the Pro are made towards different audiences. The 13" Pro is similar to the 13" Air in several aspects; but the next-gen Air should be thinner and lighter.

Indeed, there are too many people comparing the 13" MBA and the 13" MBP saying that Apple should discontinue the 13" MBA because the two computers are so similar. These people forget that the MBA's current physical shape was set nearly three years ago and that it is due to be changed. If it is updated it ought to be smaller and the argument about them being so similar should go away (and the complaining about the MBA's high price should begin again). 🙂

It does seem odd, however, that the MBA could somehow be reduced in size without some rumored photographs of the new model showing up. Hopefully a smaller sized version will be released on Monday. It sure would seem silly for Apple to think that people would get excited about new MBA models that only have a faster processor and dual microphones in them.

 

[B...]

Indeed, there are too many people comparing the 13" MBA and the 13" MBP saying that Apple should discontinue the 13" MBA because the two computers are so similar. These people forget that the MBA's current physical shape was set nearly three years ago and that it is due to be changed. If it is updated it ought to be smaller and the argument about them being so similar should go away (and the complaining about the MBA's high price should begin again). 🙂

It does seem odd, however, that the MBA could somehow be reduced in size without some rumored photographs of the new model showing up. Hopefully a smaller sized version will be released on Monday. It sure would seem silly for Apple to think that people would get excited about new MBA models that only have a faster processor and dual microphones in them.

But they do. Have you seen the News Discussion threads. People went berserk over a pretty 7 and a crossed out wave.