KGI: Apple to Launch Cheaper MacBook Air in 2Q 2018

[Niklas_nick]

3 more months until WWDC and until we will probably finally see some news on the Mac.

I hope for a new Mac Pro, a Mac Mini (possibly as a Mac Pro module?) and some kind of server, especially for smart home/family uses (Mac nano anyone?)

I also hope for news on the notebooks, but I guess I'll have to wait until the redesign around 2020 to get what I want most: thin bezels (a 14" display in a 13" case) and finally "all-day battery life" again. 10 hours isn't industry-leading anymore and you get nowhere near that if you really use your MBP. I remember when I used to take my unibody MBP without my charger to all day studio sessions...

 

[StellarVixen]

And just when I though that iPhone X will probably be the only purchase of iDevices for me this year... Add at least KabyLake, keep all the ports current Air has (except change MagSafe for USB type C), and I am all sold! And, is 16 GB of RAM too much to ask? It is? Ah, nevermind, you still take my money.

(Retina display? I couldn't care less about that one. At 15-20 inch, which is an optimal viewing distance for me, I barely notice lower resolution at all. It is not an issue, and if you decide to keep Retina for your more premium products, Apple, I don't have a problem with that).

 

[vmistery]

I believe the Y series has 12 PCIe's. That's enough for four to the SSD, four to Thunderbolt, and enough left for WiFi and Bluetooth.



For whatever reason, Apple equipped the Air's with processors that have a GPU with 48 EU's. Unfortunately, Intel has hung Apple out to dry in terms of an upgrade path for these chips. The only options with equivalent or better GPU's are Iris Plus level parts that have the extra expense of eDRAM. The Mac Mini has gone down the same dead end. Apple needs to switch to inferior graphics, or pony up for a more expensive chip.

If it’s being repositioned as a more budget offering then downgrading the graphics makes sense. I wonder if Apple would be ok putting a quad core 8650U in their budget range though when the pro 13” is only dual core.

 

[sublunar]

The UHD620 is an upgrade on HD6000 graphics but neither are as powerful as the Iris Plus Graphics 640 in the non touch bar MacBook Pro which drives a retina display.

It could be that the next MBA adopts the same Kaby Lake Iris Plus Graphics 640 currently in the non touch bar 640 or goes with the 4 core i5-8250U which has UHD620 if they don't intend to use a retina screen but going with quad core CPU in the MBA could only happen if the rest of the 13" range goes quad core too.

There aren't any suitable replacement CPUs for the MacBook Pros announced yet but Apple have till June before we've had 1 year since the 2017 models.

 

[Lil Chillbil]

As someone who used to think they couldn't get by without a Mac Pro/mbp back when I was hosting/cutting together hours of large conference footage for a local church every week. My needs have changed, I don't do much and my 20s are looking to be more nomadic than my late teens and color me very very much interested in this rumored low-spec MBA

 

[2ilent8cho]

I have no hard evidence to back this up, but i bet the MacBook Air is almost half of all Mac sales if not more. This is why the MacBook Air is still around.

Why do i think this? When ever i see people come to work with a Mac, its almost always the Air. A friend works at a Uni and when students come for help , if its a Mac its almost always the Air. Twice in the last few years i have chatted to the Apple Store staff whilst buying a Mac and asked which they sell most of and they have told me the Air. If you go to the refurbished store on Apple.com and check daily you will notice its the Air that has the biggest turnover.

If Apple get rid of the Air i think they risk losing a big chunk of Mac sales. The Air is still my favourite MacBook. Just spec bump it and sell it cheaper, will temp more into the Mac ecosystem.

 

[Agit21]

I own the 2014 MacBook Air 13“. Wouldn’t even think about buying that overpriced MacBook with 12“. That screen is too small for me.

Give us a MacBook Air 13“ with Retina display and all is good

 

[SmugMaverick]

The low sales due to price increases in average MacBooks is the reason for this.

I think Google Chromebook are taking a big chunk now and Timmy is worried.

 

[EugW]

What does Muliti-User FaceTime mean?

FaceTime with multiple users of course. This used to be supported with iChat.

Do you think Kaby Lake-G is too much for a 13-inch MacBook Pro?

Yes, it is too hot for the 13” MBP.

 

[Commentist]

I have no hard evidence to back this up, but i bet the MacBook Air is almost half of all Mac sales if not more. This is why the MacBook Air is still around.

Why do i think this? When ever i see people come to work with a Mac, its almost always the Air. A friend works at a Uni and when students come for help , if its a Mac its almost always the Air. Twice in the last few years i have chatted to the Apple Store staff whilst buying a Mac and asked which they sell most of and they have told me the Air. If you go to the refurbished store on Apple.com and check daily you will notice its the Air that has the biggest turnover.

If Apple get rid of the Air i think they risk losing a big chunk of Mac sales. The Air is still my favourite MacBook. Just spec bump it and sell it cheaper, will temp more into the Mac ecosystem.

I've bought 4 MBAs over the last couple of years for use by my team (software development). They're robust and useful machines (my previous MBA lasted 5 years with heavy use). We pair them with big monitors for static use, and have big iron for when we need real performance (a 28-core Intel box with 256GB RAM, plus some old 8-core boxes). Overall, we're very happy with the offering (only the restricted memory is a real limitation). I suspect the new "Pro"s are mostly selling to affluent consumers. I haven't spotted many on my work-related travels.

 

[EugW]

I've bought 4 MBAs over the last couple of years for use by my team (software development). They're robust and useful machines (my previous MBA lasted 5 years with heavy use). We pair them with big monitors for static use, and have big iron for when we need real performance (a 28-core Intel box with 256GB RAM, plus some old 8-core boxes). Overall, we're very happy with the offering (only the restricted memory is a real limitation). I suspect the new "Pro"s are mostly selling to affluent consumers. I haven't spotted many on my work-related travels.

If we are going to talk anecdotes then I’ll give you mine. I don’t know a single person who has purchased an Air in the past 3 years. About a half dozen have gotten the MacBook Pro (mostly the 13” but 1 or 2 with the 15”), and some more have gotten the MacBook, myself included. However, none I know that have purchased are high school students or undergraduate university students. Most are professionals or post-graduate students.

BTW, since you can’t even get 16 GB on an Air, since it seems odd you would praise the Air for software development. Other people around these forums have suggested that an 8 GB limitation is almost a deal killer, although I personally wouldn’t know since I’m not a software developer.

 

[DanBig]

You know very well Apple's going to give it a retina display (what we all want), but then take away all the ports (what we all don't want).

They always seem to give and taketh away. Some would rather have more slower speed USB-A ports instead of one fast USB-C.

Well, I wouldn't say that. Crypto & Application USB-A keys don't work well with dongles! Then there's the security risks when you have a device in the middle you can't be sure is not spying!

Apple should have held onto 2 USB-A ports in the 15" model (2 USB-C & 2 USB-A).

The older issue is the lack of a quick release power cord system thats flush mounted. The 3rd party options are not that good as you need to constantly take them off to get the system into a case. While MagSafe had its issues it was dam good! Apple's 'Think Different' is now don't offer what your customers need to work.

I want less confusion and logical processes when work not more! Apple direction is ejecting the working high end Pro and the school markets.

The working Pro's Pro is needed! Deeper serviceable RAM, iMac Pro SSD with a second serviceable storage bay. USB-A & USB-C ports, flush-mounted breakaway power cord & larger battery.

Apple: 'Function over Form' Get off the 'thin is in' movement! Yes, I like a lighter weigh system but not at the cost of what I need (and many REAL working Pro's also say they need) in the field. Many would love to see a 17" again too.

 

[Val-kyrie]

Why is Apple keeping the Air around? It's simple: SALES.

Fixed that for you.

I, for one, think that that "Air" name is very valuable, but that the regular MacBook encroached way too much on its territory, now it's lost its identity. I love my 2013 Air and have held out replacing it because there's really nothing else on the market (from Apple) worthy of being its replacement. Let's hope that Apple wises up and releases a new, unique Air. ARM-based would be AWEFUL!

ARM-based Macs would be a bag of hurt.

That's not true: Microsoft Windows 10 runs x86 code on ARM at "near native speed". They are good at this stuff. The cpu and driver code are native to ARM.

https://www.extremetech.com/computi...m-devices-will-run-x86-code-near-native-speed

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On top of this, going forward Windows Developers can even compile mixed Intel and ARM apps with no code changes just the click of a mouse at compile time:

View attachment 753173

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Android has always had a mouse cursor as soon as you connect a Bluetooth mouse. Handy for old scumm monkey island games

Perhaps you should read about all of the limitations of Windows 10 on ARM before you get too excited.

I believe the Y series has 12 PCIe's. That's enough for four to the SSD, four to Thunderbolt, and enough left for WiFi and Bluetooth.



For whatever reason, Apple equipped the Air's with processors that have a GPU with 48 EU's. Unfortunately, Intel has hung Apple out to dry in terms of an upgrade path for these chips. The only options with equivalent or better GPU's are Iris Plus level parts that have the extra expense of eDRAM. The Mac Mini has gone down the same dead end. Apple needs to switch to inferior graphics, or pony up for a more expensive chip.

How many EUs does Intel's HD 6xx have? Are those iGPUs not a valid upgrade path?

 

[chatin]

ARM based Macbooks are finally here. It cost Apple about $12 for the power of a $250 Intel i7.

 

[Lesser Evets]

(Assuming this rumor is true and not slightly miscommunicated/interpreted)

Why is Apple confusing their product line up so much? It is already turgid due to the MacBook Air/macbook/Macbook Pro.
Sure, if you are a tech geek or an Apple employee, the stuff makes sense, but Jobs cleaved to simplicity so the consumer can make sense of a product line and what to expect from the purchases while companies like Microsoft were complicating everything so much that people felt cheated, locked out, occulted from an understanding of product hierarchy and usefulness.

Just make a line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros and call it a day. Cut this nonsense down!!

 

[Coconut Bean]

I would be surprised if this actually happens. I always thought, MBA would stick around until the non-touch bar MBP got cheap enough and they made a good enough retina MB.

They discontinued the old retina MBP, now that the cheapest one is 'only' $1299. Now with a bumped/cheaper 12inch MB and a slightly cheaper and bumped the MBA could finally be removed from the product line. It served its time, but the only reason it still looks viable is due to the horrendous prices and weak 'upgrades' of the rest of the product line.

 

[CaliKW]

Give me an Air keeping the same keyboard, form factor, battery life, and add a Retina screen! Sold!

You had me when you said keep the same keyboard. I'd consider selling my rMBP late 2015 to get back to an apple laptop with a reasonable keyboard!

 

[theluggage]

BTW, since you can’t even get 16 GB on an Air, since it seems odd you would praise the Air for software development.

Software development is a piece of string. Your requirements depend on what tools you use and what sort of software you are developing.

Some "software developers" need a text editor and a copy of Python and could work quite happily on a Raspberry Pi. A MacBook Air wouldn't break a sweat.

Others might need 8 simultaneous virtual machines running test environments, a resource-hog IDE like Eclipse, a high end GPU to test their OpenGL/Metal or Terabytes of fast storage to hold the data they're analysing.

(Oh, one thing you do need though is a decent keyboard. Display-wise, well you're probably going to plug in an external display when you're at the desk, anyway).

The same applies to other fields - Music? Some demanding users genuinely struggle with "only" 32GB of RAM. but you can happily run 6 virtual synths and several effects in Logic Pro in 8GB on a 2011 MBP - not everybody needs a whole orchestra of sampled instruments. Graphics? Are you compositing 20 poster-size bitmaps at huge resolutions - or are you just cropping and converting SVGA-sized bitmaps for the web?

One of the reasons the PC market is cooling down now is that there is an enormous amount of work that can be perfectly well done - even professionally (which just means you're getting paid) on a very modestly specced machine.

Apple's competitors - including Dell, Lenovo etc. - all offer machines with 1080p displays and modest specs, even in their Mac-killer ranges (e.g. the entry level XPS 13). Apple need something to compete - the Air is an ideal, classic design that can do that job. (Replace the TB2 port with TB3/USB-C if you must, but for pity's sake leave it with a USB-A port or two).

 

[sracer]

(Assuming this rumor is true and not slightly miscommunicated/interpreted)

Why is Apple confusing their product line up so much? It is already turgid due to the MacBook Air/macbook/Macbook Pro.
Sure, if you are a tech geek or an Apple employee, the stuff makes sense, but Jobs cleaved to simplicity so the consumer can make sense of a product line and what to expect from the purchases while companies like Microsoft were complicating everything so much that people felt cheated, locked out, occulted from an understanding of product hierarchy and usefulness.

Just make a line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros and call it a day. Cut this nonsense down!!

I think that makes sense if one views Apple's customers as being less capable of selecting a device than customers of Apple's competitors.

Apple's macbook line is already far more streamlined than makers of PC notebooks. But if the goal is to reduce the purchase experience to: "See an Apple logo, find the price I can afford, sold." then yes, more streamlining is needed.

 

[EugW]

Software development is a piece of string. Your requirements depend on what tools you use and what sort of software you are developing.

Some "software developers" need a text editor and a copy of Python and could work quite happily on a Raspberry Pi. A MacBook Air wouldn't break a sweat.

Others might need 8 simultaneous virtual machines running test environments, a resource-hog IDE like Eclipse, a high end GPU to test their OpenGL/Metal or Terabytes of fast storage to hold the data they're analysing.

(Oh, one thing you do need though is a decent keyboard. Display-wise, well you're probably going to plug in an external display when you're at the desk, anyway).

The same applies to other fields - Music? Some demanding users genuinely struggle with "only" 32GB of RAM. but you can happily run 6 virtual synths and several effects in Logic Pro in 8GB on a 2011 MBP - not everybody needs a whole orchestra of sampled instruments. Graphics? Are you compositing 20 poster-size bitmaps at huge resolutions - or are you just cropping and converting SVGA-sized bitmaps for the web?

One of the reasons the PC market is cooling down now is that there is an enormous amount of work that can be perfectly well done - even professionally (which just means you're getting paid) on a very modestly specced machine.

Apple's competitors - including Dell, Lenovo etc. - all offer machines with 1080p displays and modest specs, even in their Mac-killer ranges (e.g. the entry level XPS 13). Apple need something to compete - the Air is an ideal, classic design that can do that job. (Replace the TB2 port with TB3/USB-C if you must, but for pity's sake leave it with a USB-A port or two).

I’m glad you mentioned VMs. Having even just one VM makes 8 GB problematic.

 

[Fixey]

When the first MacBook Air came out it was way overpriced and Apple simply created it to show how slim and thin including light a laptop could be, now that it is heavy and thick v other laptops it realy has no purpose

The MacoBook is Apple saying this is what the Air has evolved into and they need to slash that price and call it a day on the Air as they will just saturate the laptop lineup and sell less.

Choice is good but too much choice is bad, Steve Jobs proved that when he returned and now that he is gone Apple is falling back into it’s old ways.

I today use a MacBook Air late 2010 that I use Xcode and Adobe software on, even 3D software and handles it great, but the laptops choice today should be MacBook, MacBook Pro not...
MacBook Air, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MBP with Touch Bar, just too many humans don’t like too many choices it confuses their primitive brains

 

[qawes]

but this is the first we've heard about an update to the MacBook Air.

Welcome back, MacRumors!
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Current MBPro => MacBook
Redo the MBPro with nominal ports

Why? Have you seen the Huawei WhateverBook Pro with USB A?

This Apple portable handles every task I throw at it like a champ.

Sometimes the industry needs a little nudge from companies like Apple to move away from 20 year-old interfaces.

 

[Rob_2811]

I don’t like this strategy at all. They are supposed to be a premium product company. It makes the product line messy and confusing. I’ve said it before on here: there should be 3 iPhones made each year - iPhone mini (4 inch phone), iPhone (at 4.7 or slightly bigger), and the iPhone plus (at 5.5 or bigger). Stop selling the older models. iPads should be the same. They do it with their laptops & Watch, why not do it for everything else?

I also think they should remove the Air from the lineup and reduce the price of the MacBook - it makes the most sense. I predicted this last year to happen this year, actually too.

Well I'm not sure about it either but its the road they've chosen to go down.

Make no mistake Apple are going to run into the limits of people who are willing to spend $1000 on a smartphone, $6-800 on a tablet or $1200 + on a laptop very quickly. The price hikes that the phone/iPad and MacBook line up have had in the last couple of years has necessitated them keeping old products/designs around to satisfy the low end.

Its particularly pertinent to the Macintosh, they can't be plugging Swift all over the place, promoting "Everyone can code" and then having the minimum cost of a Mac at $1200. It is a huge barrier to entry (it arguably is anyway, lets be honest this new Air isn't going to be much cheaper that $750) for beginners looking to learn iOS development/Swift.

I agree with you about the MacBook occupying the lower end, it looks like they can't get the components down to a level that lets them sell it at the Airs price point and still take the margins they want. It absolutely baffles me that a company with the cash and blockbuster product lines that Apple has won't take a slightly reduced profit margin on a product if it makes sense to do so but thats the way they are.

 

[bensisko]

I LOVE this thread! Everybody has turned out!

• “Steve would be rolling in his grave” people
• “Apple’s lineup is too confusing” people
• “MacBook Pro Keyboard sux” people
• “MacBook Pro reached design perfection in 2012” people
• “Apple still makes computers?” people
• “Apple is going to release a MacBook with the Arm/AX processor” people
• “Apple needs to make a MacBook that suits me! Here are my dream specs...” people

Honestly, I would sleep a little better if I saw some more iPad hate...

 

[BornAgainMac]

A true update would kill Macbook and Macbook Pro sales. I feel this update will make it worst than the current Air in some ways.