M2 Air 15"

[vgolfoz]

Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge or best estimate on when the claimed 15" M2 Air may be released? I had seen some reports that manufacture is already underway and we may see them in April. Other reports that it may be later in the US summer.

Currently in the market for an Air and a 15" screen would be perfect for me...but if it's months away, I'll likely have to just go with the 13.3".

 

[ignatius345]

I would wait until the WWDC conference, at least, and see if they intro it then. Beyond that, it's all just speculation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Apple_Robert]

The next event isn't until June. If it is announced, you won't see one before late June.

 

[vgolfoz]

The next event isn't until June. If it is announced, you won't see one before late June.

Just found this updated article...after I posted this thread.

New Apple Leak Highlights Stunning MacBook Decision

Apple's decision to launch a 15-inch MacBook Air will be welcomed by many, but that decision comes with an added benefit for fans of the Mac platform.

www.forbes.com

"Apple is preparing to launch the next MacBook laptops at the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference. With new technology, updated hardware, and the next version of macOS, many will be rightly excited about a new MacBook Air."

Talk that there will be an M3 15" Macbook Air - I wonder whether they'd keep the price of the current M2 air steady and bump a future M3 up? Or whether they'd reduce the price of the current M2?

Tying myself in knots here...almost 10 weeks away. May need to just pull the trigger now.

 

[Dave245]

Ross Young said April, he later confirmed it once again when I asked him on Twitter. Also if Apple are going to announce the VR/AR headset at WWDC they won't also announce new Macs at the same time. WWDC is a long keynote where Apple announce software updates, last year they announced the 13" MacBook Air and updated MacBook Pro. They will want the attention to be on this VR/AR headset and will also need to announce the software for it.

My guess is either an event in April, or a press release, after all a 15" MacBook Air would probably keep the same design as the 13" and doesn't need it's own event. There could be an April event tho if they have other things to announce, an update to AirPods Max maybe with new colours, updates to other Macs. My money is on a press release tho.

BTW Ross Young is very accurate when it comes to Apple and their displays and when such products drop.

 

[Scarrus]

Let’s hope so. The least we have to wait the better.

 

[vgolfoz]

Thanks! A 15" Macbook Air is probably the absolute sweet spot for me.

 

[VietKinh]

Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge or best estimate on when the claimed 15" M2 Air may be released? I had seen some reports that manufacture is already underway and we may see them in April. Other reports that it may be later in the US summer.

Currently in the market for an Air and a 15" screen would be perfect for me...but if it's months away, I'll likely have to just go with the 13.3".

I don't get why they can't give us 16" Air? 15.5" is still smaller than a regular PC 15.6" screen. 13.3-13.6" is way too small!

 

[Tagbert]

I don't get why they can't give us 16" Air? 15.5" is still smaller than a regular PC 15.6" screen. 13.3-13.6" is way too small!

We don’t know what the actual size might be. 15.5” is just one of the rumors. 15.5 is not meaningfully smaller than 15.6.

Making it 16” pushes it too close to the 16” MBP. The smaller screen difference makes for some differentiation. A larger screen means the laptop case is larger which tends to make the device heavier and they are likely trying to find a good balance between size of screen and weight.

In terms of the overall product line, the 13.6” Air is just a little smaller than the 14” MBP. It makes sense to have the larger Air be just a little smaller than the 16” MBP.

 

[VietKinh]

We don’t know what the actual size might be. 15.5” is just one of the rumors. 15.5 is not meaningfully smaller than 15.6.

Making it 16” pushes it too close to the 16” MBP. The smaller screen difference makes for some differentiation. A larger screen means the laptop case is larger which tends to make the device heavier and they are likely trying to find a good balance between size of screen and weight.

In terms of the overall product line, the 13.6” Air is just a little smaller than the 14” MBP. It makes sense to have the larger Air be just a little smaller than the 16” MBP.

I have a 16" 16:10 Lenovo Legion 7 notebook and because its aspect ratio is 16:10 and not the normal 16:9, it is about the same size as a regular 15.6" notebook. More height but less width. Wish it was a proper 16". I am excited for MBA 15" and will keep a close eye on it.

 

[hovscorpion12]

Ross Young said April, he later confirmed it once again when I asked him on Twitter. Also if Apple are going to announce the VR/AR headset at WWDC they won't also announce new Macs at the same time. WWDC is a long keynote where Apple announce software updates, last year they announced the 13" MacBook Air and updated MacBook Pro. They will want the attention to be on this VR/AR headset and will also need to announce the software for it.

My guess is either an event in April, or a press release, after all a 15" MacBook Air would probably keep the same design as the 13" and doesn't need it's own event. There could be an April event tho if they have other things to announce, an update to AirPods Max maybe with new colours, updates to other Macs. My money is on a press release tho.

BTW Ross Young is very accurate when it comes to Apple and their displays and when such products drop.

we are already 2 weeks into April. If “Ross Young” is to believed Apple will need to launch the 15” MacBook Air very soon.

Personally, I hold the belief that Ross Young is false.

ALL M-series chips have launched with a MacBook Air

Apple M1 - Launched Nov 2020 w/Macbook Air

Apple M2 - Launched June 2022 w/MacBook Air redesign

Apple M3 - June 2023 with 15-Inch MacBook Air.

 

[gpat]

we are already 2 weeks into April. If “Ross Young” is to believed Apple will need to launch the 15” MacBook Air very soon.

Personally, I hold the belief that Ross Young is false.

ALL M-series chips have launched with a MacBook Air

Apple M1 - Launched Nov 2020 w/Macbook Air

Apple M2 - Launched June 2022 w/MacBook Air redesign

Apple M3 - June 2023 with 15-Inch MacBook Air.

No way that we see 3nm M3 in 2 months from now.
Also no way Apple loses the opportunity to screw up the early adopters of the 15" Air, which will sell like hotcakes regardless.
If we are realistic we could expect M2 15" Air, and possibly (not surely) a price drop of the 13" one to replace the current M1.
Not sure that the M1 disappears either.

 

[Dave245]

we are already 2 weeks into April. If “Ross Young” is to believed Apple will need to launch the 15” MacBook Air very soon.

Personally, I hold the belief that Ross Young is false.

ALL M-series chips have launched with a MacBook Air

Apple M1 - Launched Nov 2020 w/Macbook Air

Apple M2 - Launched June 2022 w/MacBook Air redesign

Apple M3 - June 2023 with 15-Inch MacBook Air.

Production of 15-Inch MacBook Air Components Underway, WWDC Launch Looking Likely

Panel production on the larger-screened 15-inch MacBook Air started in February and increased in March, with another ramp up planned for April,...

www.macrumors.com

 

[hovscorpion12]

Production of 15-Inch MacBook Air Components Underway, WWDC Launch Looking Likely

Panel production on the larger-screened 15-inch MacBook Air started in February and increased in March, with another ramp up planned for April,...

www.macrumors.com

Exactly

 

[hovscorpion12]

No way that we see 3nm M3 in 2 months from now.
Also no way Apple loses the opportunity to screw up the early adopters of the 15" Air, which will sell like hotcakes regardless.
If we are realistic we could expect M2 15" Air, and possibly (not surely) a price drop of the 13" one to replace the current M1.
Not sure that the M1 disappears either.

1. A June Lauch of the M3 is exactly 1 year from the M2 launch. As far the chip being 3nm no one knows what process it is outside of Apple.

2. Early adopters of what. The Macbook Air M2 redesign launched in June 2022, which again marks 1-year. Macbook Air 15" M3 one year later.

3. The fate of the M1 series Mac's is only known to Apple.

 

[Dave245]

Exactly

Tbf he changed his original thoughts, he said early April in one tweet. He now believes it will be around late April or May time. I personally don’t think Apple will announce a 15” MacBook Air at WWDC, they have too much to announce with the software and the VR headset.

 

[vgolfoz]

In my totally uneducated opinion, with all the other stuff that'll be released at WWDC, it would seem strange to introduce an M3 chip in a Macbook Air...which could actually be more powerful than some of the Macbook Pros. I would have thought they may just release a 15" Air with the existing M2 chip...then release the M3 on a pro device a little later on. Unless they also plan on releasing an M3 MBP at WWDC as well, which I guess they could.

 

[Tagbert]

In my totally uneducated opinion, with all the other stuff that'll be released at WWDC, it would seem strange to introduce an M3 chip in a Macbook Air...which could actually be more powerful than some of the Macbook Pros. I would have thought they may just release a 15" Air with the existing M2 chip...then release the M3 on a pro device a little later on. Unless they also plan on releasing an M3 MBP at WWDC as well, which I guess they could.

They released the first M2 chips on the MBA last summer at WWDC. It wasn’t until Jan 2023 that they brought the M2 Pro/Max to the MBPs. Apple is not afraid to bring out a chip in the Air that is faster in single-core than the Pros. They know that the people buying the Pros understand that the pro chips are still faster in data processing tasks.

 

[Dave245]

Tbf he changed his original thoughts, he said early April in one tweet. He now believes it will be around late April or May time. I personally don’t think Apple will announce a 15” MacBook Air at WWDC, they have too much to announce with the software and the VR headset.

Looks like I may be wrong!! WWDC is where the 15" MacBook Air will probably be announced.

 

[Tagbert]

Looks like I may be wrong!! WWDC is where the 15" MacBook Air will probably be announced.

It kind of depends on how much other stuff they have to announce. This late having it in the keynote seems likely but they might still announce it as a press release either just before or just after WWDC.

Anticipa.....ion.

 

[Dave245]

It kind of depends on how much other stuff they have to announce. This late having it in the keynote seems likely but they might still announce it as a press release either just before or just after WWDC.

Anticipa.....ion.

This is a good point, lately they seem to be dropping things on a Tuesday in the lead up to WWDC. First we got Final Cut and Logic Pro for iPad, then the following Tuesday was the new iOS 17 accessibility features (live speech, personal voice) and then yesterday was the new Apple Watch Pride band, release of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, information about WWDC (times for the keynote and swift challenge winners). If Apple are going to announce the 15" MacBook Air before WWDC, next Tuesday maybe the day.

It sill feels a bit odd that Apple are just randomly going to announce a 15" version of the MacBook Air with the same design as the 13", WWDC is already going to be a packed event with all the software and the new VR headset plus it's software. Why also use keynote time to announce a MacBook Air with a bigger screen and nothing else.

 

[FrankySavvy]

Very good point. I was thinking that myself. I would say if they were going to announce it, it would be Tuesday/Wednesday next week, might be Wednesday because of Memorial Day weekend.

If not WWDC it is. They will highlight each operating system and service and probably during the segment on the new MacOS they drop the new MacBook Air.

VR/AR headset will be at the end/one more thing....