I have a similar thought. Die shrink the M2 to the 3 nm process solely to improve battery life and leave it in the lineup at 16/512 GB.
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MacBook Air Likely Apple's First Product Update of 2025: What to Expect
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1. Soon (I would say the first week of march)
2. The M2 MBA would probably be replaced by the M3 MacBook Air yes (So the m2 removed from the App Store and the m3 at the same price as the m2 now)
3. Yes it could have an 8-cores CPU since the iMac has also an 8-Cores CPU... it wouldn't make any sense to have a cheaper Mac with more performance (Mac mini could be an exception since it doesn't has screen, mouse and keyboard) Some rumours also say 9 cores...
What do you mean? why not m4? And no 512gb for base model... if you need this, go buy the MacBook Pro !
… Making an already great product even better is “just stupid?”
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Yeah. That’s certainly a take, there.
I'll be upgrading my M2 to an M4 and really looking forward to it. I'll also go for the 15" as I have the 13" now (15 was not available when I got mine)
Expecting to see it this month. Only minor changes with M4 and a new center stage camera. Extra port might happen but I think the nano texture display might not be available. Want to see it in new colors, but most likely Apple will continue with the same ones that are available now.
I have an 13inch iPad Pro M4 machine - and while it is great hardware-wise and could well replace any MacBook, it is crippled software wise. I still need my MacBookPro while on the move (less than before, but I still need it)
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I didn’t say everyone could replace MBs with iPad + keyboard… just a guy with simple, specifically-listed needs that an iPad can actually cover just fine. There are PLENTY of cases where an iPad would not work at all or be a poor substitute.
A mask shrink to the 3nm process requires another iteration of simulation and design rule checks and then the new mask set for 3nm is going to be around $90 million… pocket change for Apple but still a ton of cash…
I'd kinda want one. I need more display support and more memory than my current M1 Air. But on the other hand, the wedge design is infinitely more beautiful, and comes without a notch. The price difference between an Air and a Mini covers the cost of buying a Magic Keyboard plus addig a 5G modem for ipad air, which I'm gonna buy anyway.
For basic stuff, the ipad with a keyboard would be even better. Having a native app instead of a web page is an advantage for a lot of things. Of course a mac is better for work. But essentially I need stable internet for that anyway. Which means I could connect to the Mini for that.
Oh God, it will be a tough couple months going back-and-forth between these
For basic stuff, the ipad with a keyboard would be even better. Having a native app instead of a web page is an advantage for a lot of things. Of course a mac is better for work. But essentially I need stable internet for that anyway. Which means I could connect to the Mini for that.
Oh God, it will be a tough couple months going back-and-forth between these
I'm sure they'll be waiting until March-April to release the new ones as we are needing to buy one in February.
Sorry. It's not unlike the Michael Jackson versions of "bad." In this case, I leveraged "stupid" to infer "stupid good."
As you were.
The whole point of the Air these days is lower price, without having to give up a Retina screen. The MacBook Pro offers some incremental upgrades, some of which are popular with some in this thread, but for the masses, they can get a cheaper yet still excellent Mac in the form of the MacBook Air.
I’m not sure if my “palm of the hand scale” agrees with you. I feel like my M1 MBA is lighter than my 11” M2 iPad Pro (with Magic Keyboard and a Pitaka case). In fact, over the last year+ I’ve come to the conclusion I’d be much happier with a MacBook if it had cellular. 🤷🏻♂️
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Actually, I was referring to base iPad. None of those demands OP shared needs iPad Pro. And bluetooth keyboard only when needed, so not for watching YouTube, web browsing, etc. And bluetooth keyboard for the other 2 uses OP references doesn't have to be heavy Magic Keyboard. There are much lighter ones.
But if MBair works for you, it works. Just shared the suggestion with OP because iPad can be a lot lighter than a whole MBair and he referenced the appeal of "lighter" with the 4 specific uses that can be done just fine on iPad. Conceptually, he could do those 4 things on iPad Mini or even iPhone too.
But if MBair works for you, it works. Just shared the suggestion with OP because iPad can be a lot lighter than a whole MBair and he referenced the appeal of "lighter" with the 4 specific uses that can be done just fine on iPad. Conceptually, he could do those 4 things on iPad Mini or even iPhone too.
The iPad Pro 11" is 444 grams, and the Magic Keyboard is 580 grams, for a total of 1024 grams.
The case doesn't count, but the Pitaka MagEZ Case 2 is 76 grams, so if you add that the total is 1100 grams.
The M1 MacBook Air is 1290 grams, or 17-26% heavier than the iPad Pro as spec'd above.
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For 100 CAD more (around 70 usd) I get the MacBook Pro m4 (I use the educational price)... you should get the pro model since it's MUCH BETTER !!
Personally I bought the MacBook Pro m4 but we have a MacBook Air m3 15 inch at home and I don't really care about the extra inch... MacBook Pro is SOOO much better with better battery, fan, better display, better speakers more ports and more.... We aren't sure the MacBook Air will also get 10 Cores of CPU on the base model !
I have a four year old MacBook Pro, and I'm ready to upgrade to Apple silicon. I'm going to switch it up and replace my Pro with the new MacBook Air, with a 15" screen. I hope it's released sooner than later.
There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.
Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly).
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some other devices rumored to launch this spring, such as a new iPhone SE and iPad 11. He has repeatedly said the new MacBook Air models are already in production, so a release as early as January or February rather than March or April seems possible.
Below, we recap rumors about the next MacBook Air models.
The new MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with Apple's already-released M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
Apple already updated the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini with M4 chips in late October. Geekbench 6 results showed that the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance.
Apple recently increased the minimum RAM included in all MacBook Air models from 8GB to 16GB.
Following in the footsteps of the MacBook Pro, the next MacBook Air models will likely have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps you centered on video as you move around. The camera should also support Desk View, which shows both you and an overhead view of your desk.
Center Stage is available in video calling apps like FaceTime and Zoom. The feature was previously limited to newer iPad models and Macs connected to Apple's external Studio Display. The new MacBook Pro and iMac models were the first Macs to support Center Stage without needing to rely on a Studio Display.
The new MacBook Air models will likely be equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the current models have two Thunderbolt 3 ports. And the new models will likely support up to two external displays, even when the lid is open.
The latest MacBook Pro and iMac models can be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. It is possible that Apple will extend this option to the new MacBook Air models, but it might opt to keep the option exclusive to the MacBook Pro for differentiation.
No major external design changes have been rumored for the next MacBook Air models. Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air in 2022.
Article Link: MacBook Air Likely Apple's First Product Update of 2025: What to Expect
Not a bad upgrade, take in mind the new air might come in 256gb on the base model… if you consider upgrading to 512gb (because your MacBook Pro might have this but maybe not depends on the model) I would recommend the MacBook Pro m4
If putting the M4 in an MacBook Air is stupid - what is putting the M4 in an iPad Pro?
I have since edited my OP as it has ruffled some feathers.
To clarify: I often leverage the term stupid to reference things that are so beyond amazing that they can only labeled as such. In other words, I intended it as a term of endearment.
Thus, an M4 in an iPad is also stupid. Stupid good. 🤪
["Stupid good" is a slang term that describes something as being exceptionally good, even to the point of being unbelievable. The phrase uses the word "stupid" in a way that emphasizes how good something is, even though "stupid" usually has a negative connotation.]