New MacBook Air Reportedly Set for Launch in Second Half of 2022

[James Godfrey]

I am waiting... to make a choice between that or quickly getting a maxed out M1 MacBook Air if the new thing looks like a child's toy with white bezels etc.

I was waiting until I saw a really decent price for the base MacBook Pro 14” from a UK retailer, which a current Air with the same spec would have cost about the same…

not having a mini-LED is a deal-breaker. Apple needs to treat Mac like they treat their iPhone line.

But I presume the lid would have had to have been made thicker than what what Apple want it to be, I expect this to be a super thin laptop tbh. Plus you have to take into account the additional price hike.

It would be disappointing to still get the M1 chip two years after later on a completely redesigned model. I'm still holding hope for the M2.

Looking at the rumours currently I seriously think M1 based Macs/iPads are going to be released until late 2023, I expect M2 will come towards the end of next year. Apple are in no rush they are smoking the competition, even Intel have said they will have a competing chip in 2025…

 

[obviouslogic]

That’s true. I do use my devices side by side sometimes.

White looks cheap too. With the iMac, the chin looked like plastic acrylic, and the white bezels made it look like a toy.

Yeah, well… That’s like, you’re opinion, man.

I like white, it’s clean. I like black, it‘s more sleek. I like colors, they’re more playful. I like the plain (and black) Aliminum as well, it’s very techie/industrial and elegant.

It’s silly to limit yourself. Broaden your tastes, you’ll live a much happier life.

 

[symphony]

Yeah, well… That’s like, you’re opinion, man.

I like white, it’s clean. I like black, it‘s more sleek. I like colors, they’re more playful. I like the plain (and black) Aliminum as well, it’s very techie/industrial and elegant.

It’s silly to limit yourself. Broaden your tastes, you’ll live a much happier life.

Yes, it is. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. ?

I didn't mean to offend anyone, it's just an opinion.

 

[MBAir2010]

Will apples still make the silver macbook air Next spring?
my silver aluminum one from 2010 still looks incredible!

 

[J InTech82]

So I bought a MacBook Air M1 with 8 GBs of memory to replace my aging MacBook Pro 15" from 2015. I have a MacBook Pro M1 Max with 64 GBs of memory that I use for my video editing and anything else that requires beast-level performance.

I have to say, this MacBook Air is the worst Mac I have ever owned in my life. I thought with the unified memory, 8 GB would be enough for web browsing and multi-tasking, email, and word processing, but whoa was I wrong. This thing crawls to an absolute snail's pace if I have more than a dozen tabs open.

I guess it doesn't help that most websites these days are so incredibly inundated with ads and other nonsense! I hope to get a new MacBook Air this year (M2 🤞) with 16 GBs of memory to replace this thing!

 

[planteater]

Talk of a modified M1 chip is interesting. Not sure how plausible this is though; isn't one of the key advantages of the M series chips the economies of scale and the ability to put the same chip in many devices/computers?

Also - the existing M1 Air is a 2020 product; I think we should expect the introduction of the M2 this year.

The first M2 will be the Mac Pro. .

 

[Sweetsauce]

I’m anxiously awaiting this whenever it comes out, especially if it comes in blue or purple. To say my 2011 MBP is on its last legs is putting it lightly.

 

[MacRazySwe]

So I bought a MacBook Air M1 with 8 GBs of memory to replace my aging MacBook Pro 15" from 2015. I have a MacBook Pro M1 Max with 64 GBs of memory that I use for my video editing and anything else that requires beast-level performance.

I have to say, this MacBook Air is the worst Mac I have ever owned in my life. I thought with the unified memory, 8 GB would be enough for web browsing and multi-tasking, email, and word processing, but whoa was I wrong. This thing crawls to an absolute snail's pace if I have more than a dozen tabs open.

I guess it doesn't help that most websites these days are so incredibly inundated with ads and other nonsense! I hope to get a new MacBook Air this year (M2 🤞) with 16 GBs of memory to replace this thing!

Yes, the 16GBs of RAM really makes a difference.

I have a 8GB M1 MBA for personal use and a 16GB for work. The 16GB MBA flies. Would have been a worthwhile upgrade in hindsight for my personal one, but I will look at the new model once released.

 

[fanboy-ish]

I have the 2020 i5 Air, sometimes it really is a P.O.S. of a laptop, I think that this pathetic excuse for a cooling solution really hinders what the OS can do, I'm really tired of hearing that damn fan and the bottom cooking my legs - it's nice during winter, though -, and the so-so battery life; I definitely want to change this laptop, I'm conflicted, if just getting a M1 now or waiting for the new model.

The current M1 is reasonably priced, I wouldn't want to pay up for features I don't care about, like a better webcam, I really love the wedge shape and the quality is superb (I'm assuming it's my current Air with a better CPU).

I think I can live with iMac style bezels and white keyboard, I'm old enough to remember when every monitor had white bezels and basically every keyboard was white, I've seen the iMac in person and it really is nice.

Apple's secrecy really makes consumers' lives hard sometimes.

 

[ValKor]

I was waiting for the new MBA with M2 but I finally bought a M1 MBA yesterday.
White bezels why not, but I cannot deal with a white keyboard. Doing long writing sessions, I just hate white keyboards, and what I hate even more is backlighted white keyboards in a dark environnement, with the whole key shining.
I also really like the wedged shape.
So with all the rumors pointing to that white keyboard for the next MBA, I went for the current 16GB version and for now it’s amazin.

 

[James Godfrey]

I was waiting for the new MBA with M2 but I finally bought a M1 MBA yesterday.
White bezels why not, but I cannot deal with a white keyboard. Doing long writing sessions, I just hate white keyboards, and what I hate even more is backlighted white keyboards in a dark environnement, with the whole key shining.
I also really like the wedged shape.
So with all the rumors pointing to that white keyboard for the next MBA, I went for the current 16GB version and for now it’s amazin.

Does the light shine through the whole key though, as I don’t think it does that with the white magic keyboard for the iPads… I do however think it’s harder to see the lit up keyboard in low lighting conditions when the keyboard is white.

Can I ask what it is about white keyboards for long typing sessions you don’t like just out of interest.

 

[James Godfrey]

The issue Apple are going to have with the new MBA is pricing, I presume the new MacBook Air will likely sit alongside the old MBA which will retain the $999 price point.

Which makes me think that this will likely come in at $1299, but if you upgrade the RAM to 16GB and the storage to 512GB, that’s going to come in at $1699, at which point you will need to seriously consider the base M1 Pro MBP at $1999 as for an extra $300 you are getting a slightly larger promotion miniLED display, probably better speakers, black bezels/keyboard and all the ports… and I expect by the time this MBA comes to market you will likely pick up the base MBP at a similar or even cheaper price with a equivalent spec in various retailers…

Guess at that point it will all come down to how portable you want your Mac.

 

[UnbreakableAlex]

No ProMotion - no buy.
there’s so much to scroll nowdays that I can’t stand 60HZ anymore.
my 2017 iPad Pro has promotion.

 

[MTD's Mac]

It's new actually. They never used white bezels on aluminium unibody products up until M1 iMac.


Here's a good explanation (time stamped)

Yes, this highly specific case would be new. That’s what makes it a new product.

But white bezels on the consumer laptop, and ever-changing design language, are most decidedly not new.

 

[Boil]

The sooner the better for a M2-powered MacBook laptop; Air, SE, just plain MacBook, whatever...

Because the sooner we get M2 SoCs, the sooner I might be able to get a M2 Pro-powered Mac mini desktop...! ;^p

 

[Abazigal]

The issue Apple are going to have with the new MBA is pricing, I presume the new MacBook Air will likely sit alongside the old MBA which will retain the $999 price point.

Which makes me think that this will likely come in at $1299, but if you upgrade the RAM to 16GB and the storage to 512GB, that’s going to come in at $1699, at which point you will need to seriously consider the base M1 Pro MBP at $1999 as for an extra $300 you are getting a slightly larger promotion miniLED display, probably better speakers, black bezels/keyboard and all the ports… and I expect by the time this MBA comes to market you will likely pick up the base MBP at a similar or even cheaper price with a equivalent spec in various retailers…

Guess at that point it will all come down to how portable you want your Mac.

It's possible that Apple will keep the base M1 MBA around as a budget option of $700 or $800. Even at this point, nothing comes close to matching the M1 chip in terms of performance and battery efficiency, even if it will soon be 2 years old.

 

[ValKor]

Does the light shine through the whole key though, as I don’t think it does that with the white magic keyboard for the iPads… I do however think it’s harder to see the lit up keyboard in low lighting conditions when the keyboard is white.

Can I ask what it is about white keyboards for long typing sessions you don’t like just out of interest.

I find it disturbing.
Depending on what I am writing, I set my Hue lights with differents « moods » to find inspiration.
I don’t know about the Magic Keyboard but the PC I had before my previous MBA had a keyboard where the whole keys were illuminating, and that was a big no. I returned it and get the MBA.

 

[James Godfrey]

I find it disturbing.
Depending on what I am writing, I set my Hue lights with differents « moods » to find inspiration.
I don’t know about the Magic Keyboard but the PC I had before my previous MBA had a keyboard where the whole keys were illuminating, and that was a big no. I returned it and get the MBA.

Ah no problem, from my experience I don’t think the light would shine through the whole key just the numbers or letters.

However, what I did find with the white keyboard is that although the illumination is great in a dark room, in an average lit room, the lights come on but it blends the letters in with the white of the keys so all the keys from some angles look plain white with no numbers or letters visible on them, ok for those who only touch type but if you do look at your keys from time to time for letters etc it’s quite annoying!

 

[James Godfrey]

It's possible that Apple will keep the base M1 MBA around as a budget option of $700 or $800. Even at this point, nothing comes close to matching the M1 chip in terms of performance and battery efficiency, even if it will soon be 2 years old.

Mmmm… I doubt Apple will do that if I am honest, if anything they will keep it at the $999 price tag, Apple never really keep around previous gen macs at a reduced price.

However, saying that, they never used to with the iPhones but now they do, so who knows.

I fully expect them to just bump the price of the new Air, keep the old Air around at $999 so they have an entry price which is less than $1000 for their website.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

15" option or bust.

bust it is then

 

[Apple_Robert]

So I bought a MacBook Air M1 with 8 GBs of memory to replace my aging MacBook Pro 15" from 2015. I have a MacBook Pro M1 Max with 64 GBs of memory that I use for my video editing and anything else that requires beast-level performance.

I have to say, this MacBook Air is the worst Mac I have ever owned in my life. I thought with the unified memory, 8 GB would be enough for web browsing and multi-tasking, email, and word processing, but whoa was I wrong. This thing crawls to an absolute snail's pace if I have more than a dozen tabs open.

I guess it doesn't help that most websites these days are so incredibly inundated with ads and other nonsense! I hope to get a new MacBook Air this year (M2 ?) with 16 GBs of memory to replace this thing!

Your Mac is not acting normal. I have 8GB of RAM on my M1 MBA and it does just fine with whatever I'm doing.

 

[J InTech82]

Your Mac is not acting normal. I have 8GB of RAM on my M1 MBA and it does just fine with whatever I'm doing.

Want to give me advice on how to diagnose it? At times I’m beyond frustrated with it, which is really a first for me. I’ve thought about doing a clean install but that’s a last resort option.

 

[James Godfrey]

Want to give me advice on how to diagnose it? At times I’m beyond frustrated with it, which is really a first for me. I’ve thought about doing a clean install but that’s a last resort option.

I second what this poster has said I have the M1 iMac and it’s great, no issues whatsoever and super snappy.

Your machine definitely has something going on with it, I would try a clean install see if that fixes it, if not get it into Apple to diagnose the issue and sort it out.

 

[ric22]

If, after 2 full years, a new MacBook Air is released with an M1 chip, then Apple have some serious developmental problems with their processors. If they only add a notch and a white bezel and a white keyboard, but no improvements, this will go down as one of the weirdest Apple product launches of all time. Unless the game is to deliberately make it as unappealing as possible, to force every self respecting individual to fork out for a MacBook Pro?

I have the current Air, and it is damn near perfect. If it didn't have a completely unusable 1990s webcam, I wouldn't have any complaints, aside from the ridiculously small SSD that ships as standard.

 

[topmounter]

I know it is hoping against hope, but I'd love to see 12" and 14" options for the MacBook Air refresh (or MacBook if they do actually drop the 'Air' moniker).