These are all excellent improvements, but I would really like to see some new features that show some innovation.
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New MacBook Air Rumored to Launch in April With These 5 New Features
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Fantastic! Another car analogy that's actually not really analogous. Classic MR.
I don't understand your comment. The original comment was that it is logical a 15" Mac Book Air has no more features than a 13". How is 3 to 7 not analogous to moving from 13 to 15? How about 3 series to 5 series? Does that make you happier? 😁
I'm not falling for it. Will wait until Late 2025 before I orphan my M1 MBP. Don't worry little puty MacBook P, dadda loves you.
What could make sense:
- M2 MacBook Air 13
- M2 and M2 Pro MacBook Air 15 (or just MacBook 15)
- M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro 14 and 16
- M2 MacBook Air 13
- M2 and M2 Pro MacBook Air 15 (or just MacBook 15)
- M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro 14 and 16
Yep, sticking with my Apple IIe... 🤣
But seriously you're right. I can't imagine buying one of these things every year or two. Even at work I only change laptops every three years and that's painful enough. It usually takes me a week or two to get all the software installed and everything set up correctly. It's nice having a new laptop, especially if you're not the one paying for it, but it's still a real pain to switch.
As much as I want one, my wallet will say otherwise.
Sadly I doubt it'll have 120hz , you're going to miss pro motion coming from 16
Time Machine and Migration Assistant does a pretty good job. But I did have a bad experience migrating from my Early 2015 to my M1. I kept getting all these key chain errors in Office 365 apps.
I don’t know what kind of superhuman sensitivity do you have, but my MX Master 3 on my M1 Pro feels anything but cheap.
Nailed itI hate having a numeric keypad because that means sitting off center when using it. Having the webcam in the center while the keyboard and trackpad are off to the left is another issue.
View attachment 2164017
No numeric keypad means you're always centered
View attachment 2164023
If someone needs a numeric keypad, buy one.
Belkin YourType Bluetooth Wireless Keypad
Belkin’s YourType Wireless KeyPad complements your Apple Wireless Keyboard by adding command and number keys via Bluetooth. Buy now at the Apple Online Store.www.apple.com
The are nominally bigger. The 13 is really 13.6” vs the Pro at 14”. The new 15” MBA might be a 15.5”. Those are not significant size differences. One area where you notice the difference is in the case. A bigger screen means a bigger and heavier case. There is justification for Pro machines to be bigger and heavier.
Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch display in April, according to display industry analyst Ross Young. The laptop is expected to be powered by the M2 chip and will likely support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
While we wait for the new MacBook Air to be announced, we have recapped five new features that have been rumored or are likely to be included.
15-Inch Display
The new MacBook Air is expected to be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display, which would be the largest ever for the laptop. The current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, and the laptop was offered in an 11-inch size many years ago.
While a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display is rumored to launch in 2024, the 15-inch model is expected to have a traditional LCD.
M2 Chip
Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will reportedly be available with the M2 chip. Apple says the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year claimed that a 15-inch MacBook with M2 and M2 Pro chip options would be released in the second quarter of 2023 or later. Interestingly, Kuo said this MacBook might not have Air branding. On a purely speculative basis, it is possible that Apple could release a 15-inch MacBook that is positioned between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but Apple's plans remain to be seen.
Longer Battery Life
With a 15-inch display, the new MacBook Air would have a larger chassis, allowing for a larger battery and longer battery life.
Apple says the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip lasts up to 18 hours per charge, so perhaps the 15-inch model could get closer to the 20-hour mark. Apple silicon chips continue to have industry-leading performance-per-watt.
Wi-Fi 6E
While the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip is limited to Wi-Fi 6, there is a good chance that the 15-inch MacBook Air will be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E. Apple already updated the Mac mini with the M2 chip and Wi-Fi 6E last month.
Wi-Fi 6 operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also works over the 6GHz band, allowing for faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference. To take advantage of these benefits, the device must be connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router, which are available from brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear.
Apple has added Wi-Fi 6E support to a handful of devices so far, including the latest iPad Pro, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.
Bluetooth 5.3
Apple has added Bluetooth 5.3 to several of its latest devices, and the 15-inch MacBook Air could be next in line to gain support.
Bluetooth 5.3 offers benefits such as improved reliability and power efficiency, according to the Bluetooth SIG, the organization behind the standard. Bluetooth 5.3 could also pave the way for the new MacBook Air to support LE Audio eventually for improved audio quality, longer battery life, and more, should Apple choose to implement it.
Earlier this week, Apple filed a new Bluetooth 5.3 product listing. The filing does not mention any specific products, but it references a prior macOS-related listing, suggesting the filing could be related to upcoming Macs of some kind.
For more rumors about the 15-inch MacBook Air, read our roundup linked below.
Article Link: New MacBook Air Rumored to Launch in April With These 5 New Features
Apple better use at lease two NAND chips for storage even on the base model or storage r/w will be 1/2 as fast as models that use two or more chips!
(E.g. 2x256GB instead of 1x512GB!)
There is nothing wrong with the MBA display. The resolution is good and the brightness is 500nits. That is more than the older MBA and than many other laptop screens. Sure, it doesn’t have the HDR brightness of the Pro displays, but not everyone wants to pay extra for that.
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I did an estimate based on scaling the 13” up and it still comes out weighing a little less than the 14” MBP. Still very portable.
Yea, the think about a numpad is that it is super easy to plug on in that stays on your desk for those times when you need to play accountant. When you are mobile, very few people really need that amount of data entry. It just doesn’t make sense to pump up the volume and weight of a laptop by adding a built-in numpad. If you really need that on the road, that external numpad is pretty easy to stick in a bag and bring with you.
I don't think they should offer an M2 Pro with the 15" Air.
There's already the 14"/16" MBP for those who want a M# Pro processor. Plus putting an M2 Pro in the 15" Air would defeat the whole purpose of the 15" Air, which is to offer a larger screen size in something that is very thin, very light, and fanless. If the 15" Air had to accommodate an M2 Pro, that would require a thicker, heavier, fanned design.
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Love my refurb 13" M1 MBA 16GB/512GB I picked up last year for $850 to replace my aging 2017 13" MBP Intel 2.6 which was getting short on battery life. M1 doesn't get hot like the Intel used to. This M1 will last me a long, long time.