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New MacBook Air Rumored to Launch in April With These 5 New Features
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Funny because I don't
I use a desktop for most work so I want a really portable laptop. 13" smaller -> more portable.
If a bigger LCD screen is the primary update, I won’t be upgrading from my M2 MBA. I am happy with my M2 as is.
We need this:
12” and 13.6” MBA
15.5” MB or MB Studio - single fan, M2 and M2 Pro.
14 and 16” Pros
Fingers still crossed that this machine is not an Air, but a single fan design supporting M2 and M2 Pro.
12” and 13.6” MBA
15.5” MB or MB Studio - single fan, M2 and M2 Pro.
14 and 16” Pros
Fingers still crossed that this machine is not an Air, but a single fan design supporting M2 and M2 Pro.
It's about time they came out with an affordable large-screen MacBook. The new $2000 and up MacBook Pros are out of reach for previous owners of MacBook Pros. This 15-inch MacBook Air could become the affordable large-screen notebook from Apple.
It may have been informally called that, after the later models came out, but it was called the Macintosh, not Mac and not Mac 128K.
You're right. It was called the Macintosh. "Mac 128K" was only a model designation, in the same way we call some products today the "Unibody MacBook Pro" or the "Retina MacBook Pro" when the name of the product is still just "MacBook Pro".
Funny because I don't
That's why it's great they offer options.
I'm hoping they do this. I want a slightly thicker device with active (fan) processor cooling with M2 and M2 Pro chip options. It would be a suitable replacement for the current M2 MacBook Pro and fit nicely between the thin, light Air and the performance-oriented Pro lineup.
All I want sth cheap with 32GB ram or more, don't care about gpu or 48 cores neural engine
Why don't they just integrate the iPhone lingo with the MacBook line up to make it easy? MacBook SE's or iPhone Air's can be the smaller/lighter baseline versions, iPhone and MacBook can be the 14" or 15" model, and the iPhone Pro and MacBook Pro can be the biggest beefy line that packs in the power....all with super high contrast rations tho please. Idk how contrast ratio is a pro feature, if you wanna claim color accurate monitors then grayish looking blacks feels like false advertising.
I’m still impressed that my iPad has an M2 in it. Overpowered for a tablet? Yes but better than being underpowered.
*12” macbook, it was smaller and lighter than the 11” air while still managing to have a bigger screenWow, just what I wanted... a larger and heavier MacBook Air
Bring back the 11" Air !!!
No, you're in the very very tiny minority of people who want numpads on their MacBooks.
Yeah the 11" was too cramped to get any real work done.
I'd pay good money for a 12" with the new keyboard.
I'm guessing (with nothing to back it up) that the MBA 15 will be the best selling Mac for 2023...
I also fear that the reality is we won't see a MB12 sized machine... I wouldn't even mind if they dropped the M1 MBA13 and replaced it with a M1 MB12 at the < $1k price point (reusing the MB12 tooling, though they could fit a 12.5" display in there with smaller bezels)... would also create a clean path... small/entry MB, for most people MBA 13/15, and MBP 14/15 for well... pros.
But I'm also guessing that MB12 doesn't happen
I also fear that the reality is we won't see a MB12 sized machine... I wouldn't even mind if they dropped the M1 MBA13 and replaced it with a M1 MB12 at the < $1k price point (reusing the MB12 tooling, though they could fit a 12.5" display in there with smaller bezels)... would also create a clean path... small/entry MB, for most people MBA 13/15, and MBP 14/15 for well... pros.
But I'm also guessing that MB12 doesn't happen
Hopefully it can support two external displays
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
Anybody remember the days when Apple products would sometimes have a sort of theme song? Remember the MacBook Air theme song, "New Soul" by Yael Naim?
Steve tended to personally pick the songs himself and frequently it was some really great pop song by a lesser known artist which would seem to become a hit because it was used in an Apple commercial.
Especially if they shove other things in other than the screen boost. I might consider just the 15+ @ $200 more but not if it enters Pro Territory. If could get the money then, I would just get a Pro,