Next MacBook Air to Feature Off-White Bezels and Keyboard, M2 Chip, USB-C Ports Only, MagSafe, and iMac-Like Colors

[CyberBob859]

Yes. 'Macbook'.

Just 'Macbook'.

Apple's Macbook lineup will finally make sense - for the first time in many years.

Yup. I'm thinking that this will replace the M1 MacBook Pro in the lineup, and be in that same price range. They will continue to sell the current M1 MacBook Air for a lower cost than this. This could be a lineup very similar to what they had prior to 2015.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

At this point I fully believe they would do both. The fact that they actually put a notch in a freakin’ notebook screen means they’ll do pretty much anything. We’re in clown World here people. Everything is on the table. If the next report says the palm areas will be carpeted, I’ll at least consider it a possibility.

Carpeted. That was a LOL. Thanks for a good one!!!

 

[blacklava]

These are going to sell like hot cakes.

After working 7 years behind the Genius Bar, I can assure you regular consumers (who are your typical MacBook Air customers) don't care one iota about white bezels/keys... they care about having a pink/orange/blue/green computer.

Expect a notch too. Yet another thing regular consumers don't give a sh*t about.

Finally someone I can agree with

 

[Wildkraut]

Jeez, white bezels with notch, that must be a hell of a drug they has been taking lately.

 

[KPOM]

White bezels AND a notch?

I’m interested to see anyone defend the notch now like that have been the past few days. How the heck are you supposed to ‘hide’ it via software? You can’t black it out.

The notch is the worst design decision Apple has ever made since it interfere with software. I’m baffled as to why people go out of their way with their mental gymnastics to defend it.

It might not get a notch. According to Dylandkt "Mini-Led is likely. I can't confirm whether it will have a notch but I can say that there will be no Promotion, no Face ID, no SD Card, no tapered design, and no HDMI. Starting price is expected to increase slightly."

 

[anthorumor]

Off white = beige.
Typing from 2015 MBA 11" thicc bezels, so I don't really mind at all.

 

[gaximus]

Absolutely not for me. I won’t tolerate white bezels and a notch no matter how fast and new the machine is.

What if it's white bezels with a black notch?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Someone's going to make $ selling pre-cut vinyl wrap to cover up that white bezel.

My company is making notch stickers of all sizes so those who love them can put them on their TVs, Windows, Car Windows, Microwave and Oven Windows, any existing Macs without a notch now, etc.

We're also workin on "duo" (top & bottom notch stickers for all of that) and "quad" (notches on all 4 sides). Those spinning love for the notch will hopefully make us rich. Notches for all windows! Notches for all rectangles!

 

[bradman83]

The all-white MacBook was really beautiful though

Not after five years of daily use it wasn’t! ?

 

[daanodinot]

For all the people posting negatives about the "white" bezels, I wonder how many have used the new iMac? I was reluctant when I first heard of the design change, but I find it much easier on the eyes than the big black bezels of my former iMac 27. First off, the bezels are a "soft" off-white, not "polar" white or anything bright like that. If you face a light-colored wall, the bezels tend to blend into the background and disappear. I always felt like I was looking at a picture in a frame with the black bezels. I guess if you want your screen clearly outlined by a border, then black is better. If you want your screen to blend into the background, then off-white is better (unless, of course, you always work against a dark background).

Background aside, I'd imagine white bezels also work less well in darker environments. Especially if you watch a movie or something. And especially if the movie is letterboxed/pillarboxed.

 

[tekchic]

White bezels would be so dated looking. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with. I was going to get a 14" MBP but the cost has me rethinking waiting for a cute, purple Air w/16gb of RAM. I'm a software dev, but the stuff I work on is not super taxing (Docker, Angular, Java, etc). My fans only kick on for unit tests or deploys.

 

[Think creative]

This just pushes me towards the pro more. White keyboard and no HDMI are the deal breakers.

 

[bradman83]

Sounds like the M2 is just an incremental modest speed bump, and nothing really too major or evolutionary.

The biggest jump in performance will be going from Intel to M-series (or from an M# regular to an equivalent M# Pro or Max). Generational increases will likely only be in the 10-20% range, unless Apple staggers the M series so it’s based on even numbered A series designs.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

White bezels are terrible. No way Apple put both a notch and white bezels in the next MBA

To everyone complaining, saying Apple would never do the off-white bezels... allow me to direct you here https://www.apple.com/imac/

It actually makes a lot of sense. They are both in the same class of fun, casual user.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

For all the people posting negatives about the "white" bezels, I wonder how many have used the new iMac? I was reluctant when I first heard of the design change, but I find it much easier on the eyes than the big black bezels of my former iMac 27. First off, the bezels are a "soft" off-white, not "polar" white or anything bright like that. If you face a light-colored wall, the bezels tend to blend into the background and disappear. I always felt like I was looking at a picture in a frame with the black bezels. I guess if you want your screen clearly outlined by a border, then black is better. If you want your screen to blend into the background, then off-white is better (unless, of course, you always work against a dark background).

If white bezels AND notch, then camera against the white will look "hole punch" black. So the crowd who props up notches because it "ain't that ugly, blackhead hole punch" and the crowd who puts down notches because they take a bite out of the screen will both be fed.

 

[julesme]

Off-White Bezels: Jony Ive replaced by Virgil Abloh

 

[DNichter]

I anticipated this coming. For me and my wife’s use case, an air would likely be plenty fast, but I can’t do the white bezel, keyboard, and pastel colors. I’m very happy to have gone with the Pro instead.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I’ll wait to see it before making a final judgement but a white bezel with a notch does not seem ideal.

 

[Wildkraut]

Off white = beige.
Typing from 2015 MBA 11" thicc bezels, so I don't really mind at all.

You mean like the beige PCs from 198x-199x they used to pick on.

 

[CPx]

I was afraid of this.

They finally moved from the silver bezel to black in 2018, and now they're moving to white. Blegh.

 

[themikedshaffer]

This just pushes me towards the pro more. White keyboard and no HDMI are the deal breakers.

You mean to a product that Apple makes more revenue and profit on? Sounds like they're crazy like a fox...

 

[johnmarki]

All of a sudden the ability to hide the notch is an appealing "feature" for the MBP's. O.M.G....Imagine this white-ish bezel with a notch! So, would the components be this white-ish color? (they wont) I have a feeling all the defenders of the notch will have a change of heart when it can't be hidden, and its hideousness is actually amplified by this white border, all for the sake of menu pixels YOU CANT USE! ... (they wont, actually, they will double down)

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If it has white borders why does the render have black borders?

Because the renderer couldn't imagine Apple would go there? Why do MBpro renders before it was revealed not have a notch? Same reason.

 

[SR 7]

So this gives me some hope to think that the 27" or 27"+ iMac will be colors more in line with the Macbook Pro's.

I just hope the price isn't $3,000 for it.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Apple needs something to distinguish the Pros other than the faster GPUs and more CPU cores.

And the name... and the price?