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Will MBA Ever Get Retina

MacLC said:
Retina is the eventual destination for all displays in all lines. The question is if the transition will take weeks or years.
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About 1.5 years ago, many naysayers here on MacRumors claimed that Apple would not consider a retina iMac 21" any time soon. They said that the low-end iMac was not a priority for retina enhancement. They said it would make the model too expensive. They said it would require so much better GPU etc etc. Well, a retina 21" iMac was released a couple months ago. Sometimes, it's just a matter of when, not a matter of "will they ever?".
 
cincygolfgrrl said:
The name MacBook Air has a seven year head start on the new retina MacBook. I don't understand all the angst over "Why do they still call it an Air when it's not the thinnest, lightest MacBook?" It sounds like y'all want to retroactively rename the MBA to MacBook Medium or something.

As to the original question, I think the MBA fills a pretty large niche as is. Cramming a retina screen into it doesn't seem important to me. Also, as long as that niche exists it would be financially silly for Apple to discontinue the MBA at this time.

Does anyone have a feel for how the rMB is selling?
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I get the MacBook Air name is established, but now you have a product named after it's size but another that would be more appropriate for the title. IMO they should have just called the new rMB the new MacBook Air and priced it a little lower (I know, it's apple though). Maybe the current air line could have gotten replaced with a similar line with retina screens, black bezels to match the pros, etc. So that they were different enough to warrant a name change. In my mind I guess I just see their laptops as: MacBook=Everyday Joe Mac, MacBook Air=Ultra Portable Mac, and MacBook Pro=Most powerful Mac. But with the way they're named now two are reversed.

And as for how well the rMB is selling, I don't know officially or anything but the general consensus from people I know who at least have some knowledge on Apple products think it's just too pricey for what it is. I've also never seen one out in the wild, though that doesn't really mean all that much.
 
In the last year I've seen maybe two Macs in the wild, both with lit logo on the lid, so obviously not rMBs. But I don't think people who bought a €1449 laptop necessarily want to flaunt it where people can see it.
 
I think the Air is a dead end. The new MacBook will get slightly more powerful processors, and it will get significantly cheaper, and when the new low-voltage but high-power Intel chips are ready, the MacBook Pro will be able to have higher performance in the same form factor, or, much more likely, the same performance but thinner and lighter. The Air will be squeezed from both sides, until it pops.

You'll have a choice - ultimate portability with no ports, very portable and quite powerful with sufficient ports, or desktops. All retina.
 
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My thoughts exactly. Which is why I bought an Air, counter-intuitively. I don't want a toy-sized rMB. I don't want a Macbook Pro (and most probably can't afford one). I already have desktops ;)

A MBA with retina gets dangerously close to MBP. Unless you slow it down, make it thinner and remove some slots, at which point it becomes a rMB. There's no place in Apple's line-up for Macbook Air. 11" base model might remain as "entry point".
 
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chasonstone said:
IMO they should have just called the new rMB the new MacBook Air and priced it a little lower (I know, it's apple though). Maybe the current air line could have gotten replaced with a similar line with retina screens, black bezels to match the pros, etc.
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But if that was the case, there would be no more sub $1000 MacBooks and Apple would lose a big chunk of the market pie.

To rephrase and update a bit what I said earlier, the smart way to go about this in my opinion is for Apple to introduce new features into current rMBP line (internal GPS receiver? DDR4? NFC? Wireless iPhone charging? Infrared remote control?), leave current MBA line alone, then introduce 13" rMBA which would have exactly the same features like normal MBA + retina screen and would start at 1149-1200$.
 
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What if Apple renamed the rMB to Macbook Air, and the Macbook Air would be named Macbook. That'd be interesting if they did that.
 
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Is there any reason why apple can't produce laptops with edge to edge displays? All that grey or black area seems a waste of valuable real estate. Are there any practical considerations which would prevent them from producing a 14" display in the current mba form factor? I thought the 14" display was absolutely spot on when I had the powerbook G3.

As far as the mbp, I am really not fond of the rectangular box form factor; the air form factor seems far sleeker and therefore more esthetically appealing.

The mbp seems so appealing when you look at the spec sheet, but the mba's tapered edge design seems a lot more cutting edge when you look at it and hold it in your hands.

Oddly, both the mbp and mba seem to embody glaringly obvious previous gen design elements which strike me as relatively easy to "fix" (ie change). This is coming from a mac user who finally upgraded after nearly 8 years (and only after being tempted by a black friday where I just happened to be enticed by previously unheard of sub $900 apple laptop prices).
 
Atm simply replacing MBAs with rMBAs just doesn't make sense for their current slot in the lineup and their price. rMBA can only be possible as yet another new Apple laptop.
 
I have both. I recently booted up my 2010 MBA to load up El Capitan, and prepare it for its new owner.

I could never go back. At first it isn't noticeable when you go to retina. Then trying to go back to MBA and the screen looks super blurry.

I think your chances of a retina MBA are slim to none. However the next gen MBP will almost certainly be a slim machine that splits the difference.
 
The "Air" name/moniker has been very successful for Apple, and I don't see them giving it up soon. For the iPad line, they have a mini, Air , and Pro....so there really is no prohibition against the MBA being larger than the lighter/smaller retina Macbook.

I think some of this comes down to branding and semantics. The current 13in rMBP will probably become lighter and adopt the thinner wedge profile, plus be offered in three colors (silver, gold and space grey). Apple could decide to call this the "retina Macbook Air".

The 15in Macbook Pro would then be the only model with the "Pro" moniker. This would be consistent with other Apple product lineups:

retina 12 in Macbook = iPad Mini
retina 13 in MBA = iPad Air 2
retina 15 in MBP = iPad Pro

Here again, the retina 13in MBA might really be more of a redesign of the current 13in retina MBP into a more "Air" like profile, but I think the moniker will stick around for a while.....it's just too popular to give-up.

In addition, I hope Apple keeps a consumer $1,000 laptop in their line-up. This could be the classic 13in MBA (non-retina) with periodic spec bumps and perhaps Force Touch track pad. There are tons of people that want a consumer Apple laptop, and the current MBA perfectly fits that need. Frankly, most neophytes can't tell the difference between a retina and standard screen. Unless, of course, they are prompted by salespeople or marketing information.
 
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navaira said:
I read somewhere rMB is the best selling Mac. No idea what that means in terms of numbers.
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if this is true, Apple knows/has these numbers, and the "AIR" line is dead! The 12"rMB continues in it's current flavors,followed by the 14" rMB, The PRO LINE of MBP, soldiers on with the 13rMBP, and top of the line 15"rMBP, leaving 12,13,14,15 Laptops all with retina screens and different ports.Pick your poison.
 
SmOgER said:
But if that was the case, there would be no more sub $1000 MacBooks and Apple would lose a big chunk of the market pie.

To rephrase and update a bit what I said earlier, the smart way to go about this in my opinion is for Apple to introduce new features into current rMBP line (internal GPS receiver? DDR4? NFC? Wireless iPhone charging? Infrared remote control?), leave current MBA line alone, then introduce 13" rMBA which would have exactly the same features like normal MBA + retina screen and would start at 1149-1200$.
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This is true about missing a market. But honestly they could price themselves into that market if they wanted to, I don't really see a reason why they can't make a sub 1000 dollar everyday joe MacBook. They're just letting the MacBook Air line age and fall into that space as is. They could design tweak it and call it the new MacBook and keep that market. Rebrand the rMB as the new ultra portable air line and keep the pros where they are.
 
I foresee a big drop in price for the rMB in the not to distant future. The air is pretty redundant now that there is a much more portable laptop in the lineup. The only place I could see it is if they release a 14 inch model with 2 usb c ports.

Remember nothing is sacred with the laptop lineup naming scheme. Remember the unibody MacBook overnight becoming a MacBook Pro a few years ago
 
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mellofello said:
I foresee a big drop in price for the rMB in the not to distant future. The air is pretty redundant now that there is a much more portable laptop in the lineup. The only place I could see it is if they release a 14 inch model with 2 usb c ports.

Remember nothing is sacred with the laptop lineup naming scheme. Remember the unibody MacBook overnight becoming a MacBook Pro a few years ago
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I don't see how they could significantly drop the price of rMB anytime soon. Months of recent R&D have gone into it and it's packed with very latest Apple inventions (for lack of a better word, no pun intended) not to mention it's exclusive brand new chassis. For Apple to make one probably costs way more than to make rMBP. As it stands atm, it's more of a show-off product really, but Apple obviously still doesn't want to lose money on it.
 
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dangerfish said:
I personally think the MBA is on its last leg. I don't think we'll see another version. I think the next gen MBP will be thinner and then the MBA will go away.
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Agree. I think Apple is readying the decks to EOL MBA and the MacBook retina is the means to increase the price point given they couldn't do that for the MBA without creating a commotion.
 
dogslobber said:
Agree. I think Apple is readying the decks to EOL MBA
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Well, but on what grounds? It isn't the slowest or the least portable or the worst selling or the one which brings them the least revenue. This would make absolutely no sense at all.
 
SmOgER said:
Well, but on what grounds? It isn't the slowest or the least portable or the worst selling or the one which brings them the least revenue. This would make absolutely no sense at all.
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Apple doesn't follow the norms. If they did then they wouldn't have introduced the iPod Nano by cancelling the iPod Mini, when the iPod Mini was the best selling iPod in their portfolio.
 
Rather than ask will the MBA get retina, why not ask: will the retina 13 in MBP get the MBA form factor? I think the answer is clearly yes, since Apple seems committed to the wedge shaped laptop and color options (silver, gold, and space grey....rose gold would just be kind of weird on a laptop).

If the retina MBP gets the same slim light weight form factor as the MBA, who cares which Apple moniker is used: Pro or Air?? Personally, I think they will use the Air moniker (it doesn't really matter which name is used) because it fits into the current Apple convention for other products. At the risk of repeating myself:

consumer classic MBA with spec bumps (below $1,000) = iPad Air 1
retina 12 in Macbook = iPad Mini
retina 13 in MBA (really redesigned 13in retina MBP) = iPad Air 2
retina 15 in MBP = iPad Pro
 
Cheffy Dave said:
if this is true, Apple knows/has these numbers, and the "AIR" line is dead! The 12"rMB continues in it's current flavors,followed by the 14" rMB, The PRO LINE of MBP, soldiers on with the 13rMBP, and top of the line 15"rMBP, leaving 12,13,14,15 Laptops all with retina screens and different ports.Pick your poison.
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This is exactly what I expect.

Naming-wise I saw someone using "Macbook one" in another thread and we might see the current revision of rMB staying in the market with this name. Entry level. $1199 or so before dropping further in 2017.
 
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