We were very impressed with the MacBook Air that Apple introduced in March 2020, but even more so when it launched the MacBook Air with M1 in November of the same year.
After releasing two MacBooks Air in 2020, you might think there are no plans to renew it, but it looks like a model with a new design is in development and Apple is reportedly planning to present a very colorful redesign.
According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, which seems to have very good sources, Apple is developing a “thinner and lighter version of the MacBook Air”. This new MacBook Air apparently won’t have the design it’s so famous for.
Also, a Jon Prosser leak suggests that this new MacBook Air will be available in multiple colors, just like the iMac 24 “. Prosser had access to several concept images of what it might be.
In this article, we explore everything that is known about the upcoming MacBook Air and assess the possibility that it will arrive in 2021 or 2022. We also take a look at the features and improvements that could come with the new model.
Launch: When will the new MacBook Air be released?
According to Gurman’s report published in Bloomberg In January 2021, the new MacBook Air could arrive in the second half of 2021, although the launch could be postponed until 2022.
Also, the source of Jon Prosser assures that the new MacBook Air could arrive at the end of 2021, at the earliest. However, a launch in 2022 seems more likely.
TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also predicts that a new, more “affordable” MacBook Air could arrive in 2022. Kuo reiterated this prediction in an investor brief released in March 2021.
He also suggested that Apple would launch a new model of MacBook Air with a mini-LED display in 2022, which would be the first entry-level Mac with this technology.
Dylandkt’s Twitter account also joins those predictions that the new MacBook Air won’t arrive until 2022. In fact, he believes it will include the M2 chip.
I just wanted to share a few details on when to expect the next gen M2 (not the M1X which is only for Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).
-Dylan (@dylandkt)
July 5, 2021
We certainly don’t expect to see a new MacBook Air until October 2021, as this is the month when Apple typically brings new Macs to the consumer.
Regardless, the March 2022 launch looks more likely to update the MacBook Air in early 2020.
Price: How much will the new MacBook Air cost?
According to the report of Bloomberg, this new laptop will be a high-end version of the current MacBook Air compared to the models currently on sale.
The current MacBook Air has these prices:
- MacBook Air with M1 (8-core CPU + 7-core GPU, 256 GB SSD): $ 1,129 / MXN $ 25,999
- MacBook Air with M1 (8-core CPU + 8-core GPU, 512 GB SSD): $ 1,399 / MXN $ 32,699
If the new model is high end, Apple will surely lower the prices of the current models. So the entry-level model of the current MacBook Air could cost $ 999 / MXN $ 23,999. In contrast, the new model (with a new design) could cost $ 1,499 / MXN $ 35,699.
Design: what will the new MacBook Air look like?
Source Jon Prosser, who happens to be the same person who revealed that Apple will be launching an iMac with different colors, says the new MacBook Air will also arrive in a variety of colors and a whole new design.
Prosser asked shipowners create images based on the information provided by the source on the new MacBook Air. He claims they had enough information to work.
Prosser has confirmed that the borders and keyboard keys will be white, for example.
Also assume that the look the MacBook Air is so famous for will change and instead we’ll have a flat design and a case that’s only slightly thicker than a USB-C port (I’ll include two).
As for the colors, Prosser assures that an option in blue and another in green will be available and suggests that they will be “very similar, if not equal” to those of the iMac 24 “.
Remember that the iMac 24 “is available in seven different colors: blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple.
But not just Prosser has information about the new MacBook Air. In an article by Bloomberg, Mark Gurman describes that the next MacBook Air will be thinner and lighter, but will still have a 13 “screen. To achieve this, it will reduce the size of the bezels.
Currently, the dimensions of the MacBook Air are 12 “x 8” x 0.41-1.61 cm.
To predict how much smaller the MacBook Air will be while still maintaining the same screen, we can take a look at the 16 “MacBook Pro and compare it to the 15” model.
When Apple updated the design of its larger MacBook Pro, it partially increased the screen size by reducing the bezel size and also increasing the size of the Mac itself.
But this time around, the plan seems to be to keep the same screen size while reducing the bezels. Thus, Apple should reduce its dimensions by at least one centimeter. We could be in front of a 29.5 x 20 cm laptop.
But there is something that could prevent the notebook from being even smaller: the optimal size of the keyboard. The Apple Magic Keyboard is 11 inches wide, so we doubt the new MacBook Air will be any smaller than that. To reduce it would make the keys even closer together.
Display: which panel will the new MacBook Air have?
The screen would still be 13 “, but the technology used will change. It looks like Apple is considering using mini-LED screens on its Macs (and iPads), although there have been some delays due to the supply crisis.
Mini-LED screens provide these improvements:
- Deeper and darker blacks
- Brighter, richer colors
- Better contrast
- Without the OLED ghost screen issues
- More energy efficiency
- Thinner and lighter products
Another screen-related change that many would celebrate would be a touchscreen Mac, especially now that you can run iOS apps on the Mac.
Specifications: What components will the new MacBook Air have?
If this new MacBook Air is thinner and lighter than the current one, what does that mean for its internal components?
Right now the Air is somewhat limited by not having room for a cooling and heat dissipation system (the current model doesn’t even have a fan).
Without being able to cool it down, Apple has to find a way to keep the MacBook Air from getting so hot, which usually means slowing it down during demanding tasks.
With that in mind, we can’t expect the 2021 MacBook Air to be much more powerful than the current one, and certainly not as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but we do expect some improvements.
Processor
As we said before, the Dylandkt Twitter account estimates that the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip will arrive in 2022. It indicates that the M1X will be reserved for Pro devices. So, we don’t think the new MacBook Air will arrive before the MacBook Pro with M1X.
I just wanted to share a few details on when to expect the next gen M2 (not the M1X which is only for Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).
-Dylan (@dylandkt)
July 5, 2021
Ports
The report of Bloomberg What we mentioned suggests that the MagSafe charging port could return to the Mac, so we could see its return with the upcoming MacBook Air.
Webcam
We really hope Apple adds a better webcam. The current 720p FaceTime camera is horrible. We expect an HD (1080p) webcam to come along and, better yet, to offer Face ID.
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