Last week, Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning a redesigned MacBook Air. However, it was a footnote in a larger piece that focused on some upcoming MacBook Pro laptops. Today, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman gave more details on the next Air Refresh. It will be thinner and lighter, the publication reports have a next M1 processor and use the same MagSafe charging system for the next MacBook Pro update. It is also said that the company is considering a design with smaller screen panels, which will further shrink the already portable form factor.
The report does not say how much smaller, thinner and lighter the laptop can be. Bloomberg note, however, that it will be positioned as the best alternative to the current MacBook Air, which will remain as an entry-level offering. Modifications to the chassis will help Apple differentiate the Air and Pro line. The most recent MacBook Air, which features the company’s new M1 chip, is visually similar to the MacBook Pro (well, the versions that go without a Touch Bar, anyway). It’s an amazing machine – my colleague Dana Wollman said ‘it’s worth considering for most people’ – but one that is not conspicuous besides the current harvest of MacBook Pros.
According to Bloomberg, the new MacBook Air may appear later this year or in 2022. That means it will likely come after the upgraded MacBook Pros, which will reportedly come in 14-inch and 16-inch flavors. Apple also plans to launch an iMac redesign later this year – something the all-in-one desktop desperately needs – and additions to the Mac Pro series.