With the chances of Apple revealing its mixed reality headset at the upcoming developer conference looking less likely, rumors of Apple's new-look MacBook Air have once again come to the fore. If Apple announces a new version of its slimmest notebook next week, here is everything we expect to see.
The design of the current MacBook Air has been synonymous with the company's thinnest notebook since October 2010.
The Macbook Air has a tapered design.
By contrast, the new MacBook Air is expected to look much more like a slimmed-down version of the MacBook Pro, with rounded edges on the bottom and squared-off edges on the top. Rumors have also suggested the new MacBook Air is thinner and lighter, with slimmer borders around the display than the current model.The Macintosh Air is rumored to have a similar design to the iMac, with off-white bezels around the display and a matching off-white keyboard. Apple may bring this look to the MacBook Air, given that it adopted full-size function keys on its latest MacBook Pro models.
An all-white version of the MacBook Air is expected since Apple adopted an all-black well for the keyboard.
Last year's MacBook Pro surprised us all with a notch for the camera, and all the rumors suggest the same notch, but this time in white, in order to match the keyboard.
The notch is not an issue for most MacBook Pro owners as it allows for more screen real estate below, and it disappears from view when in fullscreen mode. The new MacBook Air is likely to stoke another round of controversy, with the divisive factor being its color rather than its existence.
The new Macbook Air is expected to be available in several colors. The colors are similar to the iMac, which comes in blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. There is a lot of speculation online that Apple's artwork hints at new MacBook Air colors.
Apple has a history of using bright colors for its non Pro machines, and different color options would clearly distinguish the MacBook Air from its Pro sibling.
The display size of the MacBook Air will be 13.6-inches, according to Ross Young. It would be larger than the current Macbook Air, but still smaller than the current MacBook Pro.
Young told MacRumors that the Macbook Air will not have a mini-LED display. Young maintains that the MacBook Air will use an LCD display to maintain a lower price point than the high-end Macbooks.
The M1 chip will be retained in the next MacBook Air, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. ShrimpApplePro claims that Apple is working on the final version of the M1 series, which may include updated cores.
The MacBook Air with a mid-generation iteration of the standard M1 chip could help Apple buy time before releasing Macs with the M2 chip next year.
Apple could call the chip in the new MacBook Air the "M2" to boost sales, but it could also use the name "M2" for a much more substantial upgrade over the previous generation.
The latest MacBook Pro models got a high definition camera for the first time. The likelihood is that the is the same one as the 27-inch, 24inch, and high-end MacBook Pro.
The MagSafe charging connector was brought back for the new MacBook Pro models. Mark Gurman has claimed that MagSafe is coming to the MacBook Air.
Other options will be more modest. Gurman will include a pair of Thunderbolt/USB4 ports for connecting external devices.
A new MacBook Air announcement is not certain. When the supply chain issues are less important to Apple's business, the company may decide to hold back the notebook.
The MacBook Air models are the only M1 Macs on the online store that are currently experiencing shipping delays, which could be a sign that Apple is preparing to launch a new model.
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