The redesigned MacBook Air might have an M1, not an M2

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The upcoming redesign of the MacBook Air will feature an M1 chip instead of the widely expected M2 chip, according to an analyst. The comment was made to 9to5Mac after he predicted an all-new design for the laptop with more color options and no MiniLED display.

Mark Gurman reported that the MacBook Air had an M2 chip. If the M1 naming scheme follows the A-series chips in the A-series phones and iPad, the next number up would be an upgrade in the processor design. The M1 chips, including the M1 Pro, Max, and the just-announced Ultra, all use different configurations of the A14 chip found in the iPhone 12.

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The A15 or A16 would likely be used in the upcoming iPhones. If the new MacBook Air sticks with the M1 chip and branding, it could still offer a performance upgrade by including more cores. Gurman has reported that Apple is testing an unnamed chip with 8 and 10 cores, and that 7-core- and 8-core-GPU versions of the M1 already exist. That could be either the M2 or an upgraded M1.

The new MacBook Air will be mass produced in the second or third quarter of this year.