MacBook Air Update: Release date, price, specs, and features
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Rumor has it Apple could be ready to breathe new life in the old Air. MacBook Air that is.
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April 30, 2018: New rumors suggest the updated MacBook Air might not ship until fall 2018
Rumors about rumored products are as sketchy as they get. But, due to the availability of components or the need to finalize software, Apple has pushed back several products in recent years, both internally and publicly. So, it wouldn't be surprising if the supposed new, updated MacBook Air was caught up, for example, waiting on Intel.
From DigiTimes:
The sources said that Apple has informed supply chain partners that mass production of its new notebook model for 2018 will not kick off until the second half of the year, yet without explaining the rescheduling move. Some partners speculated that the postponement might be caused by problems with some key components such as processors.
The planned new MacBook Air will have a slim design, and come with Retina high-resolution screen and Intel's latest notebook processor. Unit price for the new model is expected to be lowered from US$999 to US$899 or down further to US$799, which in turn may push up sales of MacBook series by over 10% in 2018 to regain part of market shares held by Chromebooks, according to market observers.
We, of course, can only wait and see.
Apple has let the MacBook Air lie fallow for years now, despite it being an ultra-light, port-strewn, entry-level consumer favorite. It's not Retina. It's old architecture. And the 12-inch MacBook simply hasn't come down in price or up in ports to take its place. But now, rumor has it Apple could be ready to breathe new life in the old Air.
From the report, shared by MacRumors:
We expect Apple (US) to roll out the new MacBook Air with a lower price tag in 2Q18. We forecast total shipments of MacBook models will grow 10-15% YoY in 2018 (vs. 0-5% YoY decline for the NB industry), up from 15.5-16mn units in 2017. While Quanta, Radiant, Catcher and SZS are likely to benefit from strong shipments momentum, SZS also stands to benefit from increased market share and a higher ASP.
Interestingly, the video above, which I shot with analyst Ben Bajarin on Thursday and posted early this morning, begins like this:
If all they did was update the [MacBook] Air with Retina and modern specs, and price it around $899, [Apple] would take share like nobody's business.
They would really disrupt PC sales in a significant way.
I'll have a full transcript posted soon but, in the meantime, hit play for more on the potential MacBook Air update and a full preview of what might be coming from Apple at the rumored March Event.