The much-anticipated 12-inch Retina MacBook Air is believed to launch sometime in the middle of 2015, but a new rumor out of foreign news website Letem svetem Applem [Google Translate] points to a smaller refresh of the existing MacBook Air line hitting as early as February 24.
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The website, citing sources from the Czech reseller network, states the update will come with no fanfare or keynote presentation, unsurprising considering a lack of major changes for the lineup. The company also won't discuss the long-rumored ultra-slim MacBook Air around the launch of the new refresh, hoping the "quiet" update tides users over until later in the year.
If true, the focus on the fact that the update would be "minor" points to only slight bumps in areas like storage and processing power, with Apple choosing from 2.2GHz Core i5-5250U, 1.8GHz Core i5 chip, and 2GHz Core i7 processors, while keeping the well-known 11- and 13-inch form factors of current MacBook Airs. Intel launched the new Broadwell processors appropriate for the current MacBook Air lineup last month.
Reports of the 12-inch MacBook Air have been swirling for over a year now, but the product missed the originally rumored timeframe of a 2014 launch. Rumored to be in mass production since last month and with claimed part leaks beginning to surface, the Retina MacBook Air is reported to launch sometime in the second quarter of 2015.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)I'm curious as what apple is doing, I think there's way too much overlap in their product line if they do come out with a 12" MBA as people expect them too.
11" MBA
12" MBA
13" MBA
13" rMBP
13" cMBP.
Something's gotta give
I think the 11" and 13" MacBook Air days are numbered and the rMBP's will keep getting thinner and lighter until they are in Air territory but they'll keep the Pro names.
So it'll end up like this:
12" MBA
13" rMBP
15" rMBP
And that'll be it.
While the retina displays are crisp, I think they are overkill for most use. I would gladly take longer battery life and hopefully better performance over the retina screen.
The TN low resolution panels on the MBA are simply inexcusable. It would be an improvement to release the MBA with something better, even if it's not a "retina" screen. If the competitors can do it now, then there is no reason for Apple not to.
I think it's unlikely Apple would update the MBA to Broadwell-U if the rMBA is going to use Core-M. You wouldn't want your "Flagship" MBA to be significantly less powerful than the older model.
They've already done it with Mac Mini :)This could be why the upgrade is coming, plus the fact that it seems the rMBA is taking more time to make. Sounds like Apple went all out on it with the thinness and USB 3.1 port. This is a machine they are going to put in a keynote, so they likely will wait until at least the Apple Watch event or even WWDC.