MacBook Air and Possibly 13-Inch MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar Said to Receive Processor Refresh in the Fall - MacRumors
Skip to Content

MacBook Air and Possibly 13-Inch MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar Said to Receive Processor Refresh in the Fall

Apple plans to refresh its MacBook Air lineup with faster processors in September, according to IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin's latest Emerging PC Market Tracker report, published Thursday and shared by Forbes:

Apple is also expected to update the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and Retina MacBook Air with the new MacOS Catalina and new processors in September, according to Lin.

Forbes also cites Lin as saying the 13-inch MacBook Pro receiving a processor refresh in September as well, which likely refers to the base model without the Touch Bar, dubbed the "MacBook Escape" for its physical Esc key. The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with Touch Bar just received a processor refresh in May.

macbook air 2018 roundup header
The ‌MacBook Air‌ was last updated in October 2018, when it received a long-awaited Retina display, 8th-generation Intel Core processors, butterfly keyboard, larger trackpad, Touch ID, Thunderbolt 3 ports, new color options, and more.

Apple rarely refreshes any Macs in September, often waiting for October instead, but these would be fall updates either way. IHS has close ties to Apple's supply chain, having accurately revealed the original 10.5-inch iPad Pro's resolution nearly four months in advance and LTPO on the Apple Watch.

Lin also believes that Apple plans to release the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro in September. Again, this could end up being October too, but it sounds increasingly likely that the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is coming this year.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Tags: IHS, Jeff Lin
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Neutral)
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff Feature

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time. ...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Thursday September 3, 2026 3:41 am PDT by
Less than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce has estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment. TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 17 Pro $1,099 iPhone 18 Pro $...
Apple Store Logo Livat Beijing

Apple Launching Eight New Products This Month

Wednesday September 2, 2026 1:38 am PDT by
Apple last month announced a new Mac mini and a new Mac Studio. Both machines start shipping on Tuesday, September 22, which means they will launch in the same month as new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. Apple is expected to introduce the unannounced products at its annual iPhone fall event, which is this year carrying the tagline "Surprise and shine." The event takes place on...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
94 months ago
Touch Bar, the most useless and gimmicky tech

I regret wasting $3k on it back in 2016
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Herrpod Avatar
94 months ago
Touch Bar is complete garbage. I welcome this model. Please don’t limit storage and ports again on this “cheaper” MBP.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
94 months ago
Maybe refresh all of the laptops to eliminate the touch bar? The gimmick trial is over, I'm tired of the phantom ESC taps.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
94 months ago
Refresh non-touchbar 15" MBP, coward!
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
94 months ago
+1 for MBP 15” without touchbar.

Realistically we all know Apple loves sticking to certain useless innovations
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
94 months ago
512GB SSD and 16GB RAM should be standard for MBPs. Without increased prices.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)