Bloomberg: Apple Working on 'Thinner and Lighter' High-End MacBook Air With MagSafe, Could Launch in Second Half of 2021
Apple is working on a "thinner and lighter" version of the MacBook Air that the company plans to release during the second half of this year at the earliest or in 2022, according to a new report by well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
It will include Apple's MagSafe charging technology and a next-generation version of the company's in-house Mac processors. Apple has discussed making the laptop smaller by shrinking the border around the screen, which will remain 13-inches. The current model weighs 2.8 pounds and is just over half an inch at its thickest point.
The company considered building a larger version of the MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen, but Apple isn't moving forward with this for the next generation, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
According to the report, the new 13-inch MacBook Air model will also have a pair of USB 4 ports for connecting external devices. The current MacBook Air, upgraded in November with Apple silicon, is expected to remain in the company's lineup as an entry-level offering.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that Apple will introduce a new MacBook Air at some point in 2022, suggesting there may not be a refresh in 2021. According to Kuo, the MacBook Air coming in 2022 will feature a mini-LED display, a prediction also echoed by DigiTimes.
With the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models introduced in October 2020, Apple reinvented "MagSafe," the name once used for the breakaway magnetic charging cables designed for the MacBook. MagSafe was fully phased out of the Mac lineup, and the last machine with MagSafe, the 2017 MacBook Air, was discontinued by Apple in July 2019.
Kuo recently claimed the MagSafe charging connector design will be restored to Apple's MacBooks in future designs, though it was not quite clear what that meant since Apple has transitioned to USB-C. However, Gurman in a separate report clarified that the MagSafe port will be a standalone charging port used instead of USB-C, with the new port located next to the USB-C ports.
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Apple is working on a radically redesigned version of the MacBook Air, featuring an even "thinner and lighter" design, multiple color options, and changes to almost all aspects of the machine, according to recent reports. Leaker Jon Prosser recently revealed renders purporting to accurately represent the next-generation MacBook Air.
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Today we're tracking a handful of deals across Apple's M1 notebook lineup, including a return of all-time low prices on all models of the M1 MacBook Air. For the MacBook Pro, you'll find a new record low price on the 512GB model thanks to an automatic coupon on Amazon.
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Apple's MagSafe charging connector is expected to make a long-awaited return to the MacBook Air in the near future, according to reliable reports.
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Top Rated Comments
I’m going to wait for the MacBook Pro Air Pro 16”.
Now that I think about it, this M1 has been acting sluggish lately. If this M1 can’t handle watching cat videos on YouTube, what good is it?
This M1 isn’t even the pro model. How can I be expected to work on a standard M1? It doesn’t come with a GPU, Face ID, or a case of beer, not to mention the base model should come with no less than 16GB RAM and 512 SSD. I feel like Apple ripped me off. This M1 is worthless now.
Apple has really been letting us down on the hardware lately, especially with the M1. Every time you turn it on and or connect it to an external monitor it dies.
I see this new M Air will be thinner and lighter. The memory of Ives lives on. Apple is showing so much courage with this new Air. There is no innovation with Apple anymore. If Steve was still alive....
I just saw a video on YouTube saying how bad this new upcoming model is not worth it and the new Forbes article agrees.
Where is the best place to sell my M1? It looks like I will be upgrading to the new Air when it is released.
* These typical statements were picked at random from data submitted to Apple. No MacRumors members were outed in this data although the usual suspects are easily identified.
MacRumors has already received complaints about the cat comment and cat owners have vowed to boycott MacRumors.
I am looking forward to the new and improved M MacBook Air. :D