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.

Flat MacBook Air Feature

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.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

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Top Rated Comments

DVD9 Avatar
58 months ago
If I can't shave with the edge of it then it's too thick.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wanted797 Avatar
58 months ago
Wait so we’ll have the MacBook Air, MacBook Air Pro, MacBook Pro 14”, MacBook Pro 16”...

I’m going to wait for the MacBook Pro Air Pro 16”.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
58 months ago
This is disgusting. I just bought an M1 and now Apple is going to make me upgrade again in less than a year? Apple should have sent out an email letting prospective buyers know ahead of time.

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
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
meboy Avatar
58 months ago

introducing the new macbook air bend.
i doubt they can produce something lighter AND thinner, yet remain structurally stable.
MacBook 12 was just that and had no issues.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
58 months ago

Lighter, yes !
Thinner, not so sure. At least for me this is not a priority.
I'm ok with them trying to go endlessly thinner on the Air. It could differentiate it better than the current Air/Pro setup. It'd be debatable to try to be super thin on the Pro though.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Game 161 Avatar
58 months ago
a 15 inch air would have been tempting for sure oh well...
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)