Kuo: Mini-LED MacBook Air Coming in Mid-2022

Apple will release a new version of the MacBook Air around the middle of 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in note to investors seen by MacRumors.

m1 macbook air
The upcoming ‌MacBook Air‌ will feature a 13.3-inch mini-LED display, which would make it the second Mac to gain mini-LED technology after the 2021 MacBook Pro, which is rumored to include a mini-LED display and is expected to launch later this year. Mini-LED display technology will bring a signifiant improvement in MacBook display quality, allowing for a thinner, lighter design while offering benefits like improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.

Kuo has said that the ‌MacBook Air‌ will include a mini-LED display in the past, and the rumor has also been echoed by DigiTimes.

Prior rumors have suggested the 2022 ‌MacBook Air‌ will have thinner bezels than the current model, and that it will adopt the same MagSafe charging technology rumored for the ‌MacBook Pro‌.

It's also expected to include a pair of Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and there's also a chance that it could come in multiple colors, similar to the M1 iMacs that Apple released this year.

The 2022 ‌MacBook Air‌ will use an upgraded version of the ‌M1‌ Apple silicon chip that's faster and more efficient. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said that it will feature the same number of computing cores as the ‌M1‌ (eight), but that will offer nine or 10 GPU cores instead of seven or eight like the current model for better GPU performance.

Kuo says that if component shortages improve in late 2021 and across 2022, MacBook shipments could grow to approximately 20 to 22 million units in 2022.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...

Top Rated Comments

ccchr Avatar
57 months ago
Now that the M1X 14 and 16" MBPs are released, time to shift focus on to the Air. I'm loving my 14" btw ? -- it's the best thing ever!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
senttoschool Avatar
57 months ago
I think Apple should upgrade the MBA Air to 14" with Mini-LED. Raise the starting price to $1,100.

Then release a $750 Macbook SE based on the current MBA 13.3" with a regular LCD screen.

Own the PC market just like they own the phone/tablet/watch market. Sell more services. Sell more subscriptions. As it stands now, more people use iPhone + Windows than iPhone + MacOS because of the starting price of Macs. Apple can recapture its own customers by releasing a more well-rounded Mac lineup with a lower starting price.

Steve Job said they didn't know how to make a cheap computer that isn't junk. Well, they know how now: with Apple Silicon. A $750 Macbook SE based on the current MBA 13.3" with an M2/M3 SoC would wipe the floor with any AMD/Intel-based laptops in speed, efficiency, and portability.

AAPL to the moon.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
senttoschool Avatar
57 months ago

Unless Apple decides to stop limiting their hardware capabilities through software, we will only continue to get overkilled hardware.
What the hell? How does Apple limit the MBA hardware? I'm pushing my M1 MBA to the limits.

This isn't news about the iPad Pro. You're in the wrong comment section.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
57 months ago

I think Apple should upgrade the MBA Air to 14" with Mini-LED. Raise the starting price to $1,100.

Then release a $750 Macbook SE based on the current MBA 13.3" with a regular LCD screen.

Own the PC market just like they own the phone market. Sell more services. Sell more subscriptions. As it stands now, more people use iPhone + Windows than iPhone + MacOS because of the starting price of Macs. Apple can recapture its own customers by releasing a more well-rounded Mac lineup with a lower starting price.

AAPL to the moon.
No. keep the Air portable at 13", maybe shrink the case. Then add a 15" version for this who want a bigger screen but don't need the full "Pro" experience (and price).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
threee Avatar
57 months ago
Hmmm, yet another year… This may be my next notebook. I have a 2017 12” MacBook that’s still doing fine for the most part, but getting slow by today’s standards. I will truly miss this form factor when i finally upgrade. Would be cool if someone would figure out how to retrofit one of these with Apple Silicon.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
senttoschool Avatar
57 months ago

Nope. I’m in the right comment section.
It’s true that macOS can use professional software to perform heavy workload, but I still wish it can run Windows and more iOS apps (yeah, some iOS games I play don’t work on M1 MacBook Air cause developer decides not to, which is sad).
What does being able to run Windows/iOS Apps have to do with Apple limiting the hardware through software?

It's up to Microsoft on whether they decide to license out ARM Windows, not Apple. And more iOS Apps? We're only 8 months into the Apple Silicon transition. Many iOS Apps already work fine on MacOS. I'm using some right now. It's not because Apple is blocking them from working on MacOS. It's up to the developers.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)