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

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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
Tag: 2022 MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Don't Buy)
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Top Rated Comments

ccchr Avatar
ccchr
59 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
senttoschool
59 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
senttoschool
59 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
Tagbert
59 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
threee
59 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
senttoschool
59 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)
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