Apple refreshed the MacBook Air with the M5 chip in March 2026, but attention is already turning to what comes next. While the next-generation model isn't expected to arrive until next year, early rumors suggest it could mark the beginning of a more ambitious phase in Apple's chip roadmap.
From potential advances in processor technology to the prospect of higher prices, here's what the rumors are saying about where the MacBook Air is headed next, and when one of Apple's most popular Macs is likely to make its next appearance.
What to Expect
Apple is expected to update its next-generation MacBook Air with the M6 chip. The current M5 chip is manufactured with TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, known as N3P, resulting in typical year-over-year performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the M4 series of chips. However, the M6 could adopt a completely new packaging process.
According to one rumor, Apple's A20 chip in the upcoming iPhone 18 models will switch from the previous InFo (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging. WMCM integrates multiple chips within the same package, allowing for the development of more complex chipsets. Components such as the CPU, GPUs, DRAM, and Neural Engine would therefore be more tightly integrated. While we don't know for sure, this could see Apple develop the M6 using the 2nm process while taking advantage of WMCM packaging to make even more powerful versions of its custom processor.
Apple has reportedly secured a significant portion of TSMC's initial N2 production capacity, with the A20 and A20 Pro chips for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup expected to be the first Apple silicon built on this node. They will likely be followed by the MacBook Pro, and then the MacBook Air.
Beyond the processor, we expect Apple to retain the existing MacBook Air design. Any other changes in hardware specs are likely to be minimal.
Looking further ahead, Apple plans to introduce OLED display technology to the MacBook Air, but development is still in its early stages, and the upgrade remains several years away. Current rumors indicate that a MacBook Air with an OLED display is unlikely to launch before 2028 or 2029.
Pricing
The M5 MacBook Air price starts at $1,099, but there's a very good chance that the entry-level M6 model will cost more.
The main reason is rising memory and storage costs, brought about by the continuing AI data center buildout. Growing demand for memory and storage chips from AI companies has led to chip shortages and higher costs for everyone else, and Apple will need to increase device costs "substantially" to maintain its current profit margins, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Just this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook told WSJ that "price increases are unavoidable." Cook said the company was doing its best to "mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us," and that it was trying to shield customers from them, but the situation has become "unsustainable."
Cook didn't say which products will go up in price, but it's hard to imagine its laptop lineup won't be affected. Multiple companies have already raised their prices, including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony, and Dell.
Release Date
In recent years, Apple's successive MacBook Air updates have settled into a predictable annual pattern:
- MacBook Air with M1 — November 10, 2020
- MacBook Air with M2 — July 15, 2022
- MacBook Air with M3 — March 8, 2024
- MacBook Air with M4 — March 12, 2025
- MacBook Air with M5 — March 11, 2026
While nothing is guaranteed, the launch timeframe for a MacBook Air with M6 chip is likely to keep to this schedule, so expect to see the next-generation model around March 2027.
