15-inch MacBook Air
Apple is rumored to be working on a 15-inch MacBook Air and a new 12-inch MacBook, according to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans. The source also revealed details about the M2 series of chips in Apple’s high-performance MacBook Pro computers.
The overall design of the 15-inch Air is the same as the 13.6-inch MacBook Air revealed during the company’s WWDC keynote on Monday. That means a slim design without tapered edges, plus a screen notch and a keyboard with function keys and Touch ID. The laptop is expected to use the same M2 processor as well.
Sources say the new laptop could be available as early as spring 2023. They also said that Apple is working on a 12-inch MacBook that could arrive in late 2023 or early 2024 — but that’s not enough, and Apple could still abandon its plans.
I’m not entirely sure what the point of the M2 chips in the Macbook Pro lineup is for, considering it’s designed for the more professional crowd who wants to run graphic or processor-intensive tasks. The M2 is designed more for regular users and students who need a mid-range computer — which is why the M2 MacBook Air is designed for.
Putting the M2 chip in the Pro lineup seems to be counter-intuitive and I’d rather they choose to move the M2 to the Pro lineups when M2 Pro and M2 Max are out.
But we shall see. In the meantime, Apple’s 13.6-inch MacBook Air is expected to start shipping next month, at least a full month after the product’s unveiling at WWDC. The delay is related to the widely reported global supply chain constraints.