Ming Chi Kuo, a well-connected analyst with feelers in the world of Apple products, has stated that in Mid 2022 a new MacBook air will be introduced. This MacBook is said to bring with it a variety of colors. It is suggested that these colors will match the iMac 2021 which is available in green, yellow, orange, purple, blue, pink and silver.
Upgrades were due for The MacBook air as it was last updated by the addition of the M1 chip in November 2020.
Currently, the MacBook air has standard LED Lighting. However, Kuo assures us that improvements are on the Horizon with the new mini LED displays coming to the MacBook.
These mini LED displays have thousands of really small LEDs that allow for higher contrast ratio. This means the images are brighter, clearer and more vibrant because the backlighting is more targeted and precise. M1-powered 12.9-inch iPad Pro was the first apple product to try this new backlight with great success.
There has previously been a supply issue with these tiny LEDS. (Mini LEDS are 0.2mm wide). Kuo tells us that a Chinese manufacturer BOE is supplying the mini-LEDs for the new MacBook Air. There are also other companies, LG, Sharp, Foxconn Subsidiary GIS, will all be supplying the Mini LEDS for the upcoming Pro models.
Despite the new high tech screen we are not expecting the screen size of the MacBook Air to change. While there was speculation that Apple would use a 14 inch display for the new MacBook, Kuo tells us that Apple is planning to continue with the 13.3 inch screen for the MacBook Air.
According to the Kuo rumor, the MacBook Air will be released in Mid 2022. This could suggest they are aiming for an April release like they did with their 2021 iMac.
But it could also suggest that they are looking to announce the new MacBook at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) in June, which saw the release of the ios 15 this year.
The report also suggests that the new MacBook will feature an upgraded Apple Silicon chip. On June the 22nd Apple did announce that they will be transitioning Macs to Apple Silicon. For those of you who haven’t heard, Apple silicon is a chip to replace the intel chips that they formally used.
Apple silicon chips are just as fast, if not faster, then an intel chip and they offer much better battery life in laptops and lower power usage in desktops.
The fact that they are using the Silicon chips in the new MacBook Air makes it likely to have improved energy efficiency and even better battery life then the Portable Mac.
The last mac they made with a silicon chip boasted 17 hours of battery life. As Apple improves the silicon chip creation and the energy efficiency of their MacBooks, we can only expect this number to rise.
After Kuo mentioned that the MacBook Air will be receiving a fresh design, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman went on to suggest that the redesign will provide a thinner, lighter body with flatter top and bottom edges.
It also looks set to return to having the Mag-safe branded magnetic power cable, along with the new and improved USB 4 ports.
It is not yet known if the release of the New MacBook Air will start the discontinuation of the M1 MacBook Air. Ming Chi Kuo reckons the price will start with the same $999 price tag if the M1 is discontinued. However, he also speculates that if the M1 is not discontinued it will instead be favored with a price cut.
Overall, the new MacBook is bringing us a caravan of new features. With its sleek new design and a collection of colors to appeal to a wider variety of people, this new model sounds like it will be faster, lighter, and clearer.
The addition of the upgraded silicon chip and Mini LED lights makes this model a cut above its predecessor and we cannot wait to see how it is going to perform.
