Followers with growing older Apple laptops prayed {that a} new MacBook Air (2022) would make an look on the Apple “Peek Efficiency” occasion March 8. They had been left wanting. Once more.
However by no means worry, true believers! Convincing new rumors say Apple is testing 9 new Mac fashions with brand-spanking new M2 silicon chips — and that features a new MacBook Air in a spread of vivid and cheery colours at that. It has huge sneakers to fill: The older MacBook Air (M1, 2020) nonetheless tops each our greatest laptop computer and greatest Apple laptop computer guides and has since November of 2020, when it was launched alongside different M1-powered gadgets such because the Mac mini (2020) and 13-inch MacBook Professional (M1, 2020).
The MacBook Air 2022 will most certainly preserve the silent, fanless design and glorious battery life, which is already the longest in an Apple laptop computer, even when Apple doesn’t make any changes. However we’re anticipating some enhancements, notably within the Air’s design, with the 2022 mannequin. Rumors abound of an entire redesign together with a plethora of colours to select from, much like the basic Mac-inspired ones that you may choose for the 2021 iMac and 4th technology iPad Air.
This is the whole lot we all know to this point.
MacBook Air (2022): Minimize to the chase
- What’s it? Apple’s latest ultraportable laptop computer
- When is it out? Probably late 2022
- What’s going to it price? Unknown, however doubtless much like present pricing (beginning at $999/£999)
Newest information
April 15: Apple is testing a complete bunch of recent Macs which can be powered by its next-gen M2 chip — together with a brand new MacBook Air and a number of MacBook Professional fashions, in line with the laptop computer grapevine.
April 13: MacBook manufacturing may very well be affected by present lockdowns in China attributable to Covid, reviews suggestion, which means potential delays to Apple’s new laptops, in line with revered Apple supply, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
April 11: “Apple is gearing as much as launch some new Macs within the subsequent few months,” writes Mark Gurman. “What higher place to take action than WWDC?” And one’s prone to be the MacBook Air, he says.
April 2: No April Idiot’s joke right here: DigiTimes says sources from the provision chain – insiders within the companies concerned in making components for Apple’s laptops – are ramping manufacturing, anticipating sizzling gross sales of forthcoming MacBook Air fashions.
Extra of the most recent MacBook Air tidbits ▼
March 25: New rumors counsel that Apple may launch a brand new 15-inch MacBook Air in 2023. This might both be the perfect choice Apple has ever made – or an enormous mistake, writes TechRadar’s computing guru Matt Hanson.
March 22: Apple meant to launch a redesigned MacBook Air at its current launch occasion, however wasn’t been capable of persist with its authentic timeframe, says Mark Gurman. The corporate now plans on launching the MacBook Air within the second half of 2022, he says.
March 09: At its Spring “Peek Efficiency” occasion, Apple unveiled a brand new M1 Extremely chipset, the iPad Air 2022, the iPhone SE 2022, the flowery Mac Studio, and extra! However no MacBook Air, sadly.
Dec. 06, 2021: There is a contemporary entry-level MacBook Professional coming in 2022, says Mark Gurman, together with a a lot rumored revamped MacBook Air with a brand new design – all constructed across the M2 chip.
Oct. 22, 2021: Apple’s subsequent MacBook Air may come geared up with a Mini-LED display like the brand new MacBook Professionals – perhaps minus the notch – when it purportedly arrives in mid-2022, in addition to an M2 chip, with an off-white shade keyboard and bezels.
Aug. 11, 2021: Apple’s subsequent MacBook Air shall be touchdown halfway in 2022 full with plentiful shade choices and a Mini LED display, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Launch date and value
We had been hoping that Apple would spill some beans at its Peek Efficiency occasion on March 8, however now that this slipped by with out even a point out, the expected launch date is just a little foggy. With so many rumors flying round, it is nonetheless doubtless we may see it introduced by the top of 2022, so preserve your eyes peeled for any occasions in the direction of the top of the yr.
The newest 24-inch iMac was solely launched again in Might 2021, and on condition that featured the identical M1 SoC as the primary wave of Apple silicon, it is anybody’s guess as to if this newest MacBook Air will supply the exact same M1 with an entire design replace, will sport one of many new chips unveiled with the brand new MacBook Professionals, or have an all-new Apple M2 chip.
Provided that the 2 most up-to-date MacBook Professional fashions comprise souped-up variations of the M1 chip (the M1 Professional and M1 Max), it is unlikely that the 2022 MacBook Air would launch with the identical, ultra-powerful Soc throughout the identical launch window, so an M2 chip debut is extra doubtless.
There is not any official murmurings on value but, however we anticipate the brand new MacBook Air will begin at $999 / £999, identical to the present mannequin.
Design
No matter when the brand new MacBook Air arrives, there’s been loads of leaks and hypothesis relating to its new design to make it well worth the wait. We anticipated again in April that the MacBook Air is overdue for its personal colourful redesign following the discharge of the 24-inch iMac in the course of the Spring Loaded occasion, when the brand new fashions took inspiration from some basic, colourful Mac designs.
This was strengthened when serial Apple leaker John Prosser claimed that the MacBook Air (2021) may launch in the identical seven colours because the iMac (2021). These colours are Blue, Inexperienced, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, and Purple.
In accordance with renders supplied by Prosser, these new MacBook Air laptops may additionally characteristic white keycaps, bigger perform keys, and a barely smaller trackpad. The chassis can be noticeably slimmer and ‘boxier’, disposing of the present sloped edges and as an alternative choosing a really fashionable, blunt edge. With these rumors all collated, it will appear this anticipated redesign would be the thinnest, lightest MacBook Air to this point.
Now that the rumors have been confirmed true with the return of MagSafe charging on the 2 latest MacBook Professionals, we additionally anticipate that the 2022 MacBook Air will characteristic a Mini-LED show, one thing not solely recommended by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo however a couple different sources
Specs
Simply wished to share some particulars on when to count on the subsequent technology M2 (not the M1X which is reserved for the Professional Mac gadgets). This processor is on observe to launch within the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colourful Macbook (Air).July 5, 2021
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That quote is from widespread Twitter leaker Dylandkt, who’s profile was deleted in Janary of 2022 — draw your individual conclusions as to why. However a thinner design does counsel that the MacBook Air (2022) will embrace some variant of the Apple M1 SoC; it is unclear if this would be the similar M1 chip featured within the present MacBook Air, or a brand new all-in-one M2 SoC.
The present model of the laptop computer — the MacBook Air (2020) — comes with Apple’s M1 SoC or system on a chip, which mixes CPU, GPU and different parts into an 8-core processor able to surprisingly gorgeous efficiency. The 2020 mannequin is rather more {powerful} than the Intel-powered model it changed, working 3.5 instances sooner with regards to CPU efficiency and 5 instances sooner for its GPU efficiency. What may a brand new M2 chip deliver?
Exterior of the chip itself, it is doubtless that Apple will preserve most of the different specs the identical as the present mannequin. That is the ‘funds’ laptop computer choice in any case, so any increase to energy may push the worth increased and eat into the marketplace for the MacBook Professional.
This implies you will see a selection between 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of SSD, alongside established options just like the Magic Keyboard, and Contact ID. We’re additionally anticipating thinner bezels, a 13-inch show (as is at the moment the usual), and an improved 1080p webcam. Up to date webcam tech was featured on the 2021 iMac, with Apple claiming this to be the “greatest digital camera ever in a Mac”, so we might be stunned if this is not prolonged throughout your complete vary of MacBook gadgets given how dire the present 720p webcam efficiency is.
For context, the final Intel-based MacBook Air may run two 4K exterior screens, so we would see this characteristic return, particularly because the latest iMacs and MacBook Professionals all sport 1080p webcams.
Whereas the variety of ports on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional (2021) ended up increasing fairly a bit, the identical may not occur on the MacBook Air (2021), which is able to doubtless stay at two ports.
- Store the most recent MacBook Professional offers and gross sales