Rumors of a new, larger MacBook Air have gathered steam in 2022, and according to a new report, the laptop could finally make its debut in the coming months.
Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, says display panels for a 15.5-inch MacBook Air will start production in the first quarter of 2023, meaning the new laptop could be revealed in the spring. Young’s report was made via Twitter to their super followers who pay for the service.
A 15.5-inch MacBook Air would put it, size-wise, between the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. But the key technical differentiator between the displays is that the MacBook Pros use a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with ProMotion, while the current MacBook Air uses a standard LED display. Young previously reported that the new MacBook Air would not get the high-end features that are exclusive to the MacBook Pro.
Since Young is a display specialist, he doesn’t provide any insight into the other components or features that might be in the new MacBook Air, such as the processor and design. The newest model has an M2 chip and received a major redesign last spring. A larger MacBook Air is likely to be extremely similar but with a larger screen. However, we’ve heard that Apple is ramping up production of the M3 chip in 2023, so you might get a newer chip.
The question is where it fits into Apple’s lineup. The M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,199, the 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,299, and the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. Presumably, a 15.5-inch MacBook Air would cost around $1,499, not unlike the price difference between the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro that much more irrelevant.
When Apple first released the MacBook Air in 2008, it came with a 13-inch display, a size Apple continues to offer to this day. In 2010, Apple expanded the line with a smaller 11-inch model that was discontinued in 2016. Apple currently sells two versions of the MacBook Air, an M1 model with a 13.3-inch display for $999, and an M2 model with a 13.3-inch display. 13.6 inches. inch screen for $1,199.