Apple’s new 12-inch Retina MacBook Air is expected to enter mass production in the first quarter of 2015, manufactured by Quanta Computer, according to a new report released today.
The new notebook is expected to boast Intel’s Broadwell processors, and a chassis redesign which will further reduce the device’s already-slimline thickness and weight.
Previously we had heard that the slimmer design of the new MacBook Air could be the result of eliminating the fan assembly, which is part of the reason the Air is thicker on one end than the other.
Apple may also be able to save space by getting rid of the physical clicking mechanism in the MacBook Air’s trackpad.
Today’s Digitimes report claims that Quanta has struggled with yield rates for the new 12-inch MacBook Air, although it doesn’t seem to think this will be too much of a problem — particularly since the high-end notebook will have only limited shipments, compared to a mass market device like the iPhone.
The sources cited by the report claim these yield issues are gradually being resolved.
It was previously rumored that the 12-inch Retina MacBook Airs will arrive in iPhone-inspired silver, gold and space gray color options.
Seeing as Q1 is also the time when manufacturers will be building the eagerly-anticipated Apple Watch, while also trying to keep up with continuing demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, early 2015 looks set to be as busy as ever for Apple suppliers. And potentially just as lucrative, too.
