Apple could keep us waiting for MacBook Air’s big redesign

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A MacBook Air without a Touch Bar might be in the offing for later in 2021.
The new model is expected to look a little something like this.
Concept: Ian Zelbo

MacBook Air fans may have to wait longer than expected for the ultraportable’s next big redesign. It was predicted to come early this year, but a new report claims it won’t be ready until sometime during the second half of 2022.

There’s also bad news for MacBook Pro fans. It seems updates to the 14- and 16-inch models, which could bring next-generation “M2 Pro” and “M2 Max” chipsets, won’t appear until 2023.

We’ll have to wait for 2022 MacBook Air overhaul

MacBook Air was one of Apple’s first machines to get an M1 chip — alongside Mac mini and the 13-inch MacBook Pro — in November 2020. The upgrade also brought an improved display, better battery life, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

However, like the rest of the M1 lineup, the MacBook Air came without any design changes. The latest model looks exactly the same as its Intel-powered predecessor. That’s expected to change this year, but you’ll have to wait for it.

Coming later this year

Bloomberg report Mark Gurman, who initially predicted a MacBook Air overhaul would come in late 2021 or early 2022, now expects a new version of Apple’s thinnest notebook sometime during the second half of this year.

It will bring “an all-new design, MagSafe, the M2 chip, and more,” Gurman wrote in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. It is likely to be one of the first Apple M2 devices, along with a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Gurman’s claim echoes those made by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities. Kuo predicts mass production of the new MacBook Air will begin in the third quarter of 2022.

This could mean a launch around September or October, likely after Cupertino rolls out the iPhone 14 lineup. Other new Mac models expected this year include a refreshed Mac mini and possibly an updated 24-inch iMac.

No new 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro

Rather unsurprisingly, Gurman also mentioned that Apple is not planning to refresh the 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro this year. Instead, those are likely to be upgraded with “M2 Pro” and “M2 Max” chips sometime next year.

No design changes are expected for the larger MacBook Pro models, given that they’ve only just been overhauled.

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