The wait for a redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 processor will be over soon, if a tipster is correct. The notebook will supposedly be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. And a version of the Mac mini with the M2 allegedly will be unveiled at the same time.
If true, these will be the first Macs with the improved replacement for Apple’s M1 processor.
New M2 Macs could be right around the corner
Since it was unveiled in 2020, the M1 processor has brought big performance gains to Mac. But its time is nearing the end, as the M2 is expected to launch in 2022. And it could happen in a few weeks.
Tipster LeaksApplePro says via Twitter that they are “hearing the M2 MacBook Air and the M2 Mac mini at WWDC.” Apple’s developers conference starts June 6. WWDC is usually a venue to talk about new software, but hardware announcements happen too.
Hearing the M2 MacBook Air and the M2 Mac mini at WWDC.
— LeaksApplePro (@LeaksApplePro) April 21, 2022
And what might be on tap is a big launch for the M2 processor, with the new notebook and desktop getting slightly less attention. Various versions of the M2 will power an extensive array of Macs to be released in the coming years. It will be a faster chip than the M1, while also generating less heat and using less power, saving battery life.
LeaksApplePro doesn’t have the strongest reputation for accurate insider information, but they were able to give the world the first real look at AirPods 3.
Other sources say the wait for new hardware will be longer. Two analysts agree the 2022 MacBook Air won’t go into production until July at the earliest, for example.
Big hopes for a slim MacBook Air
Apple hasn’t updated the MacBook Air since 2020. And while that model helped usher in the M1 processor, it was otherwise essentially identical to its predecessor. That’s why there’s so much anticipation for a new model.
The 2022 MacBook Air reportedly will look different even at first glance, with the classic tapered design being replaced with a squarer casing reminiscent of the 2021 MacBook Pro, but even slimmer. The more-svelte design supposedly still will have room for a pair of USB-C ports as well as MagSafe charging, though. And it’ll allegedly be available in the same range of colors as the 2021 iMac.
A speedier Mac mini, too
The 2022 Mac mini isn’t expected to get a redesign. What it’ll get instead is an M2 processor, speeding it up.
The desktop might also be available with an M2 Pro – a faster version of the processor. Apple is expected to eventually release additional versions of the chip: an M2 Max and an M2 Ultra.
