New & colorful mini LED MacBook Air coming in mid-2022, says Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple is reportedly going to ship a long-rumored MacBook Air refresh with mini LED display technology in mid-2022, according to a new report by Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, Ming-Chi Kuo lays out a release timetable for an all-new MacBook Air. While a new design is expected, Kuo says that it isn't clear if it will replace the existing M1 model, or be a higher-end option for consumers.

Elaborating upon that point, Kuo says that if the M1 MacBook Air is discontinued with the release, the Mini LED MacBook Air will probably start at the same price as the current M1 MacBook Air. Alternatively, Kuo is expecting the existing M1 model to lower in price, versus extending the higher-end of the pricing for the line with the new model.

Multiple colors are predicted to debut with the redesign. Kuo also suspects that the design will be similar to the new MacBook Pro that he is expecting to see soon.

Kuo believes that BOE will be the main beneficiary of the display order volume, with LG supplying some as well.

On July 23, Kuo said that Apple's next-generation MacBook Air will adopt a 13.3-inch mini LED display. Currently, MacBook Air sports a 13.3-inch Retina display with standard LED backlighting.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro that debuted in April was Apple's first portable product with mini LED tech. Dubbed Liquid Retina XDR, the display features a backlight consisting of more than 10,000 mini LEDs grouped into 2,596 local dimming zones. The result is an LCD display with contrast ratios rivaling those of OLED.

Apple is expected to bring mini LED to MacBook Pro in late 2021. Kuo anticipates both 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops will gain the technology.

6 Comments

h4y3s 85 comments · 9 Years

About 3 years ago

Another day another MacBook Air rumor

mikeinca 20 comments · 5 Years

It’s been almost a year since the M1 model came out. Surely something could come out before mid 2022?

entropys 4302 comments · 13 Years

My thinking too. Anyway, I am more interested in MBPs and a decent powered large screen iMac.

and it would seem Apple is no hurry on either front. Clearly the current MBA is selling well enough.

fastasleep 6450 comments · 14 Years

Weird. Seems like the time is right to simplify the lineup again:

MacBook — base model for most users, 13.3" screen (no need for mini-LED unless the cost is low enough that it makes sense to apply it across all devices and doesn't need to differentiate from low and high end models), lower core/RAM option(s), like two tiers, colors
MacBook Pro — 14/16" mini-LED, "pro" colorways, higher CPU/GPU/RAM/Storage options

Feels like the brand cache behind the Air name is so strong it's not going away. I suppose the same could be said about the iMac name, that could've always become the "Mac" at any point.

charlesn 1153 comments · 11 Years

fastasleep said:

Feels like the brand cache behind the Air name is so strong it's not going away. I suppose the same could be said about the iMac name, that could've always become the "Mac" at any point.

I agree that the value of the "Air" brand remains strong--which is crazy when you consider that it long ago gave up the "Air" claim to fame as a smaller and much lighter laptop compared to Apple's more "pro" offering. Versus today's MacBook Pro 13", the Air has the same footprint and is a measly 3 ounces lighter. The Air's only clear advantage is price, especially since the Air tends to see more aggressive price cutting than the Pro. The real heir-apparent to the Air concept was the MacBook 12" (RIP), which was a full pound lighter than the Pro and had a smaller footprint. It would be great if the 2022 Air could get back to that form factor, but not hobbled by a single port and a sluggish processor.