Renders showing what could be the new MacBook Air have been updated to include details from recent rumors, including the loss of the wedge design and the inclusion of the display notch.
Apple is expected to refresh the MacBook Air lineup with new chips and a redesign sometime in 2022, following after the MacBook Pro updates. Following an influx of rumors about the proposed notebook, new renders of what the model could look like have been published.
The latest renders, produced by RendersByIan and published by leaker Jon Prosser via his FrontPageTech site, imagine the thin-and-light MacBook Air as continuing the aesthetic, but rather than being considerably thick on one end and tapering down to the other, there doesn't appear to be any taper at all. The images seem to show the notebook as being an even thickness from back to front.
On one side, MagSafe 3 joins a Thunderbolt 4 port, while the other side has the Thunderbolt 4 port and a headphone jack. The keyboard includes full-size function keys, and the display is surrounded by a white bezel.
That display also has a small notch in the middle of the screen, though it is colored white to match the bezel.
As with previous renders from May, the images show the MacBook Air in a variety of colors, rather than the plain grey that Apple's MacBook lineup typically uses.
The MacBook Air is predicted to use a new chip, such as the "M2," with the display possibly using mini LED backlighting, though not ProMotion technology. The notched camera will apparently be a 1080p model, two external displays may be supported, and MagSafe charging could draw power from a 30W adapter.
There has also been the suggestion that Apple could change the name, resurrecting the "MacBook" title it last used in 2019.
15 Comments
Hope they have a space gray version with black bezels and keyboard, but not holding my breath. Also, it’s almost 2022 – time to ditch the analog headphone jack, especially since it looks like this will be a structural weakness on a machine this thin. Imagining the bending videos now.
Thoughts on release dates? March event seems too soon for an M2 machine, especially if announced alongside M1 Pro/Max iMac Pro, could steal some of that thunder. WWDC seems like an odd time for a new Air. Hoping it does not get pushed all the way to a fall 2022 release! Maybe we can get the iMac Pro & Mini Pro in March and an M2 Air in April?
Since the hardware has four thunderbolt channels, there is no reason why the Air could not have a total of three USB C thunderbolt ports with the fourth used for the smart power connector (it can also take ethernet). Expect to see several different dock like mag save power adapters appear for all Apple products appear over the next year.
I’m thinking 2 TB3 ports on the right side with the headphone jack?
Adding MagSafe 3 would be great and put it in line with the new MacBooks. Apple should also add a 45 or 50W GaN charger for the Mac Air replacement.