MacBook Air revamp delayed to late 2022, 2023 for 14-inch, 16-inch MacBook Pro

Apple's rumored redesign of the MacBook Air will arrive later in 2022, a report claims, with updates to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros also thought to arrive into 2023.

Ahead of the "Peek Performance" event, rumors claimed Apple was going to show off new MacBook models, including an update to the MacBook Air lineup and possibly some MacBook Pro changes too. After a no-show for Macbooks at the event, speculation now turns to when those missing items will appear.

On Sunday, Mark Gurman wrote in his "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg that Apple did plan for a MacBook Air to launch at the end of 2021 or in the early parts of 2022. Unfortunately, the launch window has apparently slipped into the third or fourth quarter of 2022.

This correlates with other reports speculating a MacBook Air will occur later in 2022. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also made a similar claim in mid-March on the timing, positing a third-quarter update.

The updated MacBook Air should include multiple color options and the M2, as well as a thinner and lighter appearance. A change in the display is also expected, with suggestions of mini LED backlighting and the use of a notch for the FaceTime camera.

While there has been some suggestion of changes to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro down the line, following the introduction of an entry-level "M2" MacBook Pro, there may be a long wait in store. Gurman doesn't expect the high-end models to be updated in 2022 at all, with "M2 Pro" and "M2 Max" editions arriving sometime in 2023.

For 2022, Gurman insists the only update that should happen is a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip.

In February, Gurman wrote that Apple would introduce at least seven new Mac models across its entire catalog in 2022. The list included an updated Mac mini with both M1 Pro and M2 upgrades, the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2, an M2 24-inch iMac, an enlarged iMac Pro with M1 Pro and Max, and an Apple Silicon refresh of the Mac Pro.

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6 Comments

tenthousandthings 1060 comments · 17 Years

About 2 years ago

3rd or 4th quarter is not necessarily “Late 2022”

bala1234 167 comments · 6 Years

While I am guilty of actively following the Apple rumor cycle especially on products I am interested in (Air). Headlines like 'delayed' when Apple themselves never made any announcement is very amusing.

charlesn 1153 comments · 11 Years

tommikele said:
Selling it prior to the opening of the school and holiday buying period would be beyond stupid.

Actually not the case. The spring rumors made sense because mid-May through June is graduation season, and MacBook Airs make fine gifts for graduates of all ages--whether they're heading to high school, college or graduate school. A spring announcement also would have teed up the new MacBook Air for back-to-school, which starts in August. Maybe Apple will announce it at WWDC, but that's an unlikely event for announcing a new Air... in which case, we're probably looking at October, thus missing both grad season and back-to-school this year.

samrod 60 comments · 6 Years

Japhey said:

tommikele said:

Dumb headline. An example of what tech media does on the weekend when they have nothing of value to post. They just make something up or change the date on an article they wrote3] three months ago and repost as if it was new. Between AI and 9to5, I have seen five of those in the last three days.

Yeah, but I think most people here realize that writers have quotas. When the news is slow, they have to write about something, anything in order to get paid. If they don’t get paid, then they will look for work elsewhere. If they find work elsewhere, the quality of writing will decrease when there actually is something of worth to report on. While I don’t know any of the writers personally, I can only speculate that they don’t wake up every morning excited to write about whatever these attention junky analysts have to spew that day. But that’s the job, and that’s where the clicks are. Ultimately, the burden is on the reader to influence the supply of these types of articles by either providing or denying those clicks. Which, whether we liked it or not, we both just did.
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Maybe you aren't aware, but as Apple rumor sites rather than news sites, AI, MacRumors, and 9to5 Mac don't wait around for official Apple statements. The rumor mill is their focus: analyst predictions, insider connections, anonymous leaks, etc. Over the decades, these rumor sites have been at it so long that they seem to have much better at vetting the various leakers and predictions than general "legitimate" media.

rune66 44 comments · 16 Years

Doesn't really matter when they are putting this eyesore right in the middle of my sight. Apple - This is the worst design and usability decision you have ever made. I'm more and more satisfied with my MBP 2019 16 inch, it's lighter profile and proper screen. Seems that I'm going to hold this for many years to come.