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

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.