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Intel Skylake MacBook Air

Intel Skylake MacBook Air

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The next generation of MacBook Airs will likely incorporate Intel's Skylake processor platform, and possibly other improvements such as a Retina display, Force Touch, USB-C, and Thunderbolt 3.

Intel Skylake processors
Magnetic resonance charging
WiGig peripheral connections
USB-C
Thunderbolt 3

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Very little is known about Apple plans for the MacBook Air, but the company will presumably make the leap to Intel's Skylake platform. Skylake-based PCs will not only be faster but support things like magnetic resonance charging, enabling compatible gadgets to be charged at distances further than those supported by standard inductive wireless chargers, which essentially demand direct contact. Another feature will be quick peripheral connections via WiGig, automatically pairing compatible devices once they enter a set range.
 
It's not clear how many Skylake technologies Apple will adopt. The first Skylake chips could ship as soon as August, but since Apple has already released 2015 versions of the Air — in both 11- and 13-inch sizes — the company's next upgrade window is likely sometime in 2016.
 
Other upgrades could include a Retina display, Force Touch, USB-C, and/or Thunderbolt 3. The latter will actually incorporate USB-C and USB 3.1, but allow speeds between 20 and 40 gigabits per second, depending on the connected cable.

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