The dust has barely settled on this Spring’s Apple Peek Performance event and already industry watchers are casting an eye to what’s next for Cupertino in 2022 – and the rumored MacBook Air update in particular.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a long-standing Apple pundit, is leading the charge and told 9to5Mac he ‘stongly believes’ a new-look Macbook Air will still break cover this year – albiet one that uses a current-gen M1 chip rather than rumored new M2 silicon.
Kuo tweeted out his latest predictions for the 2022 MacBook Air in the aftermath of the latest Apple event, adding that the device will adopt a completely fresh design and form factor, as well as offering new color options – the company having just revealed a fresh green Flavor for the iPhone 13 alongside the iPhone SE 3.
Predictions for new MacBook Air in 2022:
1. Mass production in late 2Q22 or 3Q22
2. Processor: M1 chip
3. No mini LED display
4. All new form factor design
5.More color options
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 9, 2022
The report also pours cold water on rumors that the next MacBook Air could adopt the same mini-LED display we praised in our iPad Pro (2021) review and also featured on the latest MacBook Pro laptops.
That, coupled with the lack of a chip refresh, suggests the MacBook Air will stay firmly positioned as an entry-level bit of Apple hardware, with portability and design rather than raw power again its main selling point.
The jaw-dropping new M1 Ultra chip? It’s one of the most impressive Mac Studio specs and that’s all, for now – which is exactly what you’d expect, given its starting price of £1,999 (compared to typical base Macbook Air pricing of around £800-900).
Kuo’s latest new MacBook Air release date guess posits that the device will enter mass production is late-Q2 or early-Q3. Mac hardware has gotten quiet refreshes in the Autumn months before, following the traditional September launch of a new flagship iPhone, so that’s far from out of the question.
