Fans of aging Apple laptops have been praying for a new MacBook Air (2022) to make an appearance at Apple’s “Peek Performance” event on March 8. They were left behind. Again.
But don’t be afraid! Compelling rumors suggest a new MacBook Air will be released alongside a second-generation M1 silicon, and in a range of bright, cheerful colors. It’s got big shoes to fill: The older MacBook Air (M1, 2020) still tops our Best Laptops Guides and Best Apple Laptops and has done so since November 2020, when it was released in the alongside other M1-powered devices such as the Mac mini (2020) and 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020).
The 2022 MacBook Air will most likely retain the quiet, fanless design and excellent battery life, which is already the longest in an Apple laptop, even if Apple makes no adjustments. But some improvements, especially in the design of the Air, are expected with the 2022 model. Rumors abound of a complete redesign including a plethora of colors to choose from, similar to the classic Mac-inspired ones you can choose for. the 2021 iMac and the 4th generation iPad Air.
Here’s everything we know so far.
MacBook Air (2022): getting straight to the point
- What is that? Apple’s latest ultraportable laptop
- When did he come out? Maybe end of 2022
- How much will it cost? Unknown, but likely similar to current price (from $999/£999)
Latest news
April 15: Apple is testing a whole bunch of new Macs powered by its next-generation M2 chip, including a new MacBook Air and several MacBook Pro models, according to Laptop Vine.
April 13: According to a respected Apple source, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, MacBook production could be affected by the current blockages in China due to Covid, reports a suggestion, which means potential delays for new laptops. ‘Apple.
April 11 : “Apple is preparing to launch new Macs in the coming months,” writes Mark Gurman. “What better place to do that than WWDC?” And one of them will probably be the MacBook Air, he says.
April 2: No April Fool’s Day here: DigiTimes says supply chain sources – insiders at companies involved in making parts for Apple’s laptops – are ramping up production, anticipating hot sales of the next few MacBook Air models.
More of the latest MacBook Air goodies ▼
March 25: New rumors suggest that Apple could release a new 15-inch MacBook Air in 2023. This could either be the best decision Apple has ever made or a big mistake, writes TechRadar computing guru Matt Hanson.
March 22: Apple intended to launch a redesigned MacBook Air at its recent launch event, but was unable to meet its original schedule, says Mark Gurman. The company now plans to launch the MacBook Air in the second half of 2022, he says.
March 09: At its spring “Peek Performance” event, Apple unveiled a new M1 Ultra chipset, the 2022 iPad Air, 2022 iPhone SE, the fancy Mac Studio, and more! But no MacBook Air, unfortunately.
October 22, 2021: Apple’s next MacBook Air could feature a Mini-LED display like the new MacBook Pros – perhaps minus the notch – when it allegedly arrives in mid-2022, as well as an M2 chip, with an off-white keyboard and bezels.
August 11, 2021: Apple’s next MacBook Air will land in mid-2022 with plenty of color options and a Mini LED display, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Release date and price
We were hoping Apple would spill some beans at its Peek Performance event on March 8, but now that it’s passed without even a mention, the expected release date is a bit hazy. With so many rumors floating around, it’s still likely that we could see it announced by the end of 2022, so keep your eyes open for anything happening towards the end of the year.
The last 24-inch iMac was only released in May 2021, and given that it featured the same M1 SoC as the first wave of Apple silicon, no one knows if this latest MacBook Air will offer the same M1 with a full design updated, will sport one of the new chips unveiled with the new MacBook Pros, or have an all-new Apple M2 chip.
Since the two most recent MacBook Pro models contain bloated versions of the M1 chip (the M1 Pro and the M1 Max), it’s unlikely that the 2022 MacBook Air will launch with the same ultra-powerful Soc during of the same output window, so an M2 chip start is more likely.
There are no official pricing rumors yet, but we expect the new MacBook Air to start at $999/£999, just like the current model.
Design
Regardless of when the new MacBook Air will arrive, there have been plenty of leaks and speculation regarding its new design to make the wait worth it. We had planned in April that the MacBook Air is overdue for its own colorful redesign following the release of the 24-inch iMac during the On springs event, when the new models were inspired by some classic and colorful Mac designs.
This was reinforced when Apple serially leaked John Prosser asserted that the MacBook Air (2021) could launch in the same seven colors as the iMac (2021). These colors are blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple.
According to renders provided by Prosser, these new MacBook Air laptops may also feature white keys, larger function keys, and a slightly smaller trackpad. The chassis is also noticeably slimmer and ‘squarer’, doing away with the current angled edges and instead opting for a very modern, blunt edge. With all these rumors collated, it looks like this anticipated redesign will be the thinnest and lightest MacBook Air yet.
Now that the rumors have been proven true with the return of MagSafe charging on the latest two MacBook Pros, we also expect the 2022 MacBook Air to feature a Mini-LED display, which isn’t just suggested by the analyst. Ming Chi Kuo but one some other sources
Features
Just wanted to share some details on when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X which is only for Pro Mac devices). This processor is set to be released in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).July 5, 2021
This quote is from notorious Twitter leaker Dylandkt, whose profile was deleted in January 2022 – draw your own conclusions as to why. But a slimmer design suggests the MacBook Air (2022) will include a variant of the Apple M1 SoC; it’s unclear whether it will be the same M1 chip found in the current MacBook Air or a new all-in-one M2 SoC.
The current version of the laptop – the MacBook Air (2020) – comes with Apple’s M1 SoC or System-on-Chip, which combines CPU, GPU and other components into an 8-core processor capable of surprisingly stunning performance. . The 2020 model is much more powerful than the Intel version it replaced, running 3.5 times faster in CPU performance and 5 times faster in GPU performance. What could a new M2 chip bring?
Apart from the chip itself, it is likely that Apple will keep many other specifications identical to the current model. This is the “budget” laptop option after all, so any power boost could drive up the price and eat away at the MacBook Pro market.
That means you’ll have a choice of 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of SSD, along with established features like the Magic Keyboard and Touch ID. We’re also planning thinner bezels, a 13-inch screen (as it currently is) and an improved 1080p webcam. Updated webcam technology has been featured on the 2021 iMac, with Apple claiming it’s “the best camera ever on a Mac”, so we’d be surprised if that’s not extended to the entire range of MacBook devices given the gravity of the current 720p webcam performance is.
For context, the latest Intel-based MacBook Air could run dual 4K external monitors, so we could see that feature return, especially since the latest iMacs and MacBook Pros all sport 1080p webcams.
While the number of ports on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) ended up increasing a bit, the same may not happen on the MacBook Air (2021), which will likely remain two-port .