Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a brand new MacBook Air next quarter. Could it be the 15-inch model?
Rumour has it that Apple has been working on a larger MacBook Air model for some time. To be precise, the device is supposed to have a 15-inch display. Now the Taiwanese news site DigiTimes has spoken out. In the paid Article is it [called:
Apple's MacBook shipments are expected to be lower in the first quarter of 2023, but a new MacBook Air series will launch in the second quarter, industry sources said.
The second quarter runs from April to June and includes Apple's annual developer conference WWDC in June. The current 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip was announced last year at WWDC and has been available since July. This information comes just a day after display industry analyst Ross Young said Apple's supply chain began producing display panels for a larger 15-inch MacBook Air this month. Young estimates the new MacBook Air will launch in "early April," which is early in the second quarter. The new 15-inch display would be the largest the MacBook Air has ever had and would likely be offered alongside the 13-inch model. Since DigiTimes is talking about a new MacBook Air "series," Apple could be planning to announce both 13-inch and 15-inch models, but that's not certain yet.
Which chipset will the new MacBook Air have?
It remains unclear whether the 15-inch MacBook Air will feature the M2 chip or the next-generation 3nm-based M3 chip, which has not yet been announced. Apple's chip manufacturing partner TSMC began mass production of 3nm chips in December, but it's unclear whether the M3 chip will be ready by the second quarter. Apple has yet to announce the high-end M2 Ultra chip for the new Mac Pro as the last chip in the M2 series, and will likely want to announce it before the M3 chip is unveiled. DigiTimes had previously reported that Apple plans to announce a new MacBook Air with the M3 chip in the second half of 2023. But the news site is rather unreliable when it comes to timelines compared to more reputable sources like Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman. (Photo by Unsplash / James Yarema)
