Apple is reportedly readying a new, radically different version of its MacBook Air — a Retina MacBook Air. The new device will apparently sport a 12-inch screen, and remove many of the ports and connections found on the current model. It also seems that the new MacBook Air will be narrower and taller, according to Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac:
The 12-inch MacBook Air will be considerably smaller than the current 13-inch version, yet also slightly narrower than the 11-inch model. The new 12-inch version is approximately a quarter-of-an-inch narrower than the 11-inch version, yet it is also a quarter-of-an-inch taller in order to accommodate the slightly larger display. In order to fit the larger screen into a footprint about the size of the current 11-inch model, the bezels on the display have been reduced on all sides.
The keyboard will reportedly go from edge to edge on the new Air, with the gaps between the keys shrinking. Additionally, it seems that the number of ports on the MacBook Air may be moving down to two, an audio-in port, and a USB Type-C port. More from Gurman:
On the left side is a standard headphone jack and dual-microphones for input and noise-canceling. On the right side is solely the new USB Type-C port. Yes, Apple is currently planning to ditch standard USB ports, the SD Card slot, and even its Thunderbolt and MagSafe charging standards on this new notebook. We must note that Apple tests several designs of upcoming products, so Apple may choose to ultimately release a new Air that does include the legacy components, though there is very little space on the edges for them.
The USB Type-C port would also apparently serve to deliver power to the Air. Other changes supposedly include a new trackpad, which will lack the clicking of the current MacBook Air's trackpad.
Keep in mind that nothing is official until Apple announces it. For more on what Apple's next MacBook Air could look like, check out the report at 9to5Mac.
Source: 9to5Mac
Reader comments
Apple reportedly planning major redesign for next MacBook Air
This sounds like a fake or a really early prototype, I just can't see Apple making that radical of a change: Abandoning nearly all ports in favor of Type-C, a standard that has nearly no accessories built for it at the moment. The removal of the click on the trackpad also seem fishy, seeing as Apple's Macbooks are somewhat famous for it.
Overall seems like a huge step backwards, and too little forward. As such, I'd maintain this is a fake or a very early prototype. Apple would never shoot themselves in the foot to this degree.
I think this is a major step backwards for the Air line. Someone should punch who ever thought of this because it's foolish and someone should also get it in the heads of Apple that thinner isn't better. I'm going to bring up Bend Gate here because while Bendable IPhone 6 Pluses were few, it still happened and caused some major black lash albeit way over exaggerated but nonetheless that occurred, thinner isn't better! They should be focusing on improving the battery life, fixing the many bugs iOS has. Only having one USB with it being the charging point is outrageous and idiotic. I'm hoping this dooms and fails spectacularly. I don't say that but for this I will. And here I was wanting to get a nice Air to try Mac OS since my HP gave way after 7 years smh. O well Windows it is for me again after I fix my old dying Desktop computer.
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It's just the iPad Air Plus??
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As interesting as this could be, I hope they don't just limit it to the supposed new 12" model only. I hope they make a 13.3" model too.
Heck, go all the way and put out a 15" as well. Now that would be something all together different!
Lol no MagSafe then how will it charge? I hope the MacBook Pro models keep their outputs. Otherwise how the hell can I use my external monitors?
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The USB 3.1 Type C is kind of like Thunderbolt and Lightning. The connector/port design is reversible like the Lightning connector on iOS devices. It's a high speed USB serial bus delivering up to 10 Gbit/s like Thunderbolt 1. It can carry alternate protocols like DisplayPort or Ethernet or Thunderbolt. It can be set up to carry 5 to 100 Watts of power both in and out. It is backward compatible to USB 1 and 2.
So, Apple can sell a monitor like the Apple Thunderbolt Display with USB 3.1 Type C. You plug it in to the laptop, and the monitor can charge the laptop while the laptop can use it as an external display, and the monitor can have I/O port replicator in it just like the Thunderbolt Display. All through one cable, instead of the 2 that's need today.
It's going to be a whole host of changes. Having just 1 port, removing the SD card slot, removing the mechanical click on the trackpad, not having a magnetically attached power connector, the narrower keyboard, and the 12" display size are all going to play into it. And if it is fanless, it'll use the current Broadwell-U or Core M offerings, it will be no faster than the current Haswell based MBAs.
So one USB port that also has to serve as the charging port. Not sure I like losing the MagSafe as that has protected my device from being jerked off a table once or twice when I wasn't paying attention. Don't really like losing the SD card reader either. Oh well, maybe they will put a toy processor in it too and convince me to move to the 13" pro.
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New Dell XPS 13.... OSX version.
Minus some ports, and with slightly better battery life.
Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
The only way I see this working is if you see the MacBook Air as "not really a serious computer" and more something that you use casually or as a secondary device. I know that Apple basically sees the MacBook Air as exactly that, but in my IT work, I see absolutely huge numbers of users that buy a MacBook Air and use it as their main or only computer.
Up until now, other than the lack of computing horsepower and the fact that it isn't "retina," the MacBook Air is still a good computer choice. After this (if true of course), the only "serious" laptop will be the Pro model, and the Air will be just a silly thing that can't really get the job done.
I think it will sell well, but that those sales will essentially cover up what a huge mistake this is (from a design standpoint), to make the MacBook Air this way. Apple is prioritizing things that the consumers generally don't give a sh*t about (thin-ness and retina displays), at the expense of things that consumers general care a lot about (USB ports and connectivity).
It will harm sales to a point, but it will likely force people towards the more expensive Pro models, which is likely what they want. And to whatever degree it does affect sales, it will all be covered up by the overall explosion of sales that Apple sees every year.
The fact that Apple could literally put *ANY* product out there and sell a million of them in the first quarter (just because they are Apple), is blinding them to the true popularity (or lack of it) of their many offerings IMO.
Very well said!
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MacBook Air Chromebook edition?
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Very well put. One would imagine this is just a prototype, as it seems very odd for them to essentially kill their most popular Mac machine by removing all the parts people loved about it, and replacing it with stuff people don't want.
If this is the design they're sticking with, it'll probably be the Windows 8 of the Mac family.
I can absolutely see this, especially if they are keeping the 12-hr battery life - or even creeping it up near the 15-hr mark.
As usual, people will complain before anything official is announced, typically over a perceived "loss". If this IS where Apple goes with its Air lineup, the typical user will be well-served I bet.
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This is a step in the opposite direction from what I, or the bulk of the users I support, want or need from a laptop. One connectivity port? Seriously?! In a design like this, someone giving a presentation on a USB drive is not going to be able to connect the laptop to a projector without also using a hub. This was the critical shortcoming of the original MacBook Air and it resulted in exactly one of them being purchased in my department before the updated version with a second USB port came along (and those models had the port to connect a display - this one does not even have that).
I'm not putting it past Apple to do this, as most of the their recent computer designs (MacBook Pro, Mac mini, Mac Pro) have been exactly what I don't want. Still, I hope that this is a a test version that does not escape the lab.
Apple will do it so you have to buy more things to use the computer how you used to use it. Not sure how this would work, what if you need to give a long presentation or something and wanted to use a USB drive and needed a charge. Not sure why apple is so hell bent on "super thin" but here appears to be another example of putting form over function.
I agree with others, just a iPad pro. Is this a sign that magsafe is on its way out, along with thunderbolt. What about the aging thunderbolt display? I am really suprised they did not update it to go with the new Mac Mini.
Of course there's an update after I purchased a 13inch Air last month. But seriously, I really thought that any update to the Air line would involve a Carbon Fibre body. Don't get me wrong I'm absolutely loving the 2014's aluminum body but Carbon Fibre body would make it extremely light.
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about freaking time
I would welcome a retina display, but I'm not keen on removing the "click" of the trackpad.
As described, this design has a lot of problems and introduces a lot of drawbacks in exchange for almost nothing new, except ... "thinner."
Probably Apple will have solutions for many of these, but just to start with:
- no mouse while charging, no charging while using mouse.
- no backup while charging and no charging while backing up.
- can't use an external screen while charging (or using a mouse or backing up)
I'm glad I don't use laptops or have a use case for a laptop like this, but if I was an average laptop user, I would see this device as fairly useless except as an auxiliary "use it once in a while" kind of machine. It would be painful to use this as your main computing device for sure.
Trackpad?
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Think of it as like a clamshell iPad with OS X. iPads have the same port topology (headphone, mics, Lightning), yet mice, backup, and external screens aren't a big deal. ;)
Yeah, but iOS doesn't need a mouse or any peripherals to work, whilst OS X kinda does.
At the very least, you will want to attach a backup drive now and then, or a simple USB thumb drive with a file on it. Then the hassle begins. Lots and lots of things can be done wirelessly nowadays, but not always and not with standard laptops for the most part.
The only thing I can see to ameliorate these problems would be some kind of chunky USB/Power hub, but then the question arises as to what's the real point of removing all those ports, if they are just going to be repositioned on the power brick or somewhere down that power/USB wire.
It's like you have a choice between a computer with ports, or a computer with a brick beside it and the ports on that. I don't get it myself, but then ... I don't like laptops as I said.
This is standard operating procedure for Apple though. They aggressively drop existing "standards" and move to new nascent ones. They do sometimes fail, but also have some big home runs like the 2010 MBA, 2012 rMBP or the 1998 iMac.
For backup, consumers can use wireless backup. Bluetooth mice and keyboards are ubiquitous enough now that you should see that it will be the future. For file transfers, wireless transfer (by way of AirDrop or WiDi or wireless server sync a la DropBox or iCloud). If it is not ubiquitous now, the new device will push it closer.
What makes this different from the iPad is a 0.5" clamshell form factor and the presence of OS X. It's going to be like a MBA, but lighter and thinner. That will be a win.
USB 3.1 Type C effectively replaces Thunderbolt, and a monitor with a built-in port replicator, like the current Apple Thunderbolt monitor, solves the use cases for desktop situations (attached storage, wired peripherals), and it does it with one less cable as the monitor can power and charge the laptop.
If you need more, the rMBP may fit your needs better.
I appreciate your reply and mostly agree, but your last line is sort of my main point.
Apple may *say* that people with more serious needs should use the MacBook Pro, but the Air is cheaper, lighter, and more or less as capable as the Pro. I work at a major University in IT and almost every professor uses a MacBook Air now. Over the last few years, they have all switched away from the MacBook Pros to Airs. With this move, they will be forced to buy a much more expensive, heavier machine and they won't like that. It will feel like a step backwards for most.
Very few people in this environment use wireless or network backup. Every single office I visit has a small USB hard drive in use for that, plugged into the ubiquitous Air. Most folks with an Air who have more than one peripheral are already pretty ticked at having to use a hub already. A lot of them are still mad about losing FireWire and having to buy all the dongles and adapters for Thunderbolt. Now, just as they are finally taking baby steps to adopt and use Thunderbolt devices, everything is changed again. This is only one anecdotal situation of course, but I fear it is not that unusual.
This new Air will likely sell well as I said, but it's kind of a "silly" laptop aimed at marginal or new users. There is an absolutely HUGE amount of people that I see who have switched to a MacBook Air for their main machine. This new Air seems to be aimed at pushing those folks back to the MacBook Pro.
Market segmentation and upsell are Apple's specialties. If users need the ports, Apple will offer a more expensive option, or an un-updated legacy option, for them until demand dies down. The rMBP is also lacking in some ports btw, like Ethernet, so it's not exactly a home run on the I/O front either.
Changing I/O is not a new thing in for Apple. USB replace RS-232 or whatever it was called. SCSI to Firewire 400 to Firewire 800. VGA to DVI to ADC to mini DVI to micro DVI to mDP to Thunderbolt. Heck, as I recall, some Apple laptops didn't come with line-in (possibly no line-out too) and people had to buy USB based ones. It's difficult for consumers, but for Apple, they view it as an inevitable push to the future. If consumers really want to have another Type C USB port and an SD card slot, Apple will put them in a later model, but Apple will push.
Don't view this design, or rumored design, as a silly laptop aimed at marginal and new users. It's an attempt to become a mainstream computing device that can sell in near iPad numbers, on the order of 5 to 10 million units per quarter. The design is basically a clamshell iPad running OS X. It has the same connectivity topology and is even as thin as the 2010 iPad. Makes me wonder what they are going to do to the UI/software.
This is great news if true!
So long Thunderbolt and MagSafe, don't let the door hit you on the way out
If I just listened to this rumor on it's own; I would have said "no way!"
However....
At CES Intel also announced that Broadwell is going to reduce the number of wires plugging into a system.. Including wireless charging, wireless 4K displays, and devices..
Combine THAT news with this and it makes A LOT OF SENSE.. Basically, if true, Apple is cutting the cords and going all-in with wireless technology for it's next generation of laptops... Starting with it's 12" Retina MBA..
Very cool..
Intel has that slated for "post" Broadwell, Skylake. Think 2016, maybe.
Not to mention, Apple is not part of any of the alliances that Intel is pushing for the power tech (it's Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Logitech and Panasonic, Asus and Logitech)
http://www.cnet.com/news/intel-aims-to-eliminate-all-pc-cables-in-2016/
Per that article, "With Skylake expected second half of 2015 it's likely devices based on Intel's reference designs would start to hit the market in 2016."
Apple generally does not do 'alliances' publicly and it's very common for Apple to get in on Intel technology, like Thunderbolt, first. If they join alliances, it tips off competitors AND Intel lets them because Apple tends to show off the best features of Intel's technology.
Apple has MANY wireless patents. They've shown interest in killing the wire for years.
So, to me, this just means Apple is skipping Broadwell and going directly to Skylake... Especially since all leaks for the Retina MBA point to second half release.. right in-line with Skylake.. Apple generally gets first dibs on a chip releases. Months ahead of the competition, in the past.
IMO this is the best move Apple could make, Broadwell just took to long.
Apple does plenty of alliances publicly (take a look at the WiGig alliance).
As for Apple cozing up with Intel, Intel is competing with Apple and Apple isn't showcasing anything of a competitor (take at look at the Intel stage at CES and count the number of Apple devices, it's less than 1).
Finally I don't think Apple is going to wait a year to update the aging MacBook Air platform and the USB interface is a perfect solution to the cable problem that Apple and others have.
You apparatnly didn't bother reading.. Mid 2015 for Skylake.. Thats not a year... and I'm talking the yet to be released Retina MBA.. you know.. that the above article is about..
As for Apple not showcasing intel tech? Ummm Firewire, Thunderbolt, USB 2.0 (yup, they were first), Last 3 releases of Apple products had first dibs on CPU's too from Intel.. They dropped discrete GPU's for Intel's integrated, and yup, stated the Ultrabook revolution..
As for CES, Apple NEVER goes, but is always what everyone talks about. Not sure how them not at an intel booth shows anything other than they are tight lipped.. as usual..
Odd retorts considering you were the one who assumed this was coming with Broadwell.
Yes, Apple does not showcase Intel. Apple offers very few of Intel technologies in their products and the products they do offer are usually not the top of the line from Intel. For example; the best Intel processor Apple sells is the I7-4790K, a second tier of i7 processors (Dell and HP offered that CPU before Apple did). My guess is Apple will dump Intel in about 5 years and Intel knows it (there's a reason why Intel is only used in a dying product line).
As for dropping discrete GPUs, you may want to double check Apples product line as they still use discrete GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD (the only two companies who offer them).
As for CES, few are talking about Apple at CES. The lack of any meaningful Apple CES content here at iMore should be a big hint.
But maybe you are correct, maybe the Apple watch, the Apple TV, the iPad and the iPhone will all have the newest Intel processors to showcase Intel instead of Apple.
wow.. just wow.. selective reading is an amazing talent. The Broadwell statement was based on a report from 9to5, so my miss-quote was from that. happens.
Showcase is in first to use, not have top of the line and I was strictly referring to the Macbook line. Just because they don't use Intel in all products doesn't mean anything. Their is a difference. First to have Firewire, Thunderbolt, etc. please re-read.
GPU comment was directed an the Air line.. Hence the comment about Apple starting the ULTRABOOK revolution. Again, you seem to have selective reading.. never said they didn't have discrete GPUs.. no need to double check anything. rofl!
As for dumping Intel, not likely. They just hold it over Intels head as leverage. Tim's no silly cookie. Intel makes a lot of $$ from Apple and potentially a lot more.
As for CES, you should WATCH the live feed.. EVERY interview mentions Apple to some degree.. Support for HomeKit and HealthKit are big conversation topics at CES..
Just because Intel and Apple have competing products (CPUs), doesn't negate the facts they often get first dibs on Intel tech in their Macbook lines as they have in the past, as history shows..
Make it a touch screen & a 360 hinge you've got an iPad pro... Or a Lenovo Yoga with less ports.
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This will be the furthest thing from an iPad Pro.
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