Apple is apparently going to launch new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air versions in the coming months, 9to5Mac says, citing reports from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. Furthermore, the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air – a rumored new addition to the Air family – might hit stores as late as early 2015.
Quanta Computer is reportedly making Apple’s upcoming MacBook Air models, with Apple’s orders expected to boost the company’s laptop shipment numbers by 15% this year. The new OS X notebooks will have new chassis, new screens and new chipsets, and should be shipped in late-August. Specific hardware details for the new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air laptops have not been revealed.
The Retina MacBook Air may ship at the end of the third quarter at the earliest, although delays could prevent it from reaching stores this year. The 12-inch device has been detailed in various reports so far, but it looks like Apple has run into some Intel-related chip delays. The 12-inch MacBook Air is supposed to pack a 14-nanometer Broadwell chip that’s going to offer better performance and energy efficiency, but which will be in short supply this year and into 2015.
Apple has already refreshed its MacBook Air line a few months ago, updating its two models with slightly faster and more efficient processors, and dropping the prices across the line by $100.
Apple will launch its OS X Yosemite update at some point in fall, likely alongside new hardware. In addition to the rumored new MacBook Air models, Apple should also update its MacBook Pro family later this year.
