MacBook Air 15-inch with 'M2-like' chip in testing behind closed doors at Apple
Apple is reportedly testing the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air, which is said to have a processor comparable to the M2 chip coupled with 14-inch MacBook Pro resolution.
Render of a purple 15-inch MacBook Air
In recent months, rumors of a bigger MacBook Air have become more frequent, with analysts saying that Apple is developing a larger 15-inch MacBook Air notebook. Some reports said it could appear in April 2023, although it's more likely to appear in the summer or fall.
According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is supposedly increasing testing of new Macs "with processors on par with the current M2 chip." Like the M2, the new chip might have eight central processing cores and ten graphics cores with 8GB of memory like the existing MacBook Air.
The news comes as Apple is facing a drop in Mac sales. According to a report on April 10, Mac shipments in the first quarter of 2023 dropped 40% year-over-year. Apple may hope to entice consumers with new computers to boost sales again.
Whether the New MacBook Air would have the M2 chip or an enhanced version of an M1 chip is unclear. Perhaps Apple might introduce an M1X processor, similar to various iPad chips.
The new Macs are also rumored to be running macOS 14, the next version of Apple's desktop and notebook operating system that it will reveal at WWDC23 on June 5.
With a model number of "Mac 15,3" the display may be equal to the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has a resolution of 3,024 by 1,964 per the newest model. However, due to the exact resolution with a larger display, it will likely have less sharpness for on-screen details.
Bloomberg further mentions that Apple is working to refresh the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 24-inch iMac, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The first Mac Pro with Apple Silicon is also in development but has had delays.
And in the first half of 2024, Apple also intends to update the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more advanced M3 chips, which likely refers to M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.
The M3 chip types are anticipated to be produced by Apple suppliers with a new 3nm fabrication process. It would likely result in chips with greater performance and efficiency, and the company may also use a similar technology for 2023 iPhones.
Read on AppleInsider
Render of a purple 15-inch MacBook Air
In recent months, rumors of a bigger MacBook Air have become more frequent, with analysts saying that Apple is developing a larger 15-inch MacBook Air notebook. Some reports said it could appear in April 2023, although it's more likely to appear in the summer or fall.
According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is supposedly increasing testing of new Macs "with processors on par with the current M2 chip." Like the M2, the new chip might have eight central processing cores and ten graphics cores with 8GB of memory like the existing MacBook Air.
The news comes as Apple is facing a drop in Mac sales. According to a report on April 10, Mac shipments in the first quarter of 2023 dropped 40% year-over-year. Apple may hope to entice consumers with new computers to boost sales again.
Whether the New MacBook Air would have the M2 chip or an enhanced version of an M1 chip is unclear. Perhaps Apple might introduce an M1X processor, similar to various iPad chips.
The new Macs are also rumored to be running macOS 14, the next version of Apple's desktop and notebook operating system that it will reveal at WWDC23 on June 5.
With a model number of "Mac 15,3" the display may be equal to the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has a resolution of 3,024 by 1,964 per the newest model. However, due to the exact resolution with a larger display, it will likely have less sharpness for on-screen details.
Bloomberg further mentions that Apple is working to refresh the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 24-inch iMac, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The first Mac Pro with Apple Silicon is also in development but has had delays.
And in the first half of 2024, Apple also intends to update the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more advanced M3 chips, which likely refers to M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.
The M3 chip types are anticipated to be produced by Apple suppliers with a new 3nm fabrication process. It would likely result in chips with greater performance and efficiency, and the company may also use a similar technology for 2023 iPhones.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Apple has settled on Mn, Mn Pro, Mn Max and possibly Mn Ultra. Throwing "X" into the mix seems unnecessarily complex.
"The news comes as Apple is facing a drop in Mac sales. According to a report on April 10, Mac shipments in the first quarter of 2023 dropped 40% year-over-year."
Yeah, that "report," carried on AI when released, was from IDC, a notorious and consistent forecaster of Apple doom that just happens to be wrong about 100% of the time in their "facts." This time around, AI posts it as if it's just the known truth without mentioning that it comes from IDC. Personally, I think any Apple "news" reported by IDC should have the "crying from laughing" emoji as its rumor score.
so there’s no need for you to spend any more time worrying about complexity.
I doubt they would put an M1x in what is likely an important laptop. I guess it could be otherwise binned M2 chips.
Personally, I think a 15" MBA with an M2 with less CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, resolution, and other features in a lighter and thinner casing for less money is spot on. I only wish Apple would've done this years ago. I know several people that purchased 16" Pros for a lot more money that would've been fine with the Air's performance simply because they wanted a display larger than 14".
Air designated products seem to couple excellent ergonomics (enhanced by the fan-less design of the MacBook Air), well balanced though not extreme performance, and a design that holds back on some of the higher end bells and whistles that entice Pro users. If I had to guess I’d say that Apple looks at a Pro version of a product and asks itself “What are the (top-N) most important features that (some percentage) of all potential buyers are looking for to come up with an Air version of the product.
Of course, since all users even within targeted categories have never been one homogeneous group all with the same needs, and because Apple usually offers spec upgrades for individual products, the customer’s choice between an Air version and Pro version of a product can still be a bit difficult.
M1 is no more