Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air: Rumors, and what to expect

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in Future Apple Hardware edited June 2023
The M2 MacBook Air hasn't been out for a full year, but rumors about a new MacBook Air with a 15-inch display are swirling. Here's everything rumored and what it will probably look like.

A 15-inch MacBook Air could be revealed soon
A 15-inch MacBook Air could be revealed soon

Apple hasn't offered two sizes of the MacBook Air since the 11-inch model was discontinued in 2015. That is set to change in 2023, but Apple is expected to announce a larger 15-inch model instead of reintroducing a smaller one.

Rumors about a 15-inch MacBook Air began in earnest at the start of 2022. Earlier rumors hinted at a 15-inch model, but they were less certain in January 2021.



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March 2022

On March 23, 2022, display supply chain analyst Ross Young seemed adamant about a larger MacBook Air. He suggested that the yet-to-be-announced M2 MacBook Air could get a slight size bump, which it did, and a 15-inch model could also be announced. However, Apple only announced the 13-inch model during WWDC.

Just two days later, Ming-Chi Kuo disagreed with Young, stating the 15-inch MacBook wouldn't arrive until 2023 at the earliest. He also said it might not be referred to as a MacBook Air, but would be a different model entirely.

A larger 15-inch display is expected, but no ProMotion or mini-LED
A larger 15-inch display is expected, but no ProMotion or mini-LED

Kuo also mentioned that the larger MacBook would use the same 30W power adapter, though we now know the MacBook Air can also be configured with a dual USB-C 35W adapter.

Not to be out leaked, Ross Young came back on March 25, 2022 with another MacBook Air prediction. He stated that the 15-inch MacBook Air would sport a 15.2-inch display and that the upcoming 13-inch model would be increased from 13.3 inches to 13.6 inches.

A larger mid-range MacBook is missing from Apple's current lineup
A larger mid-range MacBook is missing from Apple's current lineup

So far, half of that statement is true since the M2 MacBook Air does indeed have a 13.6-inch display. Ross Young has been highly accurate regarding display leaks from the supply chain.

Young also stated that the MacBook Air would not get mini-LED or ProMotion. Both display technologies have been reserved for Apple's "Pro" devices, and that hasn't changed.

June 2022

After WWDC in June, leaks began again for the 15-inch MacBook Air. First, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that a "wider" version of the MacBook Air would sport a 15-inch display and M2 processor. It would arrive sometime in 2023 or 2024.

The 15-inch MacBook Air would have more space for speakers
The 15-inch MacBook Air would have more space for speakers

This rumor was followed up a few days later by Ming-Chi Kuo with more detail on the laptop. He still didn't refer to it as a MacBook Air but said the 15-inch laptop would have an M2 or M2 Pro processor and launch by the end of 2023 or later.

Lacking details and an unusual report

Very little else leaked about the larger MacBook Air until December 2022, in which Ross Young adjusted the expected screen size from 15.2 inches to 15.5 inches. He continued to suggest it would arrive in early 2023.

No leaker has taken a stab at color offerings or further configuration details. Rumors surrounding the M2 MacBook Air before it was announced suggested a full range of colors similar to the 24-inch iMac was coming, but instead, Apple stuck to four basic colors.

In January 2023, a doubtful Digitimes report stated that the MacBook Air would be refreshed with an M3 processor in the second half of 2023. This doesn't line up with other rumors, and it would mean a year-over-year chip update to the product -- both suggesting it is unlikely.

The rumored 15-inch MacBook Air could arrive in late 2023
The rumored 15-inch MacBook Air could arrive in late 2023

Ross Young returned on February 13, 2023 to state that the 15.5-inch MacBook Air would release in early April. That put it in line with Ming-Chi Kuo's previous predictions and set it up to release with an M2 processor -- but that announcement didn't happen.

There was some back and forth through March 2023 about the 15-inch MacBook Pro launch, whether it would have M3, and launch with a new 13-inch model as well. M3 isn't due until fall 2023 at the earliest, so this rumor has mostly been dismissed, as it was from an unknown source.

Ross Young chimed in again in April 2023 to suggest a supply chain production ramp-up could indicate the larger MacBook Air could arrive in April or May. Mark Gurman says Apple is testing a 15-inch MacBook Air with a processor on par with M2.

WWDC 2023 release

All eyes are on WWDC 2023, being held on June 5. If a new MacBook Air is launching soon, that would be where it is being announced, though it is also expected to be a packed event with an Apple VR Headset reveal as well.

Apple could offer a different color option with the new MacBook Air
Apple could offer a different color option with the new MacBook Air

The purple MacBook Air shown in our renders is a guess based on Apple's previous releases. Typically, when Apple does a mid-cycle product refresh, it tends to release a new colorway.

The 15-inch MacBook Air isn't expected until sometime in 2023, so Apple has likely not finalized pricing and configuration decisions. What's more confusing is the existence of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 and how it fits in with yet another mid-range laptop.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    Shouldn’t be an Air. Should be a MacBook or MacBook Studio. Single fan design. M2 of course, and *possibly* M2 Pro option, especially if they go with the Studio moniker. 

    This completely replaces the 13.3” Pro and ends the Touch Bar. 
    edited June 2022 AniMillmarc gwilliamlondon
  • Reply 2 of 21
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Apple has covered all bases for it's MAC laptop line. 16.1" MBP,15" MBA,14.1" MBP,13.6" MBA,13.3" MBP,12" MB. The 13.6" MBA and 15" MBA are more like every day user's GOTO laptop for non-professional work oriented customers which is huge customer base from Highschool and College students, Casual users, Small businesses and part of enterprise customers like sales/marketing/customer support/corporate staff.
    Apple, please add one USB-C port on right side. Either take one from left or if needed than will pay extra. The MAC laptop customers tribe has spoken so get rid of that touchbar.
    edited June 2022
  • Reply 3 of 21
    AniMillAniMill Posts: 155member
    Shouldn’t be an Air. Should be a MacBook or MacBook Studio. Single fan design. M2 of course, and *possibly* M2 Pro option, especially if they go with the Studio moniker. 

    This completely replaces the 13.3” Pro and ends the Touch Bar. 
    Exactly what I’d hope: a MacBook Studio w/ M2 Pro. Perfect device. 👍
    watto_cobrah4y3sTheObannonFilewilliamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 21
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    The line starts behind me. 
    mangakattenwatto_cobraTheObannonFilebluefire1
  • Reply 5 of 21
    timmilleatimmillea Posts: 242member
    In what way could a 15" laptop possibly be a MacBook Air? The current 13" model is already a stretch. The MBA concept is a 'premium ultraportable'. A 15" fan-less design would simply be MacBook. The new 13" should be MacBook. A new MacBook Air would be as hated by Americans as the original - small, compromised and very expensive - but loved in the Far East. 
    watto_cobrawilliamlondonM68000
  • Reply 6 of 21
    MacBook Air was called Air because it was significantly thinner than laptops of the time.

    We don’t need an Air moniker anymore.

    Just a MacBook 13/15 and MacBook Pro 14/16

    I don’t know why we couldn’t just get the two sizes with the screen size as the main differentiator…
    d_29secondkox2watto_cobrah4y3sdewmewilliamlondon
  • Reply 7 of 21
    timmilleatimmillea Posts: 242member
    MacBook Air was called Air because it was significantly thinner than laptops of the time.

    We don’t need an Air moniker anymore.

    Just a MacBook 13/15 and MacBook Pro 14/16

    I don’t know why we couldn’t just get the two sizes with the screen size as the main differentiator…
    Plus a MacBook Air 12" - underpowered, one-port, non-upgradeable, non-openable, expensive but a gorgeous fete of engineering! It would, of course, be lighter than a standard iPad. 
    watto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 8 of 21
    AI_liasAI_lias Posts: 434member
    Imagine a 15” Air (thinner and lighter than other 15” laptops) which Apple will also cripple with only one external display. Because that’s who Apple is now, and that’s what they think of their customers. 
    watto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 9 of 21
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    AI_lias said:
    Imagine a 15” Air (thinner and lighter than other 15” laptops) which Apple will also cripple with only one external display. Because that’s who Apple is now, and that’s what they think of their customers. 
    Exactly.  This is why Apple computer market share is increasing dramatically 
    watto_cobrawilliamlondonAlex1N
  • Reply 10 of 21
    iPad ultra. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 21
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    JP234 said:
    Isn't the point of having a MacBook Air for it to be light and easily portable? Isn't that what "Air" implies?
    If you want a 15" laptop, why not just get a MacBook Pro?
    A 15" Air would be around the same weight as the 14" Pro and would be thinner.



    The price would probably start at $1699 for 8GB/512GB, which would only make it $100 cheaper than the 14" Pro for the same spec ($1899 for 16GB/512GB vs $1999). But it would be $600 cheaper than the 16" for the same spec.

    This model would be good for document-oriented jobs - scriptwriters, authors, legal, HR - due to the larger display.

    This can replace the old 13" Pro model:

    https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch

    It could be branded Macbook Studio but I think Air would work ok as it would share the same design as the 14" Air. It could have a fan as long as it didn't increase the height but maybe something like vapor chamber cooling would suit it better.
    watto_cobraJP234h4y3sAlex1N
  • Reply 12 of 21
    MacBook Air was called Air because it was significantly thinner than laptops of the time.

    We don’t need an Air moniker anymore.

    Just a MacBook 13/15 and MacBook Pro 14/16

    I don’t know why we couldn’t just get the two sizes with the screen size as the main differentiator…
    The current MBA is considerably thinner than the MBP. We just got one and I’m worried about bending it it’s so thin. It’s like a beefy iPad. 

    You’re ignoring the other features - more expensive displays, refresh rates, etc. There’s a market for cheaper MBs and not offering a “basic” one stripped of high-end features leaves a price umbrella. 
    watto_cobrawilliamlondonAlex1N
  • Reply 13 of 21
    red oak said:
    AI_lias said:
    Imagine a 15” Air (thinner and lighter than other 15” laptops) which Apple will also cripple with only one external display. Because that’s who Apple is now, and that’s what they think of their customers. 
    Exactly.  This is why Apple computer market share is increasing dramatically 
    Citation needed

    However, market share is not the interesting metric. For consumers it’s quality. For investors, it’s revenue and profit. By your logic McDonald’s has the best burger. Lol
    watto_cobrah4y3sdewmeAlex1N
  • Reply 14 of 21
    timmillea said:
    In what way could a 15" laptop possibly be a MacBook Air? The current 13" model is already a stretch. The MBA concept is a 'premium ultraportable'. A 15" fan-less design would simply be MacBook. The new 13" should be MacBook. A new MacBook Air would be as hated by Americans as the original - small, compromised and very expensive - but loved in the Far East. 
    I loved my 11 inch 2015 MacBook Air. And before that, I loved my 12 inch PowerBook G4. If not for the fact that it was extremely underpowered and overpriced, I would’ve purchased the 2015 MacBook. Instead, I maxed out my 11 inch air which my wife was using until I got her an M1air for her birthday in January. 
    timmilleaAlex1N
  • Reply 15 of 21
    marc g said:
    timmillea said:
    In what way could a 15" laptop possibly be a MacBook Air? The current 13" model is already a stretch. The MBA concept is a 'premium ultraportable'. A 15" fan-less design would simply be MacBook. The new 13" should be MacBook. A new MacBook Air would be as hated by Americans as the original - small, compromised and very expensive - but loved in the Far East. 
    I loved my 11 inch 2015 MacBook Air. And before that, I loved my 12 inch PowerBook G4. If not for the fact that it was extremely underpowered and overpriced, I would’ve purchased the 2015 MacBook. Instead, I maxed out my 11 inch air which my wife was using until I got her an M1air for her birthday in January. 
    Good choice! I have a maxed-out MBA M1 and there is nothing even on the horizon that would tempt me to change. The M1 MBA is simply a superior ergonomic design. Apple got it, once. 
  • Reply 16 of 21
    JP234 said:
    red oak said:
    AI_lias said:
    Imagine a 15” Air (thinner and lighter than other 15” laptops) which Apple will also cripple with only one external display. Because that’s who Apple is now, and that’s what they think of their customers. 
    Exactly.  This is why Apple computer market share is increasing dramatically 
    Citation needed

    However, market share is not the interesting metric. For consumers it’s quality. For investors, it’s revenue and profit. By your logic McDonald’s has the best burger. Lol
    You seem to have compartmentalized three factors that are actually interdependent. Market share derives from quality. Revenue and profit derive from quality AND market share. In effect, everything begins with quality. And to quote Steve Jobs, "One Last Thing:" plenty of Apple consumers are Apple investors, and vice-versa. None of your metrics stand alone or have any inherent meaning without the other 3.
    Not trying to be nitpicky but what Steve would say, was “One more thing”.  As far as citations needed, can’t get to them at the moment but, for the last several years, Mac sales have been increasing while all competitors computer sales have either leveled off or fallen. 
    Alex1N
  • Reply 17 of 21
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    MacBook Air was called Air because it was significantly thinner than laptops of the time.

    We don’t need an Air moniker anymore.

    Just a MacBook 13/15 and MacBook Pro 14/16

    I don’t know why we couldn’t just get the two sizes with the screen size as the main differentiator…
    The current MBA is considerably thinner than the MBP. We just got one and I’m worried about bending it it’s so thin. It’s like a beefy iPad. 

    You’re ignoring the other features - more expensive displays, refresh rates, etc. There’s a market for cheaper MBs and not offering a “basic” one stripped of high-end features leaves a price umbrella. 
    It's easy to second guess Apple calling the current and (probably) future "Air" products. I've done it because some products like the iPad Air pull in some of the key features from the Pro line while being very careful not to include too much. In a conventional marketing strategy this would probably be done to prevent cannibalization of existing higher margin products.  

    If we look at the iPhone line, the "SE" moniker follows this recipe, i.e., juice up the SoC to be close or equal to the next higher tier product while limiting storage expandability, screen technology, and the camera array. So why not call the no-longer-envelope-sized and not-quite-so-svelte MacBook Air line something like MacBook SE?

    In my opinion, the reason why Apple keeps leaning on the "Air" modifier assigned to a number of products is because "Air" has very strong brand equity and has been closely associated with multiple very popular products. My favorite MacBook for personal use has always been and still is the MacBook Air. It's a wonderful machine to hold, a wonderful machine to use. has always had an exceptionally good keyboard and trackpad combination, is quiet, is cool running, is thin but still very rigid, and is a reliable companion that you can use just about anywhere, even on your lap. Imagine, a laptop friendly laptop computer! My 2011 i7 MBA is still pleasant to use and as productive as you would expect a Mac of that vintage to be. Tim Cook fully understands that my love of the MacBook Air is not an anomaly, it's the norm.

    I'm totally cool with Apple bringing a 15" MacBook Air to the party. Still, a part of me wonders whether Apple should try to resurrect something on the other side of the 13" latitude, like the old 11" MBA model. Without a Retina display the 11" MBA was simply too confining, but some people loved it because of its size, especially people who often used an airline tray table as a desk. But then Apple brought out the 12" MacBook with Retina and it didn't set the world on fire. This tells me that "some people" wasn't good enough, so Apple probably figured out that going smaller wasn't a path to anything other than smaller sales numbers and smaller profits. Now we'll get to see what happens to MBA sales when Apple goes bigger.

    If Apple can go bigger with the 15" MBA without sacrificing anything that makes so many people fall in love with the current Air, I think they'll have a major hit on their hands. Having their own super-efficient Apple Silicon makes this all the more possible. I can hardly wait until next week to see what they've Cook'd up for the MacBook Air. If it's not next week, well, I still hope that it will be soon thereafter.
    edited June 2023 Alex1N
  • Reply 18 of 21
    M68000M68000 Posts: 719member
    MacBook Air was called Air because it was significantly thinner than laptops of the time.

    We don’t need an Air moniker anymore.

    Just a MacBook 13/15 and MacBook Pro 14/16

    I don’t know why we couldn’t just get the two sizes with the screen size as the main differentiator…
    We certainly don’t need the Air moniker on something this big.  
    williamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 21
    dstraussdstrauss Posts: 11member
    Here's a thought - rechristen the 13" MBA the 13" MacBook to go with the 15" MacBook, and do a COMPLETE redesign of the MacBook Air called

    MACPAD

    Two high end SKU's of the 11" and 12.9" M2 iPad Pro, with Magic Keyboard, running MacOS! 8gb-24gb ram; 256gb-2tb ssd, optional 5g connectivity. We would FINALLY have an iPad Pro worthy of the name, and a Mac with cellular connectivity. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 20 of 21
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    dstrauss said:
    Here's a thought - rechristen the 13" MBA the 13" MacBook to go with the 15" MacBook, and do a COMPLETE redesign of the MacBook Air called

    MACPAD

    Two high end SKU's of the 11" and 12.9" M2 iPad Pro, with Magic Keyboard, running MacOS! 8gb-24gb ram; 256gb-2tb ssd, optional 5g connectivity. We would FINALLY have an iPad Pro worthy of the name, and a Mac with cellular connectivity. 
    Why on earth would Apple release such an abomination? How many macOS apps, much less macOS itself, have been optimized for touch? Okay, so the keyboard + trackpad become a required feature. So what would make this loosely coupled combination better than a MacBook Air? I love the iPad Magic Keyboard (MK) as much as anyone, but I'm never comfortable using it on my lap. Way too precarious for the high cost of the iPad Pro. The range of motion on the MK screen, i.e., the tilt, is nowhere near as flexible as what you get with the MacBook Air. If you try to force the MK tilt too far the iPad will pop-off the MK. The keyboard and trackpad on the Magic Keyboard are good for what it is, i.e., an add-on accessory, but it's nowhere near as robust, stable, and magnificent as the keyboard and trackpad built into the chassis of the MacBook Air. 

    As far as universal connectivity is concerned, hot spot tethering a MacBook Air to the 4G/5G smartphone you already own is a no-brainer. The cellular service providers are going to charge you either way, whether you tether or buy an additional line for your 5G enabled device.

    A tablet form factor Mac may be in Apple's future, but it'll take a lot of work to get there. In all likelihood iPadOS will evolve to take on more traditional computer features and functionality, like a far more robust and capable file management capability. There is plenty of horsepower in the iPad Pro to handle additional features.

    Trying to go in the other direction, making macOS and its huge tail of third party apps more touch friendly is a much harder and more brutish task. That's not something many software developers would want to sign-up to be part of. Hacking up other people's legacy code that's been fermenting for years is never pleasant. Making it fit into a new form factor device with a different hardware architecture and different software UX model would also be a demoralizing suck-fest, at least in my opinion, because it's not breaking any new ground.

    There's probably a fair amount of OS X legacy code in iPadOS for the common elements of the OS X and iPadOS (and iOS) code base. Apple likely spent a lot of time and effort stripping out OS X code that was not portable to iOS/iPadOS and creating new code to flesh out what was needed on the platforms iOS/iPadOS lives on. The last thing I'd want to ask a team to do would be to go back and try to reinsert a bunch of the macOS cruft that was ripped out for iOS/iPadOS. In my opinion it would be faster, easier, and better to start with as clean of a slate as possible. This means using iPadOS as the core and creating new code for iPadOS that extends that platform to incorporate only those desktop-like capabilities that are absolutely needed.

    No sane person should want to see the current macOS on the iPad. However, I do think that Apple could do a hybrid approach where iPadOS requires the presence of a keyboard and pointing device for certain applications to run, but still provides touch support for built-in operating system specific features and Apple apps built from the ground up with touch support. This would allow the device owner to install both the Mac version of Word and the iPad version of Word on their iPad. If they tried to launch the Mac version of Word without a keyboard and mouse/trackpad attached iPadOS would prompt them to attach a keyboard+mouse or fall back to the iPad version. Apple could also provide a setting to select the appropriate version based on the presence of keyboard+mouse. Apple could also include the binaries for both versions of its own apps like Numbers and Pages in the same app installation, which would be fully portable to a future touch-screen Mac.
    edited June 2023 williamlondon
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