Update: Here are 5 of the biggest rumored upgrades for the MacBook Air 2022.
Apple's next MacBook Air could have a rather dramatic redesign, with slimmer bezels, MagSafe charging, a 1080p webcam and a suite of color options similar to the iMac 2021.
That's according a reliable leaker Dylandkt (via MacRumors), who claimed the MacBook Air 2022 could also come with the rumored Apple M2 chip, a mini-LED display, no fans, a 30W power adapter and an off-white keyboard and screen bezels. In effect, the rumored next-gen Air could take on some of the best MacBook Pro 2021 features — with one big catch.
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Noting that that "the design will be similar to the new MacBook Pro while being thinner, lighter," Dylandkt claimed that inside Apple the MacBook Air is simply being referred to as "MacBook." That's interesting, given Apple discontinued the last MacBook, which was a vey thin laptop that traded performance for battery life.
But regardless of the name, this claimed MacBook is shaping up to be a next-gen MacBook Air, especially as Dylandkt's claims match a lot of the previous rumors.
The upcoming MacBook (Air) will release in the middle of 2022. It will have MagSafe, a 1080p webcam, USB C ports, a 30W power adapter, and no fans. There will be color options similar to the iMac 24. The bezels and keyboard will be an off white with full sized function keys.October 21, 2021
For example, the M2 chip has been tipped for the MacBook Air 2022 for several months now. It's expected to prioritize efficiency and battery life over the raw performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the new MacBook Pros. See our M1 Pro vs M1 Max comparison to see how these stack up.
Dylandkt also reinforced rumors that the MacBook Air 2022 could have a mini-LED display. This would make sense given Apple has put such screens on the newer MacBook Pro as well as the iPad Pro 2021. That would mean a next-gen MacBook Air would have a brighter and more contrast-rich display than the current model.
However, people expecting a high-refresh display and additional ports may be disappointed as Dylandkt is certain that "there will be no ProMotion, no Face ID, no SD card slot or HDMI port."
No extra ports would be a bit disappointing, as one of the best things about the new MacBook Pro is how Apple brought back a lot of handy ports that Apple had previously ditched for USB-C. HDMI isn't a huge deal as the MacBook Air 2022 is tipped to have support for multiple external displays over USB-C, but we'd love to have a full-sized SD card reader.
Despite the potential similarities to the MacBook Pro 2021, there's no telling whether the next MacBook Air will get a similar notch at the top of the display. However, according to MacRumors, one of the latest leaks hinted that the next MacBook Air could borrow the notch from the Pro models. That's potentially good news, as it would suggest the MacBook Air 2022 will have slimmer display bezels, which is one of the 5 things we want from the next MacBook Air.
Perhaps one of the most refreshing redesign rumors for the next MacBook Air relates to color.
According to Dylandkt, off-white could be an option, which would harken back to the original MacBook. There could also be shades inspired by the iMac 2021, which features a range of pastel colors.
As promising as these rumors are, there's a catch: it's unclear whether Apple will introduce an upgraded MacBook Air in mid-2022. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously claimed that that the production of the next MacBook Air won't begin until the third quarter of 2022, meaning that the official launch could be set for either later in the year or the beginning of 2023. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that an announcement could come next year, alongside the rumored AirPods Pro 2 and upgraded iPad Pro models.
