Apple is planning to release a new thinner and lighter MacBook Air that will launch in the second half of this year or early next year, according to Bloomberg.
The report said Apple will plan to market the device as a higher-end version of the current MacBook Air, which Apple released in November with its new M1 processor. That device was among three new Apple computers to make the switch away from Intel chips.
Apple’s Mac revenue was up 28% year over year, when the company reported its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings in October. That boost was helped by millions of people forced to work from home because of Covid.
The new MacBook Air will include Apple’s magnetic charging system called MagSafe, according to the report. MagSafe was used in Apple laptops for years before it was removed over two years ago in place of newer USB-C charging. But, it’s convenient because it allows the charger to pop out easily and helps prevent the laptop from being dragged off a surface if someone pulls the cord or trips on it. MagSafe is also used in the latest iPhone 12 phones, though it has a different design and relies on a magnetic puck accessory that wirelessly charges the phones.
Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI said earlier this month that Apple is planning to launch two new MacBook Pro laptops this year — with 14- and 16-inch screens and with MagSafe. Bloomberg confirmed the report but added Apple is also planning an iMac with Face ID, which means it would unlock when you look at it, a smaller version of the Mac Pro computer and a new Mac Pro with an Intel processor.
