Ever since Apple launched the Retina MacBook Pro, every single MacBook Air owner looked at it and thought, “That’s nice, when’s that screen coming to the Air?” It looks as though we won’t have to wait too much longer, as there’s growing signs that Apple’s getting ready to launch the laptop that we’ve all been waiting for.
Every rumour says that the new Retina MacBook Air is going to be a 12in model. Given that Apple already has an 11in and 13in model, it seems unlikely that this model will slot into the middle of the current range. Rather, Apple may do what it did with the MacBook Pro range, with the Retina version slowly replacing the standard version.
Retina MacBook Air release date
Part of the problem with working out when the Retina MacBook Air will come it is down to the fact that Apple’s product cycle is closely linked to Intel’s. Generally, a brand-new model tends to come along with a new CPU, but Intel’s Broadwell range of processors (the successors to the Haswell range used in the current MacBook Air) has been massively delayed. The current range of MacBooks was originally launched in June 2013, with a refresh introducing slightly faster processors, while dropping the price, coming out in April 2014. In effect, that’s more than 18-months without a new MacBook Air.
Compounding the issue is the on-going problems with Broadwell. So far, we’ve had the Core M CPU released, but this chip is a low-power model, designed for super-slim laptops, tablets and hybrid laptops; it’s not the performance chip as we’d expect to see in Apple’s laptops. Instead, Apple needs the Broadwell Core i5 and i7 mobile chips, but so far we’ve only seen early benchmarks of these on Tom’s Hardware. Admittedly, Intel’s practically there now, so Apple could start to plan using these mobile chips, but in comes another issue: Intel Skylake, the successor to Broadwell.
Following Intel’s usual 'tick-tock' development cycle of, Broadwell was a ‘tick’. This means that this range of processors saw a Die shrink using a smaller 22nm fabrication process, which means that the processors run cooler and use less power. Skylake is a ‘tock’, which means it has a brand-new microarchitecture, which is said to extend battery life even further than Haswell did. Skylake looks set to launch in August, so the question is, does Apple wait for this new architecture?
As usual, there're tons of confusion around this. KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo, reported on MacRumours, says the Retina MacBook Air will get a Q1 launch. Given we’re approaching the end of February, this seems hugely unlikely. Other rumours say that the laptop will launch in April alongside the Apple Watch; again, this seems unlikely.
More realistically, we’ll see the laptop for the first time in June at WWDC. There’s a good chance that the laptop will launch then, running Broadwell; it may be delayed until August with Apple waiting for Skylake.
Retina MacBook Air design
Apple looks set to completely revamp the design of the MacBook Air. Leaked shots on AppleInsider, showing what’s allegedly a 12in display of an unreleased laptop, seem to show that the new model will be considerably smaller than the current 13in model, and closer to the 11in model.
When you look at the current 11in and 13in laptops you can see that there’s plenty of space to save, with thick bezels around the screen and keyboard tray. Martin Hajek has made a render of what the new model could look like, going for an edge-to-edge display and keyboard. Going on current information, he’s also made the case thinner, although this has meant that there’s no longer room for the MagSafe power adaptor slot. Apple will either have to make the laptop a little thicker or it needs to come up with a new way of charging it.
Jack Marsh is also reporting that the Retina MacBook Air will come in Silver, Space Gray and Gold to match the colours of the iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6. We’re certainly hoping that rumour turns out to be true.
Retina MacBook Air resolution
With a 12in Retina screen, Apple’s going to have to change the resolution from that of the current MacBook Air range: the 11in has a resolution of 1,366x768, and the 13in model has a resolution of 1,440x900. It’s possible that the new panel will use the same resolution as the 13in MacBook Pro (2,560x1,600). Canalys analyst Daniel Matte has said that Apple will use an 11.9in panel with a resolution of 2,732x1,536 (quadruple that of the 11in model), with 264ppi – the same as the iPad Air 2.
Touch ID
One of the latest rumours is that Apple will use its Touch ID fingerprint reader in the MacBook Air. We know from our iPhone 6S rumours article that Apple is planning to massively increase how many sensors are manufactured this year, and using them in a laptop would help explain this.
AppleInsider is reporting that the Touch ID sensor will be above the Trackpad and will provide additional security, as well as a method for authenticating Apple Pay transactions online. Given how much Apple will push its payments system this year, having Touch ID on more and more devices certainly makes a lot of sense.
Ports
Given that the Retina MacBook Air is due to be a lot thinner than the previous generation, Apple may have to abandon standard USB ports in favour of the reversible USB Type-C. This would mean that existing peripherals would need adaptor cables, but that’s the price of progress.
Of course, we’d expect at least one Thunderbolt port although it would be brilliant if Apple could extend this to two, so that two independent displays can be driven more easily.
