Apple has been rumoured to be working on a smaller, fanless MacBook Air for some time, but a new report has suggested the upcoming laptop will be one of the first to support the reversible USB type-C standard, as well as the first Apple laptop to ditch the MagSafe charging adaptor.
The report, which comes from 9to5Mac, indicates the new laptop would be launched in Space Grey and Gold colours, in order to match the currently available iPhone and iPad models. It would have a noticeably thinner design than the current MacBook Air, that would be so slim it would have to swap from traditional USB ports to the newer, smaller USB Type-C ports announced earlier this year.
The smaller chassis would also include an edge-to-edge keyboard, leaving no space at the sides for speakers. They would instead be moved above the keyboard tray, and would be clearly visible - unlike the existing MacBook Air, where the speakers are hidden from view. The display will also apparently be the first in the MacBook Air range to make the switch to Retina display resolutions.
Earlier rumours suggested the 12in MacBook would use a fanless design, made possible by Intel's low-power Core M processor that runs at a low enough temperature not to require active cooling. Apple is usually one of the first manufacturers to pick up Intel's latest processors, and seeing as Core M was introduced in early September it may not be long before the company is able to fit them into new laptops.
According to the report, however, Apple will be launching the new laptop in 2015 - meaning we may have a long time to wait to get our hands on a new, lightweight MacBook. With the company concentrating on the newly launched iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it seems unlikely we'll learn anything concrete until early next year, but if more official news arrives we'll be sure to update this article.
