Reports suggest Apple could unveil the MacBook Air 2022 today during the WWDC 2022 event, although it may not be available to buy until later on in the year.
Apple insider Mark Gurman has suggested (via Bloomberg) that Covid-related lockdowns in China has led to delays in the production of the MacBook Air, and so the upcoming laptop may arrive in limited supply or have a “non-immediate release date”.
Nevertheless, Gurman claims that it’s still possible that the MacBook Air 2022 will make an appearance at WWDC 2022. The lightweight laptop series is expected to see a major redesign, with Apple adding new colour options (dark blue and champagne-like gold) while also keeping the existing space grey and silver picks.
The MacBook Air has also been tipped to keep the same 13-inch screen size, although Gurman has made no mention of the previously rumoured Mini-LED screen upgrade.
It was previously expected that the MacBook Air 2022 would get a performance upgrade via a new Apple M2 chip, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now suggests that Apple may stick with the existing M1 chip instead. The move to a more powerful processor has seemingly been complicated by delays in production.
Keep reading to find out everything we know about the MacBook Air, and make sure to bookmark this page as we will be consistently updating as new news comes out.
Release date
The MacBook Air 2022 is expected to launch this year, although there have been conflicting reports regarding which month it could become available.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the MacBook Air could be unveiled as soon as today during the WWDC 2022 conference. However, he also clarified the laptop may not become available to buy straight away with a “non-immediate release date” due to Covid-related delays.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo backs up this claim by suggesting the MacBook Air won’t be available until the second half of 2022, with Apple aiming to ship around 6 to 7 million units.
Price
There has been little information on the pricing of the MacBook Air, so it’s hard to gauge how much the new machine will cost. However, Apple does typically retain a similar price point when moving on to new laptop generations, which could mean the MacBook Air 2022 will see a starting price of £999.
We also expect that there to be more expensive configurations, with variables like storage and memory likely to change the price.
Specs
The MacBook Air 2022 was originally expected to be upgraded with a new Apple M2 chip, acting as a replacement to the existing M1 chip. The M2 is expected to pack the same number as CPU cores (8) as its predecessor, but the move from 5nm to 4nm architecture would still result in faster processing speeds.
| Architecture | CPU cores | GPU Cores | |
| Apple M2 (unconfirmed) | 4nm | 8 | Up to 10 |
| Apple M1 | 5nm | 8 | Up to 8 |
However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now claims that MacBook Air won’t be upgraded with the M2 chip after all. With delays to the supply chain, the technology required for the M2 processor may not be ready until 2023 at the earliest. As a result, Kuo suggests Apple may stick with the existing M1 chip instead.
There haven’t been many reports on whether Apple will alter its storage and memory offerings, so it’s likely that Apple won’t change these specs for the next MacBook Air. The base model currently sports 256GB storage and 8GB memory.
And since the latest MacBook Pro 2021 set a precedent with the inclusion of Mini LED displays, the MacBook Air could adopt the same technology. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro also benefits from a Mini LED panel, so it would make sense for Apple to move it over onto its latest laptop release.
However, more recent rumours have been quiet in the Mini LED front, which makes us sceptical that Apple will add it to the upcoming Air range.
But while Mini LED technology is still a possibility, Mark Gurman suggests the MacBook Air will miss out on ProMotion technology, which sees screen’s refresh rate boosted beyond 60Hz.
It’s also possible that Apple will upgrade the webcam. For its most recent iterations of the MacBook Pro, Apple upgraded the 720p resolution up to 1080p, resulting in sharper capture. It would make a lot of sense for Apple to adopt this feature for the next iteration of the MacBook Air.
Design
The MacBook Air’s design could see a major overhaul in 2022, with reports suggesting the laptop could become lighter and thinner to make it even more portable.
The existing MacBook Air M1 hits the scales at 1.29kg, but there are plenty of rival laptops that weigh as little as 1kg. Since the MacBook Air doesn’t require a fan to operate, it’s very possible that Apple could cut the laptop’s weight to hit that figure.
Many have suggested that the next MacBook Air won’t have the same wedge-shaped design, opting out for a uniform look, in the same vein as the MacBook Pro. It’s also possible that the new MacBook Air could sport a notch, just like the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg) reports that Apple will add two new colour options to the MacBook Air range: a dark blue and champagne-like gold. The range will also supposedly retain the classic space grey and silver colour options too.
MagSafe charging could also make a comeback, following its inclusion on the latest MacBook Pro. MagSafe is a magnetic connection for charging the laptop, which automatically releases when somebody trips over the wire to prevent damage to the laptop.
Apple is also set to stick with the USB-C port, with rectangular-shaped USB-A connections unlikely to return. Apple Touch ID will also be included.
Make sure you keep checking back here with Trusted Reviews, as we’ll be updating this page whenever new leaks or rumours are announced.
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