14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that a new MacBook Air was coming, but on the other hand, what we didn’t know was whether this would be a completely new model and if it’s supposed to come with the all-new M3 chip that Apple has been working on lately.
Some of these questions are getting an answer today thanks to reliable display analyst Ross Young.
First and foremost, it looks like this mysterious MacBook Air is going to sport a 15.5-inch screen. That’s right, Apple is ready to make the MacBook Air even bigger, as this would become the largest model ever launched by the company.
The production of display panels measuring 15.5-inch has started this month, Young said, and this basically means that the official announcement shouldn’t be too far.
M3 chip likely coming too
Apple could use one of two different approaches for the new MacBook Air. First, the company could announce the device when the necessary inventory is prepared and therefore start shipping it either immediately or one or two weeks later. And second, it could release the official announcement and begin taking pre-orders at a later time.
In both cases, the new Air should be available for purchase at some point in the spring, as this is typically the moment when Apple releases new product refreshes. The company holds events in March or April, and the timing for this new MacBook model seems just right.
Now, the question that’s left without an answer is what chip is going to power this new Air.
In theory, the M3 chip should already be ready to make its debut, as its production might have started in late 2022 when TSMC officially moved to a 3nm design. Launching a larger MacBook Air with a chip that’s going to be replaced later this year by a new version wouldn’t make much sense, so presumably, the device would be announced alongside the new M3 as well.