The current rumor has it that a new MacBook Air will be released at the end of the third quarter, at least according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. This places the updated notebook around either September or October, depending on how the wording is interpreted.
TrendForce also refers to a new MacBook Pro in future tense, but it is surely referring to the models released in July, when the third quarter began.
The report offers the following quote on the issue:
The second quarter was the transition period when Apple was preparing for the releases of the upcoming new MacBook devices for the year. TrendForce therefore expects MacBook shipments to again post a large QoQ increase in 3Q18, as Apple will be releasing a new MacBook Pro at the start of the quarter and a new MacBook Air at the end of the quarter.
The report doesn’t offer additional details, although this dovetails with what other sources, including what Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman expect Apple have stated about Apple releasing a new entry-level notebook later this year, and they are two of the more reliable sources as it relates to Apple’s upcoming product plans.
TrendForce specifically stated that the new model will be a new MacBook Air, but Kuo and Gurman have not identified what branding the notebook will have.
The current MacBook Air hasn’t seen any substantial updates in over three years. Since that time, Apple has discontinued the 11-inch model, while the processor on the base 13-inch model received a minor bump in clock speed, but it’s still a Broadwell chip from the 2014–2015 timeframe.
Apple could announce a new MacBook Air at any point this fall or save it for a September/October release, perhaps bundling it with announcements of a trio of new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4 models, new AirPods, and more.
With refreshes to other Macs expected later this year, including the iMac and Mac mini, and a widely expected iPad Pro with Face ID, Apple may have enough in its pipeline for an October event, which it last held in 2016.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors