O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: 13.3-inch

  • Rumor: Apple’s first Arm-based Macs could be updated 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, revamped 24-inch iMac, could launch in late 2020, early 2021

    The rumor mill has Apple introducing its Arm-based custom chips for Macs at WWDC, and it’s thought that the first Arm-based Macs will be a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and an iMac with a redesigned form factor that could launch in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in 2021 at the earliest.

    Per Bloomberg

    (1) ARM13.3-inchMacBookPro:
    The new model’s form factor design will be similar to that of the existing Intel 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Apple will discontinue the Intel 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ production after launching the ARM 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

    (2) ARMiMac:
    ‌ARM‌ ‌iMac‌ will be equipped with the all-new form factor design and a 24- inch display. Apple will launch the refresh of existing Intel ‌iMac‌ in 3Q20 before launching the ‌ARM‌ ‌iMac‌.

    Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has speculated that the Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro will be similar to the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, with Apple eventually discontinuing the Intel version. It’s thought that the updated, Arm-based iMac will incorporate an all-new form factor design and a 24-inch display.

    Prior to the launch of the Arm-based ‌iMac‌, Apple will refresh the existing Intel ‌iMac‌ in the third quarter of 2020, which is in line with rumors we’ve been hearing about an ‌iMac‌ refresh that could happen over the course of WWDC this week.

    Starting in 2021, Kuo says that all new Mac models will be equipped with Apple processors, and that it will take 12 to 18 months for Apple to transition to an all-Arm lineup. 

    Kuo has also speculated that a MacBook notebook with a mini-LED display could launch in the first half of 2021.

    Finally, Kuo has stated that Apple’s custom designed chips, planned mini-LED displays, and scissor switch keyboard will “create competitive advantages for MacBook models in two years” with mini-LED technology significantly improving the user experience. 

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Apple announces updated 13-inch MacBook Air with Retina display, Thunderbolt 3 ports, reworked trackpad, other features

    Over at the Brooklyn media event, Apple announced its new 2018 MacBook Air, complete with a Retina display, Thunderbolt 3, a redesigned trackpad and other new features.

    The notebook now arrives in three finishes, and incorporates a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side and a headphone jack on the right side.

    The updated MacBook Air now offers four times the resolution of the previous MacBook Air. As such, the new design has ditched the aluminum bezels surrounding the old display, leading the display much closer to the edge.

    (more…)

  • Apple begins offering 13.3-inch MacBook Air notebook to education buyers for $999

    Apple’s tres-nifty white MacBook notebook may have officially gone the way of the dodo last week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a replacement in the works.

    Per AppleInsider, the company has begun selling a less powerful version of its 13.3-inch MacBook Air to educational institutions buying in bulk for US$999, filling the void left by the recently discontinued white MacBook.

    The new model, only available to education buyers ordering in bulk sizes of five or more, features the same internal components as the 11.6-inch MacBook Air available to general consumers for US$999. But the new, discounted hardware sports a larger 13.3-inch display. They are advertised to ship within three to five days.

    The 13.3-inch education model and the entry-level 11.6-inch MacBook Air both feature a 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 Intel processor, along with two gigabytes of RAM and a 64-gigabyte solid-state drive. They are also powered by the Intel HD Graphics 3000 chipset included on the Core i5 CPU.

    The standard 13-inch consumer-level MacBook Air remains priced at US$1,299. The speedier machine has a 1.7GHz dual-core Core i5 Intel CPU, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and a 128-gigabyte solid-state drive.

    Last July, Apple discontinued its white MacBook, which previously served as the entry-level notebook in Apple’s lineup. Its price point was filled by the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, which carries the same US$999 cost.

    Apple continued offering the white MacBook to education buyers for months, but this week the company finally ceased sales of the legacy notebook. Resellers have since been notified that the white MacBook is now classified as “end of life.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.