MacBook Air 2018: all the rumors about the specs, prices and the possibilities of tactile identification for September 12

Will Apple finally offer us a new MacBook Air on September 12th?

After a brief break in the rumor mill MacBook, we have a new report of analyst Apple Ming-Chi Kuo with some new forecasts on what we can see at The big event of Apple scheduled for September 12th. new iPhones, Apple Watches, iPad For and other products in preparation, Kuo suggests that Apple is preparing a new "cheap" MacBook that could replace the 12 inch model introduced in 2017. But there is no promise that we will get it on Wednesday.

Apple iPhone 12 September XS event: Watch live here Wednesday at 9 am PT

In fact, the highlight of Kuo's report on MacBook, summarized by Macrumors, is that the new model will have Touch ID, a feature currently only available on the high-end MacBook Pro. But whether it happens Wednesday or not, rumors suggest that Apple is planning to launch a brand new, redesigned Macbook Air before the end of 2018.

Yes, the company has been providing incremental updates to the MacBook Air in the last eight years – but Air is more or less the same essential device Apple introduced in the fall of 2010. the Current 13-inch MacBook Air, published in August 2017, is almost identical to its Predecessor 2015 save for a microboost in the speed of its obsolete Intel processor and a doubling of RAM. In other words: a major transformation is late.

In the meantime, Apple has paid a lot of attention to the MacBook Pro high-end range, regularly updating internal components and introducing innovations such as the touch bar. In June, the company delivered new 13 inches and 15 inches models. This effort was not perfect, however, as some recent MacBooks have been the subject of complaints and class actions because of concerns with their ultra-flat buttered keyboards to be rendered unusable by a literal grain of dust. Despite an official denial, this hubbub may have prompted Apple to reorganize the Pro range before launching a new MacBook Air.

At the same time, Apple's competitors are flooding the market with well-designed, affordable and significantly more powerful alternatives. Exhibit A: Dell is elegant XPS 13, which offers state-of-the-art Intel processors and other modern flourishes for $ 1,000. If you can tolerate Windows, there are many laptops to choose from that probably offer more value per dollar (or pound) than the obsolete MacBook Air.

Yet the fact that Apple left the Air in its range and did not kill him, as he did with his AirPort network products – has fans of the air hoping for a Keeping Mac Pro Running. After all, the basic design of the MacBook Air remains the platonic ideal of a laptop too much. At the very least, a restart of a MacBook Air – whether Apple sits on the name or not – is an opportunity for Apple to redefine the type of laptop you can get for $ 1,000 in 2018.

To that end, we have collected all rumors and published reports regarding the upcoming price, specifications, features and design of the next MacBook Air equivalent. (Note: Apple has not officially announced anything, and has not responded to our request for comment.) This summary will be updated regularly, so check back often to see the latest news and details on the MacBook Air 2018. And joiin our live coverage of the big event from 9 o'clock in the morning.

Editor's note, September 11: This article was published on May 4 and will continue to be updated with news and rumors on the 2018 MacBook Air.

Rumor: A new MacBook will be released on September 12

Will the big show tomorrow include the MacBook Air? We do not know Apple did not unveil MacBooks in September before and it is likely that it will book this announcement for a separate event in October or later this year. Or not at all this year. Remember, these are all rumors.

Apple iPhone 12 September XS event: Watch live here Wednesday at 9 am PT

If Apple retains Mac ads at the September 12 event, the next realizable opportunity will be in October – a month in which it often debuted on new Macs. And it's not out of the question that we can see new iMacs and even updated Mac Minis, also.

Rumor: Touch ID support

In the middle of a lot of predictions released Monday by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (reported by Macrumors) is that the new MacBook "cheaper" will have the Touch ID, the fingerprint authentication system iphone 5s in 2013. Touch ID first migrated to the high-end MacBook Pro line in 2016 and is featured on the new models debuted in June.

Rumor: A 12-inch model?

Kuo & # 39; s most recent report Blurs the water about the size of the next MacBook; although its wording is ambiguous, it seems to suggest that Apple could replace the current 12-inch MacBook with a new model. This is at odds with previous reports – including a DigiTimes article outlining Apple's plans to launch a new 13-inch model in the first half of 2018 and Bloomberg's recent report describing an inexpensive device that would remain about 13 inches.

Rumor: Retina Display, finally

Bloomberg reports that Apple plans update this low-cost MacBook with a high resolution Retina display. This reinforces a previous DigiTimes report that describes a new MacBook with a "slim" design and a Retina display in addition to a contemporary Intel processor; The new Bloomberg information also suggests that the new model will have thinner glasses. It's hard to imagine that Apple is unveiling a new equivalent of MacBook Air that does not contain all of this, at a minimum.

Price: Still under $ 1,000?

Bloomberg reported in March that a "newer, cheaper MacBook laptop is in preparation and intended to replace the MacBook Air at a price below $ 1,000." Similarly, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the 2018 model would be even "more affordable" than the current MacBook Air. More recently, however, DigiTimes reported that Apple had developed a new "entry-level" MacBook that would run a new Intel processor and cost $ 1,200.

The entry – level MacBook Air of today, with a storage capacity of 128 GB, starts at $ 999 (£ 949 or $ 1,499 AU); the 256 GB version costs $ 1,199. Third-party retailers now regularly reduce the price of air to $ 750 or $ 800, and its low price is the key to its popularity.

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