Rumors have persisted for the past several months that an updated MacBook Air is coming in 2018. Early rumors suggested that we would see the new 13″ updated Air by mid-year, possibly as soon as WWDC in June. But those rumors seem to have been put to bed based on a report by DigiTimes.
In that report, it is indicated that Apple’s supply chain partners have been informed that production of the new MacBook Air won’t begin until the second half of 2018, meaning July at the earliest for production to begin. While no reason was provided, speculation is that core components like processors were in short supply for Apple’s needs.
If indeed this rumor is true – and it is very much a rumor – then it likely means we won’t see a new MacBook Air until September or October. That, from a calendar perspective, fits nicely with Apple’s normal cadence around new iPhones and iPads and they have introduced new laptops all in one big event. We could be getting setup for such an event this year.
Further, this new-for-2018 MacBook Air is expected to have a $100 to $200 price drop which could put it as low as $799. That would make it far more attractive to those looking for an ultra-slim laptop who want MacOS
The current MacBook Air has more-or-less remained the same for the past three years, only getting small incremental processor updates along the way. This new updated to the Air is likely to be a more general update across all aspects of the device.
