In 2022, Apple made changes to the MacBook Air, giving it a new look, a slightly bigger monitor, and the M2 CPU. Now, rumors claim that 2023 will not only see a revision of that model (possibly with an updated processor inside), but also the introduction of a completely new class of Air. Here is everything we currently know about the MacBook Air 2023.
When will the MacBook Air 2023 be released?
When we might see any changes to the MacBook Air range is still unknown, according to Apple.
Along with the 13.3-inch MacBook Air (M1) that debuted back in November 2020, the latest 13.6-inch MacBook Air (M2) made its premiere in July 2022. It would be unusual if we saw an updated MacBook Air before the latter part of 2023 because, unlike the iPhone, MacBooks have recently tended to have longer intervals between versions.
There is a good chance that we will see a completely new Air in the near future because there are increasing rumors that Apple will unveil a 15-inch MacBook Air this year. The 15.5-inch panels for the new gadget had started mass manufacturing, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants’ Ross Young, who predicted a launch as soon as April 2023. Although we haven’t seen any evidence to support it, Young is a reliable market trend analyst, so his opinion has some weight.
There’s a high possibility that the 15-inch MacBook Air will make its full debut at WWDC 2023 in June, as Apple did when it unveiled the MacBook Air (M2) at WWDC 2022.
How much will the MacBook Air 2023 cost?
Again, Apple has not confirmed this, so we are unsure of the price of the new MacBook Air. Nevertheless, the business makes an effort to maintain fairly constant pricing structures for its products, so it is possible that new versions will gradually supplant older ones.
Here are the beginning costs for the MacBook Air as of right now since Apple switched to its own silicon:
- MacBook Air (M1) – $999/£999
- MacBook Air (M2) – $1,199/£1,249
As normal, you can customize the laptops with more RAM or storage at the checkout; however, since they cannot be updated later, you must do so if you want the extra power or space.
If Apple releases an upgraded MacBook Air M3 in the series, the M2 may drop to the $999/£999 price point while the M3 takes its position at $1,199/£1,249. As an alternative, Apple does have a pattern of holding onto older versions to maintain a price range. As a result, it’s possible that the M1 will remain in the inventory at the same price and the M2 will be retired.
Three variations of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air seem improbable, so one must be discontinued.
Confusion is increased by the launch of the 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple provides three distinct sizes of the MacBook Pro—13 inches, 14 inches, and 16 inches—but each has a separate set of features. Here is how much they cost:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) – $1,299/£1,349
- 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) – $1,999/£2,149
- 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) – $2,499/£2,699
As you can see, the standard 14-inch edition has an M2 Pro chipset in addition to having twice as much RAM and storage as the standard 13-inch model. It is therefore conceivable that the 15-inch MacBook Air will be strengthened similarly, resulting in a comparable price rise.
What features will we see in the MacBook Air 2023?
We don’t believe Apple will redesign the 13.6-inch MacBook Air once more in 2023 after giving it a new look in 2022 that includes a slightly bigger screen and MagSafe charging.
There were many rumors before the new Air’s release that it would have the same color palettes as the 24-inch iMac, with its pastel front and bolder colors on the back, but this didn’t happen.
It’s possible that a paint job will be the biggest upgrade to a 13-inch MacBook Air in 2023. As we recently saw with the introduction of a yellow iPhone mid-cycle, Apple is known to be content to use liveries as a sales tactic. Below are mockups of the possible new colors that Jon Prosser and RendersByIan put on their websites.
The anticipated M3 processor may be the other significant upgrade to the basic MacBook Air. The M2 Pro and M2 Max are already on the market, but they appear to be geared toward power users and require more ventilation than a fan-less MacBook Air can provide. The newest processor would then be installed in any new 13-inch MacBook Air by Apple, which makes logic. Several M3 Macs, including the MacBook Air, were reportedly in development at the end of 2022, according to reports from our sibling site Macworld.
We haven’t found many precise information about the rumored 15-inch MacBook Air up to this point. Of course, the bigger panel—now estimated to be 15.5 inches—is one thing, and if it copies the 2022 MacBook Air model, there will be a notch along the top of the display, though this is offset by the panel’s higher height.
In June 2022, Ming-Chi Quo, an Apple analyst with a lengthy history of generally accurate forecasts, stated that the company was planning to release a 15-inch MacBook in 2023. According to rumors, it would have two CPU choices: M2 (with a 35W charging adaptor) and M2 Pro. (with 67W adapter). It goes without saying that the M2 would offer it parity with its smaller brother, but the M2 Pro would propel it into the speed sphere of the MacBook Pro.
Prediction updates:
1. New 15" MacBook would go to mass production in mid-1H23, and launch date may be 2Q23 or later.
2. New 15" MacBook may offer two CPU options, M2 (with 35W adapter) & M2 Pro (with 67W adapter).
3. I haven't heard of any plans for rumored 12" MacBook yet. https://t.co/zm09nMvG7R— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 15, 2022
We’ll continue to update this story as new information becomes available, but it’s unclear whether Apple will decide to increase the RAM and storage.
