Apple may introduce a new MacBook Air with MagSafe, new reports say

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Apple is reportedly working on a redesigned MacBook Air that includes a new version of MagSafe charging technology, according to multiple new reports. MagSafe charging was first introduced by Apple back in 2006 with the MacBook Pro, but was replaced by the USB-C charging in 2019 with the fourth-generation MacBook Pro. Bloomberg News previously reported that the updated MagSafe for the MacBook Pro will be similar to the old pill-shaped design.

Earlier today, Bloomberg News also reported that the new MacBook Air is planned to launch this year or in 2022, and that the laptop is expected to be thinner and lighter than the current 2020 MacBook Air. The reports also state that Apple is planning to make the MacBook Air smaller by reducing the bezels around the 13-inch screen, and will reportedly increase the amount of USB ports to four. As you may know already, Apple is planning to revamp its entire Mac lineup with its own Apple Silicon processors over the course of the next two years. The company announced its first Apple Silicon Macs late last year, and the resulting performance benefits of the M1 chip versus their Intel-powered predecessors have been substantial, to say the least.

However, many were quick to point out that the physical designs remained essentially the same, which has prompted a lot of speculation as to when Apple would introduce a new industrial design to distinguish its new Macs from older models. In Bloomberg’s report, they noted that Apple did consider a larger 15-inch version of the MacBook Air, but ended up scrapping those plans. They also reported that Apple is expected to continue selling laptops with last year's M1 chip alongside their new models, since this new laptop is expected to be a “higher-end version” in comparison to the current MacBook Air.

Earlier this week, we also reported that the company is working on new MacBook Pros with the addition of MagSafe charging technology, as well as potentially ditching the controversial TouchBar interface. The laptop may also bring back a dedicated SD card slot, Bloomberg said. Interestingly, all of these changes are rollbacks of decisions Apple made back in 2016 with the release of the TouchBar MacBook Pro. It’s starting to feel like 2016 all over again.

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Published to Apple Scoop on 23rd January, 2021.