The Mac platform is undergoing a renaissance thanks to Apple's new M1 chip, with a new report claiming the company is hard at work on a major redesign to the MacBook Air.
The MacBook Air has been Apple's most popular notebook practically since its 2008 debut.
In its next iteration, the computer is expected to become thinner and smaller than the current Airs. It's said to be powered by a next-generation version of Apple's in-house Mac processors. Apple has recently swapped Intel chips in the MacBook Air for its own homegrown silicon, but the notebook's industrial design has remained intact.
A MacBook Air Redesign Is in the Works
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, however, this is going to change with an overhauled MacBook Air that's apparently coming at some point in 2021 or 2022.
Apple has discussed making the laptop smaller by shrinking the border around the screen, which will remain 13-inches. The current model weighs 2.8 pounds and is just over half an inch at its thickest point.
The company has also developed a larger version of the MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen but isn’t moving forward with this for the next generation, says Gurman. Aside from the rumored thinner and lighter appearance, the next MacBook Air is thought to be outfitted with Apple's beloved MagSafe charging technology.
Face ID May Be Coming to the Mac
Gurman's sources suggest Apple could also be working on bringing Face ID, its secure biometric authentication, along with integrated cellular connectivity, to the Mac platform.
Apple has also developed underlying Mac support for both cellular connectivity---the ability for Macs to connect to the internet via smartphone networks---and Face ID, the company’s facial recognition system.
However, neither feature appears to be coming soon.
To that end, Face ID had originally been planned to arrive in this year’s iMac redesign, but it’s now unlikely to be included in the first iteration of the new design.
MagSafe Is Coming to All Apple Notebooks
As for MagSafe, the convenient power connector is expected to make a triumphant comeback across other Apple notebooks, too. Having debuted on the 2006 MacBook Pro, the magnetically-attached connector instantly won people over thanks to its convenience.
Should you happen to trip over the breakaway cord, MagSafe would safely disconnect without pulling down the entire computer, saving the day. Unfortunately, Apple has stopped using MagSafe on all of its notebooks with its 2018 redesign in favor of USB-C charging.
Aside from pure convenience, the planned return of MagSafe also means that the next-generation of Apple notebooks should charge at a much faster rate than before. Moreover, MagSafe will free up one of the USB-C ports that people have been forced to use for charging. This could in turn be especially important in terms of the MacBook Air, which has always had fewer ports than its bigger and pricier brother, the MacBook Pro.
iMac Redesign and Other Mac Updates
Apple has been working on updating other computers in its Mac lineup, like a brand new 14-inch model and a redesign of the current 16-incher that we recently reported on. Those MacBook Pros should give people a few other popular features, such as helpful memory card slots. And Apple's heavily criticized Touch Bar, a touchscreen function row with dynamically changing shortcuts, is also going to be removed from these computers.
All told, the overhauled MacBook Pros should be coming around the middle of the year, if reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with TFI Securities is to be believed. Among other Mac updates in the works is reportedly a major redesign of the all-in-one iMac desktop.
Also, Apple engineers could be developing a less expensive, half-sized Mac Pro. These and other Mac updates will all be powered by in-house processors as Apple works to meet its self-imposed deadline to switch all Macs to Apple silicon in two years.
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