Reported insider information suggests that Apple is building a new MacBook targeted for release in Q3 this year. In addition, the new MacBook is supposed to get the upgrades meant for the MacBook Air lineup, which would make the Air entry-level.
According to AppleInsider, noted analyst and Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes that Apple will release a 13-inch MacBook sometime in the third quarter of this year. Apparently, the new MacBook iteration will have a design and build that will place it right beneath the MacBook Pro lineup.
Meanwhile, this change in place will relegate the MacBook Air as an entry-level device. Kuo predicts that with Apple shifting its focus to a heavily upgraded MacBook, the rumored MacBook Air 2016 will take a backseat.
Without any foreseeable upgrades to the MacBook Air lineup, this will clearly demote the Air iterations in terms of specs and design, particularly if the new 13-inch MacBook is made thinner, lighter, and with upgraded internals. Meanwhile, at the top of Apple's laptop chain is the MacBook Pro.
The analyst also predicts that instead of a MacBook Air 2016, Apple will upgrade its Pro lineup with a 2016 edition. The new MacBook Pro is expected to come out with USB Type-C, Thunderbolt 3 support, Touch ID feature, and a slimmer aluminum frame. While Apple has yet to announce details, the MacBook Pro 2016 is said to be released in Q4 this year and may even be announced at the September launch event by the Cupertino-based company.
The laptop lines by Apple have long been established with the earlier MacBook as entry-level and budget-friendly, the MacBook Air as portable and top tier, and the MacBook Pro performance-focused. However, with the new upgrades – or lack of it – being introduced, the new MacBook may become a mid-ranger.
