For a while now, the public seems to have accepted the possibility that Apple may no longer update the current generation of MacBook Air laptops, with the company expected to launch a brand new Mac laptop to permanently replace the Air series. However, the latest insider scoop suggests that the Cupertino-based tech giant is about to showcase the MacBook Air 2018 version in Q2 2018. Moreover, the refreshed Mac Air model is said to include a known MacBook Pro display feature.
Apple has made no mention of its upcoming MacBook models coming this year, although DigiTimes believes that the company will launch a new entry-level MacBook at the end of 2018's second quarter. The online tech publication's sources, who claims to be familiar with the Apple's ongoing MacBook production, expects that the upcoming laptop model will be within the same range of the current MacBook Air. However, its specs could be hinged slightly higher than those of the Mac Air.
The highlight of the rumored MacBook model is the 13.3-inch amorphous silicon (a-Si) panel, to be manufactured by LG Display. This is the same display used by the current MacBook Pro model, something that the MacBook Air owners have long hoped to see in their laptops.
Based on these rumors, BGR speculates that this brand new entry-level Mac is none other the refreshed MacBook Air. For one, the Air model features a 13.3-inch screen display with 1,440x900 resolution. The MacBook variant sports a 12-inch screen with 2,340x1,440 resolution. The reports suggest that LG Display will start shipping the a-Si screen panels to Apple's designated factories by April, and the mass production will commence sometime in May or early June. With this schedule, the MacBook Air 2018 will be ready to launch at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
In spite of the MacBook Air 2018 getting the MacBook Pro's display panel, it is expected that the laptop model will be cheaper than the current Mac Air version, which is priced at $999. Per Engadget, this is already the cheapest MacBook that can be purchased from Apple. One would expect that due to the improved specs and features of the MacBook Air, the price will also go higher, but that does not seem to be the case with the MacBook Air this year.
Some of the expected specs upgrades in the MacBook Air 2018 are the USB-C port and Touch ID sensor. The current Mac Air uses USB Type A port, which is already considered outdated when compared to the faster USB ports in the current MacBook and MacBook Pro models.
