Back at WWDC this year, Apple announced its intentions to move its whole Mac lineup to ARM processors. One of the first PCs to use its new M1 chipset was the MacBook Air, but interestingly, Apple didn't redesign it, something you might have expected from the new chip architecture that champions power efficiency. But according to a new report from Bloomberg, that redesign is on the way.
The new model is going to be thinner and lighter than the current 2.8-pound model. It might even have a smaller footprint thanks to smaller bezels. Aside from that, Apple is apparently bringing back MagSafe charging, or at least a variant of it. This was removed back in 2018 when the product line got a lone-overdue refresh. In fact, across Apple's entire MacBook lineup, MagSafe charging has been replaced with Thunderbolt.
It's no surprise that Apple is reengineering its MacBook Air to make it thinner and lighter, given the nature of ARM processors. Previously, Apple was using a 7W Intel Y-series processor for the Air, so it didn't actually need a fan. Still, an ARM processor is more efficient when it comes to thermals. In short, the previous models were designed for Intel chips. It's time to design for ARM chips now.
The report also mentioned that the MacBook Pro is getting the SD card slot back, so perhaps Apple is actually listening to its customers' complaints. It's also planning to get rid of the Touch Bar.
According to the report, this new MacBook Air will be a higher-end SKU. Like we've seen numerous times with other redesigns, Apple is set to leave the old design on the market as a base model.
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