Apple Plans 15-Inch MacBook Air for 2023 and New 12-Inch Laptop (bloomberg.com) 12
Apple plans to expand the lineup of laptops using its new, speedier in-house chips next year, aiming to grab a bigger share of the market, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing people with knowledge of the matter said. From the report: The company is working on a larger MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen for release as early as next spring, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren't public. This would mark the first model of that size in the MacBook Air's 14-year history. Apple is also developing what would be its smallest new laptop in years. The new models underscore Apple's strategy to use homegrown processors to make gains in a market led by Lenovo and HP. The company began splitting from longtime partner Intel in 2020 and announced its latest chip, the M2, at a developers conference earlier this week. Better performance and new designs have helped spur a resurgence for the Mac lineup, which accounts for about 10% of Apple's sales.
This would make sense. (Score:4, Interesting)
When Apple used Intel chips they had the ability to offer multiple different tiers based on CPU performance. With their own chips - not so much. They do not even bin the chips based on possible clock frequency.
So the "Air" models would cover the requirement for baseline models with ok screens and acceptable batteries. All of this allows for a cost efficient design with a minimal profile. But a laptop with a larger screen is currently missing from the lineup.
Then there could be "Pro" models that offer the bigger CPUs, best possible screens, and largest batteries. They obviously be neither cheap nor have a low profile. But there is definitely a demand for such laptops.
What about the standard MacBook? I really do not see them being required. Previously, when you could increase performance by including a more powerful Intel CPU and additional cooling, it made sense. But now not so much. A more powerful CPU basically just makes it a "Pro" model and there is no in between.
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When Apple used Intel chips they had the ability to offer multiple different tiers based on CPU performance. With their own chips - not so much. They do not even bin the chips based on possible clock frequency.
I'm not saying [whether] their current or planned model lineup makes any logical sense, I'm not sufficiently familiar with either that my opinion would have any value. But they can "easily" differentiate by core count. They'll presumably continue to make it more parallel (which is not necessarily trivial, hence the quotes) and the pro models can have more of everything including PCI-E lanes. Or they'll have systems with more chips in them, and not just cores, to accomplish the same. Whatever the strategy, t
15 inch air? (Score:2)
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What does weigh? That's going to be the question. The 13" vs 11" was acceptable, but the little weight difference between the 13" air and 13" pro is noticeable.
I'm not sure who the 13" Pro is aimed at. The 13" Air is a great machine, and side-by-side it beats the 13" pro on a number of features, such as the display, speakers, camera and magsafe. The 13" Pro wins in battery life (by two hours) and the touchbar (which nobody wants), but is otherwise the inferior machine.
A 15" Air seems a strange choice, but if it was priced below the 14" Pro then the lineup starts to make sense.
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Given the active cooling, I'd hope that the MacBook Pro with the M2 would be faster than the MacBook Air with the M2, just as the M1 Pro was faster than the M1 Air, for sustained loads. I'm not sure how often that's important, compared to size and cost, but it's a (small) point in the MBP's favor.
How about 20 inch (Score:3)
Make them a bit thicker as well.
That will leave space for better less noisy cooling, and have very nice large screen that is good to work on.
Does not even have to have top of the line hardware like that MSI abomination.
Just... bigger is better, with laptops, but manufacturers do not seem to grasp that idea
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Don't let your dreams be memes, call up Quanta or Pegatron, they'll build whatever you want.
Prbably should put wheels or backpack straps on the 27" model at least though. I'd love to see it though.
Good (Score:3)
I've been waiting for more than a decade to upgrade, so if there really is a 15" Macbook/Air coming in 2023, I might as well wait another year for a bigger screen. Maybe there's going to be a 32GB RAM option, too.
Will they support two external screens? (Score:2)
Will they support two external screens?
Asking because there are no Arm-based MacBooks that can do that today.
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