MacBook Air (2022): here's everything we know so far
Fans with aging Apple laptops prayed that a new MacBook Air (2022) would make an appearance at the Apple "Peek Performance" event March 8. They were left wanting. Again.
But never fear! Convincing rumors suggest a new MacBook Air will be released alongside a second generation of the M1 silicon, and in a range of bright and cheery colors at that. It has big shoes to fill: The older MacBook Air (M1, 2020) still tops both our best laptop and best Apple laptop guides and has since November of 2020, when it was released alongside other M1-powered devices such as the Mac mini (2020) and 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020).
The MacBook Air 2022 will most likely keep the silent, fanless design and excellent battery life, which is already the longest in an Apple laptop, even if Apple doesn’t make any adjustments. But we’re expecting some improvements, particularly in the Air’s design, with the 2022 model. Rumors abound of a complete redesign including a plethora of colors to choose from, similar to the classic Mac-inspired ones that you can pick for the 2021 iMac and 4th generation iPad Air.
Here's everything we know to date.
MacBook Air (2022): Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple's newest ultraportable laptop
- When is it out? Possibly late 2022
- What will it cost? Unknown, but likely similar to current pricing (starting at $999/£999)
Latest news
April 15: Apple is testing a whole bunch of new Macs that are powered by its next-gen M2 chip -- including a new MacBook Air and multiple MacBook Pro models, according to the laptop grapevine.
April 13: MacBook production could be affected by current lockdowns in China due to Covid, reports suggestion, meaning potential delays to Apple's new laptops, according to respected Apple source, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
April 11: “Apple is gearing up to launch some new Macs in the next few months," writes Mark Gurman. "What better place to do so than WWDC?" And one's likely to be the MacBook Air, he says.
April 2: No April Fool's joke here: DigiTimes says sources from the supply chain – insiders in the firms involved in making parts for Apple’s laptops – are ramping production, anticipating hot sales of forthcoming MacBook Air models.
More of the latest MacBook Air tidbits ▼
March 25: New rumors suggest that Apple could release a new 15-inch MacBook Air in 2023. This could either be the best decision Apple has ever made – or a big mistake, writes TechRadar's computing guru Matt Hanson.
March 22: Apple meant to launch a redesigned MacBook Air at its recent launch event, but wasn’t been able to stick to its original timeframe, says Mark Gurman. The company now plans on launching the MacBook Air in the second half of 2022, he says.
March 09: At its Spring "Peek Performance" event, Apple unveiled a new M1 Ultra chipset, the iPad Air 2022, the iPhone SE 2022, the fancy Mac Studio, and more! But no MacBook Air, unfortunately.
Oct. 22, 2021: Apple’s next MacBook Air might come equipped with a Mini-LED screen like the new MacBook Pros – maybe minus the notch – when it purportedly arrives in mid-2022, as well as an M2 chip, with an off-white color keyboard and bezels.
Aug. 11, 2021: Apple’s next MacBook Air will be landing midway in 2022 complete with plentiful color options and a Mini LED screen, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Release date and price
We were hoping that Apple would spill some beans at its Peek Performance event on March 8, but now that this slipped by without even a mention, the predicted release date is a little foggy. With so many rumors flying around, it's still likely we could see it announced by the end of 2022, so keep your eyes peeled for any events towards the end of the year.
The latest 24-inch iMac was only released back in May 2021, and given that featured the same M1 SoC as the first wave of Apple silicon, it's anyone's guess as to if this latest MacBook Air will offer the very same M1 with a complete design update, will sport one of the new chips unveiled with the new MacBook Pros, or have an all-new Apple M2 chip.
Given that the two most recent MacBook Pro models contain souped-up versions of the M1 chip (the M1 Pro and M1 Max), it's unlikely that the 2022 MacBook Air would launch with the same, ultra-powerful Soc during the same release window, so an M2 chip debut is more likely.
There's no official murmurings on price yet, but we anticipate the new MacBook Air will start at $999 / £999, just like the current model.
Design
Regardless of when the new MacBook Air arrives, there's been plenty of leaks and speculation regarding its new design to make it worth the wait. We anticipated back in April that the MacBook Air is overdue for its own colorful redesign following the release of the 24-inch iMac during the Spring Loaded event, when the new models took inspiration from some classic, colorful Mac designs.
This was reinforced when serial Apple leaker John Prosser claimed that the MacBook Air (2021) could launch in the same seven colors as the iMac (2021). These colors are Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, and Purple.
According to renders provided by Prosser, these new MacBook Air laptops could also feature white keycaps, larger function keys, and a slightly smaller trackpad. The chassis is also noticeably slimmer and 'boxier', doing away with the current sloped edges and instead opting for a very modern, blunt edge. With these rumors all collated, it would seem this anticipated redesign will be the thinnest, lightest MacBook Air to date.
Now that the rumors have been proven true with the return of MagSafe charging on the two newest MacBook Pros, we also anticipate that the 2022 MacBook Air will feature a Mini-LED display, something not only suggested by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo but a couple other sources
Specifications
Just wanted to share some details on when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X which is reserved for the Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).July 5, 2021
That quote is from popular Twitter leaker Dylandkt, who's profile was deleted in Janary of 2022 -- draw your own conclusions as to why. But a thinner design does suggest that the MacBook Air (2022) will include some variant of the Apple M1 SoC; it's unclear if this will be the same M1 chip featured in the current MacBook Air, or a new all-in-one M2 SoC.
The current version of the laptop -- the MacBook Air (2020) -- comes with Apple’s M1 SoC or system on a chip, which combines CPU, GPU and other components into an 8-core processor capable of surprisingly stunning performance. The 2020 model is much more powerful than the Intel-powered version it replaced, working 3.5 times faster when it comes to CPU performance and 5 times faster for its GPU performance. What could a new M2 chip bring?
Outside of the chip itself, it's likely that Apple will keep many of the other specifications the same as the current model. This is the 'budget' laptop option after all, so any boost to power could push the price higher and eat into the market for the MacBook Pro.
This means you'll see a choice between 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of SSD, alongside established features like the Magic Keyboard, and Touch ID. We're also anticipating thinner bezels, a 13-inch display (as is currently the standard), and an improved 1080p webcam. Updated webcam tech was featured on the 2021 iMac, with Apple claiming this to be the “best camera ever in a Mac”, so we'd be surprised if this isn't extended across the entire range of MacBook devices given how dire the current 720p webcam performance is.
For context, the last Intel-based MacBook Air could run two 4K external monitors, so we might see this feature return, especially since the newest iMacs and MacBook Pros all sport 1080p webcams.
While the number of ports on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) ended up expanding quite a bit, the same might not happen on the MacBook Air (2021), which will likely remain at two ports.
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