Just last year we received the MacBook Air refresh, which not only came equipped with Apple’s updated M2 silicon as well as other changes like the screen size increasing from 13.3 inches to 13.6 inches, new color choices, a bigger webcam, and more screen real estate. Yet we’re already hearing rumors of a brand new Air for this year, which is interesting to say the least.
This would be the MacBook Air (2023), which is reported to have an M3 Apple chip and come in two flavors: a 13-inch and a 15-inch model. And if certain rumors are to be trusted, we could even see an announcement for an upcoming refresh as soon as next month’s Apple Spring event. There’s also speculation that we could see an OLED MacBook Air in the not-too-distant future – more on that future down.
Of course, this is all conjecture based on rumors, so make sure to take all this with a healthy grain of salt until Apple makes an official announcement. But if this turns out to be true, the reveal could serve to make a huge splash among the Apple faithful, and for good reason too.
MacBook Air (2023): Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s refresh of the MacBook Air line
- When will it be available? Rumored in the second half of 2023, possibly even at Apple’s Spring event.
- What will it cost? Most likely the same price as the current MacBook Air (M2, 2022), which would start at $1,199 USD (around £1,015 / AU$1,815)
MacBook Air (2023): Release date
According to a recent rumor from DigiTimes, the MacBook Air (2023) could be coming out in the second half of 2023. The site reports that “the supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023…” Analyst Ross Young purported that it could even be as soon as April, possibly even at Apple’s Spring event.
And Mark Gurman, who writes for Bloomberg, claims that it’ll be two MacBook Airs coming later this year. The first being a 13-inch and the second a 15-inch. Other than that, we have no concrete release date for the refresh just yet. However, if this rumor holds water, the release window corresponds to when new Apple laptops tend to release.
MacBook Air (2023): Price
While there haven’t been any rumors surrounding a price point for the MacBook Air (2023), we can assume that the 13-inch version of the refresh will start around the same price as the current 13-inch 2022 model. That would be roughly $1,199 USD (around £1,015 / AU$1,815), though Apple might raise the price by $100 as they’ve done before due to the silicon being updated again.
Meanwhile, the 15-inch version would most likely go for a bit more. We could be looking at a few hundred dollars more, but this is conjecture since Apple hasn’t done that with its MacBook Air line yet.
MacBook Air (2023): Specs
In terms of specs, one of the main rumors from DigiTimes asserts that the 13.6 and 15.5-inch models might be outfitted with a 3nm chip (which means it’ll be an M3, coming down from the 5nm process used with the M2 SoC). This was a rumor that started last year with the M2 Pro and Max, and it turned out to be false. Still, we could see some updated silicon from Apple for 2023 instead.
Analyst Ross Young also asserted that a 15-inch MacBook Air would be coming as well. Having a MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen could prove to be polarizing among the fanbase, however. On one hand, that model could be enticing for those who want the extra screen real estate but at a much more affordable price. And if this one has an M3 chip, it’ll boast some serious power.
On the other, this could serve to alienate buyers since the release of a 2023 model coming just a year after the 2022 refresh would be a slap in the face for those who just purchased the older version. And a 15-inch screen would sit in a weird position market-wise, as the Air series – one of the best thin and light laptops – could end up being bulky and a little heavier.
On the topic of displays, recent news has suggested that Apple is working in an unlikely team-up with Samsung to develop an OLED MacBook Air, which would serve as a test flight for bringing OLED screens to future MacBook Pro models too. That version is currently expected to launch in 2024, though, so it’s unclear whether we’ll see OLED panels showing up in this year’s spate of new Apple hardware.
