It’s been almost a year since Apple’s MacBook Air range was afforded a hardware upgrade, and a pretty significant upgrade it was too. The introduction of Intel’s energy-efficient Haswell processor saw battery life potential increase by hours on both the 11 and 13-inch models of the ultra-thin notebook, and now, both configurations are in line for another customary bump according to a new report.
The refresh could arrive as soon as next week, according to the folks MacGeneration. The blog cites reliable sources in making its claim, which will see both variants sped up while being treated to a couple of other internal enhancements.
One rumor that has remained constant is that the MacBook Air is to finally reap the fruits of a Retina display. The MacBook Pro range has boasted the uber-sharp panel for quite a while now, and although fitting such a high-res display in the decidedly svelte package of the Air is quite a bit more difficult for Apple to achieve, reports have suggested that a 12-inch model will be heading to the market at some point this year.
The suppositions of numerous analysts have suggested that the Retina MacBook Air will be a part of a big Q3 for Apple that will see the introduction of multiple new devices, including the purported iPhone 6 and iWatch. KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo, who’s never too far away from an Apple rumor, believes that the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air will be even thinner than the current generation, which really would be something, and with several other perks including a buttonless trackpad, it may well prove to be the best all-round MacBook released to date.
In the immediate future, though, we’ve the prospect of an imminent refresh of the current models to consider, and while the improvements probably won’t be leaving new MacBook Air owners too distraught that their just-purchased machine has been superseded, those planning on grabbing either the 11 or 13-inch variants of the famed notebook will probably want to hold off for a while.
Given that the Cupertino is preoccupied with WWDC plans, it’s likely that the refresh arrive with too much fanfare, but if the upgrades are added, we’ll be sure to keep you guys informed.
(Source: MacGeneration [Google Translate])
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