It looks like the launch of the new MacBook Air15 inch is imminent - here's why

It looks like the launch of the new MacBook Air15 inch is imminent - here's why

Apple's long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air is likely to be unveiled at WWDC 2023 this June, where it is expected to reveal details about iOS 17, Apple's AR/VR headset, and other updates Bloomberg The laptop will have a processor that is "equivalent" to the company's current M2 chip, according to an internal App Store developer log confirmed by Bloomberg.

The 15-inch MacBook Air may soon join its slightly smaller sibling, the 13.6-inch Apple MacBook Air M2, as the best laptop on the market. Apple is said to be testing the compatibility of third-party applications with this laptop, as it often does before releasing a new device. The new MacBook Air chip found in the logs had the same specs as the M2 chip: eight processing cores, ten graphics cores, and 8 GB of RAM.

This is disappointing given other rumors that the 15-inch MacBook Air will offer enhanced specs along with a larger screen. Instead, the laptop will share the same chip as the Apple MacBook Air M2. Certainly, the speed is significantly faster than the more affordable Apple MacBook Air M1. However, rumors of the as-yet-unannounced Apple M3 chip fueled speculation that the larger version of Apple's MacBook Air would have a commensurately upgraded chip. That does not appear to be true.

However, new MacBooks with the M3 chip could appear as early as next year, with Bloomberg predicting that "high-end versions of the M3 chip" will be available for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro "in early 2024."

Prospective 15-inch MacBook Air buyers may be disappointed, but there is some good news in this report.

First, the logs stated that the laptops tested were running macOS 14. This strongly suggests that when the new MacBooks are released, they will come with a new and shiny OS.

The logs also list a display resolution of 3024 x 1964, indicating that Apple is not just stretching the current Air's 2560 x 1664 display to the new larger screen; the 15-inch version will be the same as Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro, which will boast the same resolution used on the MacBook Pro, but will likely lose some sharpness on the inevitably larger 15.3-inch display.

Of course, all of this information should be taken with a grain of salt, unless confirmed by Apple. However, with only a few weeks to go until WWDC, we can be confident that all will be revealed shortly.

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