Though not too long ago, rumours indicated the demise of MacBook Air, but latest reports say otherwise. Apple is planning to launch a refreshed MacBook Air at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June according to a Forbes report. Apple has just revealed that it will be holding next WWDC event from June 4 to June 8 in San Jose. The Cupertino giant has historically used the WWDC to launch secondary products, so a MacBook Air launch seems quite plausible. Sources familiar with Apple’s supply chain told DigiTimes that Apple is currently working on an entry-level MacBook that will ship by the end of 2018’s second quarter.
As per the report, the new low-end MacBook will be priced in line with the current MacBook Air models in the market, if not slightly lower. Apple is targeting a starting price range between $799 and $899 though the current MacBook Air starts for $999.
Apple originally was planning to cut the overall costs by striking a deal with China-based display manufacturer but was unsuccessful due to unnamed issues. Instead, the company is now relying on South Korea-based LG Display.
The entry-level MacBook will be getting 13.3-inch a-Si panels from LG Display packing 2,560 x 1,600 resolution as per the report. This means the alleged entry-level Macbook could only be the Air since it is shipping with 13.3-inch display size. However, it remains to be seen if Apple actually would market the entry-level MacBook as an Air model, as we reported earlier.
If this turns out to be true, the new MacBook Air would also be the first one sporting a Retina Display. The current MacBook Air models sport 13.3-inch screens sporting a 1440 x 900 resolution.
The report notes that LG Display will begin supplying the panels in April, meaning the first batch of entry-level MacBooks will enter production by May end or early June. The Quanta Computer will handle 70% of Apple’s orders while Foxconn will deal with the rest.
The company is reportedly targeting six million units of its entry-level MacBooks this year, but the analysts suggest it may only hit the four-million mark due to the end cost.
News of MacBook Air earlier surfaced back in January when from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted Apple is working to release a revamped MacBook Air model sometime in the second quarter of 2018.
