Apple is planning to launch a refresh of its MacBook Air line as early as tomorrow according to multiple reports. This isn’t the rumored 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display that we’ve heard so much about lately but even still, it’s worth pointing out.
Codenamed J41A and J43A for the 11-inch and 13-inch models, respectively, the new machines are likely to focus on the addition of Intel’s new Haswell processors. The revised chips will only offer a minor performance increase meaning it’s entirely possible that Apple may not even announce the update.
If you can hold out a bit longer, the next major Air refresh expected later this year looks to offer some significant enhancements over the company’s current offering. Apple is said to be working on a 12-inch Air with Retina display that will be as portable as the 11-inch model and offer the same level of productivity as the larger 13-inch system.
It’ll also be thinner and lighter than the current generation Air and feature a new clamshell structure. Powered by Intel’s Haswell chip, the machine may forego a fan and rely solely on passive cooling. Early reports suggest it could potentially cost even less than current Apple notebooks.
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is just around the corner although the general consensus is that we likely won’t see the Air with Retina display showcased there. Instead, Apple may be targeting a launch date sometime in the third quarter.
