Updated MacBook Air Line with New 15-Inch Model Coming in 1Q 2012?

macbook air 2011
Digitimes reports that Apple is set to update its MacBook Air line early next year, with a new 15-inch model appearing alongside refreshed 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. The update will reportedly take place during the first quarter of 2012.

Apple reportedly is set to launch its new MacBook Air series notebooks with panel sizes of 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch in the first quarter of 2012 and will directly compete against ultrabooks from PC brand vendors, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

The sources noted that related upstream players have already started pilot production of the MacBook Air models and will add a 15-inch model into the product line to expand its reach in the ultra-thin notebook market.

The report notes that discounts on the current MacBook Air models should extend through the lead-up to the debut of the new models, continuing to drive Apple's already-strong sales of the ultra-thin notebook line.

We first began hearing word of an ultra-thin 15-inch notebook from Apple back in July, with other sources also weighing in on the topic in recent weeks. Digitimes had previously indicated that component production for the notebook had begun with an eye toward a second quarter 2012 launch.

Sources have generally been unsure whether the new 15-inch notebook would be an expansion of the MacBook Air line or if it would appear as a slimmer MacBook Pro model, but this latest report indicates that it will indeed be a MacBook Air product.

Intel's Ivy Bridge platform, which is due for a spring launch in line with the reported MacBook Air revamp timeline, will bring a significant upgrade to the line's performance, particularly with regard to graphics improvements and new OpenCL support.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...

Top Rated Comments

bryanl Avatar
174 months ago
Even Mac Pro barely are capable of use that amount of RAM fully. Stop being ridiculous people.

I'm not just talking out the side of my head. Some people actually use their macbook pros.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shompa Avatar
174 months ago
Digitimes is such an incompetent site.

A bit of logic:
Is Ivy bridge ready Q1?

Answer:
No

Will Apple release a new macbook air weeks before Ivy bridge?
Answer:
No.

Macbook air refresh is technically possible when Ivy bridge is ready. Intel have before given Apple CPUs a couple of month before other companies but since Intel/Apple exclusive contract ended Intel have not given Apple pre released CPUs.

This is just like Ipad2+ Ipad2HD that would be released earlier this year. I asked all "experts": Who is going to produce the 28nm A6 and the Retina display? Stuff can't be released before its technically possible.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
buckers Avatar
174 months ago
Damn it! Was really excited until I saw the question mark at the end of the article title! :rolleyes:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skika Avatar
174 months ago
..Until there's confirmation, I think we've had enough stories ending in a question mark.

Finding rumors on a rumors site,...

PREPOSTEROUS!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theSeb Avatar
174 months ago
Even Mac Pro barely are capable of use that amount of RAM fully. Stop being ridiculous people.
Sorry, but that's incorrect. Mac OSX will use as much RAM as you throw at it. If there is a lot free it will use it for system caching and even creates a RAM disk in the background.

I can easily see 20 GB page ins and 10 GB page outs during a normal day.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
liquimatic Avatar
174 months ago
at what point will we see edge-to-edge displays? The current borders around lcd screens look so 1980's to me.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)