Kuo: MacBook Air With Mini-LED Display Still on Track for 2022 Launch

Apple's first entry-level Mac to feature mini-LED display technology will be a new MacBook Air due to launch next year, according to TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Flat MacBook Air Feature 1
From his latest investors note, obtained by MacRumors:

We expect that the new MacBook Air will adopt a mini LED in 2022, increasing MacBook's mini LED adoption rate. In contrast, only high-end iPad models will use mini LED displays, and the overall growth momentum may be lower than that of MacBooks.

The 2022 ‌MacBook Air‌ will also feature Apple Silicon, according to Kuo. The analyst believes that Apple will be able to offset the increased cost of using mini-LED panels in its Macs precisely because the cost of ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ chips is significantly lower than that of Intel processors.

Kuo said last year that he believes a mini-LED ‌MacBook Air‌ is due to arrive in 2022, and also said he expected Apple to release two redesigned MacBook Pro models, both equipped with mini-LED displays, in the second half of this year. In today's note, Kuo underlined how much suppliers can expect to benefit from Apple's wider adoption of mini-LED as a result.

We expect the new MacBook Pro will boost the shipment of mini LED displays in 2H21 because the new MacBook Pro will equip with mini LED displays, and MacBook's mini LED display is less challenging to produce than the iPad. We forecast that mini LED display shipments in 2021 and 2022 to be 10 million and 20–30 million, respectively.

In addition to Apple silicon and Mini-LED displays, Kuo expects the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ designs to feature a flat-edged top and bottom, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic power cable, and physical function keys instead of the Touch Bar. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated many of these details, and he was first to report that an SD card reader is returning.

Today's note from Kuo also said that Apple's first mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro will enter mass production in the second half of April, and that the iPad Air would adopt OLED displays in 2022, positioning mini-LED as a display technology exclusive to ‌iPad Pro‌ devices in the company's tablet lineup.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...

Top Rated Comments

SirAnthonyHopkins Avatar
51 months ago

The 2022 MacBook Air will also feature Apple Silicon, according to Kuo
Right? As opposed to what? Going back to using Intel silicon?

"The laptop will also feature the Apple logo on the upper lid, according to Kuo"
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
51 months ago

Apple really should make it habit to update EVERY Mac model YEARLY, just like back in the Steve Jobs days. It's ridiculous that we are now consistently waiting a couple of years for Mac updates for the past ~5-6 years. Just look at any Mac model and the slow pace is stupid. 16" MacBook Pro? Last update was in 2019. iMac? It's been around a year now. Mac Pro? 2019 again. And now MacBook Air is gonna be 2 years away from an update, not to mention it was so neglected in the 2016-18 era.
You have to understand that there's the intel factor as well. Intel consistently failed to deliver their own roadmap in a timely fashion, and when they did, the delta improvements are not that significant. I cannot blame Apple to not refresh their lineup regularly.

I believe with Apple silicon, we would see a more consistent refreshes in the future since now Apple themselves know what kind of chips they're getting, since it's their own.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
51 months ago
Too many leaks that mean nothing. I just want a timeline for upgraded Hardware. I’ll decide when I see it, whether it fits my need to upgrade. Other than that, this 'business' for clicks just wears me out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
asiga Avatar
51 months ago
This should really need to be a 15inch. We want big displays but lighter than the MacBook Pro (the MBP is great if you really need it, but there are plenty of scenarios in which you want a big display that you can carry with you without noticing its weight... and yes, the MBP has been made lighter with the years, but it's still heavy if you want extreme mobility).

And I don't care if a 15inch MBA would be prone to bending, not rigid enough, looks like plastic,... whatever... all I want is a big display light as paper, with NO fans, and running MacOS.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
51 months ago

I don't care so much about the weight than the cost. I still use a 2013 MBP. It is powerful enough for me and the M1 in the current Air would be all I need. But I like a bigger display but doesn't need to be a Pro machine that can be used for 4K video editing. Just Word, Browser, Zotero and Mail.
Yup. It would be nice if Apple do a 15" Air. Not everyone who wanted larger screens need a Pro performance. But Apple seems to equate larger screens to Pro premium price (iPad Pro 12.9, iPhone Pro Max, MacBook Pro, etc). :(
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aknabi Avatar
51 months ago
Looks like I'll be back to upgrading my macs every 18-24 months... my brain is excited, my wallet is not.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)