Apple may be prepping a MacBook refresh with a new ultrathin design — and it’s reportedly launching soon. No additional details about the laptop are available, but DigiTimes, which historically has a mixed record with Apple rumors, said that “Apple is also expected to unveil its new ultrathin MacBook soon” in a story highlighting a trend toward slimmer laptops with narrow bezels that was notable at the recent IFA show.
It’s unclear if the Apple notebook referenced in DigiTimes‘ report will fall under Apple’s MacBook line or if it will be part of the MacBook Air range. If in fact this notebook will fall under the MacBook range, Apple may not have a lot of room to make the laptop much slimmer than the existing MacBook models available today — it still needs to accommodate the thickness of the device’s USB-C ports.
Most recently, rumors of a new MacBook Air have been circulating, suggesting Apple will update its beloved ultraportable with a Retina display — a first for the Air line — new internals, and an updated design. By switching to USB-C ports from the standard USB-A ports on today’s MacBook Air, Apple could shave some thickness off of the design. In fact, when Apple introduced the new MacBook Pro models, it highlighted that the Pro’s uniform thickness meant that the beefier laptop was still thinner than the thickest point on the MacBook Air.
With partner Intel introducing new mobile-centric Amber Lake and Whiskey Lake processors late last month at the IFA show, it’s possible these processors will likely make their way into a refreshed MacBook or MacBook Air. Whiskey Lake is Intel’s line of U-series processors, and that chipset will be more suited in a MacBook Air, while the more energy efficient Y-series Amber Lake will likely be a better choice for a MacBook refresh. Historically, Apple has relied on Y-series Intel Core M processor models for its MacBook models.
At this point, it’s unclear when Apple will announce the new laptop, but it’s been previously speculated that Apple could host a Mac event in October. Another Mac favorite that Apple could update at that event could be the Mac Mini, a compact desktop that hasn’t seen any major upgrades in several years.
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