Rumor: Apple releasing Macbook Air with Retina display in Q3

By Mariella Moon February 19, 2013

Apple-MacBook-Air-11-6-inch-2012-review-keyboard-display — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The MacBook Pro with Retina display models are a great choice if you’re looking for a notebook with the sharpest of screens. But what if you also want something lighter and more portable? If a recent report by Taiwanese publication Economic Daily turns out to be true, you might be able to get yourself a MacBook Air with Retina display by the end of the year.

According to the report, Apple supplier Quanta will begin getting shipments not only of Retina displays for MacBook Airs, but also of Haswell processors for Apple’s wafer-thin computers by the second quarter of 2013. The new MacBook Air with Retina in both 11- and 13-inch versions will then reportedly be launched by the third quarter. If Apple does release a Retina MacBook Air, expect to pay a lot more for it than the current models, similar to how MacBook Pros with Retina cost more than the models without the super-sharp display. For example, you can buy a MacBook Pro for $1,199, or, for an extra $300, you can get the Retina Display (and 4GB more RAM). Of course, Apple might very well continue to sell non-Retina MacBook Airs as a relatively cheaper option (the 11-inch model is currently going for $999, and the 13-inch model starts at $1,199.

According to 9t05mac, this rumor goes against analyst predictions of the next-gen MacBook Air. The thin notebooks, analysts say, might not be able to supply the power a Retina display needs to function properly. Apple might’ve found a way around that, but until the company announces the product, take this unverified report with a grain of salt.

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Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

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