2015 MacBook Air Release Rumor Points to Early 2015

2015 MacBook Air rumors have been swirling over the last month or so, and a new report suggests that we’ll see the 12-inch MacBook Air launch at some point in the near future.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo, it’s expected that Apple will launch its rumored 12-inch MacBook Air at some point during Q1 2015. Q1 ends March 31, so if this report is correct, then we’ll see the launch of the 12-inch MacBook Air within the next two months.

This early 2015 timeline goes along with an earlier report that said that the new MacBook Air entered into production earlier this month with a release timeline of Q1 2015 as well. It was also said then that the new MacBook Air is expected to come with a 12-inch Retina display and will likely replace the existing 11-inch MacBook Air, suggesting that the new 12-inch model will be the new entry-level MacBook Air, while the 13-inch MacBook Air will continue to sell in Apple Stores.

Of course, there are some details that we don’t know about yet, even through rumors, including the price point, but if Apple does indeed replace the 11-inch model with the new 12-inch MacBook Air, it could be fairly inexpensive.

A couple of weeks ago, a huge leak revealed details about the new MacBook Air, showing us what it would look like, along with new features, including less ports and a new USB Type-C connection that would be able to handle pretty much any connector, including the power cable to charge the MacBook Air.

Last month, there were a handful of rumors about the new MacBook Air, including reports that the new laptop would come with Intel’s new Broadwell line of processors, which were announced at CES last week and should offer a bit of a performance boost, as well as one heck of a battery life boost.

These new Broadwell Core M processors are designed to run at a ridiculously-low 4.5 watts, which if you don’t know a lot about how much power processors use, 4.5 watts is just crazy low. Thus, these new chips are destined for the next-generation fanless MacBook Air.

However, a recent report suggested that Apple could ditch Intel in favor of its own in-house processor, perhaps the A10X. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple’s A-series processor will reach a level of performances that’s comparable to Intel’s Atom and Core i3 lines within the next couple of years. Kuo says that using in-house processors for MacBooks will allow Apple to have more control over the release cycle for its laptops.

The switch to the new USB Type-C standard is an interesting move, and it could mostly be because of the thinner design of the 2015 MacBook Air, although it’s also killing two birds with one stone because Apple will now be able to use the latest and greatest USB standard. Furthermore, the new USB port could also come with DisplayPort functionality, allowing users to plug in displays through the USB port. This could cut down on the amount of ports needed on the new laptop, but this is still very much a rumor and isn’t close to even being confirmed yet.

As for some other small details that we’ve heard in the past, the keyboard design will leave “almost no space on the side”, effectively giving users a large keyboard without sacrificing overall laptop size. Plus, it’s said that the speaker location will be “above the keyboard and visible,” which is different than current MacBook Pros, which have the speakers situated on the sides, while the current MacBook Airs have the speakers situated below the keyboard.