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5 Reasons Buyers Need to Wait for the New MacBook Air Release

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The new MacBook Air release will likely come this summer at WWDC 2014 in early June, and there are several good reasons to wait two months to buy a new Macbook Air.

There is nothing wrong with the MacBook Air 2013 models sold in Apple stores right now, but signs point to several very nice upgrades for a MacBook Air 2014 refresh that could arrive as soon as June.

Multiple trustworthy sources claim the new MacBook Air release is set for mid-2014, which makes the Apple WWDC 2014 event that starts on June 2nd a promising date to look at. Apple announced a new MacBook Air at this same conference in 2013 as well.

With two proven sources pointing to a new MacBook Air release in the next several months it’s a good idea to hold off on your purchase simply to get the latest model, but we’ll also outline five reasons you should wait for the new MacBook Air release in 2014.

A new MacBook Air release date could arrive soon with a new 12-inch MacBook Air.

A new MacBook Air release date could arrive soon with a new 12-inch MacBook Air.

Putting all rumors aside, there is a history of a new MacBook Air release in the summer, with four of the last five Macbook Air update coming in June or July. It is almost 300 days since the last MacBook Air refresh and Apple often updates the new model once a year with new features. According to the MacRumors guide, there are 340 days between MacBook Air announcements on average, which lends support to a 2014 MacBook Air release in June.

5 Reasons to Wait for a New MacBook Air Release

If you need to replace a broken computer it may not work out to wait two months, but for anyone that is able to wait there are a number of new features and advantages to waiting for the new MacBook Air to arrive for 2014. Thanks to a collection of rumors and reports we can share a look at potential MacBook Air 2014 model features that are worth waiting for.

Retina Display

The biggest reason to wait for a new MacBook Air 2014 update before buying is for a Retina Display. Rumors suggest Apple is planning a MacBook Air Retina release for mid-2014 which will offer a higher resolution display that looks better than the current display.

A MacBook Air Retina release could bring a better display to the MacBook Air in 2014.

A MacBook Air Retina release could bring a better display to the MacBook Air in 2014.

Rumors point to a MacBook Air Retina with a 2304 x 1440 resolution according to NPD DisplaySearch. While users should be able to access this full resolution, the Retina quality comes when the display offers less room for windows. The Retina resolution is Apple’s recommendation of what looks best, but users can adjust it to gain more space for running two apps at once.

Better Battery Life

Wit the MacBook Air release last year Apple boosted Battery life to incredible all-day levels and a new report suggests the company is planning to boost battery life again.

Users may see better Macbook Air battery life again in 2014.

Users may see better Macbook Air battery life again in 2014.

This time instead of depending on a new Intel processor and OSX software the RAM could help deliver better battery life. A report from Matt Margolis predicts Apple will use new LPDDR4 DRAM in the new MacBooks for 2014, which can increase battery life in standby and while in use.

New 12-inch MacBook Air

For users that want a larger screen, but love the small size of the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, a new device could be just what they want to buy. Rumors suggest Apple is working on a new MacBook Air with a 12-inch screen that is the same size as the 11-inch MacBook Air.

A new MacBook Air 2014 model could use a new trackpad and arrive without fans.

A new MacBook Air 2014 model could come with a new 12-inch option.

KGI Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo describes the new MacBook Air in a note to investors from late 2013 stating, “We expect the unprecedented 12-inch model will boast both the portability of the 11-inch model, and productivity of the 13-inch model.” Kuo adds details about the design and screen stating, “The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air.”

If you want the latest and greatest, it is a good idea to wait until June 2014.

Thunderbolt 2 & 4k Support

The MacBook Pro Retina arrived with Thunderbolt 2 ports and support for 4k monitors. Apple is still ironing out 4k support in an update to the OS X 10.9 operating system, but the current MacBook Air is not on the list as supported devices even if the Intel GPU supports a higher resolution.

A new MacBook Air for 2014 could bring 4k support with Thunderbolt 2.

A new MacBook Air for 2014 could bring 4k support with Thunderbolt 2.

It is very likely that Apple is planning to include the new Thunderbolt 2 ports on the new MacBook Air to support 4k displays. There is a chance that Apple will announce a 4k display later this year, but for now the company sells a Sharp 4k display in the Apple Store. A growing number of companies are bringing $700 4k displays to the market, offering a more affordable 4k price point.

Better Performance

With each new MacBook Air release we see improved performance for day-t0-day use and even video processing. While this new MacBook Air will not likely arrive as a video editing powerhouse it looks like we will see some performance improvements.

A new typeof RAM could contribute to better Macbook Air performance, Image via Margolis

A new type of RAM could contribute to better Macbook Air performance, Image via Margolis

In the same report, Margolis shares details of improved performance thanks to a new type of RAM that Apple is likely to include in the new MacBook Air 2014 update. The numbers shown are fairly abstract in terms of what it means for the average user, but combined with the other reasons listed, small performance gains are worth waiting for.

Read: 5 Apple Products Overdue for a 2014 Update

The new MacBook Air 2014 update may finally bring the Retina Display to the most portable MacBook and if it does we expect Apple will keep the MacBook Air without a Retina display around for the foreseeable future. Expect a higher price for a MacBook Air Retina, just like we see on the MacBook Pro Retina models.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Bubba

    04/07/2014 at 9:31 pm

    How ’bout more memory capacity? I’ve got 8GB in my MacBook Pro right now, and sometimes it feels a little cramped. Want my next machine to have 16GB.

  2. ben

    04/08/2014 at 3:09 pm

    You can put 16 gigabytes of ram into a 2012 Macbook Pro… so what you want is really something that has been available for 2-3 years.

  3. Stan

    04/18/2014 at 1:50 pm

    But will the 13″ still be available? And does “slimmer” mean the end of USB connections? I don’t want a smaller screen, as I use the Air as my only computer for work, and the 13″ with the current weight is the right compromise between portability and capability to use as an only machine.

  4. Chris

    04/27/2014 at 9:53 am

    What about 4G? Apple has it in the iPad, why not provide the option for the Macbook Air. Tethering to the iPhone or using a mobile hot spot is really cumbersome!

  5. weee

    04/29/2014 at 7:42 am

    No thunderbolt, no 12″, no retina and wrong date… performance and battery is expected to improve

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