Why You Shouldn’t Buy the MacBook Air Right Now

If you’re in the market for a new MacBook Air, we’d suggest holding off for just a while longer, since a new MacBook Air is most likely right around the corner.

The last time that the MacBook Air received an updated was back in April of last year, when it received a slight processor boost and a permanent $100 discount on all models. It wasn’t a significant refresh for the thinner notebooks, but the drop in price was a huge deal.

Now, as we’re well into 2015, it’s almost time for another MacBook Air update, only this time we should expect a new MacBook Air earlier in the year, as rumors have pointed to an early 2015 release date for the new MacBook Air.

iGen recently reported that that Apple is planning to host an event on February 24 to reveal the 2015 12-inch MacBook Air, as well as discuss further details about the upcoming Apple Watch and possibly provide us with an official release date for the wearable. However, 9to5Mac has chimed to say that it won’t be happening.

Furthermore, 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, which means that we could see a new MacBook Air before March ends. All three of these sources have been reliable in the past, and while 9to5Mac discredits the rumored February 24 event date, it’s still possible that Apple could roll out a new MacBook Air within the next couple of months.

This early 2015 timeline also goes along with an earlier report that said that the new MacBook Air entered into production earlier in January 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, but that’s up in the air at this point.

In any case, we’d recommend waiting until the new 12-inch MacBook Air releases, simply because it’s expected to be a huge overhaul. While the new MacBook Air is expected to keep the same overall design that the laptop has had since 2008, it will receive major overhauls in other areas.

Most notably, it will include a handful of new features, including the new USB Type-C standard, a different kind of charger (other than MagSafe), and a thinner design that allegedly won’t include any fans, and a Retina display.

The switch to the new USB Type-C standard is mostly because of the thinner design for the new 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 the fanless design, Apple is hoping to use Intel’s new Broadwell processors with this new MacBook Air, which are designed to be able to produce low heat at high performance without the need for a massive heatsink. This would allow Apple to get rid of the fans and go for a thinner design.

As for some other smaller details, the keyboard design is to said to 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.

Of course, if these new features don’t impress you, there’s certainly no harm in buying a 2014 MacBook Air right now, but if even a little part of you is excited about the 12-inch MacBook Air, it’s worth it to wait and see what it will offer.