New 2015 MacBook Air Release Date: Unveil on March 9 Alongside Apple Watch?
Once again, Apple has the public and media in a frenzy after announcing a March 9 press event that will most likely be the official launch of the highly anticipated Apple Watch. But there could be more on the plate, as the company could also unveil a new MacBook Air.
Although there has been no confirmation from Apple, many believe timing the release of the MacBook Air in the spring makes sense, even if there are little signs in the wild that point to such a plan.
"If Apple wanted to get a new MacBook Air in the school-buying process, they'd have to do something in this time frame. Plus, the MacBook Air needs a refresh," Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin said in an interview with BizBreak. "However, we haven't heard anything from the supply chain on this, which makes it less likely."
Reports began surfacing early this year about a new MacBook Air model that would bring some radical changes to the table. A 9to5 Mac article dealing with information from insiders who claim to have had hands-on experience with internal prototypes then revealed that Apple was working on a slimmer model with a USB Type-C port.
The new 2015 MacBook Air will reportedly top out at 12 inches, making it smaller than the current model and only slightly larger than the older 11-inch variant. The new MacBook Air will also be slimmer and more compact thanks to a number of design overhauls. The distance between the keys on the keyboard has apparently been redesigned to eliminate wasteful space and the laptop as a whole sports thinner bezels.
To squeeze everything on the inside, Apple may also do away with its traditional port system, replacing almost everything with a USB Type-C port. Other than a headphone jack and two microphones (one for input and the other for noise canceling), the 2015 MacBook Air is said to only have a USB Type-C port where the charging cable would traditionally go.
The USB Type-C port can drive a number of functions, including charging, displays, and is smaller and faster than both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. This would mean throwing away Apple's Thunderbolt port, and doing away with anything else, including an SD card slot. In the end, Apple will most likely provide a hub accessory that will allow MacBook Air users use multiple services through the same USB Type-C port.
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