A new-look MacBook Air with MagSafe and more is reportedly going into mass production in Q3 2022

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Macbook Air Render Stacked
Macbook Air Render Stacked (Image credit: Jon Prosser / RendesByIan)

What you need to know

  • A new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has Apple getting ready to put the new MacBook Air into mass production in the third quarter of next year.
  • The redesigned machine is expected to feature a thinner and lighter body with the return of MagSafe and more.

Amid rumors that Apple is set to announce new Macs within weeks, it looks like the redesigned MacBook Air isn't going to be one of them. According to a new research note by Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by iMore, that machine won't enter mass production until the third quarter of 2022.

The new notebook is already expected to be a big upgrade over the existing model, adding a mini-LED screen and bringing MagSafe back to the Air lineup.

Renders shared by leaker Jon Prosser have previously shown off a colorful look similar to that of the current 24-inch iMac. New white keyboards are also included in the new renders, marking a big departure from the bland black keys we've become accustomed to.

Apple's current M1 MacBook Air has been well-received thanks to the power afforded by that Apple silicon. We can expect the next MacBook Air to sport a chip that's even more speedy, making the unannounced machine the best Mac for a whole lot of people — not least students and people who absolutely need the smallest and lightest Mac on offer.

If Apple's mass production doesn't kick into gear until the third quarter of 2022 it's unlikely a MacBook Air refresh will take place before then. Apple's M1 redesign came towards the end of last year and that machine is still hugely capable as-is.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.