This time around, the rainbow of MacBook Air colours may not be on the horizon.
Apple’s 2022 WWDC conference is right around the corner, and speculation about new hardware releases abounds. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has reaffirmed his prediction that the 2022 MacBook Air will be launched next week.
A supply and release date gap caused by China plant shutdowns would be the only reason not to disclose it on Monday, he reasoned (opens in new tab).
That would necessitate a long wait, to put it mildly. It’s worth recalling that, in 2017, Apple was perfectly content to wait 52 days between the iPhone X’s debut and its release in November. Moreover, the iPhone 8 had a 42-day head start on the competition.
However, those who were hoping for a colourful makeover of the new MacBook Air will be let down.
In an earlier tweet, Gurman noted, “The widely publicised idea of the new MacBook Air arriving in a variety of’several colours’ is definitely overblown” (opens in new tab). There are currently three colours to choose from: “Silver and gold.”
His favourite colour for an iMac is blue, and the gold hue will be more “champagne-like,” he said.
New MacBook Air hues may not be as diverse as the 24-inch iMac’s rainbow of colours, but rather the more limited palette of the iPhone 13 Pro, which is available in Graphite, Sierra Blue, Gold and Silver. Yes, Alpine Green has been added to the line-up recently, but it wasn’t originally part of the initial set.
If nothing else, we can look forward to seeing the M2 chip for the first time, as well as smaller bezels, additional connectors, and a return of MagSafe. In terms of the display, we don’t anticipate to see a change to mini-LED. All the expected changes to the next generation MacBook Air can be found elsewhere.
One more thing?
Recent trademark evidence suggests that Apple will reveal its next virtual reality and augmented reality gear at WWDC. Even though Gurman didn’t mention it in his tweets, he was downbeat about this being a meaningful launch only last week.
The recent board display of the gadget shows that Apple’s planned mixed-reality headset is well on its way, but he cautioned, “I’d be weary of expecting a full-blown presentation for developers and customers next week.”
A first glimpse or teaser is still possible, and that is my current thought. For a major new product line to be a success, Apple needs a lot of amazing software from day one, and it seems like a captive audience of developers is the best location to start the ball rolling, even if the final device is still many months away.
On June 6, at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET, and 6 p.m. GMT, CEO Tim Cook will deliver the keynote address to kick off the event. How to watch WWDC 2022 live on the internet?