Apple is heavily rumored to launch a MacBook Air refresh next year, and leaked renders that have popped up online show a sleek metallic build adorned in bright colors and one very divisive design choice — a wide notch at the top. Concept-based schematics of the 2022 MacBook Air first surfaced online a few months ago, showcasing a refined design with paint jobs inspired by the iPad Air 4 and M1-powered iMac that made its debut earlier this year.
Previous leaks have mentioned a design overhaul that will see Apple ditching the iconic wedge look in favor of a more symmetric look. Apple hasn’t changed the laptop’s core profile ever since Steve Jobs famously pulled the first MacBook Air out of an envelope at the 2008 Macworld conference. The design has slightly been refined over the years in terms of size, colors, and port selection, but the MacBook Air remains distinctly recognizable for its sharp, sloping aesthetics.
That is finally going to change next year, as per alleged MacBook Air renders courtesy of FrontPageTech run by leakster Jon Prosser. The renders show a sleek metallic profile with a flat-edged base that resembles the Macbook Pro’s design until the M1 generation. The device still looks impressively thin and can be seen in seven colors that include shades of sky blue, purple, orange, rose gold, and green, among others. There’s an Apple logo on the lid, but it doesn’t glow like the older MacBook Air and Pro models. The machine still looks unmistakably like a MacBook, but the main changes appear once the lid is opened.
A Long-Overdue Design Refresh With One Oddity
The keycaps and the keyboard deck are all-white, taking a cue from the all-black keyboard on the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Another key change is the port selection. The upcoming MacBook Air refresh is depicted rocking a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port on either side. On one side, it is flanked by the 3.5mm headphone jack, while the other side has a MagSafe 3 port. However, unlike the new MacBook Pro models, there’s no SDXC card or HDMI slot to be seen here.
A lot is allegedly changing when it comes to the screen. Apple is reportedly ditching the black bezels seen on the previous-gen MacBook Air and is bringing back the white bezels. The bezels on the sides and the top edge look a lot slimmer, but it has also led to a compromise. To fit the camera hardware, Apple is going for a notch akin to the new MacBook Pro. And unlike the stealthier black bezels that do a better job at masking it, the white notch stands out like an eyesore. Interestingly, Apple is reportedly considering a name change as well and might drop the ‘Air’ term, which means the new machine will simply be called the MacBook.
