The MacBook Air may get a needed makeover but low-priced competition is fiercer than ever.
Why the revamp?
The MBA's basic physical design hasn't changed in 10 years. Today it looks pretty much like the MBA Steve Jobs introduced way back in January 2008.
A larger 12-inch MacBook?
The 2018 "MacBook Air" (if that's what Apple calls it) appears to be, more or less, a larger version of the current 12-inch MacBook, if reports depicting the design are accurate.
What's different (from the existing MBA):
- Retina display (like the 12-inch MacBook).
- Thinner display bezels (like the 12-inch MacBook).
Price: not known. The current MBA starts at $999, while the 12-inch MacBook starts at $1,299. Apple could swap in the new 13-inch MacBook for the current $999 MBA. Or slot it between the existing MBA and 12-inch MacBook's price points (e.g., price the new MBA at $1,200) but, again, we don't know. (See 2017 MacBook Air specs/review, which calls the current MBA's display "last decade’s...technology.")
Challenge:
While the MBA makeover (if that's what it is) appears to be a no-brainer for Apple internally, it needs to be inexpensive to appeal to students and schools and the kind of consumer that buys the MBA.
Google's Chromebook camp is making big gains in education because many offerings are dirt cheap (relatively) but deliver the goods. For example, Hewlett-Packard is selling its new well-appointed Chromebook x2 starting at $599. And many Chromebooks are priced between $399 and $499. The most expensive Chromebooks -- like Google's well-received Pixelbook -- have a starting price of only about $999 (and often come with hefty discounts).
And Microsoft offers a Surface Laptop that starts at $799 while Dell offers the Inspiron 13 starting at under $850 though the Dell has a lower-resolution 1,920-by-1,080 display compared to Apple's Retina.
That said, there is only one MacBook Air (with all the brand equity that carries). So, if Apple plays its specs and price cards right, it could have a hit on its hands.
