The wait for the MacBook Air 2018 may finally come to an end later this month if the rumors are true. Apple has recently announced that they are holding an event at the Howard Gilman Opera House in New York City on Oct. 30 to unveil some new devices, and industry insiders have suggested that an updated MacBook Air may be part of the lineup.
As a budget-range laptop, the current MacBook Air is still one of Apple’s best-selling devices in the market, and many believe the company will not phase it out unless they have introduced an affordable replacement. Apple has to do this if they want to compete against all the cheap Windows laptops out there, but there is no denying that the MacBook Air badly needs an update.
If Apple introduces the MacBook Air 2018 later this month, expect it to get a significant upgrade. However, the company has to keep the price low so the cost for a unit may not change.
Meanwhile, some observers have speculated that Apple may decide to rebrand the MacBook Air instead. “There have long been rumors of a replacement for the MacBook Air. This 13-inch machine is likely to adopt the same form-factor as the existing 12-inch MacBook, and will probably drop the Air branding,” Ben Lovejoy said in his report for 9to5Mac.
“A K-12 education customer recently placed an order for a MacBook Air, iPad and Apple Pencil. The iPad and Pencil shipped, but the school received an email stating that the MacBook Air is delayed, and will now ship on October 30,” he added.
In any case, analysts believe it is due time for Apple to update or replace the current MacBook Air. Will consumers see an updated MacBook Air 2018 at the Apple event later this month, or will the company introduce a new device to replace it?