New MacBook Air coming next year with new design?

[photo: Commons Wikimedia/Kris Mendoza]

It seems that Apple is planning to overhaul most of its upcoming flagships next year. Aside from the rumors that the Cupertino-based company is ditching the 3.5mm audio jack to make the iPhone 7 slimmer, another speculation that floated online is that there will be a number of changes in both the design and under-the-hood specs of the next iteration of the MacBook Air.

According to 9to5Mac, a report from a Chinese website mentioned that Apple will be overhauling its MacBook Air line when it releases the 2016 iterations. Apparently, the new MacBook Air will be made with lighter components to take away weight off the overall bulk of the device. In addition, the 2016 MacBook Air will also be reportedly slimmer than its predecessors, as thinner but powerful hardware upgrades are also expected.

Meanwhile, MacRumors hinted at a recent report that Apple might also be thinking of expanding the lineup with a bigger MacBook Air with a 15-inch display. However, with the coming of a bigger MacBook Air, Apple will reportedly discontinue releasing an 11-inch device. This will make the 2016 laptop line of the Cupertino-based company divided into at least two categories.

For users with mobility and portability in mind, Apple will offer the smallest 12-inch MacBook with Retina, while the 2016 MacBook Air will come in traditional 13- and 15-inch laptop variants. Meanwhile, power users who want professional-level Apple laptops will have the choice of going for the new MacBook Pro editions, which will also reportedly come out next year.

The speculations remain as hearsay, as the Cupertino-based company has not yet provided any details about upcoming iterations, particularly for its laptop line. However, observers note that since it was back in 2010 that the MacBook Air received a major refresh, Apple might be keeping the details of the 2016 editions tightly under wraps as a surprise for fans at the upcoming WWDC event in June next year.