MacBook Air 2017 release date, specs rumors: Compact laptop featuring a dynamic keyboard next year?

Current generation MacBook Airapple.com

Despite the release of Apple's latest line of MacBook Pro power laptops, a number of the company's fans are still waiting for any announcements regarding the release of an overhauled version of the MacBook Air. Now, new reports have surfaced online which suggested that the 2017 MacBook Air may indeed be coming out and possibly even sport a never before seen feature.

A lot of consumers were disappointed when Apple did not release any new updates regarding the highly awaited follow up. The company also did not mention the device during their recently held launch events. However, several reports have claimed that Apple would likely still be releasing the new MacBook Air sometime in 2017.

Earlier in the year, the company had performed a slight update to the current generation 13-inch MacBook Air, but it was far from being the full overhaul fans had been expecting. However, new reports have revealed that fans may actually be getting more than what they had expected. Several reports have claimed that the upcoming 2017 MacBook Air will likely be sporting a brand new advanced E-Ink keyboard, a feature that has never been seen before in a commercially available laptop.

The new keyboard system, which is developed by Sonder Designs, is similar in function to that of the OLED touchbar on the new MacBook Pro. However, the dynamic touchscreen may not be limited to just the function keys this time around. The new system will apparently make the entire keyboard fully customizable, making it possible to adjust to multiple languages and even create contextual shortcuts depending on what the user is doing. The alleged new keyboard apparently uses an E-ink system to change the key labels on the fly.

Aside from the new keyboard, the upcoming 2017 MacBook Air may also be sporting a brand new design that will reportedly be sleeker and lighter than its predecessor. Other rumored specs and features include a USB Type-C Ports, better battery life, and the possibility of an Intel Kaby Lake processor on board.