15.5-inch MacBook Air is expected to be launched in April, and five new functions/features are expected
Ross Young, CEO of screen supply chain consulting company DSCC, revealed earlier this month that Apple is expected to launch the 15-inch MacBook Air in April this year.
15-inch screen:
The new MacBook Air is expected to be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display, which will be the largest screen in the history of the series. The existing MacBook Air model is 13.6 inches, and Apple has previously launched an 11-inch version for this series.
The 15.5-inch model is still equipped with a traditional LCD panel, and Apple may launch a new 13-inch MacBook Air with OLED display in 2024.
M2 chip:
It is reported that, like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will also be equipped with M2 chip. Apple said that compared with M1 chip, the CPU speed of M2 chip increased by 18%, GPU speed increased by 35% and nerve engine speed increased by 40%.
Apple analyst Guo Mingyu said last year that the 15-inch MacBook with M2 and M2 Pro chip options will be released in the second quarter of 2023 or later. Interestingly, Kuo said that this MacBook might cancel the Air brand.
Apple may release a 15-inch MacBook between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but there is no accurate information at present.
Longer endurance:
The new MacBook Air with a 15-inch display will have more internal space, so it can be equipped with a larger battery and support longer battery life.
Apple said that the 13-inch MacBook Air equipped with M2 chip could last up to 18 hours per charge, so the media speculated that the 15-inch model might be closer to 20 hours.
Wi-Fi 6E：
Although the 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip is only limited to Wi-Fi 6, the 15-inch MacBook Air is likely to be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E. Apple updated the Mac Mini last month, which is equipped with M2 chip and supports Wi-Fi 6E.
Wi-Fi 6 operates in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also operates in the 6GHz frequency band, thus achieving faster wireless speed, lower delay and less signal interference. In order to obtain the speed of Wi-Fi 6E, users also need to support Wi-Fi 6E routers. At present, TP-Link, Asustek and Netgear have launched consumer-grade products on the market.
Bluetooth 5.3:
The 15-inch MacBook Air may support Bluetooth 5.3. Earlier this week, Apple submitted a new Bluetooth 5.3 product list. The file does not mention any specific products, but it refers to the previous list related to macOS, indicating that the file may be related to a certain Mac to be launched.
According to the Bluetooth SIG, the organization behind the standard, Bluetooth 5.3 has the advantages of improving reliability and energy efficiency. Bluetooth 5.3 can also pave the way for the new MacBook Air and eventually support LE Audio to improve audio quality and extend battery life.
