Recent analysis of component shipments for the M4 MacBook Air raises interesting questions about the launch schedule for this model. At the same time, other information about the upcoming iPad adds another dimension to consumer expectations. A glimpse of future developments in Apple products is emerging.
Spotted by MacRumors, display industry analyst Ross Young posted a subscriber-only tweet revealing that panel shipments for the M4 MacBook Air are expected to begin in October.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman then confirmed that his own information pointed to the same conclusion: Apple will launch the next MacBook Air in the first quarter of 2025.
This timeline corresponds to the MacBook Air, which is now scheduled for the first calendar quarter. January – March.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 19, 2024
This information comes from analysts who track production trends and company activities to estimate new products and launch dates. While often reliable, these predictions can vary if a company decides to delay its projects. In other words, it is advisable to take these theories with a grain of salt.
In addition to displays for the new MacBook Air, panels for an entry-level 10.9-inch iPad will also start shipping next month. Unlike the MacBook Air, this suggests that the iPad could launch later than expected, as some had hoped it would be announced alongside the new M4 Macs next month.
By the end of 2025, Apple is expected to refresh its entire Mac lineup with M4 chips, marking the first time every product will share the same generation of chips. So while the prediction that the M4 MacBook Air will launch before next March may be inaccurate, it shouldn’t be too far off the mark.
Another interesting point for the new MacBook Air is RAM. There is currently talk that Apple will increase the minimum RAM for its MacBook Pros to 16GB, which means that this could also apply to the Air. This is pure speculation at this point, but it seems that Apple will have a hard time justifying 8GB of RAM on the Air if the Pro is already going to 16GB.
The main problem with such a low minimum value is that people on a budget feel forced to choose the minimum when purchasing, which significantly affects the durability of their computer and, therefore, the value they get from it. Many people want to use their MacBook for more demanding tasks over time, and 8GB is not enough.
Overall, there’s a lot of Mac speculation to be confirmed or denied in the coming year. But first up are the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, and iPad mini refreshes that will hopefully be announced next month. We’ll keep you updated on event announcements.
