Although we’re merely a few hours away from Apple’s WWDC 2022 developer conference, last-minute rumors have not stopped pouring in. While WWDC is predominantly a software event, Apple is expected to announce a refreshed version of its MacBook Air as well. However, if you were hoping to get your hands on a new 2022 MacBook Air in the coming months, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has got bad news for you.
MacBook Air Shipments May Face a Delay
According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple could face supply shortages for the new MacBook Air. That’s because the Chinese factories of Apple’s suppliers that make MacBook Air such as Pegatron and Quanta have halted production in China due to COVID-19-related lockdowns. As a result, if Apple announces the MacBook Air at the event, the report suggests that we may not get an immediate shipping date.
Speaking of the new MacBook Air, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple may ship almost six to seven million MacBook Air units in the second half of the year, provided Quanta’s Shanghai production facility scales up to pre-lockdown levels before the third quarter. While Quanta is solely responsible for manufacturing the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, Foxconn will manufacture the MacBook Air alongside Quanta.
Contrary to previous MacBook Air design rumors, Kuo believes that the new MacBook Air is likely to ship with three standard color options — Gray, Silver, and Gold in addition to a possible dark blue variant. While there are rumors suggesting that the Air could pack an M2 chip with an eight-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, Kuo believes that Apple will likely stick to the M1 chip on the 2022 MacBook Air.
A 13-inch MacBook Pro is also in the works and was expected to be announced at today’s WWDC 2022 event. But, Gurman reports that it is unlikely to happen. The MacBook Pro 2022 is likely to come with the same design as the current one, possibly with an M2 or an M1 chip. It could exclude the touch bar too. We need to wait and watch to get more updates on Apple’s Mac plans for this year.
Gurman also suggests that WWDC 2022 will focus on AR/VR too while releasing the necessary software updates. So, what are your expectations for WWDC 2022? Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image: Jon Prosser
