Apple’s next MacBook Air said to be thinner and lighter with MagSafe charging

In brief: More information is flowing out of the Apple rumor mill today as sources share the company’s plans for a refreshed MacBook Air that could arrive at the end of 2021 or perhaps sometime in 2022. A thinner and lighter design is reportedly high on Apple’s to-do list, as is the return of the MagSafe charging mechanism.

According to Bloomberg’s well-connected Mark Gurman, the new MacBook Air will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor. One possible technique being discussed to make the system smaller is to shrink the bezels around the display.

Gurman said Apple was even considering making a 15-inch MacBook Air, but decided against it for the next generation. Perhaps the idea will be revisited later down the road.

As with the incoming MacBook Pro, Apple is also expected to outfit the new Air with MagSafe, the magnetic charging system first introduced in 2006. Apple used it for years but started phasing it out of products beginning in 2016.

Last week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believed Apple’s next MacBook Pro would also readopt the MagSafe charging system.

The new MacBook Air will be powered by custom Apple silicon, further lessening Apple’s reliance on Intel for processing technology. The current-gen Air, released back in November 2020, also utilizes Apple’s M1 chip. Sources additionally say it’ll come equipped with two USB 4 ports.

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