MacBook Air 2018: Apple’s Original Thin Laptop Might Get ‘One More Thing’ Treatment This Year

The MacBook Air is one resilient laptop. For a while now, Apple seemed to be intent on retiring the aging notebook. The device has not been improved that much either, as it still carries the same body that it debuted when Steve Jobs unveiled it as a revamped laptop during his final years with Apple.

Under the guidance of Tim Cook, Apple started departing from the classic design theme of the MacBook Air. The 12-inch MacBook was unveiled — and it was slimmer, smaller, and lighter. It also had a truly impressive feature in the retina display. However, it was also very expensive — and its Intel Core M processors were underpowered for the price tag. For many buyers, the MacBook Air, with its Intel Core i-series processors and its monstrous battery life, was still the Apple laptop to beat when it came to value for money.

The MacBook Air has not received a lot of love from Apple, though. The device has been given a few boosts every now and then — some extra RAM here, a processor boost there — but otherwise, the laptop remains the same, as noted by an iMore report. This year, however, the story might be a little bit different.

Rumors are running high that Apple might finally be willing to give the MacBook Air a serious refresh this year. The device, after all, continues to sell well despite being far outgunned by its fellow laptops in the Mac lineup. Part of this is due to the device’s price, as the laptop is Apple’s only sub-$1000 MacBook. The 12-inch MacBook, the “portable” one among Apple’s laptop offerings, is still considerably more expensive than the MacBook Air.

With the 2018 MacBook lineup not being mentioned in Apple’s recent “Gather Round” event, speculations are high that the Cupertino-based tech giant is simply preparing to roll out updates to its laptop line sometime this October. As noted in an Inverse report, such a release strategy has been adopted by Apple before. The iPad Mini, for one, was unveiled on October 16, 2012. The iPad Air, iPad Air, and iMac were released in October as well.

What is particularly notable is that during Apple’s “Gather Round” event, the company opted to feature the iPhone XR — the iPhone line’s “budget” device — as its “One More Thing” headliner. With this in mind, and if reports of the MacBook Air’s second coming are accurate, then it would not be too implausible to expect Apple to also save the revamped MacBook Air as its “One More Thing” for its October event.