When Apple did not launch the 2016 MacBook Air last month, the speculations were rife that the American tech giant would finally roll it out early next year, with March 2016 being the latest.
There were two rumored reasons why the laptop was not launched in October. The first one has something to do with the fact that the 2016 MacBook Air is to be powered by Intel’s Skylake processors which will not go into mass production until November or December this year.
The second rumored reason is a matter of strategy for Apple because the American tech giant apparently does not want its 2016 MacBook Air to compete head-on with its iPad Pro.
While the iPad Pro was launched during the “One More Thing” event of the Cupertino-based tech company in September, the giant tablet only started hitting the retail markets this month.
Prior to Apple’s September event where it launched its latest iPhones, the iPad Pro, the iPad mini 4, and the Apple TV, the speculations about the 2016 MacBook Air was that the laptop would be launched in an October event but the device would come out in the markets by March next year.
With October all gone and there was no Apple launching event at all, it practically quashed all rumors about the 2016 MacBook Air. However, there remains the speculation that the device would come out in the market in March next year.
Black Friday release date
Surprisingly, there are new rumors on the 2016 Apple MacBook Air that started going around this month indicating that the laptop would come out earlier than planned.
Accordingly, Apple’s latest laptop along with its power laptop, the 2016 MacBook Pro, would be arriving this year instead of early next year.
Reports have it that the 2016 MacBook Air could be released by Apple during Black Friday 2015 while the 2016 MacBook Pro could come out next month, notes Venture Capital Post.
There are two things that seem to support the rumors on the new release dates of the 2016 MacBook Air and the 2016 MacBook Pro. The first one has something to do with the reduced prices of their respective predecessor devices, which normally happens when successor devices are about to come out.
However, the drop in the prices could be in preparation for the Black Friday sales event more than a reduction for the upcoming successor.
The second proof that the latest Apple laptops could come out before the end of this year is based on a new Mac code called AAPL951 which indicates the launch of new MacBooks could occur sooner rather than later. The same code also indicated that a new MacBook Pro could come out very soon, notes the Gospel Herald.
If a new MacBook Pro is about to come out, then it follows that its little brother, the 2016 MacBook Air, is likely to come out soon too.
However, all these are mere speculations at this time and unless Apple officially comes out to make an announcement or statement to confirm or deny these rumored release dates of the 2016 MacBook Air and the 2016 MacBook Pro, all information should be taken with a fine grain of salt.
A strategic reason
The 2015 Apple MacBook Air was launched during the American tech giant’s October event last year. A few months thereafter, reports about the 2016 Apple MacBook Air have started swirling. The speculation then was that the latest iteration of the new Apple laptop will come after its predecessor model completes its customary one-year market cycle.
Unfortunately, after Apple’s “One More Thing” event on September 9, the American tech giant has yet to calendar another event to launch its new set of devices, that possibly includes the 2016 MacBook Air.
So unless another Apple launching event comes along before the end of the year, there is no way that the 2016 MacBook Air would see the light of day at all in 2015.