New MacBook Air Expected at WWDC Next Week With These Features

​Apple plans to announce a new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch display at WWDC next week, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. The annual developers conference begins with Apple’s keynote on Monday, June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

While we wait for the new MacBook Air to be announced, we have recapped five new features that have been rumored or are likely for the laptop.

15-Inch Display

The new MacBook Air will be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display, according to reliable display industry analyst Ross Young. The current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, and the laptop was offered in an 11-inch size many years ago.

While a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display is rumored to launch in 2024, the 15-inch model is expected to have a traditional LCD.

M2 Chip

Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will be available with the M2 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple says the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip, for those who are considering upgrading from a 2020 MacBook Air.

Longer Battery Life

With a 15-inch display, the new MacBook Air would have a larger chassis, allowing for a larger battery and longer battery life.

Apple says the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip lasts up to 18 hours per charge, so perhaps the 15-inch model could get closer to the 20-hour mark. Apple silicon chips continue to have industry-leading performance-per-watt.

Wi-Fi 6E

While the 13-inch MacBook Air is limited to Wi-Fi 6, there is a good chance that the 15-inch model will be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E. Apple released new 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with Wi-Fi 6E in January.

Wi-Fi 6 operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also works over the 6GHz band, allowing for faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference. To take advantage of these benefits, the device must be connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router, available from brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear.

Bluetooth 5.3

Apple has added Bluetooth 5.3 to several of its latest devices, and the 15-inch MacBook Air could be next in line to gain support. Bluetooth 5.3 offers benefits such as improved reliability and power efficiency compared to Bluetooth 5.2.

This article, “New MacBook Air Expected at WWDC Next Week With These Features” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums