Apple's supply chain started production of display panels for a new 15.5-inch MacBook Air this month, according to display industry analyst Ross Young, who has a very good track record with rumors about future Apple products over the past few years.
In a tweet shared with his subscribers today, Young said he expects the new MacBook Air to launch in "early April" given that display production is now underway, but it is possible that an announcement and pre-orders could occur sooner. Apple often holds a spring event to announce new products, such as in March 2022 and April 2021.
A new 15-inch display size option would be the largest ever for the MacBook Air and would presumably be offered alongside the existing 13-inch model. The current 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip was released in July 2022 and starts at $1,199.
Young did not provide any additional details about the new model, including whether it would be equipped with the M2 chip or the next-generation 3nm-based M3 chip, which Apple has yet to announce. Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC began mass production of 3nm chips in December, but it's unclear if the M3 chip would be ready by April.
The launch of a 15-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip this spring has been the subject of debate given that Apple is also rumored to be planning to update the MacBook Air with the M3 chip later this year, and there would only be around six to eight months between these refreshes in this scenario. As the release of the new MacBook Air models approaches, hopefully additional rumors will help to clear up the situation.
Young is the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). In the past, he accurately revealed that iPhone 13 Pro and high-end MacBook Pro models would feature ProMotion, that the sixth-generation iPad mini would be equipped with an 8.3-inch display, that the current MacBook Air would have a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, and more.
