Here is why this MacBook Air end-of-line rumor won't matter in 2016
Over the past few weeks, rumors have it that Apple may be planning to phase out production of future MacBook Air. The whispers seem to be originating primarily from Jackdaw Research’s analyst Jan Dawson, whom, over the course of an interview with MacWorld, has shared his point of view on Apple’s future plans in regard to the MacBook, particularly in relation to the fact that, as he puts it “...the MacBook is now in the same position as the newest iPhone. That makes me wonder if the Air will go away over time...”.
Dawson is not the only one feeling the wind of change, as head of US Business for Kantar World Comtech, Carolina Milanesi, believes that same wind is about to push the sail of other booming product lines: "All [notebooks] need to be more mobile, so something like the Air doesn't need to be branched out anymore ... and it's to Apple's benefit not to have so many 'families' of Macs".
What if there isn’t a 2016 MacBook Air?
While it might be shocking, to an extent, for a product line that has been on the shelves for this long, with such success rate, Milanesi makes a perfect point: you “can” have too many MacBooks.
As the company stands today, there is two iterations for at least two MacBook lines: a 13 and 15 inch version of the MacBook Pro, which we know it will never go away, and an 11 inch and 13 inch version of the MacBook Air.
Finally, there is the 12 inch MacBook Retina, which Apple has conveniently placed in a mid-range screen size between the 11 inch and 13 inch MacBook Air.
The 12 inch standalone MacBook may very well be what Apple is shooting for, in 2016, in the event that the rumors turn true, for two reasons:
First of all, screen size: a 2016 11 inch MacBook Air will not only be cannibalized by the 12 inch MacBook, but also the iPad Pro, if you can believe that, as consumers are starting to like using keyboards with their supersized tablets. Whether they go for an iPad Pro, which is almost as big as the biggest MacBook Air, or for a Microsoft Surface tablet PC, the MacBook Air will find itself in a pretty crowded marketplace.
Second of all, there is nothing wrong with the 2015 MacBook Air. The latest iteration of the Air is one of the best laptops made in its category and screen size, as it still strikes the perfect balance between performance and portability. Yes, we might see a 2016 refresh with a Skylake processor, but that’s it, and it will most likely come with even less fanfare than the latest iMac refresh... Unless of course Apple comes up with a few more Mac-related innovations to add to the MacBook. aside from the keyboard technology used in the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard, which we won’t see on Macs, at least for a while.
The bottom line
If you are in the market for a MacBook Air, there is absolutely no need to wait. There is very little that we could possibly think of in terms of future changes, for this product line. The MacBook Air is still a laptop of choice for students, and one of the most portable devices on the market today.
The other reason to get a MacBook Air now, instead of waiting for a comparable 2016 product iteration, is price.
It’s important to keep in mind that Apple is most definitely already working on a 2016 12 inch MacBook Retina, which will be, in all likelihood a product with much more powerful specs than its predecessor, most likely to match the 11 inch version of the MacBook Air that is currently on the shelves. With that said, greater power comes with a bigger price tag, and while the 12 inch MacBook will come with all the bells and whistles, and perhaps even a couple more ports, most mid-budget consumers looking for a great laptop for college or everyday use, will most likely go for a MacBook Air.